The MAXIMA experiment provides evidence for a flat universe, inflation, and a cosmological constant. The study confirms predictions made before the experiment, supporting the standard cosmology.
Carnegie Mellon's Big Signal allows users to explore Antarctica remotely through Nomad's sensors and cameras. The project aims to engage students in remote geology and provide them with access to scientific data.
Astronomers pinpointed a gamma-ray burst's precise location using coordinated observations from NASA satellites, providing data on X-rays and visible energy. The blast occurred over 10 billion light years away, roughly 2 billion years after the Big Bang.
Lawrence Schulman proposes a new scientific spin on science fiction, suggesting the possibility of reverse arrow systems where broken eggs re-form and timeline runs backwards. He uses statistical computer modeling to show that such systems could exist in regions with dark matter.
Researchers at Purdue University are developing a silicon detector, Si3, to analyze subatomic particles and test the widely accepted standard model of physics. The detector will help investigate why the universe is predominantly made of matter rather than antimatter.
John Moffat, a University of Toronto professor, proposes that the speed of light was not always constant but rather increased over time. This theory could help explain recent discoveries about the accelerating expansion of the universe and provide an answer to some cosmology problems.
Researchers attribute decrease in atmospheric carbon monoxide levels to reductions in manmade emissions, consistent with trends reported by the EPA. The study found a significant decrease of around five parts per billion by volume in carbon monoxide concentration levels at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.
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.
Researchers at CU-Boulder are part of an international team experimenting with sub-atomic particles to explain how the universe came into existence. They aim to find out why there is more matter than antimatter in the universe.
After 20 years, NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite is nearing its scheduled June 23 launch. The project faced numerous setbacks, including the Challenger rocket explosion and budget cuts, but ultimately, Johns Hopkins University took over management and implemented cost-saving measures.
Magnetic patterns on Mars indicate ancient plate tectonics system, with implications for understanding of the planet's topography. The team found evidence of symmetrical mirror-image stripes, similar to those on Earth, which could be remnants of a long-lost plate tectonics system.
Astronomers have detected the first observational evidence for hypernova remnants in galaxy M101. The two remnants, MF83 and NGC5471B, are among the largest known supernova remnants and have X-ray luminosities about an order of magnitude brighter than brightest supernovae.
The FUSE Satellite will observe wavelengths of light inaccessible to other telescopes, testing models of chemical evolution and determining the primordial abundance of deuterium. This will help scientists understand the origins of the universe, galaxy evolution, and chemical mixing and distribution.
Astronomers used numerical cosmology to study the earliest structures that formed in the universe, finding tiny star clusters containing 1,000-10,000 solar masses. These early clusters were likely the 'spark plugs' that started the formation of galaxies.
An Australian-led team of astronomers has discovered a significant number of stray stars, potentially altering our understanding of the universe's composition. These findings suggest that there may be as many stars living in intergalactic space as those within galaxy clusters.
Physicists suggest MACHOs may be made of a weird kind of mirror matter generated in the big bang, with potential for mirror planets and organisms. This theory could explain the presence of invisible stars on the outskirts of our Galaxy.
A new theory called inflationary cosmology suggests that the universe may have begun as a fractal, with an exponential expansion period. This theory provides answers to several questions about the origin of the universe and its structure.
The accelerating universe is the top research advance of 1998, with scientists discovering that galaxies are flying apart at ever faster speeds. Researchers also made significant progress in understanding circadian rhythms, which could provide insight into overcoming jet lag and winter depression.
NSF-supported astronomers discovered that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, driven by a yet unknown force. Circadian rhythms research also made significant progress, with discoveries on genes regulating molecular cycles in fruit flies and cyanobacteria.
Astronomers believe the Universe has expanded since the big bang about 15 billion years ago, but a new theory proposes that it may have rotated like a merry-go-round for an indefinitely long period. If true, this rotation could have suddenly changed into expansion thanks to a 'vacuum phase transition.'
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.
Researchers at NIEHS and U.C. Davis have identified a key protein involved in sperm-egg fusion, paving the way for new approaches to family planning and infertility diagnosis. A vaccine targeting this protein may provide women with a non-hormonal means of birth control.
Researchers have found evidence of ancient worm-like animals in rocks dating back 1.1 billion years, challenging the traditional timeline for multicellular life. The discovery suggests that animal body plans changed little before the Cambrian period, and that soft-bodied animals may have existed even earlier.
FUSE is the first large-scale space mission fully planned and operated by a university department. It will study the origin and evolution of hydrogen and deuterium, as well as galaxy evolution and star formation, analyzing clouds of gases between stars in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies.
Researchers have modeled semilocal strings in the universe, which may explain why there is more matter than antimatter. The strings' behavior could also shed light on the formation of galaxies and large-scale structure.
A team of astrophysicists and computer scientists has captured the entire observable universe in a computer simulation, depicting how gravity gathered ripples from the big bang into cosmic structures. This unprecedented model aims to better interpret data from large surveys and understand rarest structures in the cosmos.
Researchers at Boston University and Japan's University of Tokyo found evidence that neutrinos possess mass, contradicting the standard theory of particle physics. This discovery may impact our understanding of the universe's expansion and potential unification of particles and forces.
The new wall chart graphically illustrates the basic structure of the nucleus, recent discoveries, and future directions in nuclear science. It includes sections on the expansion of the universe, nuclear matter phases, radio-active decay, controlled nuclear energy, and applications of nuclear science.
The Columbia supercomputer, QCDSP, can perform 400 billion calculations per second to simulate the three-trillion-degree conditions at the Big Bang. This will help physicists understand particle properties and calculate accurate masses and decay rates.
Scientists have discovered the most distant known object in the cosmos, a young galaxy existing when the universe was only 6% of its present age. The serendipitous discovery raises hopes for resolving two central questions in astrophysics: how and when did galaxies form.
A team of astronomers used a supercomputer to simulate the growth of cosmic structure in a region comparable to the entire observable Universe. The simulation revealed patterns of dark matter walls and filaments, as well as massive voids and giant galaxy clusters.
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.
Physicists at Columbia University will receive funding to develop sensitive electronics for the Large Hadron Collider, enabling detection of new particles created during high-energy collisions. The electronics will handle a massive rate of collisions while maintaining precision of 0.25 percent.
Living Reviews in Relativity is a new review journal that summarizes and explains recent work in relativity. The journal is made possible by modern computer technology and provides free access to current research, including articles with web links to important scientific resources.
Researchers studied 40 distant supernovae to measure the cosmic expansion rate, finding it will expand forever due to insufficient mass for gravity to slow it down. Type Ia supernovae provide natural mile-markers to track trends in the universe's expansion.
NASA's Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) has recorded its 2000th gamma-ray burst, a significant milestone in the study of these violent cosmic events. The 2000th burst was smaller than average, but adds to the growing body of knowledge about gamma rays and their origins.
University of Michigan scientists estimate moon age between 4.52 billion to 4.50 billion years ago through tungsten isotope analysis. The data supports the hypothesis that the moon was formed from a large object colliding with Earth.
Researchers at University at Buffalo successfully demonstrate collective flow of nucleons resulting from stopping high-energy lead beam, a critical prerequisite for producing quark/gluon plasma. The achievement confirms theoretical predictions and brings optimism to the field of quark/gluon plasma detection.
Scientists successfully modeled the evolution of a massive X-ray galaxy cluster using CTC's SP, achieving unprecedented complexity and resolution. The simulation explores the collapse of high-density regions in a cube of 256 million light years on a side, incorporating gravity and hydrodynamics.