Articles tagged with Observational Astrophysics
The MaNGA survey reveals the internal structure and composition of nearly 5,000 nearby galaxies, using resolved spectroscopy to dissect their composition and study star motions. The data release includes a massive 'stellar library' with spectra of over 3,000 stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
Researchers measured temperatures of slow-moving gas atoms surrounding a star after an exploding star's shock wave, answering a long-standing question about their physical processes. The results confirm the relationship between atomic weight and temperature, settling an important issue in astrophysics.
Saturn's ring system acts as a sensitive seismograph to measure the giant planet's vibrations, enabling scientists to determine its rotation rate. Researchers used wave patterns in the rings to probe Saturn's interior, obtaining the first precise determination of its rotation rate.
A rare nearby hypernova has provided new insights into the connection between gamma-ray bursts and supernovae. Researchers discovered a hot cocoon around the jets of matter expelled by the central engine, explaining why some hypernovae do not produce GRBs.
Researchers observe evidence of a 'hot cocoon' material enveloping a relativistic jet escaping a dying star, providing insight into the earliest moments of a supernova. The discovery was made using a coordinated approach with space- and ground-based observatories.
Astronomers have detected a new component in the death of massive stars, linking gamma-ray bursts and hypernovae. The study reveals an additional hot cocoon generated around the jet, explaining differences between GRBs and hypernovae.
Researchers have discovered a bright quasar at a time when the universe was less than one billion years old, providing a rare opportunity to study black holes in the early universe. The quasar is fueled by a supermassive black hole and emits light equivalent to 600 trillion suns.
A team of astronomers has found an intermediate-mass exoplanet, OGLE-2012-BLG-0950Lb, with a mass of 39 times that of Earth, which contradicts the current understanding of planet formation. The discovery was made using microlensing, a method sensitive to sub-Saturn planets in Jupiter-like orbits.
Simulations of nuclear fission using quantum-mechanics show that pear-shaped deformation is favored by strong Coulomb repulsion in fragments. This mechanism explains asymmetric fission in several systems and improves predictions for exotic nuclei.
Astronomers have discovered a young star, Gaia 17bpi, undergoing a rare 'growth spurt' - a FU Ori stellar outburst. The event reveals insights into the development of these distant stellar objects and helps solve longstanding mysteries surrounding star formation.
Researchers from RIKEN and JAXA use ALMA radio observatory to measure magnetic field strengths near two supermassive black holes. The findings reveal that the magnetic fields are insufficient to heat coronae to one billion degrees Celsius, contradicting previous assumptions.
Astronomers using the W. M. Keck Observatory have discovered a relic cloud of gas from the Big Bang, providing new information about how the first galaxies formed and offering clues to the universe's early structure.
A recent study found that 40% of protoplanetary disks surrounding young stars in the Taurus region have ring structures suggesting nascent planets. These findings coincide with exoplanet statistics, supporting the idea that super-Earths and Neptunes are the most common type of planets.
Researchers from the University of Portsmouth played a vital role in observing four new gravitational waves using LIGO and VIRGO detectors. These findings revolutionize our knowledge of high-mass star formation, evolution, and black hole production, with implications for understanding the universe.
A research group at Osaka University has observed magnetic reconnection driven by electron dynamics for the first time in a laboratory setting. The study uses high-power lasers to create plasma conditions similar to those found in space, allowing researchers to investigate electron-scale phenomena alongside macroscopic structures.
Astronomers have found a candidate planet, named Barnard's star b, orbiting the red dwarf star every 233 days. The cold super-Earth is estimated to be around 3.2 times the size of Earth and has a temperature of -150°C.
Researchers have successfully measured the Earth's magnetic field in the sodium layer of the mesosphere using laser-generated artificial stars. This technique allows for ground-based observations of the mesosphere, previously difficult to access, and holds promise for monitoring space weather and measuring electrical currents.
Astrophysicists from Far Eastern Federal University studied the linear polarization of sunlight scattered by asteroid Phaethon, applying the Umov effect to its research. They discovered a correlation between reflectivity and polarization, shedding light on this phenomenon in small Solar System bodies.
An international team of astronomers has discovered a massive galaxy proto-supercluster, Hyperion, in the early universe, just two billion years after the Big Bang. The supercluster has a complex structure with at least seven high-density regions connected by filaments of galaxies.
A team of scientists from Russia and abroad observed Comet 29P using the SOAR Telescope, discovering that its dust environment is primarily composed of magnesium-rich silicate particles. This finding provides an important constraint on the comet's chemical composition and sheds light on the origins of this Centaur object.
A RUDN physicist has demonstrated how to calculate the shape of a symmetrical wormhole based on its wave spectrum, providing new insights into the physics of black holes. The research uses quantum mechanical and geometrical assumptions to determine the shape and mass of a wormhole from observable properties such as red shift.
Astronomers have observed a massive star's death, creating a compact neutron star binary system. The explosion was unusually faint and the star had an unseen companion that siphoned away most of its mass.
A team of scientists has detected a faint glow in the Lyman-alpha line across the entire sky, revealing extensive masses of gas around primitive galaxies. This discovery connects previously detected gas feeding galaxies with newly observed Lyman-alpha emission, providing new insights into the universe's infancy.
Astronomers using MUSE instrument on ESO's VLT detected an unexpected abundance of Lyman-alpha emission in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field region, covering nearly the entire field of view. This discovery suggests that almost all of the sky is invisibly glowing with Lyman-alpha emission from the early Universe.
Researchers ran largest computer simulations of neutron star crusts to understand the possible sources of gravitational waves. They found that the material deep inside the neutron star is incredibly stiff, with 'nuclear pasta' shapes causing it to assemble into unique structures.
TESS has shared its first science image, revealing a wealth of stars and other objects in the southern sky. The image captures systems previously known to have exoplanets, highlighting the mission's potential to discover new worlds.
Researchers observe a supernova explosion that remained visible six years after the initial event, sparking predictions of a pulsar wind nebula. The phenomenon could shed light on the fundamental physics behind superluminous supernovae and their potential role in producing gravitational waves.
Researchers from Chile and international institutions have discovered a critical event right before the death of a star, revealing a previously unknown flash in Type II Supernovae. This breakthrough was made possible by using unique data analysis techniques developed in Chile, including machine learning and high-performance computing.
Researchers found that circumstellar matter surrounding red supergiant stars can hide shock breakout light, causing supernovae to brighten faster than expected. The discovery changes our understanding of stellar evolution and offers insights into the origin of diversity in supernovae.
The discovery reveals hundreds of individual galaxies in the cluster, which surrounds an extremely active supermassive black hole at the center. The quasar's light has obscured these galaxies, making them invisible to astronomers.
Researchers found a massive black hole with a mass of 3.5 million solar masses in the center of Fornax UCD3, a rare and densely packed galaxy. This discovery supports the tidal origin hypothesis for the formation of ultracompact dwarfs.
Research team proposes that ultrahot Jupiters have normal compositions, with atmospheres resembling stars due to high temperatures and radiation. Water molecules are torn apart on the dayside, but may recombine into clouds in the nightside hemispheres.
A team of astronomers has unveiled 44 extrasolar planets, dwarfing typical confirmation numbers. Novel techniques validated the find, enabling precise determination of planet sizes and temperatures.
A team of Chinese astronomers has discovered the most lithium-rich giant known to date using the LAMOST telescope. The star's lithium abundance is approximately 3,000 times higher than that of typical giants, providing valuable insights into the universe's evolution and Big Bang theory.
The Planck mission's final data supports the standard cosmological model with exceptional accuracy, providing a wealth of information about the Universe's content and rate of expansion. However, some limitations and anomalies remain, particularly regarding the Universe's expansion rate.
HaloSat mission aims to search for the universe's missing matter by studying X-rays from hot gas surrounding the Milky Way galaxy. The satellite will help determine if the diffuse galactic halo is shaped more like a fried egg or a sphere, which will impact our understanding of the universe's mass and composition.
A team of MIT scientists analyzed two years of data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and found no evidence of Lorentz violation in high-energy neutrinos. The results establish the most stringent limits to date on the existence of Lorentz violation in neutrinos, confirming Einstein's theory.
A Drexel University astrophysicist and her colleagues have proven the origin of high-energy particles called neutrinos, revealing they come from blazars with spinning supermassive black holes. This discovery opens up new avenues for understanding the universe's formation and evolution.
A team of scientists, including a UC Riverside physicist, has imposed conditions on how dark matter interacts with ordinary matter. The study sets constraints that can aid in detecting the elusive dark matter particle and better understand its fundamental properties.
Researchers from the University of Leicester played a key role in discovering the origin of 'ghost particles' - high-energy neutrinos and cosmic rays. A global network helped identify a known blazar as the source of these particles, providing new insights into the universe's most distant energy sources.
An international team has cataloged around 200 solar prominence oscillations detected in the first half of 2014. The analysis revealed that almost half of these events have been of large-amplitude, with speeds between 10 km/s and 100 km/s.
A new computer model developed by Dr. Jane Lixin Dai and Prof. Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz enables the categorization of variations in observations of Tidal Disruption Events, allowing for a better understanding of black hole properties and the study of rare celestial events.
A new study provides a unified model for understanding tidal disruption events, which occur when a star is torn apart by a supermassive black hole's gravity. The model reveals that viewing angle accounts for differences in observed properties of these events, offering a coherent framework for researchers to analyze.
A team of astronomers has identified at least six strong candidates for dark galaxies by leveraging the ultraviolet light from quasars to 'illuminate' gas in the intergalactic medium. The discovery could help fill a gap in our understanding of galaxy evolution, as it provides direct evidence for the existence of dark galaxies.
A team of astronomers has performed one of the highest resolution observations in astronomical history of a pulsar 6,500 light-years away, observing two intense regions of radiation around a rapidly spinning star. The observation could provide clues to the nature of Fast Radio Bursts, which may be amplified by plasma lenses.
A new map for a birthplace of stars provides unprecedented detail of the structure of the Orion A molecular cloud. The maps will help researchers calibrate star formation models for extragalactic studies and better understand how fast and efficiently stars form in the region.
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has completed a lunar flyby, providing a gravity assist to help it reach its final working orbit. As part of camera commissioning, TESS snapped a two-second test exposure revealing over 200,000 stars in the southern constellation Centaurus.
Scientists discovered a new hot Jupiter exoplanet, KPS-1b, using data from an amateur astronomer. The exoplanet orbits a star similar to the Sun and has a mass and size close to that of Jupiter. Its proximity to its parent star results in extremely high temperatures in its atmosphere.
A new study predicts that LISA will detect dozens of binaries in the Milky Way's globular clusters, containing various compact object combinations. This will expand the breadth of the gravitational wave spectrum, allowing for exploration of different types of objects not observable with LIGO.
A study using ALMA found a surprising distribution of star-forming cores, with fewer massive stars and more solar-mass stars than expected. This discovery may require reevaluation of the relationship between core mass and star mass.
Researchers from ITMO University have discovered a new mechanism for neutron star radio emission, based on the transitions of particles between gravitational states. This phenomenon is similar to laser amplification and was first observed in electrons on the surface of neutron stars, consistent with real experimental observations.
A new international study has found that galaxies grow bigger and more ordered with age, with stars moving in all directions. The research team measured the movement of stars in 843 galaxies using an instrument called SAMI on the Anglo-Australian Telescope.
Astronomers have discovered an isolated neutron star with low magnetic field located beyond our Milky Way galaxy using the MUSE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile. The neutron star is surrounded by a ring of gas that includes neon and oxygen.
A study led by Columbia University astrophysicists has found a dozen black holes gathered around Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. The discovery confirms a major theory and opens up new opportunities to understand the universe.
Researchers discovered a Fast-Evolving Luminous Transient (FELT) captured by the Kepler Space Telescope in 2015. The transient rose in brightness over just 2.2 days and faded within 10 days, with scientists attributing its cause to a 'burp' from the star before exploding.
Researchers using Hubble Space Telescope have discovered a galaxy with minimal to no dark matter, contradicting long-held assumptions about its presence in galaxies. The ultra-diffuse galaxy NGC 1052-DF2 contains at least 400 times less dark matter than predicted for a galaxy of its mass.
Scientists used data from three NASA satellites to create a 3D model of coronal mass ejections and their associated shocks, confirming long-held theoretical predictions. The new models provide detailed information on shock density, speed, and strength, essential for assessing the danger CMEs pose to astronauts and spacecraft.
Narlikar shares personal reminiscences on the evolution of cosmology over six decades, highlighting the increase in confidence in the standard model. However, he also notes that this model lacks independent observational support and an established theoretical base.
A team of researchers validated theoretical predictions about the initial evolution of stellar explosions using data from a rare supernova captured by an amateur astronomer. The study found that the rapid brightening rate and low luminosity of SN 2016gkg supported models predicting shock emergence during the explosion.
Astrophysicists at UChicago used laser experiments to verify the turbulent dynamo theory, explaining the generation of cosmic magnetic fields. The study confirmed that turbulent plasma can amplify a weak magnetic field to strengths observed in stars and galaxies.