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.
Importantvalue 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
