Massive stars produced at the collapse of giant molecular clouds, form compact groups and remain tightly linked during their entire life. Acceleration of particles in these objects can be initiated by interacting winds directly in the vicinity of stars or in the so-called superbubbles driven by stellar winds and SN explosions (see Figure).
The conditions in these objects can be more favorable for particle acceleration to PeV energies than in individual SNRs. This makes the clusters of massive young stars an attractive alternative to SNRs as CR factories contributing to the highest energy CRs around the “knee”.
DIAS researchers have led a team to report on a compelling similarity of the energy and radial distributions of multi-TeV protons extracted from observations of gamma-ray from these extended structures surrounding three young star clusters (for detail see https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-019-0724-0). The derived 1/r decrement of the CR density with the distance from a star cluster is a distinct signature of continuous, over a few million years, cosmic ray injection into the interstellar medium. The hard (E-2.3 type) energy spectra and the required high acceleration efficiency derived from gamma-ray data, point to clusters of young massive stars as promising candidates for cosmic PeVatrons (accelerators boosting the energy of protons up to energy 1 PeV=1015 eV) and dominant contributors to the flux of highest energy cosmic rays in the Milky Way.
We have entered the last month to capture that amazing photo of the sky and win our Astrophotography competition.
We are accepting photographs taken between 01 January 2020 and 31 March 2021.
You can submit an entry up to Friday 02nd April 2021.
More: dias.ie/reachforthesta…
Meet the Judges of our "Reach for the Stars" Astrophotography competition!
@petertgallagher is Head of @DIASAstronomy & has spent the past two decades studying the Sun its impacts on the Earth. To learn more and submit an entry see
dias.ie/reachforthesta…#DIASdiscovers
She has over 15 years’ experience working in PR and communications and has wide-ranging experience of providing strategic communications support to organisations.
Learn more about the competition and submit an entry
👉dias.ie/reachforthesta…#DIASdiscovers#astrophotography
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DIAS-led team finds evidence that Young Star Clusters make Cosmic Rays
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Last Updated: 21st January 2020 by Niamh Breathnach
Massive stars produced at the collapse of giant molecular clouds, form compact groups and remain tightly linked during their entire life. Acceleration of particles in these objects can be initiated by interacting winds directly in the vicinity of stars or in the so-called superbubbles driven by stellar winds and SN explosions (see Figure).
The conditions in these objects can be more favorable for particle acceleration to PeV energies than in individual SNRs. This makes the clusters of massive young stars an attractive alternative to SNRs as CR factories contributing to the highest energy CRs around the “knee”.
DIAS researchers have led a team to report on a compelling similarity of the energy and radial distributions of multi-TeV protons extracted from observations of gamma-ray from these extended structures surrounding three young star clusters (for detail see https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-019-0724-0). The derived 1/r decrement of the CR density with the distance from a star cluster is a distinct signature of continuous, over a few million years, cosmic ray injection into the interstellar medium. The hard (E-2.3 type) energy spectra and the required high acceleration efficiency derived from gamma-ray data, point to clusters of young massive stars as promising candidates for cosmic PeVatrons (accelerators boosting the energy of protons up to energy 1 PeV=1015 eV) and dominant contributors to the flux of highest energy cosmic rays in the Milky Way.
Category: Astronomy and Astrophysics Section News & Events, News
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Meet the Judges of our "Reach for the Stars" Astrophotography competition! Brenda Fitzsimons is photo editor of the @IrishTimes. To learn more about the competition and submit an entry see dias.ie/reachforthesta… #DIASdiscovers #astrophotography
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We have entered the last month to capture that amazing photo of the sky and win our Astrophotography competition. We are accepting photographs taken between 01 January 2020 and 31 March 2021. You can submit an entry up to Friday 02nd April 2021. More: dias.ie/reachforthesta…
Meet the Judges of our "Reach for the Stars" Astrophotography competition! @petertgallagher is Head of @DIASAstronomy & has spent the past two decades studying the Sun its impacts on the Earth. To learn more and submit an entry see dias.ie/reachforthesta… #DIASdiscovers
She has over 15 years’ experience working in PR and communications and has wide-ranging experience of providing strategic communications support to organisations. Learn more about the competition and submit an entry 👉dias.ie/reachforthesta… #DIASdiscovers #astrophotography