Theoretical predictions point out that the light beams released by black holes are mainly composed of electrons and their antimatter, positrons. These beams must have a strong self-generated magnetic field. The rotation of particles around the magnetic field will release a powerful burst of gamma rays. How it happened was unknown. Recently, it has been suggested that the best way to clarify gamma-ray bursts is to reproduce them on a small scale in a laboratory.
Scientists from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Switzerland have successfully created the first small-scale “replication” of this phenomenon by using the Gemini laser at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, the most intense laser on the planet. In the latest experiments, for the first time, researchers have observed some key phenomena that play an important role in the generation of gamma-ray bursts, such as the self-generation of magnetic fields that last for a long time.
These observations can support some important theoretical predictions related to the strength and distribution of these magnetic fields. In short, experiments have independently confirmed that the current model for studying gamma-ray bursts is the correct laser pointer. The latest paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters opens up a whole new way to study the properties of gamma-ray bursts. Understanding how gamma-ray bursts are formed will enable us to learn more about black holes and further study the birth and evolution of the universe.