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Gamma rays reveal proton acceleration in nova explosions

RS Ophiuchi is the first nova to be detected in the very-high-energy range. Its gamma-ray emission provides evidence of proton acceleration following the thermonuclear outburst. These observations offer new insight into the origin of cosmic rays.

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Fig. 1: Schematic of the RS Ophiuchi outburst and the gamma-ray spectrum.

References

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This is a summary of: Acciari, V. A. et al. Proton acceleration in thermonuclear nova explosions revealed by gamma rays. Nat. Astron. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01640-z (2022).

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Gamma rays reveal proton acceleration in nova explosions. Nat Astron 6, 643–644 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01650-x

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