Key Points
A team of Indian astronomers have now identified a gamma-ray emitting collisional ring galaxy in the universe..
Dubbed "Kathryn's Wheel", it is located just 30 million light-years from the Milky Way.. a rays, a form of electromagnetic radiation with the highest energy, are produced on Earth by nuclear fusion and fission reaction..
The research, published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters by Prof. Vaidehi S. Paliya and Prof. Dhruba J. Saikia from Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), reveals intense star-forming activities surrounding the central spiral galaxy, possibly triggered by the galaxy collision.. . ) ..
"This is the first-ever identification of a collisional ring galaxy system detected in the gamma-ray band, highlighting the importance of high-resolution, multiwavelength observations to unravel astrophysical treasures hidden in the cosmos," said Prof. Saikia...
"Kathryn's Wheel can be considered a testbed to explore the origin and transport of cosmic rays and their connection with star-forming activities given its proximity to the Milky Way," said Prof. Paliya...
