RRI scientists propose source of the Milky Way's super-hot gas: a puffed-up region around the stellar disc
On 22 November 2024, the Department of Science and Technology reported that scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), with IIT-Palakkad and Ohio State University, proposed a model for the mysterious ten-million-degree gas around the Milky Way.
Summary
On 22 November 2024, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) reported research by scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous DST institute, with collaborators at IIT-Palakkad and Ohio State University, on recently detected gas around the Milky Way at about ten million degrees Kelvin. They found that the gas emitting X-rays and the gas absorbing light were not the same: the X-ray emitting hot gas comes from a puffed-up region around the Milky Way's stellar disc, heated by explosions linked to ongoing star formation. The absorbing gas, enriched with α-elements such as sulphur, magnesium and neon, may come from runaway stars above the disc exploding as supernovae.
Key facts
- Research
- RRI (DST) with IIT-Palakkad and Ohio State University
- Gas temperature
- ~10 million K
- Finding
- Emitting and absorbing hot gas are different
- Emitting gas
- Puffed-up region around the stellar disc
- Absorbing gas
- α-element enriched (S, Mg, Ne); supernovae of runaway stars
Practice MCQs 2 questions
Scientists from which DST-funded autonomous institute proposed in November 2024 that the Milky Way's X-ray emitting hot gas comes from a puffed-up region around its stellar disc?
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Raman Research Institute
PIB (DST): scientists at the Raman Research Institute, an autonomous institute funded by DST, with collaborators at IIT-Palakkad and Ohio State University, proposed the model.
The absorbing hot gas around the Milky Way studied by RRI scientists was found enriched with α-elements. Which of the following were cited as examples?
Show answer
Correct answer: C — Sulphur, magnesium and neon
PIB (DST): the fiery gas seems enriched with α-elements such as sulphur, magnesium and neon, whose nuclei are multiples of helium nuclei.