Articles tagged with Astrophysics
Researchers found that a small molecule called ortho-benzyne can drive the chemical evolution of molecules in cosmic stellar nurseries. This discovery provides new insights into the complex chemistry happening in these environments.
The James Webb Space Telescope has identified the precise location of the 'engine' powering merging galaxy IIZw096, a bright and energetic source of light. The engine is responsible for up to 70% of the system's infrared emission and has a radius no larger than 570 light years.
Scientists discover first gamma-ray eclipses from spider star systems using Fermi data, calculating system tilt and pulsar mass. The discovery helps researchers measure pulsar masses, constraining physics within extreme environments.
Researchers from Waseda University measured the energy spectrum of boron and the B/C flux ratio in high-energy cosmic rays using the CALorimetric Electron Telescope. The results indicate a different spectral index for boron compared to carbon, with implications for our understanding of cosmic ray propagation mechanisms.
The James Webb Space Telescope has identified ice in deeper regions of interstellar molecular clouds, revealing unprecedented insights into the abundance of icy compounds. The team discovered complex organic molecules, such as methanol and potentially ethanol, suggesting that prebiotic molecules may be common in planetary systems.
Researchers from Bar-Ilan University have re-examined data on jet velocities and discovered that lower initial jet speed can explain perpetual emission, filling the gap between velocities. This finding changes the paradigm and proves that jets are formed in nature at all speeds.
Researchers report the discovery of photonic hopfions, a new family of 3D topological solitons with freely tunable textures and numbers. These structures exhibit robust topological protection, making them suitable for applications in optical communications, quantum technologies, and metrology.
Researchers observed a sudden slowing of the star's angular momentum, followed by three Fast Radio Burst-like radio bursts and a month-long episode of pulsed radio emission. The synchronicity of these events suggests an association between magnetar spin-down glitches and radio emissions.
The Butterfly Nebula's unique shape is caused by a second star orbiting the central star, creating wing-like lobes. New research reveals powerful winds are altering the material within these lobes, contradicting existing models of planetary nebulae formation and evolution.
Researchers used the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury Triangulum Extended Region — or PHATTER — survey to study the Triangulum galaxy. The team discovered two drastically different structures depending on the age of the stars, with younger and older stars having distinct distributions.
Scientists have identified a new Earth-size world, TOI 700 e, orbiting within the habitable zone of its star, making it an exciting prospect for further study. The planet is likely rocky and might be tidally locked, offering insights into our solar system's history.
Researchers at the University of Washington have discovered a unique binary star system where a small companion star is surrounded by a large disk of dusty material. The companion star caused a seven-year-long eclipse of the main star, Gaia17bpp, which is one of the longest recorded eclipses.
Researchers have discovered a supernova with strong features of oxygen and magnesium, suggesting the explosion could be crashing into circumstellar matter formed around 1,000 days prior to the event. This finding provides new insights into the later stages of massive star life and creates challenges for current theories on star evolution.
A team of astronomers discovered 87 galaxies that could be the earliest known galaxies in the universe using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. This finding suggests a revision to our understanding of galaxy formation, indicating that more galaxies may have formed earlier than previously thought.
Astronomers have discovered two ghostly Goliath black holes just 750 light-years apart, closing in on a cataclysmic meeting. The estimated population of merging supermassive black holes may be surprisingly high, generating strong gravitational waves detectable by future telescopes.
The UTSA-led Consortium on Nuclear Security Technologies (CONNECT) has received a five-year, $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. The program aims to educate and train the next generation of scientists and engineers in nuclear security, with a focus on underrepresented students.
The ERC Red Cardinal project aims to shed light on the mysterious phase of star formation extinction in massive galaxies. The team, led by Sirio Belli, will use James Webb Space Telescope observations to test a hypothesis predicting two distinct modes of stellar extinction.
Researchers used new data from the European Space Agency's GAIA space observatory to project the orbits of satellite galaxies into the past and future, revealing the plane form and dissolve in a few hundred million years. The findings remove one of the main objections to the validity of the standard model of cosmology.
The JWST's PEARLS project has unveiled stunning images of distant galaxies, providing new insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies. The team's data show evidence for giant black holes and interacting galaxies with active nuclei, shedding light on the processes that shape the universe.
Using supercomputers and machine learning, researchers created simulations of millions of computer-generated universes to test astrophysical predictions. The study found that supermassive black holes grow in the same way as their host galaxies, revealing a long-elusive relationship.
Researchers used 69 confirmed binaries to test two origin stories of black holes, but found that the current catalog is not enough to reveal anything fundamental about their formation. The study suggests that the universe's spin and tilt can be 'spun' in different ways depending on the model used.
Researchers discovered that 55 Cnc e orbits its star along the equator, unlike other planets in the system. This unique orbit likely formed when the planet fell toward its star over time, resulting in a scorching surface and interior with possible diamond formation.
The event challenged scientists' understanding of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which are the most powerful events in the universe. The burst's high-energy light and kilonova visible and infrared light were detected by NASA's Swift Observatory and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, providing new insights into how heavy elements are created.
Chinese astronomers have discovered that optical variability in emission-line galaxies (ELGs) is likely caused by star-formation activity rather than supermassive black holes. By analyzing images of ELGs from the COSMOS field, researchers found less than 3% show significant variability.
Astronomers have discovered a mysterious bright flash emanating from a relativistic jet of matter streaking out from a supermassive black hole. The signal, AT 2022cmc, is the brightest TDE ever detected and originates from a black hole that suddenly began devouring a nearby star, releasing an enormous amount of energy.
A study published in Nature Communications suggests that small asteroids are probably young because of their loose internal structure and low cohesion. This finding has important implications for understanding the geological development of asteroids.
Researchers used India's SARAS3 radio telescope data to place limits on the mass and energy output of the first stars and galaxies, determining what they were like and weren't. The study enabled them to rule out scenarios of inefficient heaters and efficient producers of radio emissions.
Scientists at Tel Aviv University have developed a method to create the thinnest possible ladder steps made of distinct electric potentials, which can be used as independent information units. The discovery enables the creation of novel devices with potential applications in electronics and optomechanics.
Astronomers used the Young Supernova Experiment to detect an intermediate-mass black hole in a dwarf galaxy, revealing its mass and providing insight into supermassive black hole growth. The study aims to improve understanding of black hole-galaxy relationships and inform theories on supermassive black hole formation.
Astrophysicists have identified a potential test to rule out cosmic inflation, a theory explaining the universe's origins. The cosmic graviton background (CGB) could provide evidence against inflation if detected, and its impact on the early Universe's expansion rate could be measured by next-generation probes.
Researchers have developed a new model that combines nuclear physics and string theory to describe the transition to dense and hot quark matter in neutron star collisions. The model allows for the calculation of gravitational-wave signals, showing that both hot and cold quark matter can be produced.
Researchers at UNH tested state-of-the-art calculations of the strong force with an experiment probing proton spin, finding agreement with one but not the other. The findings provide a benchmark for testing the strong force and its applications in future technology.
The European Union has awarded a €11.3 million grant to the HEAVYMETAL research project, which aims to investigate chemical element synthesis in neutron star mergers. The project brings together experts from different fields to explore kilonova explosions and decipher the details of observed spectra.
A breakthrough computer model from Chalmers University of Technology reveals the properties of an atomic nucleus, providing insights into the strong force that governs neutron star behavior. The model predicts a surprisingly thin neutron skin, which could lead to increased understanding of heavy element creation in neutron stars.
Astronomers have discovered a stellar binary with an extremely short orbit of just 51 minutes, confirming a decades-old prediction. The system is believed to be a cataclysmic variable, in which a white dwarf is accreting material from its companion star.
Researchers using FAST monitored FRB 20201124A for two months, detecting nearly 2,000 radio bursts with polarization information. The study reveals a complex, dynamically evolving magnetized environment surrounding the FRB source, with features such as irregular Faraday rotation and oscillations in polarization.
Scientists have discovered the remnant material of an ancient star's explosion using innovative analysis of a quasar. The study suggests a 300-solar-mass first-generation star died in a 'super-supernova' explosion, leaving behind a distinctive blend of heavy elements.
A new study suggests that Saturn's tilted axis is due to the loss of an ancient moon, Chrysalis, which collided with the planet around 160 million years ago. The collision caused the satellite to break apart, releasing fragments that formed the planet's rings and leaving Saturn out of Neptune's gravitational resonance.
A new study suggests that Earth's habitability could increase if Jupiter's orbit becomes more eccentric, leading to parts of the surface warming up and becoming habitable for multiple life forms. The researchers also found that this change in Jupiter's orbit could have implications for the search for habitable planets around other stars.
A new study reveals that many exoplanets around M-dwarf stars may be composed of half water and half rock, rather than having surface oceans. The discovery suggests that these planets are likely to have water embedded in the rock or in pockets below the surface.
Researchers detected a bipolar gas stream flowing out of a young stellar object in the Small Magellanic Cloud, revealing a rotational motion suppressed by molecular outflow during gravitational contraction. This finding suggests that star formation has been common throughout the past 10 billion years.
Researchers used Stampede2 supercomputer to simulate star seeding, heating effects of primordial black holes. The study found that these two effects cancel each other out, with little impact on star formation.
New research by UC Riverside astrophysicist Stephen Kane suggests that Jupiter's four main moons would quickly destroy any large ring formations. This prevents Jupiter from having substantial rings, unlike Saturn. The study provides evidence of catastrophic events in the past through the analysis of ring compositions and shapes.
Astronomers have found that denser and more turbulent environments tend to form binary/multiple stellar systems. The study used the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to analyze the Orion Cloud complex, revealing that about 13 dense cores are giving birth to binary/multiple stars.
Researchers estimate a 6-10% chance of casualties from uncontrolled re-entry of abandoned rocket stages within the next decade. The study suggests that governments should mandate safe re-entry guidelines to minimize risks and save lives.
Asteroids like Bennu and Ryugu appear rough due to the loss of fine-grained regolith caused by tiny space dust grains hopping around on their surfaces. This process may help small asteroids migrate faster through space, affecting their orbits.
Researchers have detected the most distant galaxy rotation ever observed, suggesting an initial stage of rotational motion development. The galaxy's rapid rotation and small diameter provide valuable insights into its age and evolution.
Asteroid Psyche's varied surface suggests a dynamic history, with metallic eruptions, asteroid-shaking impacts, and a lost rocky mantle. The new maps hint at the asteroid's ancient core, which could be composed of silicate-rich material that has since disappeared.
A new technique has identified previously hidden protoclusters that could reveal new details about galaxy evolution. The ancestors of large galaxy clusters were found to be hiding in plain sight, with some protoclusters harboring unseen galaxies that evolved differently.
Astronomers observed the fastest nova ever recorded, which drew attention to an unusual star. The research team studied its many baffling traits, including a pulsing light pattern, and may find answers to questions about our solar system's chemistry, star death, and universe evolution.
The Chang'E-5 team found hydroxyl signals in lunar rocks and soil, indicating the presence of indigenous water on the Moon's surface. The bulk of this water is contained in apatite minerals, suggesting a lunar origin.
Researchers studied over 500 stars in a region of Andromeda called the Northeast shelf, finding conclusive evidence of an ancient collision. The findings provide insights into how material from collisions shapes a galaxy's appearance and makeup.
Researchers combined knowledge from nuclear theory, nuclear experiment, and astrophysical observations to gain new insights into neutron star matter. The study found a higher pressure at intermediate densities in neutron stars using data from heavy-ion collision experiments.
Researchers have discovered a new repeating fast radio burst, FRB 190520B, which exhibits extreme behavior similar to the initial discovery, FRB 121102A. The source has high ambient electron density and reliable bursting behaviors, suggesting it may be a 'newborn' with characteristics resembling a super luminous supernova.
Researchers discovered a massive protostellar disk in the Galactic Center with spiral arms, challenging previous understanding of star formation. The disk was perturbed by a close encounter with a nearby object, leading to the formation of spiral arms through accretion disk dynamics.
An international team analyzed five ultraluminous galaxies with dim visible wavelengths, finding no significant metal deficiency when observed in infrared wavelengths. The study reveals that these galaxies have a metallicity consistent with the fundamental metallicity relation determined by stellar mass and star formation rate.
Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment has produced the most precise measurement yet of theta13, a key parameter for understanding how neutrinos change their 'flavor.' The result will help physicists explore mysteries surrounding matter and the universe.
Researchers have found a significant number of massive black holes in dwarf galaxies, contradicting previous assumptions that they are rare. The newly discovered black holes offer insights into the life story of the Milky Way's supermassive black hole and its potential mergers with other galaxies.
Researchers analyzed iron samples from asteroid cores to determine the timing of asteroid core cooling and collisions. The study suggests that violent collisions occurred within a 7.8-11.7 million year window after solar system formation, indicating a chaotic early phase.
Three high school students from Portugal used a Raspberry Pi computer to measure Earth's magnetic field in orbit, comparing their results to data provided by the International Geomagnetic Reference Field. They found significant differences due to static magnetic fields inside the space station, but improved results with more measurements.