Astronomers are puzzled by a mysterious explosion in the early Universe that defies explanation.
The Einstein Probe space X-ray telescope has detected an explosion of low-energy X-ray radiation in the early Universe. This event, named EP240315a, lasted for 17 minutes, after which its brightness faded and it disappeared. Astronomers are puzzled by the properties of this X-ray flare, which are difficult to explain. A study published in the journal Nature Astronomy suggests that our understanding of the brightest electromagnetic events in the Universe may need to be revised, reports Phys.
Astronomers have determined that the prolonged X-ray flare originated approximately 12.5 billion light-years away from us. This means it occurred 1.3 billion years after the Big Bang, and the light from this explosion has been traveling to Earth for billions of years.
According to scientists, EP240315a is the first X-ray explosion that existed for such an extended period and was detected at such an early stage in the history of the Universe.
Subsequent observations using ground-based telescopes revealed that the emission of radiation and energy was associated with a typical gamma-ray burst. These are the brightest events in the Universe, occurring during the explosions of massive stars.
Further data analysis indicated that the event EP240315a is linked to the previously detected gamma-ray burst GRB 240315C. Although gamma-ray bursts are associated with X-ray emissions, EP240315a has its distinct characteristics.
Typically, X-ray radiation occurs several tens of seconds before gamma radiation. However, the EP240315a event took place 6 minutes before the gamma-ray burst appeared. This is something scientists have never observed before.
The authors of the study state that, considering this fact, along with the exceptionally long duration of the X-ray flare, it suggests that there are still mysteries surrounding the nature of gamma-ray bursts.
Researchers believe that this discovery may lead to a reevaluation of gamma-ray burst models.