Articles tagged with Astrophysical Processes
Astronomers have discovered water molecules in the envelope of star IRS 3, located near the supermassive black hole Sgr A*. The star's enormous envelope, fueled by rapid mass loss, has allowed water to thrive in its vicinity. This finding suggests that Sgr A* is being enriched with fundamental building blocks of life.
The SDSS-V survey has released its twentieth public data release (DR20), providing a massive catalog of high-quality spectra of stars across the Milky Way. The dataset includes over two million total spectra, revealing temperatures, ages, and chemical compositions of stars.
Researchers from Kyushu University found that low-density gas contributes to hub growth through direct inflow and by replenishing nearby dense filaments, substantially underestimating the material available for massive star formation. The study's combined analysis of dense and diffuse gas increased estimated material flowing onto hubs ...
Researchers used the NSF Inouye Solar Telescope to capture high-resolution images of swirling vortices in the sun's photosphere, which are believed to be the 'engine' driving twisting magnetic field lines. This discovery could fundamentally change our understanding of solar dynamics and evolution.
Researchers reveal that spacecraft observations can conceal the true movement of particles in near-Earth space, challenging traditional assumptions about radiation belt dynamics. The study highlights a fundamental challenge for space scientists: different physical processes can produce similar observational evidence.
The study provides the largest, most uniform spectroscopic follow-up of X-ray sources ever assembled, capturing tens of thousands of X-ray-emitting galaxy clusters. It reveals that rapidly growing giant black holes were surprisingly common in the early Universe and more 'hidden' black holes have been uncovered.
A team of researchers from Kyushu University and Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics have detected ambipolar diffusion in a prestellar core, weakening magnetic support and leading to gravitational collapse. This finding provides insight into early star formation and the creation of stellar systems like our own.
A team of astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to study the exoplanet WD 1856 b and its unusual orbit around a white dwarf. The research found that the planet is significantly warmer than expected, with a temperature of about 400 Kelvins, indicating it must have been heated in the past.
New study by University of Southampton confirms the universe's expansion is still accelerating as previously found, debunking 2025 claims that the cosmos was slowing. The team re-evaluated data using Type Ia supernovae to calculate vast cosmic distances and found no error in their methods.
Researchers used deep learning to model energy release during r-process nucleosynthesis in hydrodynamic simulations, gaining new insights into element formation. The results suggest that r-process heating is an important effect that should be better accounted for in future modeling.
A team of astronomers used JWST to detect the motion of stars near a galaxy's center affected by a dormant black hole's gravity. The findings suggest that densest galaxies were sites of rapid black hole growth early in cosmic history.
The GWTC-5.0 catalog includes 161 new gravitational wave events detected between April 10, 2024 and January 28, 2025, bringing the total number of confirmed events to 390.
Researchers at MIT and Europe create model predicting gravitational wave patterns from black holes in dark matter environments, detecting possible imprints on LVK data. The study offers a new way to screen gravitational-wave signals for hints of dark matter.
Researchers found amino acids are consistently more diverse and evenly distributed in biological samples than abiotic ones, while fatty acids show the opposite pattern. This fundamental principle of life may be detectable in data collected by space missions.
A team at the University of Arizona discovered exceptionally fast and powerful galactic winds from quasars a billion years after the Big Bang. These winds could have caused galaxies to lose gas supplies, effectively shutting down star formation. The study suggests that quasars with extreme outflows were more common in the early univers...
A team of astrophysicists offers a new explanation for negative superhumps in cataclysmic variable star systems, proposing an eccentric accretion disk model. This theory explains the prevalence of negative superhumps across a wide range of binary star masses and may also explain positive superhumps in high mass ratio systems.
The updated catalogue, GWTC-4, doubles the number of events, revealing 128 new gravitational signals and a kaleidoscope of cosmic collisions, including massive black hole binaries and neutron star binaries. The data provides unprecedented precision to test Einstein's General Relativity and probe the universe's evolution.
The latest catalog more than doubles the number of gravitational-wave detections made by LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA observatories, revealing a kaleidoscope of cosmic collisions. The LVK's Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog-4.0 comprises 128 new detections from a nine-month period.
Researchers created the highest resolution map of dark matter, showing its interaction with normal matter through gravity. The new data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope confirms previous research and provides new details about dark matter's influence on the Universe.
Scientists used multiple space-based instruments to track the evolution of a solar eruption, observing how it reduced background cosmic-ray activity. This approach has potential for improving space-weather forecasting and protecting satellites, astronauts, and power grids.
Researchers have imaged a beautiful shock wave around a dead star, RXJ0528+2838, which challenges our current understanding of how dead stars interact with their surroundings. The team found that the white dwarf has been expelling a powerful outflow for at least 1000 years, driven by its strong magnetic field.
Astronomers have detected a new gamma-ray source near Westerlund 1, a young massive star cluster in the Milky Way. The source is connected to a 'nascent outflow' of particles driven by the cluster's collective wind, creating a cavity in the interstellar medium.
Researchers have identified a massive cosmic filament containing 280 galaxies, many of which are spinning in the same direction as the filament itself. The discovery provides rare insight into how galaxies gain their spin and could inform future efforts to model intrinsic alignments of galaxies.
A study from Bielefeld University reveals that the solar system is moving more than three times faster than predicted by current models. This deviation was detected using data from radio galaxies, which emit strong radio waves and can penetrate dust and gas.
Astrophysicists used simulations to uncover the missing piece that previous studies had overlooked: magnetic fields. They found that strong magnetic fields can slow down a black hole and carry away some of its stellar mass, creating lighter and more slowly spinning black holes.
Researchers from Tel Aviv University predict that detecting radio waves from the cosmic dark ages can help resolve the nature of dark matter. The study uses computer simulations to show that dense clumps of dark matter formed throughout the Universe, pulling in hydrogen gas and causing it to emit intense radio waves.
Scientists have discovered a rare cosmic pattern known as an Einstein Cross with a fifth image, which reveals hidden dark matter. The team used computer modeling and analysis to infer the presence of a massive, invisible mass surrounding the foreground galaxies.
Recent JWST observations revealed a new population of astronomical objects, known as black hole stars, which are emitting light predominantly at longer wavelengths. These objects, located extremely far away, have raised questions about galaxy evolution and the formation of stars on a massive scale.
The LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration has detected GW250114, a clear gravitational wave signal confirming two long-standing theories. The study validates Professor Stephen Hawking's prediction that the total event horizon area of black holes cannot shrink and confirms the Kerr nature of black holes.
A newly detected black hole merger has provided the clearest evidence yet of how black holes work, confirming fundamental predictions by Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. The observations reveal insights into the properties of black holes and the nature of space-time, hinting at how quantum physics and general relativity fit together.
Researchers developed a new AI method called Deep Loop Shaping to quiet unwanted noise in LIGO's detectors, achieving 30-100 times better performance than traditional methods. This technology will help improve LIGO's ability to detect bigger black holes and build next-generation gravitational-wave detectors.
A new type of supernova has been discovered, offering a rare glimpse into the depths of massive stars. The star, dubbed SN2021yfj, had lost its outer layers while still 'alive,' revealing a previously unknown inner layered structure and exposing hidden sites where heavy chemical elements are formed.
Researchers pinpointed the location of the brightest fast radio burst (FRB) ever recorded, RBFLOAT, to a single spiral arm of a galaxy 130 million light-years away. The precision was achieved using the CHIME/Outrigger array, allowing scientists to explore the environment and potentially shed light on the nature and origins of these mys...
Researchers observed a flare caused by a star falling onto a black hole and surviving the encounter. The discovery suggests that these flares may be part of a longer, more complex story about supermassive black holes.
Researchers identified early moment of planet formation around star beyond Sun, marking window to past of our Solar System. The discovery provides a unique analogue for studying early planet formation processes.
Researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University proposed a method for neutron spectrum regulation to enhance the irradiation production efficiency of transuranium isotopes. The new method achieves efficient and precise neutron spectrum optimization, maximizing the production of transuranic isotopes.
Researchers used machine learning to simulate galaxy evolution and supernova explosions, achieving speeds four times faster than supercomputers. This breakthrough enables the study of galaxy origins, including the creation of the Milky Way's elements essential for life.
Researchers surveyed luminous infrared galaxies to gain insight into galaxy formation in the early universe and possibly the Milky Way. They discovered massive clumps of newborn stars, unlike anything seen in the Milky Way.
The MISTRAL receiver, installed on the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT), enables wide-field imaging of weak and extended sources. It achieves this by containing 415 Kinetic Inductance Detectors cooled to absolute zero, producing highly detailed images of celestial objects in diverse astrophysical contexts.
Researchers at Dartmouth College propose a new theory on the origin of dark matter, suggesting it could have formed from high-energy massless particles that rapidly condensed into cold, heavy particles. The theory can be tested using existing observational data, including the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation.
Astrophysicist Jeremy Darling is pursuing a new method to measure the universe's gravitational wave background by analyzing the motion of quasars. His research could unravel the physics of gravity and help scientists understand galaxy evolution and fundamental assumptions about gravity.
Researchers developed an advanced detector system combining silicon and germanium detectors for high-efficiency charged-particle decay studies. The system achieved precise tracking of decay processes and efficient discrimination between particles, showcasing its potential for studying exotic nuclear structures.
Ryan Amberger, a Ph.D. candidate in physics at Texas A&M University, has been selected for a 2025 Los Alamos-Texas A&M Fellowship to conduct dissertation research on nuclear astrophysics. He aims to improve understanding of the s-process by studying neutron cross sections.
Research suggests that massive stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud are being pulled apart by the Large Magellanic Cloud. The discovery reveals a new pattern in stellar motion, which could transform our understanding of galaxy evolution and interactions.
A new study proposes a third category of galaxies: red star-forming. These galaxies produce low-mass stars and may have played a significant role in the universe's history. The findings could change our understanding of galaxy evolution, star formation, and the life cycle of galaxies.
Researchers found that AGN radiation can have a paradoxically nurturing effect on life, especially when oxygen levels are present, allowing the planet's protective ozone layer to grow and shield it from radiation. This process can help ensure life's success, but its effects depend on how close the planet is to the source of radiation.
The analysis of DESI data, combined with other measurements, suggests that dark energy's impact may be weakening over time. Researchers confirm previous findings of evolving dark energy but acknowledge the need for further evidence to reach statistical significance.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a fully additive-manufactured plastic scintillator detector for elementary particles, showcasing a significant step towards time- and cost-effective ways to build large-scale particle detectors. The detector's three-dimensional particle tracks enable more accurate neutrino tracking and analysis.
Researchers have discovered flows of hot gas in the Centaurus Cluster core, shedding light on how galactic clusters stay hot through 'sloshing' caused by collisions. This solves the longstanding mystery of cluster core heating and provides new insights into the formation and evolution of galactic clusters.
Researchers from UNSW Sydney have discovered a potential new exoplanet using the transit timing variation method. The new planet is estimated to be 10-16 times the size of Earth and orbits its star in under 16 days.
Evan Schneider, assistant professor at University of Pittsburgh, receives $75,000 grant to support her research on galaxy formation and gas dynamics. Her Cholla code, a GPU-based hydrodynamics model, has been used in early tests on exascale supercomputers.
Astronomers have mapped the 3D structure of an exoplanet's atmosphere for the first time, revealing a unique climate with powerful winds carrying chemical elements like iron and titanium. The discovery opens the door for detailed studies of alien worlds' weather patterns.
The ESO's VISTA telescope captures the colourful extravaganza of RCW 38, a young star cluster located 5500 light-years away. The image reveals vibrant pink hues from gas clouds and multi-coloured dots representing young stars.
A new study found that hotter and colder regions on a star's surface can distort our interpretations of planets, particularly when looking at dips in starlight. This distortion can lead to misinterpretation of features such as planet size, temperature, and atmospheric composition.
The EHT Collaboration unveils a new analysis of the supermassive black hole at the heart of galaxy M87, combining observations from 2017 and 2018. The study confirms the presence of a luminous ring with a shifted brightest region, indicating turbulent accretion disk dynamics.
A team of astronomers has obtained detailed images of a small galaxy and its surroundings, revealing features typically associated with larger galaxies. The study found that the mechanisms fueling galaxy growth may be more universal than previously thought, suggesting that even dwarf galaxies can build stellar halos through accretion.
A UNIGE study has overturned the assumption that Hot Jupiters orbit alone, discovering a unique multi-planetary system with an inner Super-Earth and an outer massive giant planet. The WASP-132 system's unexpected architecture raises new questions about planet formation and evolution.
A team of scientists found that carbon and other star-formed atoms don't just drift through space, but are pushed out by giant currents into intergalactic space. These atoms can eventually be pulled back in to form new stars, planets, and moons.
Researchers discover surface chemistry unlike other centaurs on Chiron, with carbon dioxide and methane gases in its coma. The findings provide insight into the creation of our Solar System's origins and the unique processes producing Chiron's surface composition.
Researchers at University of Arizona discovered a spike in carbon-14 dating to 664 B.C., pinpointing the last known extreme solar storm event. The study provides crucial data for scientists studying sun's activity and offers insights into massive storms' effects on Earth's atmosphere.