Magnetic Mysteries

Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with NASA’s Universe of Learning partners: Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

 

Video imagery:

·       Multiwavelength image of the Crab Nebula. NASA, ESA, G. Dubner (IAFE, CONICET-University of Buenos Aires) et al.; A. Loll et al.; T. Temim et al.; F. Seward et al.; VLA/NRAO/AUI/NSF; Chandra/CXC; Spitzer/JPL-Caltech; XMM-Newton/ESA; and Hubble/STScI

·       X-ray image of Crab Nebula from IXPE and Chandra X-ray Observatory. NASA, CXC, SAO

·       Multiwavelength image of Crab Nebula with graphic overlay. Magnetic field lines: NASA/Bucciantini et al; X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI; Infrared: NASA-JPL-Caltech

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Images of galaxies in various stages of formation, expansion, and decline. 

 

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Title, News from the Universe. 

 

Magnetic Mysteries. Text, April 21, 2023. 

 

The Crab Nebula is what remains of a supernova observed in the year 10 54, with a dense, spinning neutron star -- a pulsar -- at its heart. 

 

Contiguous circles and free-forming shapes in hues of purple, yellow, green, blue, and white. 

 

Text, Despite many studies, there is still more to be discovered in the Crab Nebula, as NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) has revealed. An image of a white-hot center in the pulsar surrounded by layers of pink and purple gases against a black sky. . 

 

Text, Only I X P E can study the Crab's X-ray polarization, measuring the organization of electromagnetic fields. 

 

Scientists were able to measure X-rays from the nebula and also the sphere of magnetic fields around the pulsar itself. 

 

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An overlaid diagram of yellow lines coalescing into a spinning configuration. 

 

Text, Areas of magnetic field turbulence were more patchy and asymmetrical than expected. 

 

The I X P E observations do not align with computer models, opening up an intriguing new puzzle for astronomers to investigate. 

 

This news was brought to you in part by the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.