Who This Is For
Since this is our "maiden voyage" together, it seems that introductions are appropriate. You are reading the first newsletter designed to highlight interesting aspects of the Suzaku mission and x-ray astronomy. Its purpose is to allow you, the reader, to learn, enjoy, and feel comfortable teaching others about the mission, its objects of study, and its findings. So sit back, relax, and learn about Suzaku and x-ray astronomy!
About The Mission
Suzaku (formerly known as Astro-E2) is a collaboration between NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and its Japanese equivalent, JAXA. Some spacecraft parts were made in Japan and some in the USA. The spacecraft launched from Japan on July 10, 2005, so the US parts had to be shipped there to complete the construction.
There is an interesting tradition that the Japanese brought - the renaming of missions after launch. The "new" name is kept secret until after launch, and Astro-E2 became Suzaku at that time. Suzaku is a red bird deity in Japanese mythology associated with summer and the southern part of the sky.
While Suzaku is an x-ray mission, it is important to understand that it does not take x-ray images the way your doctor and dentist do. Those machines use the x-rays to look at your bones or teeth. But hot objects in the Universe emit the x-rays themselves, which can then be detected by Suzaku and other x-ray telescopes.
Latest Suzaku News
The "first light" (first scientific observation) for Suzaku's X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) was achieved on August 12 and 13. The telescopes imaged a remnant of an exploded star, known as E0102-72.3. The images are an exciting sign of more to come.
Resources For All
The best public resource is the online Suzaku Learning Center. It presently houses information and images about the building of the spacecraft, the design of some of its instrumentation and the science to be studied. It is also a place where you can find a Powerpoint presentation given at teacher workshops by Dr. Jim Lochner and Ms. Sara Mitchell. The Learning Center is constantly being updated.
Objects And Places Of Interest In X-Rays
A supernova was observed in 1970 in a far off galaxy, and named SN 1970G (SN=supernova, G=7th supernova observed that year). Visible studies show impressive pictures of the former star, which lived on the edge of the M101 galaxy. Scientists want to learn about the behavior of the star before it exploded.
While visible images can be profound, unfortunately they may not provide a picture of the object that is detailed enough for studies. Think of an x-ray of a broken bone. Without the x-ray, visual examination might show some signs of a broken bone, such as swelling and change of color. But more detailed information that is important in diagnosis and treatment is gleaned from an x-ray, or a series of x-rays. In fact, many times, an x-ray can give us insight as to exactly how the injury happened.
The same is true of SN 1970G. Using information from a variety of x-ray instruments over time, such as ROSAT, XMM-Newton and Chandra, scientists have learned that during the 25,000 years prior to the 1970 explosion, gases had been escaping from the star and in an amount equivalent to the mass of our Sun. When the explosion happened, it took time for the explosion shock wave to "catch up" to the gas that had already been expelled. Astronomers estimate it will take up to 60 more years for the shock wave to completely move through the gas. At that time, SN 1970G will officially become a "remnant" with distinctively different characteristics that is has now.
The story of SN 1970G provides an interesting opportunity to explain and discuss both how science is done over time (35 years in this case) and the processes that occur when stars "end their lives". More can be learned by visiting the following sites:
A Brief History Of X-Rays: The Beginning
Calling an experiment or an event "the beginning" of the study of a field certainly lends itself to argument. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that the basics of x-rays were accidentally discovered by William Roentgen in 1895 while experimenting with cathode rays, now known as electron beams.
Roentgen found that objects in his laboratory that were not in the path or range of the cathode rays were affected, and in fact glowing, when his cathode ray tube was turned on. This was puzzling, and this accidental discovery prompted a week of intense experimentation to determine the effects and ranges of the radiation emanating from the tube. In his experiments, he found that a clear outline of the bones inside his wife's hand - and her wedding ring - could easily be discerned (image). He named the energy X-rays, because he didn't know what it was.
On December 28, 1895, he published a paper on his work for which he was later awarded the very first Nobel Prize in Physics. Scientists around the world immediately began adapting this discovery to their fields of study, and the use of x-ray images became widespread within a year.You can imagine the advancement for doctors in diagnosing and treating fractures and other problems through "non-destructive" techniques.
Trivia Question:
Even though our newsletter is about x-rays, there are other types of radiation, and after the discovery of x-rays, research in the field exploded. N-rays were a radiation type that was discovered and then "un" discovered (discovered to be something else). What are n-rays and who initially worked on their "discovery"?
First person to answer correctly… will win educational materials from the Imagine the Universe! team.
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