High-Energy Astrophysics Discoveries Quiz

Based on various observations, such as the measurements of cosmic microwave background radiation, the estimated age of the universe is approximately 13.8 billion years. This age is derived from the Big Bang theory and the expansion rate of the universe.

Based on current knowledge, the fate of our universe appears to be continuous expansion. The ongoing observations of the universe's accelerating rate of expansion suggest that the expansion will continue indefinitely, leading to the 'heat death' of the universe where all matter and energy become too diffuse to sustain further activity.

When matter falls into a black hole, it experiences 'spaghettification,' a process where the extreme gravitational forces stretch and elongate the matter into thin, elongated shapes resembling spaghetti. This phenomenon occurs due to the tidal forces near the black hole's event horizon.

In 2017, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Virgo detector observed gravitational waves from a binary neutron star merger event, which was subsequently given the name GW170817. Notably, electromagnetic observatories around the world also observed this event, marking the first-ever multimessenger observation involving gravitational waves.

Short-duration gamma-ray bursts (lasting less than two seconds) are intense flashes of gamma rays that originate from distant galaxies. These bursts are believed to result from the merging of neutron stars and, in some cases, from the formation of black holes. Observing these phenomena has provided valuable information about the lifecycle of stars and the nature of extreme cosmic events.

A 'starquake' occurs when the intense magnetic fields on a neutron star's surface interact and release huge amounts of energy. These bursts of energy cause the star's crust to crack, resulting in seismic waves similar to earthquakes on Earth.

Supernovae explosions are considered the primary source of extremely high-energy cosmic rays in the universe. These explosions release vast amounts of energy and accelerate charged particles to extreme speeds, creating cosmic rays with energies far exceeding those achievable by human-made particle accelerators.

Dark matter is believed to be composed of particles that do not interact with light or electromagnetic radiation, hence their 'dark' nature. While its exact particles remain unknown, its presence is inferred from gravitational effects on visible matter, such as galaxy rotation curves.

The primary observational evidence for the existence of dark energy is the accelerated expansion of the universe. Based on the measurements of distant supernovae and cosmic microwave background radiation, it has been concluded that dark energy, an unknown form of energy, is responsible for this accelerated expansion.

Based on cosmic microwave background radiation observations, scientists have determined that the overall geometry of our universe is flat. This means that space-time is not curved significantly on a large scale.