Wikipedia

File:Gamma ray burst.jpg

Original file ‎(2,000 × 1,396 pixels, file size: 1.23 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

Description
English: Drawing of a massive star collapsing to form a black hole. Energy released as jets along the axis of rotation forms a gamma ray burst that lasts from a few milliseconds to minutes. Such an event within several thousand light years of Earth could disrupt the biosphere by wiping out half of the ozone layer, creating nitrogen dioxide and potentially cause a mass extinction. Stars shine by burning hydrogen. The process is called nuclear fusion. Hydrogen burning produces helium "ash." As the star runs out of hydrogen (and nears the end of its life), it begins burning helium. The ashes of helium burning, such as carbon and oxygen, also get burned. The end result of this fusion is iron. Iron cannot be used for nuclear fuel. Without fuel, the star no longer has the energy to support its weight. The core collapses. If the star is massive enough, the core will collapse into a black hole. The black hole quickly forms jets; and shock waves reverberating through the star ultimately blow apart the outer shells. Gamma-ray bursts are the beacons of star death and black hole birth.
Date
Source National Science Foundation Press Release 05-156: Gamma-Ray Burst Smashes a Record
Author Nicolle Rager Fuller of the NSF
Permission
(Reusing this file)
© The copyright holder of this file, National Science Foundation, allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is properly attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other use is permitted.
Attribution:
National Science Foundation

VRT Wikimedia

This work is free and may be used by anyone for any purpose. If you wish to use this content, you do not need to request permission as long as you follow any licensing requirements mentioned on this page.

The Wikimedia Foundation has received an e-mail confirming that the copyright holder has approved publication under the terms mentioned on this page. This correspondence has been reviewed by a Volunteer Response Team (VRT) member and stored in our permission archive. The correspondence is available to trusted volunteers as ticket #2010051310027124.

If you have questions about the archived correspondence, please use the VRT noticeboard. Ticket link: https://ticket.wikimedia.org/otrs/index.pl?Action=AgentTicketZoom&TicketNumber=2010051310027124
Find other files from the same ticket: SDC query (SPARQL)

Captions

lee pa

Items portrayed in this file

depicts

inception

12 September 2005

MIME type

image/jpeg

File history

Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.

Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current13:46, 17 September 2007Thumbnail for version as of 13:46, 17 September 20072,000 × 1,396 (1.23 MB)JehochmanThis image was created by the National Science Foundation and is in the public domain. Credit: Nicolle Rager Fuller/NSF http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_images.jsp?cntn_id=104440&org=NSF

Global file usage

The following other wikis use this file:

View more global usage of this file.

Metadata

This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it.

If the file has been modified from its original state, some details may not fully reflect the modified file.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gamma_ray_burst.jpg"