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Space

Hubble Spots Source of Short Gamma Ray Burst 28

symbolset writes "Researchers using the Hubble Space Telescope have imaged some evidence that the merger of neutron stars is responsible for producing a short-duration gamma ray burst. On June 3rd the Swift gamma-ray burst (GRB) mission detected GRB 130603B, a burst lasting only one tenth of a second nearly 4 billion light-years away. Imaging with Hubble, they located a small red dot which, over the course of the following two weeks, dimmed."
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Hubble Spots Source of Short Gamma Ray Burst

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  • by Anonymous Coward

    One possibility GRB source might be QBHs (small black holes created during the high pressure of gluon soup matter soon after the creation event). Most would have long decayed, but the estimate for their half life is usually massively underestimated because relativistic effects aren't considered. For some of these higher velocity boojums, the universe is probably not even a week old yet. They may be far more rare these days, but QBHs are going to be with us for a long time.

    Spectra doesn't seem to match in

    • In this case, the likely cause is two colliding white dwarf stars.
    • What "creation event"? That merger of the two neutron stars? Even that wouldn't have nearly the required amount of energy concentration to produce the small holes.
      • by Teancum ( 67324 )

        He is talking about the Big Bang. AKA the "creation event" as defined by current scientific cosmology. You may think this kind of cosmology is just as silly as other kinds of cosmology, but that is personal opinion and belief.

        I would say that event has more than enough energy concentrated to produce small black holes. Likely a few rather large ones too.

  • S0 (Score:1, Informative)

    Btw for any geeks into solar weather......be sure to check out S0's daily 3 minute briefings on all things earth and solar weather related - http://www.youtube.com/user/Suspicious0bservers [youtube.com]
    • Re:S0 (Score:5, Informative)

      by Teancum ( 67324 ) <robert_horning@nOsPAM.netzero.net> on Monday August 05, 2013 @12:09PM (#44478607) Homepage Journal

      Sigh.

      While this guy seems to occasionally spot something not typically mentioned by science reporters, and especially seems to spot solar flare and other solar activity based upon his monitoring of various solar observatories over the internet about as good as any space weather forecaster, he has some really silly ideas about the causal relationships between solar storms and geological activity here on the Earth that goes into what could charitably called fringe science.

      If you really want to see some more reliable forecasts, I'd recommend instead the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center [noaa.gov]

      Still, this YouTube channel is at least worth an occasional chuckle or two. You certainly shouldn't take it too seriously.

  • by BaronAaron ( 658646 ) on Monday August 05, 2013 @11:42AM (#44478311)

    ... happen almost 4 billion years ago.

    • by Skapare ( 16644 )

      Yeah. Old. Be more interesting if it was newer ... like from yesterday.

      • by Anonymous Coward

        More interesting, and also considerably more turn-the-Earth's-surface-into-a-fiery-uninhabitable-wasteland-ing.

    • Einstein would disagree with you.

    • ... happen almost 4 billion years ago.

      Pity that there wasn't a gravitational microlens somewhere along the way. We'd have a nice ancient dupe. ;/

  • Millions of years of courting and burst at the first touch. We feel you GRB 130603B, hope you have a long life together.

  • by flargleblarg ( 685368 ) on Monday August 05, 2013 @12:25PM (#44478767)

    >Imaging with Hubble, they located a small red dot which, over the course of the following two weeks, dimmed.

    So that's why my cat has been frantically pawing at the sky for the last two weeks!

  • ...goes Alderaan.

I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them. -- Isaac Asimov

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