All posts tagged: Gamma

Thunderstorms May Skew Ultra-High-Energy Gamma Ray Measurements, Experts Warn

Thunderstorms May Skew Ultra-High-Energy Gamma Ray Measurements, Experts Warn

Published by Webster

Observations of ultra–high-energy gamma rays, considered a breakthrough in cosmic studies, are raising questions regarding their accuracy due to potential interference from thunderstorms. Gamma rays exceeding one petaelectronvolt (PeV) were detected by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) in Tibet, hinting at cosmic accelerators far surpassing any particle collider on Earth. However, concerns have emerged that thunderstorms could be skewing these measurements by amplifying subatomic particle showers in the atmosphere, thereby exaggerating gamma ray energy levels. Thunderstorms’ Potential Role in Amplifying Particle Showers According to findings published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Ashot Chilingarian, director of the Aragats Cosmic Ray Research Station, highlighted the influence of thunderstorms on particle showers. Chilingarian, along with Mary Zazyan from the Yerevan Physics Institute, conducted a study showing that electric fields in thunderstorms could intensify these particle showers. Their model suggested that this amplification could lead to substantial overestimation of gamma ray energy by observatories such as LHAASO. It was also noted that weather-related data tied to these gamma ray events has not yet been disclosed, leading …

MACE in Ladakh opens its one-of-a-kind eye to cosmic gamma rays

MACE in Ladakh opens its one-of-a-kind eye to cosmic gamma rays

Published by Parlour News

The blue spot at the centre of the red ring is an isolated neutron star in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Neutron stars are formed after heavy stars go supernova, in the process emitting gamma rays alongside radiation at other energies. | Photo Credit: ESA and NASA The Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) telescope is a state-of-the-art ground-based gamma-ray telescope inaugurated in Hanle, Ladakh, on October 4. Located at around 4.3 km above sea level, it is the highest imaging Cherenkov telescope in the world. It boasts of a 21-metre-wide dish, the largest of its kind in Asia and second-largest in the world. The facility was built by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd., and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Light comes in a wide range of wavelengths but humans can only see a small portion. In the electromagnetic spectrum, gamma rays have the shortest wavelength and the highest energy, with each light-particle possessing more than 100,000 electron volts. (Visible-light photons have around 1.63-3.26 eV …

World’s Highest Gamma Ray Telescope Set To Peek Into Universe’s Secrets From Ladakh

Published by Webster

MACE telescope, due to its high sensitivity, will be able to detect gamma rays from supernova remnants Hanle, Ladakh: It is a telescope like no other, a special robotic eye in the sky to track some of the most energetic phenomena such as the birth and death of stars. One needs very special instruments to study these exploding stars. India now holds the honour of having the world’s highest-altitude gamma ray telescope situated at 4,270 metres above sea level and it has the largest mirror in Asia. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) established the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment or MACE. It is a cutting-edge gamma ray telescope for very high energy astronomy. It was developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai and is installed at Hanle, Ladakh. “Hanle is like heaven for gamma ray astronomers with its dark skies, low humidity and almost no air pollution,” said Dr AK Mohanty, chairman, Atomic Energy Commission and India’s nuclear chief. He said another few more gamma ray telescopes could be built here, making Hanle …

The Gamma app brings PS1 emulation to the iPhone

Published by Webster

iPhone users without a penchant for jailbreaking can finally enjoy the blocky polygons and shifty textures of the original PlayStation with Gamma, a free PS1 emulator that hit the iOS App Store last night. Gamma comes courtesy of developer ZodTTD, which has been creating emulators for the iPhone since the earliest days of third-party iOS apps. The app has both iPhone and iPad versions with support for Bluetooth controllers and keyboards, as well as customizable on-screen controller skins. It uses Google Drive and Dropbox syncing for backing up your game files and save states (those are the snapshots you can save at any time and reload, a little like pausing your game — great for old-school games that don’t let you save any time you want). Like the Delta emulator that ruled the App Store’s top free apps list for weeks before being unseated by free donuts, the app will also go grab game cover artwork for you automatically. PS1, emulated.Screen recording: Gamma The default skin for landscape orientation is mostly transparent and hard to …