Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Milky Way's Black Hole a Gamma Source?

Posted by kdawson on from the high-energy-pinball dept.

eldavojohn writes "A paper recently accepted for publication (preprint here) proposes a sound explanation for the source of the gamma rays that permeate our galaxy. The Milky Way's central object Sagittarius A*, widely believed to be a supermassive black hole, is now suspected to be the source. To test this theory, two scientists created a computer model to track the protons, flung outward with energies up to 100 TeV by the intense magnetic fields near the event horizon, as they make a random walk through the plasma environment. It can take thousands of years for them to travel 10 light-years from the black hole, where they collide with lower-energy protons to form pions. These decay into gamma radiation emanating from a torus-shaped region around the central object."

13 of 100 comments (clear)

  1. Brings to mind this question .... by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 4, Funny

    "The Milky Way's central object Sagittarius A* [CC], widely believed to be a supermassive black hole, is now suspected to be the source."

    Would that make it an "A-Hole" ?????

    --
    Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    1. Re:Brings to mind this question .... by PhrostyMcByte · · Score: 4, Funny

      Coming from Sagittarius A*, the gamma radiation will obviously have little difficulty finding a path to earth.

    2. Re:Brings to mind this question .... by slashgimp · · Score: 3, Funny

      I sense an oncoming joke about Administratium, what with all the talk of A-holes, peons, and things taking thousands of years to accomplish a task ;)

      Whee!

    3. Re:Brings to mind this question .... by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 2, Funny

      I always thought the Milky Way was full of yummy nougat. Ummmmm....nougat

      --
      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  2. Black Hole by alexj33 · · Score: 2, Funny

    The Milky Way's central object Sagittarius A*, widely believed to be a supermassive black hole, is now suspected to be the source.

    That black hole must really suck.

  3. Paging Louis Wu by sqlrob · · Score: 4, Funny

    Long Shot is ready for departure

    1. Re:Paging Louis Wu by j_presper_eckert · · Score: 2, Funny

      God, how I love the concept of the "Long Shot". 75 seconds to the light-year [-swoon-].

      Imagine a Beowulf Shaeffer cluster of those...

      Thanks folks, I'll be here all week. Be sure to tip your Puppeteer generously!

      --
      Can't stop the Beta? Time to evacuate to ##altslashdot at webchat.freenode.net - Slashcott in effect.
  4. oblig. by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 2, Funny

    What does God need with a starship?

    --
    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
  5. Man the Battlestations! by eno2001 · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's time to cue the Goatse jokes and links! Let's give 'em hell boys!

    --
    -"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
  6. Re:Same here by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 2, Funny

    You might want to take a look at (I am NOT making this up) VB Helper Tutorial: Does P = NP? ;D

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  7. Re:huh? by StikyPad · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well now I'm thinking of heating up a frozen BBQ sandwich. Thanks.

    --
    https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
  8. Re:Star near the black hole by gr8_phk · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sorry. My dumb. I read too fast and saw all this stuff about gama radiation and my brain converted protons into photons. Hey, there you have it - proton decay due to dim gray matter - er uh dark matter.

  9. Re:Paging Teela Brown by savage1r · · Score: 2, Funny

    Get ready to recieve my Hot Needle of Inquiry.