Neutron stars merging, supercomputer model. Animation (clip 11 of 11) showing a sequence of still images from a supercomputer model showing how two neutron stars produce a gamma-ray burst (GRB) when they merge to produce a black hole. Neutron stars are immensely dense stellar core remnants, formed after a massive star runs out of hydrogen fuel and its core collapses. Neutron star mergers are thought to produce gamma-ray bursts (GRB), extremely energetic releases of gamma rays. The exact process of how GRBs formed in neutron star mergers was not known previously, but has now been demonstrated with this model. The first frame shows the two neutron stars (yellow) and their magnetic fields (white lines). A key at lower left shows the colour-coding for the density of the stellar material and resulting plasma formed by the merger. The time in milliseconds is at upper right. The second frame shows the two neutron stars tearing each other apart, with the magnetic fields being heavily distorted. Subsequent frames show super-hot plasma swirling around a central area where a black hole is forming. The split-screen view shows the magnetic field (green) at left, with the white jet-like magnetic structures indicating the potential for GRB formation. This was the key finding from this research. This simulation (see also K003/2661) was produced by the Damiana supercomputer at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (also called the Albert Einstein Institute or AEI) and researchers at the Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB). The full sequence of clips is K003/2670-2660. Animation published in 2011. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / NASA / GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER / M. KOPPITZ AND L. REZZOLLA / ZIB / AEI |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Länge: | 31 Sekunden |
Seitenverhältnis: | 16:9 |
Restrictions: | - |