2003 SPACE SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
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Tape Title | Record ID | Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| RHESSI'S LUCKY BREAK MAY LEAD TO SECRET OF ULTIMATE EXPLOSIONS
| G03-035 | 05/28/03 | 00:03:06 | NASA's RHESSI satellite may have uncovered the secret of Gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe, by a chance observation. The findings are being presented in a press conference at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Nashville, Tenn. on May 28, 2003.
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TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): A Chance Observation - The Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) satellite was snapping pictures of solar flares on December 6, 2002, when it caught an extremely bright gamma-ray burst in the background, over the edge of the Sun, revealing for the first time that the gamma rays in such a burst are polarized. The result indicates intense magnetic fields may be the driving force behind these awesome explosions.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (2): Gamma Ray Burst - Death Cry of an Exploding Star - Gamma-ray bursts are remote flashes of gamma-ray light that pop off about once a day randomly in the sky, briefly shining as bright as a million trillion suns. Recent observations suggest they may be produced by a special kind of exploding star called a supernova. [File from G03-022. For a more detailed caption, see: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/2003/0319hete.html ]
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (3): The Trigger: Enormous Magnetic FIELDS - The RHESSI observations provide a unique window on how these bursts are powered. The burst originates from a region of highly structured magnetic fields, stronger than the fields at the surface of a neutron star - until now, the strongest magnetic fields observed in the universe. Scientists say the magnetic fields [shown as gray lines] are acting as the dynamite, driving the explosive fireball we see as a gamma-ray burst. [Revised from G03-022]
Courtesy: NASA
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