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Origin of Antimatter Cloud Discovered

Posted by Soulskill on from the finding-an-anti-silver-lining dept.

Active Seti brings us news that astronomers have discovered the origin of an enormous antimatter cloud surrounding the galactic center. Data from the European Space Agency's "Integral" satellite indicated that the cloud's distribution is similar to that of a group of binary star systems containing black holes or neutron stars. From NASA's article: "The cloud itself is roughly 10,000 light-years across, and generates the energy of about 10,000 Suns. The cloud shines brightly in gamma rays due to a reaction governed by Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2. Integral found that the cloud extends farther on the western side of the galactic center than it does on the eastern side. Integral found certain types of binary systems near the galactic center are also skewed to the west. Because the two "pictures" of antimatter and hard low-mass X-ray binaries line up strongly suggests the binaries are producing significant amounts of positrons."

8 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Um... by Smordnys+s'regrepsA · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...I feel stupid saying this, but...
    In English, please?

    --
    Just -1, Troll talking to another.
    1. Re:Um... by SetupWeasel · · Score: 4, Informative

      "The cloud itself is roughly 10,000 light-years across, and generates the energy of about 10,000 Suns. The cloud shines brightly in gamma rays due to a reaction governed by Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2. Integral found that the cloud extends farther on the western side of the galactic center than it does on the eastern side. Integral found certain types of binary systems near the galactic center are also skewed to the west. Because the two "pictures" of antimatter and hard low-mass X-ray binaries line up strongly suggests the binaries are producing significant amounts of positrons."

      The cloud of antimatter is big and hot. When matter and antimatter come together they produce lots of Gamma rays, and that is happening. There are certain types of neutron stars or black holes that are orbiting in pairs that appear in the same pattern as the cloud or antimatter (positrons) so astronomers think it is likely that the pairs are causing the cloud.

  2. Re:That's so cool! by stardaemon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That there is antimatter in the wild isn't news per se; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron_emission. It's the amount, imo, that's interresting here. And the way it's being produced.

    --
    The only way to stay sane in an insane world, is to be mad yourself...
  3. Re:east/west??? by famebait · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why is that any more stupid than eastern and western hemispheres of a planet?

    Both designations are arbitrary, but once agreed on they are useful for
    communicating, which is sort of what language is for. Just because _you_
    don't often need to differentiate between far regions of the galaxy doesn't mean
    astronomers don't, and have arranged it so they can.

    --
    sudo ergo sum
  4. Quote hurts my brain! by Sciros · · Score: 4, Funny
    From TFA:

    "We expected something unexpected, but we did not expect this," says Skinner. I really don't have anything to say about it other than... "huhwhat?" If he said something like "we expected something unexpected, and that's what we got," that would be better. But it's 7am on Monday and that doesn't help in any case.
    --
    I like basketball!!1!
    1. Re:Quote hurts my brain! by Eponymous+Bastard · · Score: 4, Funny

      From TFA:

      "We expected something unexpected, but we did not expect this," says Skinner. I really don't have anything to say about it other than... "huhwhat?" If he said something like "we expected something unexpected, and that's what we got," that would be better. I'm guessing they were expecting something unexpected but got the Spanish Inquisition instead. A fine astronomy tradition. Even Galileo didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition.

      But it's 7am on Monday and that doesn't help in any case. Ok ... that statement was unexpected ...
  5. Small Contention by Jekler · · Score: 4, Informative

    "...governed by Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2."

    I think it's important for people to understand that scientific theories and laws don't "govern", they explain things. Einstein's theories don't direct or influence the universe, they're just an observation on how the universe appears to work.

    I know correct grammar on the internet has become a huge point of controversy, but when referring to science there's too much public confusion about how things work. Using words like "govern" in relation to scientific theories is a step towards lending credence to Intelligent Design, like scientific laws are control mechanisms of some "Great Designer".

  6. Re:That's so cool! by tardyon · · Score: 4, Informative

    No, this anti-matter cannot form stars. According to the Nature paper, the anti-matter is purely positrons. No anti-protons, so it can't form anti-hydrogen. The gist of the paper is: we see lots of gamma rays that correspond to electron-positron annihilations. This glow is not symmetric. It has more or less the same distribution as a class of exotic systems which are capable of producing a lot of energy. If some of that energy is converted into electron/positron pairs, and if the positrons can escape the system and reach the "safety" of interstellar space, they should form a cloud which is about the right shape to match this glow.