Optical and X-ray image of source GRB 110328A

On March 28, 2011 Swift telescope detected a new X-ray and gamma ray source which has been given the name GRB 110328A.  The source was found to be located at the center of a galaxy in the constellation of Draco situated about 3.8 billion light years away (z = 0.35).  Seeing that the source continued its highly energetic activity even days afterward, astronomers began to realize that what they had been observing was something other than a mere gamma ray burst (GRB).  Most gamma ray bursts, however, last only from a minute or so to several hours at most. This source has at the time of this posting been active for almost 4 weeks!  As a result, what we may be witnessing for the first time is the onset of a galaxy core into the active quasar state. For more information on this read our posting in the superwave forum (GRB 110328A: First ever observation of a newly formed quasar!).

In his 1983 Ph.D. dissertation, Paul LaViolette presented the novel theory that most of the radiation coming from the Crab Nebula is not due to cosmic ray emission coming from the Crab pulsar, but rather is produced by a cosmic ray electron volley (a galactic superwave) that is currently propagating toward the galactic anticenter and impacting the remnant face on. He theorized that these superwave cosmic rays are currently being captured by the magnetized plasma forming the Crab remnant which causes them to emit synchrotron radiation, thus illuminating the nebula.
Recent observations of the occurrence of gamma ray flares in the Crab nebula help support LaViolette’s theory.

(For more information visit our Superwave Forum).