Sep 26, 2023
Le télescope Fermi-LAT poursuit son relevé systématique en rayons γ
Le satellite Fermi de la NASA a été lancé en juin 2008, et le télescope Fermi-LAT effectue un relevé systématique en rayons γ d’énergies proches du GeV couvrant la majorité du ciel toutes les 3 heures (et tout le ciel en au plus une semaine) depuis août 2008.
Nov 30, 2018
Star nurseries interact with their environment
Using NOEMA and the IRAM 30-m telescope, an international team of astronomers from different laboratories, including the Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS-Université Paris-Sud/CNRS), the Laboratoire d’astrophysique de Marseille (Aix-Marseille Université/CNRS) and the Astrophysics Department of CEA-IRfu, just witnessed how the sites of the most intense star formation in the early Universe communicate with their surroundings through rapid gas exchange.
Aug 07, 2016
Discovery of a giant blob of ionized hydrogen in a galaxy cluster of the distant Universe
An international team led by researchers from the “Service d'Astrophysique / Laboratoire AIM” of CEA-IRFU has discovered a giant nebula of ionized gas in the central region of the distant galaxy cluster CL J1449+0856. Extending over 300,000 light-years, this nebula was detected from an emission line of hydrogen, arising from a gigantic reservoir of warm gas probably ionized by two luminous quasars of the cluster.
Feb 17, 2016
Launch of the Japanese X-ray Astronomy satellite Astro-H
The X-ray astronomy satellite Astro-H was successfully launched on 17 February 2016 at 17H 45 (UT 8H45) from the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. The satellite was put into orbit 14 min later and the first tests started. ASTRO-H is a JAXA / NASA mission under the Japanese leadership and with an ESA participation. This new observatory aims to observe and study the hot and energetic Universe. Astro-H embeds several instruments that when combined cover the spectral band 0.3-600 keV.
Sep 30, 2014
Progress and involvement of the CEA into this chinese and french space mission
2014 has been a fruitful year for SVOM (Space-based multiband astronomical Variable Objects Monitor), a chinese and french space mission dedicated to the study of gamma-ray bursts. The decisions taken at the highest level, the governments in March and the respective space agencies in August, restart the project after a frozen period. As a direct result, two important meetings of the consortium (kick-off meeting) took place in September, one at CNES in Toulouse and the other at Shanghai.
Aug 15, 2013
Detection by XMM-Newton of a periodic absorption line close to the surface of a Magnetar
The intense and sporadic activity of Magnetars, rotating neutron stars, has its origin in the current model from their extreme magnetic field. At odds to the large majority of the sources of this kind, an exceptionally low value for the magnetic field of SGR 0418+5729 had been recently reported.
Nov 26, 2009
Do quasars give birth to galaxies?
Which came first - the black hole or the galaxy? Many large galaxies in the Universe have a supermassive black hole at their centre. But which came first? The black hole that is frantically consuming the matter around it or the vast galaxy that is its home?
A European team led by David Elbaz from CEA-IRFU's Astrophysics Department has just discovered a spectacular interaction between a quasar and a galaxy from observations made with the VISIR camera.
