ESA Portal - Integral expands our view of the gamma-ray sky

Media Centre

Press Releases ESA Television Launch Media Corner Exhibitions

Services

Calendar Publications Frequently asked questions ESA-sponsored Conferences Help Site Credits Portal terms of use Comments Subscribe

Integral expands our view of the gamma-ray sky

20 February 2007

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPG (Size: 30 kb)

The upper image shows the sky distribution of four of the main soft gamma-ray source populations observed in the third Integral/IBIS survey catalogue. This newly-released catalogue contains 421 sources. Of the known systems, the low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXB) are old systems mainly populating the galactic bulge, the high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXB) are younger systems seen along the galactic plane, and the active galactic nuclei (AGN) are extragalactic sources seen over the whole sky. Around one out of four of the sources seen by Integral are unidentified, and their distribution is also shown.

The lower picture is a false colour image of the central region of our galaxy. This is a composite image based on all-sky IBIS/ISGRI maps in three energy windows (between 17 and 100 keV) and represents the true 'X-ray colours' of the sources. Red sources are dominated by emission below 30 keV, while blue sources have harder spectra, emitting strongly above 40 keV.

Credits: IBIS survey team

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 1767 kb)

The task of Integral, ESA's International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, is to gather the most energetic radiation that comes from space. The spacecraft was launched in October 2002 and it 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. Integral is the most sensitive gamma-ray observatory ever launched. It detects radiation from the most violent events far away and from processes that made the Universe habitable.

Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab

ESA's gamma-ray astronomy mission

Gamma-ray lighthouse at the edge of our universe Radioactive iron, a window to the stars 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 Integral: three years of insight into the violent cosmos