Chinese Researchers Discover Highest-Energy Gamma-Ray Spectral Line
Scientists in China have made a groundbreaking discovery, identifying the highest-energy gamma-ray spectral line.
TroibNews 
Chinese scientists have identified a gamma-ray spectral line with energy levels peaking at 37 million electron volts, marking the highest-energy gamma-ray spectral line ever observed from cosmic celestial bodies. This discovery is expected to significantly advance the understanding of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs).
The study, led by researchers from the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, was prominently featured as a cover story in the journal Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy on Thursday.
GRBs are typically very short in duration and are considered the most violent, explosive phenomena in the universe after the Big Bang. They occur during the collapse of massive stars or the merging of binary compact stars, such as neutron stars and black holes.
Researchers found that during the main burst phase of the GRB, the energy of this spectral line peaked at 37 million electron volts, setting a new record for gamma-ray lines observed in the universe.
Chinese scientists detected the event through coordinated observations using both space-based and ground-based telescopes. These include China's first X-ray astronomy satellite, Insight-HXMT; the GECAM-C, an all-sky gamma-ray monitor dedicated to GRBs; and the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory, which works in the very high energy gamma-ray band. Collectively, these telescopes enabled the unprecedented measurement of the GRB.
For the study, the research team used data from both the GECAM-C space telescope and the Fermi Gamma-ray space telescope to conduct a detailed spectral analysis and search for spectral lines in GRB 221009A. After extensive and intricate analyses of instrumental effects and background noise caused by the extreme brightness of this burst, they successfully extracted precise and reliable GRB spectra.
The research team discovered that the energy spectrum of GRB 221009A featured a spectral line demonstrating a power-law decay pattern for both the line energy and flux, along with an almost constant and relatively narrow line width as the burst progressed.
The first GRB was discovered in 1967. In recent years, with the discovery of gravitational waves, GRBs have gained significant attention in multi-wavelength and multi-messenger time-domain astronomy.
The brightest GRB ever, coded GRB 221009A, was observed worldwide on October 9, 2022, and was found to result from the collapse of a massive star.
Xiong Shaolin, the leader of the research team and the principal investigator of the GECAM series space telescopes at IHEP, noted the significance of these findings for understanding the physics and mechanisms behind GRBs and the relativistic jets they launch.
To explore the mysteries of the extreme universe further, China has launched a series of satellites for GRB observations, including Insight-HXMT, the GECAM series, the Einstein Probe, and the Space Variable Objects Monitor.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
The study, led by researchers from the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, was prominently featured as a cover story in the journal Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy on Thursday.
GRBs are typically very short in duration and are considered the most violent, explosive phenomena in the universe after the Big Bang. They occur during the collapse of massive stars or the merging of binary compact stars, such as neutron stars and black holes.
Researchers found that during the main burst phase of the GRB, the energy of this spectral line peaked at 37 million electron volts, setting a new record for gamma-ray lines observed in the universe.
Chinese scientists detected the event through coordinated observations using both space-based and ground-based telescopes. These include China's first X-ray astronomy satellite, Insight-HXMT; the GECAM-C, an all-sky gamma-ray monitor dedicated to GRBs; and the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory, which works in the very high energy gamma-ray band. Collectively, these telescopes enabled the unprecedented measurement of the GRB.
For the study, the research team used data from both the GECAM-C space telescope and the Fermi Gamma-ray space telescope to conduct a detailed spectral analysis and search for spectral lines in GRB 221009A. After extensive and intricate analyses of instrumental effects and background noise caused by the extreme brightness of this burst, they successfully extracted precise and reliable GRB spectra.
The research team discovered that the energy spectrum of GRB 221009A featured a spectral line demonstrating a power-law decay pattern for both the line energy and flux, along with an almost constant and relatively narrow line width as the burst progressed.
The first GRB was discovered in 1967. In recent years, with the discovery of gravitational waves, GRBs have gained significant attention in multi-wavelength and multi-messenger time-domain astronomy.
The brightest GRB ever, coded GRB 221009A, was observed worldwide on October 9, 2022, and was found to result from the collapse of a massive star.
Xiong Shaolin, the leader of the research team and the principal investigator of the GECAM series space telescopes at IHEP, noted the significance of these findings for understanding the physics and mechanisms behind GRBs and the relativistic jets they launch.
To explore the mysteries of the extreme universe further, China has launched a series of satellites for GRB observations, including Insight-HXMT, the GECAM series, the Einstein Probe, and the Space Variable Objects Monitor.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
