Illustration Depicting a Type I X-ray Burst (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Illustration Depicting a Type I X-ray Burst

Caption

Illustration depicting a Type I X-ray burst. The explosion first blows off the hydrogen layer, which expands and ultimately dissipates. Then rising radiation builds to the point where it blows off the helium layer, which overtakes the expanding hydrogen. Some of the X-rays emitted in the blast scatter off of the accretion disk. The fireball then quickly cools, and the helium settles back onto the surface.

Credit

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Smith (USRA)

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