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When a massive star runs out of fuel, it collapses on itself and then bounces against the solid core to emerge as a titanic explosion. Strong evidence - but not definitive proof - now suggests that distant supernovae are indeed the sources of GRBs. By extending supernova models to include rotation of the star and magnetic fields, astronomers think they can create the hyper-energetic jets which can blow the star apart and power GRBs. Many questions remain, however, about the exact mechanism that creates GRBs. To answer these, astronomers must combine observations with sophisticated computer models to create simulations of the final milliseconds of a star’s life when the jet is produced. That is where NASA’s Computational Technologies (CT) comes in.
Using the extraordinary data base of GRB events captured by the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, NASA CT is pursuing answers by analyzing and modeling the puzzling light curves of GRBs. In a few hundred seconds or milliseconds, a GRB produces a complex diagram of its own inner workings. Each GRB creates its own unique light curve, but a common feature is rapid, uneven pulsing. NASA CT’s role, via its IBEAM (Interoperability Based Environment for Adaptive Meshes) project, is to read between the lines, to discern the physics that draws the curve, and creates the pulses.
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