Physics in the News

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Newly released Hypatia Catalog offers glimpse into the lives of stars

Natalie Hinkel gives a plenary talk at the Cool Stars 18 meeting in Flagstaff, Arizona, about her paper on the Hypatia Catalog. (Credit: Natalie Hinkel)
Natalie Hinkel gives a plenary talk at the Cool Stars 18 meeting in Flagstaff, Arizona, about her paper on the Hypatia Catalog. (Credit: Natalie Hinkel)
via asunews

US–Russia tensions hit scientists

The US Department of Energy has cancelled visits by Russian scientists to key US labs, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory. (Credit:NC-ND/Los Alamos National Laboratory)
The US Department of Energy has cancelled visits by Russian scientists to key US labs, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory. (Credit:NC-ND/Los Alamos National Laboratory)
via physicsworld

Unraveling new mysteries of cosmos next spring(VIDEO)

via onislam

Astrophysicists detect destruction of three stars by supermassive black holes

A star in a galaxy passes by a black hole closely enough to be destroyed once every 10,000 years. It is possible to detect the death of a star in a fairly distant galaxyas the destruction of a star generates a bright X-ray flare; it is only necessary to distinguish such a flare from other types of X-ray radiation. Because flares occur in a variety of astrophysical processes, the task of finding stars destroyed by black holes is quite complicated. (Credit: Sergei Sazonov)
A star in a galaxy passes by a black hole closely enough to be destroyed once every 10,000 years. It is possible to detect the death of a star in a fairly distant galaxyas the destruction of a star generates a bright X-ray flare; it is only necessary to distinguish such a flare from other types of X-ray radiation. Because flares occur in a variety of astrophysical processes, the task of finding stars destroyed by black holes is quite complicated. (Credit: Sergei Sazonov)
via mipt

New clue on the formation of a black hole

The recent finding of an intermediate-mass black hole provides evidence that could support some theories of how supermassive black holes form. (Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser)
The recent finding of an intermediate-mass black hole provides evidence that could support some theories of how supermassive black holes form. (Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser)
via discovery

Roll over, Boltzmann

Screen Shot 2014-08-20 at 5.38.04 PM

 via cbpf

Where’s the Kaboom? Astronomers detect no x-ray emission from recent supernova explosion

via americaspace

Does gravity hold the key to proving existence of parallel worlds?

To date, perhaps some of the best evidence for parallel worlds actually arrives courtesy of an enigmatic oddity within deep-space, careening toward the Milky Way at an incredible 200,000 miles per hour. Though it’s more than 2 million light years away, the Andromeda galaxy, as observed by astronomers, appears to engage in anomalous behavior which, at times, suggests a strange gravitational phenomenon. Specifically, gravity that could be draining from another universe, as yet invisible to us, could be the impetus behind such anomalous phenomena in deep space. (Credit: Micah Hanks)
Some of the best evidence for parallel worlds actually arrives courtesy of an enigmatic oddity within deep-space, careening toward the Milky Way at an incredible 200,000 miles per hour. Though it’s more than 2 million light years away, the Andromeda galaxy, appears to engage in anomalous behavior which suggests a strange gravitational phenomenon. Specifically, gravity that could be draining from another universe, as yet invisible to us, could be the impetus behind such anomalous phenomena. (Credit: Micah Hanks)
via mysteriousuniverse

Quantum State Can Turn About a Point Like a Ballerina

Having a single point in contact with the ground lets a ballerina spin. In the same way, a quantum state is dynamic because it can turn about a point thanks to quantum uncertainty, say CQT and Oxford researchers. (Credit: Michael Garner, courtesy English National Ballet)
Having a single point in contact with the ground lets a ballerina spin. In the same way, a quantum state is dynamic because it can turn about a point thanks to quantum uncertainty, say CQT and Oxford researchers. (Credit: Michael Garner, courtesy English National Ballet)
via quantumlah

NASA’s first green fuel spacecraft figures out eco-power

via networkworld

Mysterious source of ozone-depleting chemical baffles NASA

A cross-section of the Earth's ozone layer as measured by the limb profiler, part of the Ozone Mapper Profiler Suite that's aboard the Suomi NPP satellite. (Credit: NASA/NOAA)
A cross-section of the Earth’s ozone layer as measured by the limb profiler, part of the Ozone Mapper Profiler Suite that’s aboard the Suomi NPP satellite. (Credit: NASA/NOAA)
via ZeeNews

Can a plane bend upwards causing objects to be repelled?

A simulation of two colliding black holes. Colors reflect the variation of gravitational waves. (Credit: Werner Benger/NASA Blueshift)
A simulation of two colliding black holes. Colors reflect the variation of gravitational waves. (Credit: Werner Benger/NASA Blueshift)
via physicscentral

 NASA and markerbot reveal bioshielding dwelling for mars

 

via designboom

 

Physics in the News

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Life in space? Sea plankton discovered attached to ISS outer hull

Creature from the deep: Bioluminescence plankton at Penmon. (Credit: Kris Williams )
via rt

Scientists discover potential signs of life on Mars

NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover captures a selfie to mark a full Martian year — 687 Earth days — spent exploring the Red Planet. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
Scientists have discovered mineral-rich structure on Mars that might be the evidence of niche environment on the planet’s subsurface that could support life. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
via aninews

SpaceX denies report it is raising massive funding round, valued at $10B

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and the new Dragon V2, which will soon carry people to the International Space Station (Credit: SpaceX_
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and the new Dragon V2, which will soon carry people to the International Space Station (Credit: SpaceX)
via gigaom

Why didn’t the Universe become a black hole?

In Einstein’s general theory of relativity, gravity is nothing more than the curvature of spacetime. A massive object, such as the sun, causes a deformation of the spacetime grid, while another object such as a planet or a light beam follows the shortest path (a “geodesic”) on this grid. To an observer, this looks like a deflection of the trajectory caused by gravity. (Bottom) A collapsing star can form a black hole so dense and massive that it creates a region of infinite curvature (a “singularity”) so that—inside the event horizon—light cannot escape. Current research in gravitation is attempting to modify general relativity to account for such objects consistent with quantum theory. (Credit: Carin Cain)
In Einstein’s general theory of relativity, gravity is nothing more than the curvature of spacetime. A massive object, such as the sun, causes a deformation of the spacetime grid, while another object such as a planet or a light beam follows the shortest path (a “geodesic”) on this grid. To an observer, this looks like a deflection of the trajectory caused by gravity. (Bottom) A collapsing star can form a black hole so dense and massive that it creates a region of infinite curvature (a “singularity”) so that—inside the event horizon—light cannot escape. Current research in gravitation is attempting to modify general relativity to account for such objects consistent with quantum theory. (Credit: Carin Cain)
via medium

Study reveals immune system is dazed and confused during spaceflight

European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers, Expedition 30 flight engineer, prepares vials in the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station for venous blood sample draws during an immune system investigation. (Credit: NASA)
European Space Agency astronaut Andre Kuipers, Expedition 30 flight engineer, prepares vials in the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station for venous blood sample draws during an immune system investigation. (Credit: NASA)
via phys.org

Sizing up an Exoplanet(VIDEO)

via NASA

Theoretical physics: The origins of space and time(VIDEO)

via nature

 So what exactly is a ‘killer robot’?

For as long as we’ve been able to make robots, we’ve been worried about them killing us. (Credit:  Ociacia/Shutterstock)
For as long as we’ve been able to make robots, we’ve been worried about them killing us. (Credit: Ociacia/Shutterstock)

Robots to cook and serve food in restaurant in Kunshan, China

 A robot carries food to customers in a restaurant in Kunshan, China. Photo: Johannes Eisele. (Credit: AFP)
A robot carries food to customers in a restaurant in Kunshan, China. Photo: Johannes Eisele. (Credit: AFP)
via news.com

New ‘mapping nearby galaxies at Apache Point observatory’ survey launched

Shown above is part of one of the most imaged parts of the night sky, the Orion Nebula. Since the angular size of Orion's Nebula is so large on the sky, only a portion is shown here. Located just below "Orion's Belt" this star-forming region is dominated by four young, massive O stars (known as the Trapezium, not pictured here). The wispy blue, green gas seen above is composed mostly of hydrogen, the main element used in forming stars. The Orion Nebula is an astrophysical laboratory, providing an up-close view of the birth of stars (Credit: Sloan Digital Sky Survey)
Shown above is part of one of the most imaged parts of the night sky, the Orion Nebula. Since the angular size of Orion’s Nebula is so large on the sky, only a portion is shown here. Located just below “Orion’s Belt” this star-forming region is dominated by four young, massive O stars (known as the Trapezium, not pictured here). The wispy blue, green gas seen above is composed mostly of hydrogen, the main element used in forming stars. The Orion Nebula is an astrophysical laboratory, providing an up-close view of the birth of stars. (Credit: Sloan Digital Sky Survey)

via azoquantum

Alternative propulsion concepts power debate

Greased Lighning (GL10) project 10 engine electric prototype remote control plane. Photo taken 8/14/14 (Credit: NASA Langley/David C. Bowman)
Greased Lighning (GL10) project 10 engine electric prototype remote control plane. Photo taken 8/14/14 (Credit: NASA Langley/David C. Bowman)
via thespacereview

Indian nuclear team head to US

A file photograph of Adani Power's thermal power plant in the western Indian state of Gujarat.(Credit: Reuters)
A file photograph of Adani Power’s thermal power plant in the western Indian state of Gujarat.(Credit: Reuters)
via breakbulk

South Korea running out of spent nuclear fuel storage space – advisory body

The Kori nuclear power plant in Busan, southeast of Seoul, is seen in this picture released by the plant to Reuters.  South Korea needs to quickly find additional space where it can store its spent nuclear fuel because some of its temporary storage capacity will be full by 2016, (Credit: Reuters/Kori Nuclear Power Plant/Handout)
via reuters

Physics in the News

Friday, August 15, 2014

Cosmic grains pre-date Solar System

Scientists may have identified the first known dust particles from outside our Solar System, in samples returned to Earth by a Nasa space mission. (Credit: NASA)
Scientists may have identified the first known dust particles from outside our Solar System, in samples returned to Earth by a Nasa space mission. (Credit: NASA)
via bbc

Every parking spot at the International Space Station is currently occupied

Here’s an awesome photo to start your day: The International Space Station currently has five spacecraft docked to it — the most that can be currently attached. If any of the world’s space agencies, or private companies like SpaceX were to send up another spacecraft today, they’d need to circle until another parking space becomes available. (Credit: NASA)
Here’s an awesome photo to start your day: The International Space Station currently has five spacecraft docked to it — the most that can be currently attached. If any of the world’s space agencies, or private companies like SpaceX were to send up another spacecraft today, they’d need to circle until another parking space becomes available. (Credit: NASA)
via extremetech

Massive trail of a boulder as it tumbles down a hill spotted by space probe above the red planet

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted the trail from an oblong boulder that rolled down a slope on the Red Planet. The image was taken on July 3, 2014. (Credit: NASA)
via space

Planck’s early universe exploration ‘great landmark’ in human history

“This piece of information, that has always been a dream, and never was thought of as being within human grasp. But here in the year 2014 on finds that perhaps this mission is going to be telling us how the universe started,” said Harwit, who is an expert in infrared astronomy and works as a member of the ESA’s Submillimeter Wave Astronomical Satellite, as well as on the Herschel Telescope. (Credit: East News/ Science Photo Library)
via en.ria

Mars orbiters plan for their October encounter with comet Siding Spring(VIDEO)

via planetary

Microsoft Research turns 2D camera into depth sensor (VIDEO)

via i-programmer

Rise of the machines? Watch a 1000 Tiny robot horde swarms to form shapes (VIDEO)

via reuters

Are processors pushing up against Moore’s Law and the limits of physics?

Plot of CPU transistor counts against dates of introduction. Note the logarithmic vertical scale; the line corresponds to exponential growth with transistor count doubling every two years. Transistor counts for integrated circuits plotted against their dates of introduction. The curve shows Moore's law - the doubling of transistor counts every two years. The y-axis is logarithmic, so the line corresponds to exponential growth. (Credit: Wgsimon)
Plot of CPU transistor counts against dates of introduction. Note the logarithmic vertical scale; the line corresponds to exponential growth with transistor count doubling every two years.  The curve shows Moore’s law – the doubling of transistor counts every two years. The y-axis is logarithmic, so the line corresponds to exponential growth. (Credit: Wgsimon)
via arstechnica

Molecular engineers record an electron’s quantum behavior

These images show a diamond sample with a hemispherical lens (right and lower left), and the location of a single electron spin/quantum state visible through its light emission (upper left). The scale bar on the image at upper left measures five microns, the approximate diameter of a red blood cell. (Credit: Courtesy of Awschalom Lab/University of Chicago)
These images show a diamond sample with a hemispherical lens (right and lower left), and the location of a single electron spin/quantum state visible through its light emission (upper left). The scale bar on the image at upper left measures five microns, the approximate diameter of a red blood cell. (Credit: Courtesy of Awschalom Lab/University of Chicago)
via phys

NASA’S NuSTAR catches a black hole bending light, space, and time

This plot of data captured by NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, shows X-ray light streaming from regions near a supermassive black hole known as Markarian 335. (Credit: NASA)
This plot of data captured by NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, shows X-ray light streaming from regions near a supermassive black hole known as Markarian 335. (Credit: NASA)
via universetoday

Physics in the News

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Asteroid defies laws of physics, baffles researchers

 WISE thermal-infrared images of (29075) 1950 DA. The image scale is 2.75 arcsec per pixel for the W1, W2 and W3 bands and 5.53 arcsec per pixel for the W4 band. White pixels are ‘bad’ pixels that do not contain data. The object seen to the upper left of (29075) 1950 DA (red circle) (Credit: Rozitis, MacLennan & Emery)
WISE thermal-infrared images of (29075) 1950 DA. The image scale is 2.75 arcsec per pixel for the W1, W2 and W3 bands and 5.53 arcsec per pixel for the W4 band. White pixels are ‘bad’ pixels that do not contain data. The object seen in the red circle is  (29075) 1950 DA. (Credit: Rozitis, MacLennan, Emery)
via techtimes

Hubble eyes galaxy as it gets a cosmic hair ruffling

From objects as small as Newton's apple to those as large as a galaxy, no physical body is free from the stern bonds of gravity, as evidenced in this stunning picture captured by the Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys onboard the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. (Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Acknowledgement: Luca Limatola)
From objects as small as Newton’s apple to those as large as a galaxy, no physical body is free from the stern bonds of gravity, as evidenced in this stunning picture captured by the Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys onboard the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. (Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, Acknowledgement: Luca Limatola)
via phys

Novel project to develop tiny flat molecule tapes

Alissa Wiengarten, PhD student at the TUM Department of Physics, heats a porphine powder in a vacuum chamber. (Credit: Thorsten Naeser/Munich-Centre for Advanced Photonics)
via azonano

Quantum-Memory imprint discovered in light emission

Semiconductor quantum-dot microring laser emits light whose emission intensity exhibits oscillations due to quantum memory between excitation and light Emission. Pressestelle der Philipps-Universität Marburg/Fachgebiet Theoretische Halbleiterphysik
Semiconductor quantum-dot microring laser emits light whose emission intensity exhibits oscillations due to quantum memory between excitation and light Emission. (Credit: Philipps-Universität Marburg/Fachgebiet Theoretische Halbleiterphysik)
via innovations-report

Investigating soil moisture dynamics using cosmic-ray technology

Dr Rosolem with the cosmic-ray soil moisture sensor installed at the the Federal University of Santa Maria SulFlux site in Brazil
Dr Rosolem with the cosmic-ray soil moisture sensor installed at the the Federal University of Santa Maria SulFlux site in Brazil. (Credit: Univ Bristol)
via bristol

Particle physicists measure the spin contribution of the proton’s antiquark

 The STAR detector, used in the researchers' experiment, measures the energy and angle of the electron from the W boson decay produced in the proton collision. (Credit: STAR Collaboration)
The STAR detector, used in the researchers’ experiment, measures the energy and angle of the electron from the W boson decay produced in the proton collision. (Credit: STAR Collaboration)
via phys

Nanosilver gives electron microscopy a boost

Experimental arrangement. A tip is approached to a distance of micrometres from a grounded highly ordered pyrolytic graphene (HOPG) surface carrying Ag nanostructures (illustrated in the inset). Electrons are field-emitted from the tip when a negative tip voltage Vt of hundreds of volts is applied, and the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the Ag nanostructures is excited by the field-emitted electrons under a strong electric field introduced by the tip–sample bias. The backscattered electrons are collected and analysed by the TEEA. (Credit: Nature Physics (2014) doi:10.1038/nphys3051)
Experimental arrangement. A tip is approached to a distance of micrometres from a grounded highly ordered pyrolytic graphene (HOPG) surface carrying Ag nanostructures (illustrated in the inset). Electrons are field-emitted from the tip when a negative tip voltage Vt of hundreds of volts is applied, and the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the Ag nanostructures is excited by the field-emitted electrons under a strong electric field introduced by the tip–sample bias. The backscattered electrons are collected and analysed by the TEEA. (Credit: Nature Physics (2014) doi:10.1038/nphys3051)
via asianscientist

Supermassive black holes’ diets revealed: Crushed stars and X-rays

Because of that alacrity, and the fact that they had repeat observations at roughly a decade's detach, the Russian scientists were able to single out stars that dimmed by at least tenfold. They've been named 1RXS J114727.1 + 494302, 1RXS J130547.2 + 641252, and 1RXS J235424.5-102053. (Credit: Davies, NASA)
Because of that alacrity, and the fact that they had repeat observations at roughly a decade’s detach, the Russian scientists were able to single out stars that dimmed by at least tenfold. They’ve been named 1RXS J114727.1 + 494302, 1RXS J130547.2 + 641252, and 1RXS J235424.5-102053. (Credit: Davies, NASA)
via slashgear

Could Mystery Signal Detected Be Proof of Dark Matter?

Could a mystery signal that has been detected be proof of dark matter? While searching through the fundamental structures of various galaxy clusters, astrophysicists located at Harvard University found a bizarre discharge line they are having trouble in identifying.  (Credit: Kimberly Ruble)
Could a mystery signal that has been detected be proof of dark matter? While searching through the fundamental structures of various galaxy clusters, astrophysicists located at Harvard University found a bizarre discharge line they are having trouble in identifying. (Credit: Kimberly Ruble)
via guardianlv

Physics in the News

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

First robotic telescope captures clear images of exoplanet stars

via spectrum

What?! The universe appears to be missing some light

New data from the Hubble Space Telescope and computer simulations have revealed that the universe has much less ultraviolet light than previously thought. (Credit: Ben Oppenheimer and Juna Kollmeie)
New data from the Hubble Space Telescope and computer simulations have revealed that the universe has much less ultraviolet light than previously thought.
(Credit: Ben Oppenheimer and Juna Kollmeie)
via space

Here’s the world’s first robotics company to pledge not to make ‘killer robots’

Clearpath Robotics "Husky," an autonomous vehicle. (Credit: Clearpath Robotics)
“Husky,” an autonomous vehicle. (Credit: Clearpath Robotics)

via businessinsider

Planck’s mystery cosmic ‘cold spot’ may be an error

The European Space Agency's Planck space telescope mapped the cosmic microwave background. (Credit: ESA and the Planck Collaboration)
The European Space Agency’s Planck space telescope mapped the cosmic microwave background. (Credit: ESA and the Planck Collaboration)
via space

Proof confirmed of 400-year-old fruit-stacking problem

Now, a mathematician has announced the completion of an epic quest to formally prove the so-called Kepler conjecture. “An enormous burden has been lifted from my shoulders,” says Thomas Hales of the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who led the work. “I suddenly feel ten years younger!” (Credit: Ray Tang/Rex)
via newscientist

Introducing this year’s underground astronauts

Astronauts will be working together, deep underground. (Credit: ESA—A. Romeo)
Astronauts will be working together, deep underground. (Credit: ESA—A. Romeo)
via phys

How to build a supermassive black hole in less than a billion years

This artist's rendering shows one possible configuration for a corona, but that its true shape is unknown. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

via arstechnica