{"id":212104,"date":"2025-05-07T01:14:58","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T15:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/universe\/nasas-nicer-maps-debris-from-recurring-cosmic-crashes\/"},"modified":"2025-05-07T01:14:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T15:14:58","slug":"nasas-nicer-maps-debris-from-recurring-cosmic-crashes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=212104","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s NICER Maps Debris From Recurring Cosmic Crashes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

5 min read<\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s NICER Maps Debris From Recurring Cosmic Crashes<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Lee esta nota de prensa en espa\u00f1ol aqu\u00ed<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

For the first time, astronomers have probed the physical environment of repeating X-ray outbursts near monster black holes thanks to data from NASA\u2019s NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer) and other missions.<\/p>\n

Scientists have only recently encountered this class of X-ray flares, called QPEs, or quasi-periodic eruptions. A system astronomers have nicknamed Ansky is the eighth QPE source discovered, and it produces the most energetic outbursts seen to date. Ansky also sets records in terms of timing and duration, with eruptions every 4.5 days or so that last approximately 1.5 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese QPEs are mysterious and intensely interesting phenomena,\u201d said Joheen Chakraborty, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. \u201cOne of the most intriguing aspects is their quasi-periodic nature. We\u2019re still developing the methodologies and frameworks we need to understand what causes QPEs, and Ansky\u2019s unusual properties are helping us improve those tools.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n