Currents of gamma-ray gas are flowing from the core of the Milky Way galaxy outward, and scientists using the Parkes telescope in Australia suggest that the residue is expelled by ancient supernovas, contrary to popular belief that a black hole fueled the phenomenon.
As for scope, the "cone-shaped lobes" that represent the gamma-ray gas are "half the size of the entire Milky Way," according to the study's lead author Ettore Caretti (via Space.com).
"The gas expelled by supernova explosions is magnetized. Moreover, all of the area of the galactic center possesses a strong magnetic field and the outflows, made of charged particles, can trap the magnetic field they are immersed in," adds Caretti.
The magnetic attributes of these rays are particularly significant for future study. The Center of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics' Wiebke Ebeling explains that "Our galaxy has a strong magnetic field and we don't know why. Studying this phenomenon at different wavelengths might give us a better indication of how that magnetic field has come about."
The center of the Milky Way is restless, the tumultuous home of countless exploding stars.
Caretti states, "These findings tell us there is transport of a massive amount of energy and strong magnetic fields from the galactic center to the outskirts of the galaxy. It is an interaction we did not know about, and can transform our view of the galactic halo."
The study was originally published in the journal Nature.
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