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Mass map shines light on dark matter

Researchers developed a new map of dark matter distribution using DES data, providing valuable tool for cosmology to answer questions about dark energy and dark matter. The mass map allows scientists to check their work and verify the relationship between galaxy distribution and dark matter density.

SourceDOE/Argonne National Laboratory·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJul 14, 2015

Seeing a supernova in a new light

A collaborative project between Caltech and the Weizmann Institute of Science observed a unique radiation spike in ultraviolet range, supporting a giant companion model for white dwarf explosions. The findings highlight the importance of ultraviolet-range observations in understanding type Ia supernovae.

Is the universe a hologram?

Researchers at TU Wien found that the holographic principle can hold true even in flat spacetime, confirming its validity in our own universe. This validation suggests that the universe may be a hologram, with three-dimensional space being an image of two-dimensional processes on a cosmic horizon.

SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateApr 27, 2015

A cold cosmic mystery solved

Researchers discovered a massive supervoid, 1.8 billion light-years across, that could explain the unusual Cold Spot in cosmic microwave background radiation. The void's effect on light traveling through it results in colder temperatures, potentially revealing exotic physics beyond standard cosmology.

SourceUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateApr 20, 2015

Giant galaxies die from the inside out

Astronomers observed 22 massive elliptical galaxies using the VLT and Hubble Space Telescope, revealing that star formation in their centers stopped around three billion years ago. The newly discovered inside-out nature of this shutdown may be due to a galaxy's central supermassive black hole or lack of fresh gas.

SourceESO·JournalScience·DateApr 16, 2015

New evidence for anthropic theory that fundamental physics constants underlie life-enabling universe

A new study by Professor Ulf-G Meißner finds that fundamental physics constants are fine-tuned to allow for the emergence of a life-enabling universe. The researcher used high-performance computers to simulate worlds with altered light quark masses and found that variations up to 2-3% do not prevent the formation of carbon and oxygen.

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience Bulletin·DateJan 16, 2015

Penrose's and Hawking's early math award revisited

In 1966, Roger Penrose won the prestigious Adams Prize for his essay on space-time structure, while Steven Hawking received an auxiliary prize for his essay on singularities and spacetime geometry. These early awards laid the foundation for their later work on cosmology and black holes.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal H·DateNov 18, 2014

Lurking bright blue star caught!

A team of astronomers led by Gastón Folatelli at the Kavli IPMU, University of Tokyo, has found evidence of a hot binary companion star to a yellow supergiant star, which had become a bright supernova. The discovery provides the last link in a chain of observations supporting the team's theoretical picture for this supernova.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateSep 11, 2014

Mysterious molecules in space

Researchers at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics propose that silicon-capped hydrocarbons like SiC3H, SiC4H and SiC5H may be responsible for the diffuse interstellar bands. The team analyzed laboratory spectra and theoretical calculations to support their hypothesis.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalThe Journal of Chemical Physics·DateJul 29, 2014

Zeroing in on the proton's magnetic moment

Scientists from RIKEN have directly measured the proton's magnetic moment with record precision, resolving one of physics' deepest mysteries. This achievement could help explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe.

SourceRIKEN·JournalNature·DateMay 28, 2014