Physics in the News

Friday, June 20, 2014

Classic space science: UD physicist’s findings about space plasma become ‘classics’

Energy Arc, central electrode of a Plasma Lamp.

via udel

New Observatory Takes Highest-Energy Particle Research to New Heights

As cosmic-ray particles are accelerated by a black hole in this artist's interpretation, they stream toward Earth as very-high-energy gamma-rays. Upon hitting the atmosphere, they produce a shower of particles that rain down on Earth. Most of these particles run out of energy before they hit sea level. Credit: Aurore Simonnet, Sonoma State University — As cosmic-ray particles are accelerated by a black hole in this artist’s interpretation, they stream toward Earth as very-high-energy gamma-rays. Upon hitting the atmosphere, they produce a shower of particles that rain down on Earth. Most of these particles run out of energy before they hit sea level. (Credit: Aurore Simonnet, Sonoma State University)

New test may provide ‘smoking gun’ for modified gravity

A schematic picture of how researchers can observe galaxy peculiar velocities, “a cosmic dance of galaxies.” (Credit: Wojciech A. Hellwing)

Supermassive Black Hole Shows Strange Gas Movements

A Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 5548. (Credit: ESA/Hubble and NASA. Davide de Martin)

via universetoday

Slowly rotating neutron star paired with a red-giant star reveals properties that conflict with existing theory

An artist’s impression of an x-ray binary system. The matter that a neutron star (blue) sucks from a regular star (red) leads to the emission of intense x-ray beams. (Credit: NASA)

Slowly rotating neutron star paired with a red-giant star reveals properties that conflict with existing theoryRead more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-06-slowly-rotating-neutron-star-paired.html#jCp

Slowly rotating neutron star paired with a red-giant star reveals properties that conflict with existing theoryRead more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-06-slowly-rotating-neutron-star-paired.html#jCp

Physics in the News

Friday, June 20, 2014

Nasa Picks Out Prime Targets For Asteroid Grab

An artist's conception of two possible views of asteroid 2011 MD. (Image courtesy NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory) — An artist’s conception of two possible views of asteroid 2011 MD. (Image courtesy NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

via nau

Some Highly Scientific Data 🙂 Physics Invents the Emoticon

The end of an era: Just 18 percent of survey respondents report using the full-faced emoticon. — The end of an era: Just 18 percent of survey respondents report using the full-faced emoticon. (Credit

via theatlantic

If Spacetime Were a Superfluid, Would It Unify Physics—or Is the Theory All Wet?

Light from the Crab Nebula (shown here in a Hubble Space Telescope photo) limits the possibilities for fluid spacetime. NASA/ESA/ASU/J. Hester — Light from the Crab Nebula (shown here in a Hubble Space Telescope photo) limits the possibilities for fluid spacetime. (Credit:NASA/ESA/ASU/J. Hester)

via scientificamerican

Swiftly Moving Gas Streamer Eclipses Supermassive Black Hole

This is an illustration of the physical, spatial and temporal picture for the outflows emanating from the vicinity of the super massive black hole in the galaxy NGC 5548. The behavior of the emission source in five epochs is shown along the time axis. The obscurer is situated at roughly 0.03 light years (0.01 parsecs) from the emission source and is only seen in 2011 and 2013 (it is much stronger in 2013). Outflow component 1 shows the most dramatic changes in its absorption troughs. Different observed ionic species are represented as colored zones within the absorbers. Credit: Ann Feild/Space Telescope Science Institute

Dr. Ed Dowdye: Solar gravitation and solar plasma wave propagation on interaction – EU 2014

via thewatchers

Confirmed, finally: D-Wave quantum computer is sluggish

Jeremy Hilton, D-Wave's vice president of processor development, with one of the company's quantum computers. Screenshot by Nick Statt/CNET — Jeremy Hilton, D-Wave’s vice president of processor development, with one of the company’s quantum computers. Screenshot by Nick Statt/CNET

via cnet

Physics in the News

Thursday, June 19, 2014

This Shape-Shifter Could Tell Us Why Matter Exists

An invisible neutrino entering a hydrogen bubble chamber from the right collides with a proton, leaving three visible particle pathways.

Gravity’s strength still an open question after latest measurement

Gravity field near earth at 1,2 and A the curvature of the Earth is negligible at this scale, and the gravity force lines can be approximated as being parallel and pointing straight down to the center of the Earth. (Credit: SA 3.0)

Field lines drawn for a point mass using 24 field lines The gravitational field can be represented using field lines. These run in the direction that a mass would be accelerated in initially. The object will not necessarily fall along the field lines, but the acceleration will always be in the direction of the field lines. The closer the field lines are together, the denser the gravitational field. (credit: CC BY-SA 3.0) — Field lines drawn for a point mass using 24 field lines. The gravitational field can be represented using field lines. These run in the direction that a mass would be accelerated in initially. The object will not necessarily fall along the field lines, but the acceleration will always be in the direction of the field lines. The closer the field lines are together, the denser the gravitational field.(credit: SA 3.0)

Will Venus Express Spacecraft Crash Or Keep Decoding Planet’s Secrets

This illustration of Venus Express shows it amid charged particles of solar wind in the upper layers of the Venusian atmosphere. (credit: ESA, AOES Medialab) — This illustration of Venus Express shows it amid charged particles of solar wind in the upper layers of the Venusian atmosphere. (Credit: ESA, AOES Medialab)

via nationalgeographic

NASA Dark-Energy Mission Could Spot 3,000 New Alien Planets

An artist's rendition of the proposed WFIRST-AFTA mission, which will study dark energy, extrasolar planets and objects in the near-infrared. (Credit: NASA) — An artist’s rendition of the proposed WFIRST-AFTA mission, which will study dark energy, extrasolar planets and objects in the near-infrared. (Credit: NASA)

Universe’s Expansion Measured to Extreme Precision

An artist's view of how quasars and BOAs work together to measure the expansion of the universe. Light from distant quasars is absorbed by gas, which is imprinted with a pattern of BOAs from the early universe. Zosia Rostomian, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Andreu Font-Ribera, BOSS Lyman-alpha team, Berkeley Lab — An artist’s view of how quasars and BOAs work together to measure the expansion of the universe. Light from distant quasars is absorbed by gas, which is imprinted with a pattern of BOAs from the early universe. Zosia Rostomian, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Andreu Font-Ribera, BOSS Lyman-alpha team, Berkeley Lab

via discovery.com

To test the effect of gravity on quantum entanglement, we need to go to space

May 4, 1935 New York Times article headline regarding the imminent EPR paper.

via theconversation

Hubble Telescope loosens Kuiper belt to reveal ICY BODY for NASA boffins’ PROBE

The Kuiper belt is a region beyond Neptune that is full of comets, asteroids and other debris. It circles the solar system and has always been a little bit of a mystery as it is so far away and hard to explore.(Credit: Chris Dann)

via theregister

Physics in the News

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Decontamination system turns space station into life science laboratory

NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio prepares to test the ultraviolet light decontamination hardware (Image: NASA) — NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio prepares to test the ultraviolet light decontamination hardware (Credit: NASA)

Hubble telescope on the lookout for Kuiper belt as it pasts Pluto

The New Horizons spacecraft approaches Pluto in this artist's conception. (JHUAPL/SWRI) — The New Horizons spacecraft approaches Pluto in this artist’s conception. (Credit: JHUAPL/SWRI)

via news.sciencemag

Former NASA Physicist Disputes Einstein’s Relativity Theory

A diagram depicting gravitational lensing, a phenomenon by which light bends around some objects in space. (NASA, ESA; J. Richard, CRAL; and J.-P. Kneib, LAM) — A diagram depicting gravitational lensing, a phenomenon by which light bends around some objects in space. (Credit: NASA, ESA; J. Richard, CRAL; and J.-P. Kneib, LAM)

via theepochtimes

We owe our lives to instability

rt_yc12_7000 — Rayleigh Taylor Instability: carbon mass fraction ρ=107 gm/cm3 12C→24Mg nuclear flame. Gravity 109 cm/s2 (Credit: Wiki Commons)

via santafenewmexican

Space giants join forces to battle SpaceX: This is how cheap space travel begins

The SpaceX Dragon capsule is making its third trip to the International Space Station, following a demonstration flight in May 2012 and the first resupply mission in October 2012 — The SpaceX Dragon capsule is making its third trip to the International Space Station, following a demonstration flight in May 2012 and the first resupply mission in October 2012 (Credit: SpaceX)

via extremetech

Opportunity peers out from ‘Pillinger Point’ – Honoring British Beagle 2 Mars scientist

Opportunity Mars rover peers into vast Endeavour Crater from Pillinger Point mountain ridge named in honor of Colin Pillinger, the Principal Investigator for the British Beagle 2 lander built to search for life on Mars. Pillinger passed away from a brain hemorrhage on May 7, 2014. This navcam camera photo mosaic was assembled from images taken on June 5, 2014 (Sol 3684) and colorized. Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/Marco Di Lorenzo/Ken Kremer-kenkremer.com Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/112606/opportunity-peers-out-from-pillinger-point-honoring-british-beagle-2-mars-scientist-where-ancient-water-flowed/#ixzz34sFwIO7M — Opportunity Mars rover peers into vast Endeavour Crater from Pillinger Point mountain ridge named in honor of Colin Pillinger, the Principal Investigator for the British Beagle 2 lander built to search for life on Mars. Pillinger passed away from a brain hemorrhage on May 7, 2014. This navcam camera photo mosaic was assembled from images taken on June 5, 2014 (Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/Marco Di Lorenzo/Ken)

via universetoday

The Continuing Saga of Planet X: Could More Massive Planets Hide Beyond Pluto?

An artist’s impression of Eris, the most massive dwarf planet known to date, with an aphelion of 97 AU from the Sun. Could bigger Super-Earth-type planets be orbiting even farther out? Image Credit: ESO/L. Calçada and Nick Risinger — An artist’s impression of Eris, the most massive dwarf planet known to date, with an aphelion of 97 AU from the Sun. Could bigger Super-Earth-type planets be orbiting even farther out? (Credit: ESO/L. Calçada and Nick Risinger)

via americaspace

Trapping light: A long lifetime in a very small place

The top layer shows a simulation of the nanostructure confining the light in the tiny red regions. The second layer is the design generated by an approach that mimics evolutionary biology. The bottom two layers show electron micrographs of the realized nanostructure in silicon. The sharp peak on the left is the trace of the long trapping of light. Credit: Fabio Badolato — The top layer shows a simulation of the nanostructure confining the light in the tiny red regions. The second layer is the design generated by an approach that mimics evolutionary biology. The bottom two layers show electron micrographs of the realized nanostructure in silicon. The sharp peak on the left is the trace of the long trapping of light. (Credit: Fabio Badolato)

Physics in the News

Monday, June 16, 2014

Starwatch: A sister for the Sun?

These clues have been used by a team of astronomers led by the University of Texas to identify the Sun’s potential sibling. Still unnamed but known as HD 162826 or by a number of other catalog designations, it is plainly visible through binoculars high in our summer night sky.

via theguardian

Now, we eat? Not so fast, NASA space farmers say

NASA astronaut Steve Swanson harvests a crop of red romaine lettuce plants that were grown from seed in space.(Photo: NASA) — NASA astronaut Steve Swanson harvests a crop of red romaine lettuce plants that were grown from seed in space. (Credit: NASA)

via floridatoday

Create the ultimate world clock with a quantum link

Atomic clock (Image: NIST) — Atomic clock (Credit: NIST)

via newscientist

Delayed SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fires up engines

A planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday evening was delayed to allow time for more tests on one of Orbcomm Inc.’s satellites.(Photo: FOR FLORIDA TODAY) — A planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday evening was delayed to allow time for more tests on one of Orbcomm Inc.’s satellites. (Credit: Space X)

via floridatoday

NASA Scientists Recreate Complex Chemistry of Titan’s Atmosphere

This image is a composite of several images taken during two separate Titan flybys in 2006. The large circular feature near the center of Titan’s disk may be the remnant of a very old impact basin. The mountain ranges to the southeast of the circular feature, and the long dark, linear feature to the northwest of the old impact scar may have resulted from tectonic activity on Titan caused by the energy released when the impact occurred. Image credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona. — This image is a composite of several images taken during two separate Titan flybys in 2006. The large circular feature near the center of Titan’s disk may be the remnant of a very old impact basin. The mountain ranges to the southeast of the circular feature, and the long dark, linear feature to the northwest of the old impact scar may have resulted from tectonic activity on Titan caused by the energy released when the impact occurred. (Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona)