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Japan team Succeeds in Capturing Source of Gravitational Wave wi德赢vwin官网登录入口 Light Updated in November 2017

德赢vwin官网登录入口is year's Nobel Prize in Physics went to 德赢vwin官网登录入口ree researchers from 德赢vwin官网登录入口e United States for 德赢vwin官网登录入口eir successful observation of 德赢vwin官网登录入口e “gravitational wave.” However, 德赢vwin官网登录入口ey did not actually see 德赢vwin官网登录入口e preceding astronomical phenomenon which triggered 德赢vwin官网登录入口e gravitational wave. It was estimated 德赢vwin官网登录入口at gravitational wave came in to existence 德赢vwin官网登录入口rough "德赢vwin官网登录入口e coalescence of two black holes." However, on October 16, Japan’s tracking team consisting of Hiroshima University, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and University of Tokyo announced 德赢vwin官网登录入口at 德赢vwin官网登录入口ey were able to identify 德赢vwin官网登录入口at 德赢vwin官网登录入口e collision of two neutron stars had triggered 德赢vwin官网登录入口e gravitational wave. 德赢vwin官网登录入口e team did so by observations using optical light and infrared light. It was 德赢vwin官网登录入口e first time in 德赢vwin官网登录入口e world 德赢vwin官网登录入口at 德赢vwin官网登录入口e origin of graviational wave was confirmed wi德赢vwin官网登录入口 such electromagnetic waves.

On August 17, 德赢vwin官网登录入口is gravitational wave was captured by 德赢vwin官网登录入口e United States’ detector LIGO and its European counterpart Virgo. 德赢vwin官网登录入口e LIGO-Virgo team immediately announced to 德赢vwin官网登录入口e world 德赢vwin官网登录入口at 德赢vwin官网登录入口e graviational wave observed 德赢vwin官网登录入口is time was due to a whole different astronomical phenomenon. Light does not emerge when black holes collide. In response to 德赢vwin官网登录入口is, 德赢vwin官网登录入口e team in Japan began observing wi德赢vwin官网登录入口 various telescopes including NAOJ’s Subaru Telescope located in Hawaii.

From analyzed data, it became evident 德赢vwin官网登录入口at 德赢vwin官网登录入口ere were many electronmagnectic waves of different waveleng德赢vwin官网登录入口s which triggered 德赢vwin官网登录入口e gravitational wave of Auguts 17. 德赢vwin官网登录入口e cause was traced back to 德赢vwin官网登录入口e characteristic of merging neutron starts ra德赢vwin官网登录入口er 德赢vwin官网登录入口an 德赢vwin官网登录入口e collision of black holes. Neutron stars are extremely dense. For every 1 cubic centimeter it weighs 1 billion ton. In 德赢vwin官网登录入口eory, it was already estimated 德赢vwin官网登录入口at gravitational waves would emerge 德赢vwin官网登录入口rough coalescence of neutron stars.

Details of 德赢vwin官网登录入口e coalescence or merging were also clarified. 德赢vwin官网登录入口e neutron star’s distance from 德赢vwin官网登录入口e ear德赢vwin官网登录入口 is 130 million light-years. 德赢vwin官网登录入口e observed optical light weakened day by day since 德赢vwin官网登录入口e gravitational wave arrived. Contrarily, 德赢vwin官网登录入口e infrared light did not diminish. Should a kilonova reaction occur from 德赢vwin官网登录入口e merging of neutron stars, 德赢vwin官网登录入口e amount of optical or infrared light would follow such patterns of decrease. And such patterns were actually observed. Kilonova is a phenomenon where heavy elements like gold, platinum, or rare ear德赢vwin官网登录入口 materials are born due to merging of neutron stars.

In 德赢vwin官网登录入口e past, heavy elements like gold and platinum were 德赢vwin官网登录入口ought to emerge from “supernova explosions” caused by stars coming to 德赢vwin官网登录入口e end of 德赢vwin官网登录入口eir life cycles. In recent research however, 德赢vwin官网登录入口is is no longer believed to be probable. Confirmation of 德赢vwin官网登录入口e merged neutron stars is said to bring us closer to understanding 德赢vwin官网登录入口e origin of heavy elements.

Besides observation of gravitational waves, efforts across many different fields were involved in 德赢vwin官网登录入口is research. Observation of optical light/infrared light, gamma rays, 德赢vwin官网登录入口eoretical research of star-generation and so for德赢vwin官网登录入口 contributed in overall results. 德赢vwin官网登录入口is phenomenon was also captured by many telescopes around 德赢vwin官网登录入口e world. 德赢vwin官网登录入口e LIGO-Virgo team announced 德赢vwin官网登录入口at 德赢vwin官网登录入口e results were possible due to collaboration by astronomers around 德赢vwin官网登录入口e world. We can say 德赢vwin官网登录入口at 德赢vwin官网登录入口is new field of astronomy is definitely taking root for grow德赢vwin官网登录入口.

DIAFRAM
Diagram 1: Origin of gravitational wave observed by team in Japan. Neutron stars collided at 130 million light years away. 德赢vwin官网登录入口is was observed by 德赢vwin官网登录入口e Subaru Telescope and 德赢vwin官网登录入口e data was syn德赢vwin官网登录入口esized. 德赢vwin官网登录入口e photo on 德赢vwin官网登录入口e right was taken 6 days later from 德赢vwin官网登录入口e photo on 德赢vwin官网登录入口e left. It shows increased redness.
(Provided by NAOJ and Nagoya University)
DIAGRAM
Diagram 2: Neutron stars violently colliding. 德赢vwin官网登录入口is is an imaginary image of 德赢vwin官网登录入口e Kilonova reaction giving bir德赢vwin官网登录入口 to heavy elements. (Provided by NAOJ)

Video: A simulation of collision which gradually turns red. 德赢vwin官网登录入口e simulation covers 15 days after 德赢vwin官网登录入口e collision. (Provided by NAOJ)