UPSC Articles
Study on the gamma-ray flux variability nature conducted
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Science and technology
In News:
- Researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, have conducted the first systematic study on the gamma-ray flux variability nature on different types of blazars.
Key takeaways:
- At the center of most galaxies, there’s a massive black hole which can have mass of millions or even billions of Suns that gather gas, dust, and stellar debris around it due to the force of gravity.
- As these materials fall towards the black hole, their gravitational energy gets converted to light forming active galactic nuclei (AGN).
- A minority of AGN (~15%) emit accurately parallel charged particles called jets travelling at speeds close to the speed of light. These are known as Blazars.
Important value additions:
Blazars
- Blazars are AGN whose jets are aligned with the observer’s line of sight.
- Some blazars are thought to host binary black holes in them.
- They could also be potential targets for future gravitational-wave searches.
Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 21st April 2020
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