ESA - Integral - New scientific riches from Integral

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What's special?Why do we observe gamma rays?Observations: Seeing in the gamma-ray wavelengths The atoms that make us The densest objects in the Universe Giant black holes Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)

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New scientific riches from Integral

7 November 2007

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This image shows the soft gamma-ray sky, as revealed by Integral during its first five years of operation. Soft gamma rays each have energy somewhere between 20-100 keV. Most sources of celestial gamma ray in the Universe emit in this region of the gamma ray spectrum. This image is a mosaic of data taken with the Imager on Board the Integral Satellite (IBIS).

Credits: ESA/ Integral/ IBIS Survey Team

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Integral, ESA's International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, is gathering some of the most energetic radiation that comes from space. The spacecraft was launched in October 2002 and is helping to solve some of the biggest mysteries in astronomy.

Gamma rays are even more powerful than the X-rays used in medical examinations. Fortunately, Earth's atmosphere acts as a shield to protect us from this dangerous cosmic radiation. However this means that gamma rays from space can only be detected by satellites.

At time of launch, Integral was the most sensitive gamma-ray observatory ever put into space. It detects radiation from the most violent events far away and from processes that made the Universe habitable.

Credits: ESA

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This is an artist's impression of Integral’s investigation of high-mass X-ray binaries. Integral has revealed two different types of stars. In the first example (top panel), the neutron star companion is buried deeply in the extended outer envelope of the star. This results in persistent X-ray emission. In the second example (bottom panel), the neutron star only occasionally swallows material from the envelope, causing a sudden brightening of its gamma rays.

Credits: University of Paris (S. Chaty)

ESA's gamma-ray astronomy mission

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Integral anniversary

Science with Integral – five years on Gamma-ray lighthouse at the edge of our universe Radioactive iron, a window to the stars Integral expands our view of the gamma-ray sky Integral points to the fastest spinning neutron star Star eats companion Integral sees the Galactic centre playing hide and seek Integral catches a new erupting black hole ESA steps towards a great black hole census Where are the supermassive black holes hiding?Integral sees a GRB out of the corner of its eye Integral catches stellar 'corpses' by the tail Exceptional manoeuvres enable unique Integral science Integral identifies supernova rate for Milky Way

Related ESA publications

Integral results leaflet (pdf)

In depth

Integral in-depth