The Max-Planck-Gesellschaft has developed a new method for deriving reliable information from experimental data using probability theory, providing significant cost savings. The 'multi-resolution method' is widely applicable to various fields, including fusion research, medicine, and astronomy.
The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) will test the Big Bang theory and collect comprehensive observations of the Milky Way's star-forming regions. Launched on June 23 from Cape Canaveral Air Station, the three-year mission marks a first for an academic department in managing a satellite.
Dr. Colleen Wilson-Hodge, a NASA astrophysicist, has discovered two new X-ray pulsars using the Burst and Transient Source Experiment on NASA's Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. The pulsars are powered by accretion of material from companion stars and have strong gravity that pulls matter toward their surfaces.
The sundial is designed to track the passage of hours and seasons on Mars, with calibration targets to adjust camera brightness and tint. The instrument carries a message from Earth to future Martian explorers, wishing them a safe journey and joy of discovery.
The AGU Book 'New Perspectives on the Earth's Magnetotail' provides first-hand information on energetic particles and reveals basic properties of plasma in the universe. Edited by top experts, it offers a basis for understanding cosmic processes and auroral/geomagnetic phenomena.
New radio observations reveal that black holes in galaxies can be fed with gas, while the surrounding material remains intact. In NGC1097, a barred galaxy with a massive central black hole, researchers found that gas flows towards the black hole through a shock front, which is then redirected along the bar by magnetic fields.
A new study reveals that carbon nanotubes are more energetic to roll across surfaces compared to sliding, defying conventional wisdom on friction reduction. Researchers discovered this phenomenon using the nanoManipulator device and attributed it to electron surface interactions.
The ROSAT Guest Observer Programme was terminated after eight years of successful operations due to irreversible damage to the High Resolution Imager (HRI) caused by an accident on September 20, 1998. The final observation campaign is planned for December, with a focus on observing important astrophysical objects.
A team of astronomers led by Bo Reipurth and John Bally observed that ultraviolet radiation from nearby massive stars destroyed the cocoons of gas and dust surrounding young stars, revealing billions of miles long supersonic jets. The destruction has provided new insight into star birth and evolution, and may have implications for the ...
A team of scientists has discovered a young and previously unknown supernova remnant located just 700 light years away from the Vela supernova remnant. The remnant is exceptionally close to Earth, with an age of at most 1500 years, making it the nearest supernova remnant to have occurred during recent human history.
The AAAS Annual Meeting brings together over 800 scientists and engineers to discuss groundbreaking research in various fields, including medicine, astronomy, and physics. Notable sessions cover topics like the influence of diet on breast cancer and the latest discoveries in astronomy.
The Hopkins University replaced a failed 24-inch telescope with a smaller one used for stargazing, ensuring the success of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The telescope was retrofitted with new optics and is now ready to contribute to the mapping of millions of galaxies.
Physicist Glennys Farrar proposes that extremely high-energy cosmic rays come from distant quasars, violating the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin cutoff. She suggests a new subatomic particle, the SO, with neutral and gluon-bound properties, as an alternative explanation.
Recent study examines over 100 gamma-ray bursts, finds no evidence supporting synchrotron shock model. Researchers analyze low-energy spectra to determine burst causes.
Scientists discover Jupiter's ring system is composed of dust kicked up by meteoroids striking four inner moons, with the outermost ring consisting of two embedded rings. The system provides a unique dynamical laboratory for studying the solar system's early processes.
Physicists at Stanford University developed a new optical detector capable of measuring individual photons' energy, arrival time, and location throughout the spectrum. This breakthrough has potential applications in dark matter detection and improved astronomical observations.
Researchers propose instrument to measure high-energy gamma rays from blazars, pulsars, and bursts, offering improved tracking capabilities and higher energy detection limits. The scintillating fiber detector system will act as both a tracker and calorimeter, providing a wide-angle view of the sky with unprecedented precision.
A team of astronomers from the University of Florida and Harvard University have discovered a star surrounded by a disk of dust that may be forming planets. The disk, known as HR 4796A, is about 220 light years from Earth and is thought to represent what Earth's solar system looked like in its infancy.
The UNC-CH physics and astronomy department has launched a new program called SOLAR, which allows North Carolina public school teachers and students to use and remotely control the Morehead Observatory telescope. The program offers students access to real scientific data and the opportunity to capture their own images of the universe.
The SOAR telescope, a state-of-the-art facility in Chile, will enable researchers to study the universe like never before. It will collect 3,400 times more light than the original telescope, allowing for observations of dimmer objects and stars at greater distances.
A team of Penn State researchers is reacquainting old friends by integrating statistical principles back into astronomy. They are using advanced methods such as time series analysis, sampling theory, and nonlinear regressions to tackle complex problems like large-scale clustering of galaxies and the internal structure of the sun.
Astronomers Ari Buchalter and David Helfand study 103 galaxies to draw conclusions about the universe's shape. They believe their findings can be confirmed with results from 500 galaxies.
Researchers aim to understand how the sun's corona reaches temperatures of two million degrees Celsius despite the surface being only 6,000 degrees. The team will use various techniques, including comparing electronic images and searching for rapid oscillations, to gather data during the February 26 eclipse.
Marc Kamionkowski has been awarded the Helen B. Warner Prize for his significant contributions to cosmology, astrophysics, and particle physics. His research focuses on the cosmic microwave background radiation and its potential to clarify the origins of the universe.
Astrophysicists have solved a decades-old mystery with the identification of gamma-ray burst counterparts, leading to a deeper understanding of the universe's early stages. Dr. Jan van Paradijs' discovery of an optical counterpart for a gamma-ray burst in 1997 marked a significant breakthrough.
The American Institute of Physics announces a new award for broadcast media, recognizing distinguished writing that improves public understanding of physics and astronomy. The winning author will receive $3,000 and a certificate.
FORCAST, a new infrared camera, will be built at Cornell to image the universe in the infrared spectrum and study stars' neonatal environments. The instrument will fly aboard NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and make observations that are impossible for ground-based telescopes.
The Mars 2001 Lander mission aims to investigate the geological record of ancient Martian waterways and possible biology. Cornell's Athena rover will use its integrated scientific instruments to collect data on the planet's surface, including an imager, infrared spectrometer, and Alpha-Proton-X-Ray spectrometer.
Astronomers have detected the 'frame-dragging' effect, a prediction by Albert Einstein 80 years ago, in disks of gas swirling around black holes. The team used X-ray astronomy satellites to measure the precession of accretion disks, finding evidence of frame dragging in two black hole systems.
The Comet Nucleus Tour mission, led by Cornell University, aims to study the composition of comet nuclei and assess their diversity. The mission will take images and comparative spectral maps of at least three comet nuclei, analyzing dust and gas flowing from them.
Researchers at UNC-CH have discovered that carbon nanotubes can bend without breaking and then return to their original shape under large strains. The nanotubes' buckling behavior indicates potential for safer, stronger products, including those used in sports and aerospace materials.
Astronomers calculate that a gamma ray burst has expanded to 85 times the size of our solar system and is still growing. The detection uses the 'twinkling' effect in radio astronomy, where the point where twinkling stops allows for diameter measurement.
Scientists have discovered that the May 8 gamma ray burst releases an enormous amount of energy, outshining the sun in its lifetime. Radio observations indicate the fireball expands at nearly the speed of light, with a size estimated to be about one-tenth of a light-year.
New Arecibo radar images show no signs of ice in permanently shadowed areas at the moon's poles. Researchers believe rough surfaces from impact craters may be responsible for observed reflections instead.
The ACIS camera will record the energy of each X-ray detected from high-energy objects as unique charge, converting it into a signal to detect different elements. It has very high angular resolution and spectral resolution, allowing scientists to see individual stars for the first time in crowded regions.
New observations reveal DEM L 316 as two overlapping supernova remnants with colliding shells, studied to understand energy and element distribution. The collision may influence the births of new stars by distributing material from dead stars.
Researchers outline requirements for habitable moons, including stable orbit and atmosphere retention. Moons in the right position and size could support life on planets like Jupiter's Europa.
Scientists at Boston University have captured high-resolution images of the Earth's outer atmosphere using the POLAR ENA Imaging Proton Spectrometer. These images allow for the tracking of magnetic storms in space and provide new insights into the relationship between the Sun and Earth.
The Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT) is a fully robotic telescope that can track a given area of the sky for hours and detect objects 10,000 times fainter than other telescopes. KAIT will enable astronomers to conduct nightly studies of changing celestial objects remotely.
Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a new method called photometric-redshift astronomy, which allows for rapid distance measurements to distant galaxies. This technique resolves a long-standing dilemma in cosmology research by enabling the study of galaxy evolution and dark matter.