The Chinese Einstein Probe (EP) has achieved a historic milestone by detecting soft X-ray signals from an explosion in the early universe, marking the first time humanity has observed such a phenomenon. This groundbreaking discovery opens new avenues for research into the cosmos's formative years.
Published recently in Nature Astronomy, the findings reveal that on March 15, 2024, the EP satellite's Wide-field X-ray Telescope captured a faint pulse from a burst event designated EP240315a. This event originated when the universe was merely 10 percent of its current age, and its signals traversed 12.5 billion years to reach Earth.
Further investigations by international telescopes confirmed the burst's distant origins. Collaborating with Dr. Roberto Ricci from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, the EP team utilized the Australia Telescope Compact Array for long-term radio monitoring. These observations affirmed that EP240315a aligns with the characteristics of a gamma-ray burst (GRB), specifically GRB240315C.
GRBs are among the universe's most potent explosive phenomena, typically resulting from the collapse of massive stars. However, EP240315a presented an unprecedented observation: the soft X-rays arrived more than six minutes before the gamma rays, a delay never recorded before.
\"These results suggest that many fast X-ray transients may be linked to GRBs,\" explained Yuan Weimin, principal investigator of the EP mission. \"The unique timing of EP240315a challenges our current GRB models and presents new opportunities for exploration.\"
Gao He from Beijing Normal University emphasized that this discovery not only offers fresh perspectives but also sets the stage for re-evaluating existing theories on cosmic explosions.
Reference(s):
China's astronomical satellite detected explosion from early universe
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