16 Jan Local Bubble
Local Bubble
This article covers “Daily current Affairs for UPSC “and the topic is about the ‘Local bubble’ which is in the news, it covers “Science and Technology” In GS-3, and the following content has relevance for UPSC.
For Prelims: Facts about local bubbles
For Mains: GS-3,Space technology
Why in News
- The origins of stars and other mysteries of the cosmos may be revealed by recent research on a vast cosmic void that surrounds the solar system.
- A 3D magnetic map of the hollow known as the Local Bubble has been created by researchers from the Center for Astrophysics (CfA) | Harvard & Smithsonian.
About Local Bubble
- The Local Bubble is a superbubble with a diameter of 1,000 light-years. There are further superbubbles in the Milky Way.
- The Local Bubble is a sizable, low-density area in the Milky Way’s interstellar medium (ISM).
- The substance that encloses the void between stars is known as the interstellar medium.
- A succession of supernova explosions that took place between 30 and 50 million years ago is likely to have formed the cavity that is responsible for it.
Local Bubble
What is a supernova
- After a large star’s existence, a supernova is a strong and bright explosion.
- A significant amount of energy can be released when the star’s core collapses, which is what causes it.
- In addition, supernovae play a key role in the spread of cosmic rays and the enriching of the interstellar medium with heavy metals.
Supernova often falls into two categories
- Type I: This white dwarf star, which is a member of a binary system, thermonuclear exploded, resulting in a supernova.
When the white dwarf’s mass reaches a particular point, it becomes unstable and explodes. The white dwarf accretes material from its companion star.
- Type II: It results from the gravitational collapse of a big star’s core.
When a star’s nuclear fuel runs gone, the outer layers of the star collapse inward, causing the core to become extremely hot and dense.
The star explodes as a result of the enormous amount of energy released as a result.
For a moment, the explosion’s brightness can temporarily eclipse the entire galaxy, and the explosion’s debris can lead to the production of nebulae, dust, and heavy elements.
How was a 3D map of a huge cavern filled with nearby bubbles observed
- They made use of the Gaia and Planck space-based observatories that the European Space Agency had launched (ESA).
- To pinpoint the location and local concentration of cosmic dust, Gaia was employed.
- This enabled them to identify the Local Bubble’s perimeter.
- The magnetic alignment of cosmic dust was revealed by Planck.
- This alignment can help researchers create a 3D magnetic field orientation on the surface of the Local Bubble by indicating the direction of the magnetic field acting on the dust particles.
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UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year’s Question (PYQs) Q. Recently, scientists observed the merger of giant ‘black holes’ billions of light-years away from the Earth. What is the significance of this observation? (2019) (a) ‘Higgs boson particles’ were detected. (b) ‘Gravitational waves’ were detected. (c) Possibility of intergalactic space travel through a ‘wormhole’ was confirmed. (d) It enabled the scientists to understand ‘singularity’
Ans: (b)
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