– NASA’s Fermi gamma-ray space telescope observed a nearby supernova called SN 2023ixf in the galaxy M101, located 21 million light-years away.
– Supernovae are expected to produce gamma rays when cosmic rays (high-energy particles) are accelerated by the supernova shockwave. However, Fermi did not detect any gamma rays from SN 2023ixf.
– This lack of gamma ray emission is puzzling, as supernovae have long been thought to be powerful “cosmic ray factories” capable of accelerating particles to extreme energies and producing gamma rays in the process.
– The researchers provide some possible explanations, like an uneven debris distribution blocking the gamma rays from reaching Fermi, or the debris absorbing the gamma ray emission.
– However, the absence of detected gamma rays challenges the prevailing theories about how supernovae accelerate cosmic rays and produce gamma ray emission.
– Further study of SN 2023ixf across other wavelengths and computer modeling is needed to understand why this supernova appears to be lacking the expected gamma ray signature.
Source: Space
