INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory
:: most energetic phenomena in the Universe
The European Space Agency launched a new observatory set to revolutionise the branch of
astrophysics that seeks to unravel the secrets of the highest-energy - and therefore the most
violent - phenomena in the Universe.
Operating in an orbit that enables it to spend most of its time outside the Van Allen radiation
belts, which can hamper observation of cosmic gamma rays, Integral satellite will primarily study
the densest sky objects, such as neutron stars and black holes, which are all sources of very
high energy radiation.
Integral’s observations should enable astrophysicists to confirm the presence of giant
black holes at the centre of galaxies, starting with the Milky Way. Other areas of interest for
the European gamma-ray observatory will include events of rare violence such as nova and supernova
explosions.
The gamma-ray astronomy explores the most energetic phenomena in the Universe and addresses
some of the most fundamental problems in physics and astrophysics (stellar nucleosynthesis, neutron
stars, black holes, gamma-ray bursts...). >from *Europe
opens a window onto a violent Universe*, october 17, 2002
related context
> milky way center: a supermassive
black hole . october 22, 2002
> working neutrino telescope:
a novel way of seeing universe. may 22, 2001
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