Scientists Discover Mysterious Sources of Fiery Hot Gas in the Milky Way
Scientists have recently made a breakthrough in understanding the sources of the fiery hot gas detected in the Milky Way. This gas, which has remained unexplained until now, has puzzled astronomers for years. In a series of studies conducted by scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), IIT-Palakkad, and Ohio State University, a proposed model has shed light on the origins of this mysterious gas.
The Abundance of Gas in Our Galaxy
The Milky Way contains more gas than stars, making it the main source for star formation. However, due to its tenuous nature, measuring the volume of this gaseous matter has proven to be extremely difficult for astronomers. A few decades ago, it was discovered that the galaxy is surrounded by a large sphere of gas that extends to 700 thousand light years. This gas is a few million degrees Kelvin hot and is associated with the gravity of the Milky Way.
The Discovery of Hotter Gaseous Matter
In recent years, astronomers made a startling discovery of gaseous matter even hotter than what was previously known. This super-hot gas, with temperatures around ten million degrees Kelvin, emitted faint X-ray emissions in all directions of the Milky Way. It also appeared as an absorbing medium in the spectra of distant quasars. This discovery sparked a keen interest among scientists to uncover the sources responsible for heating and sustaining this fiery hot gas.
The Proposed Model
The research conducted by scientists at RRI, IIT-Palakkad, and Ohio State University has provided insights into the sources of the hot gas. They confirmed that the gas responsible for emitting and absorbing signals detected by astronomers were not the same. The X-ray emitting hot gas was caused by a puffed-up region around the stellar disc of the Milky Way. Continuous star formation in various regions across the disk leads to massive stars exploding as supernovae, heating the gas to high temperatures.
Clues from Absorption Studies
Absorption studies revealed that the hot gas possessed a surprising elemental composition enriched with ฮฑ-elements. These elements, such as Sulphur, Magnesium, and neon, are thrown out of massive stars during supernovae explosions. Runaway stars that explode as supernovae create a puff of ฮฑ-enriched and fiery gas around them. The atoms in this hot gas absorb and produce shadow signals when aligned with distant sources of light quasars.
The discovery of the sources of the fiery hot gas in the Milky Way is a significant breakthrough in understanding the dynamics of our galaxy. The proposed model provides valuable insights into the continuous star formation and explosive events that heat and sustain the gas. Further studies and observations will help unravel more clues about the origins and behavior of this mysterious gas.
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