Articles tagged with Universe
Researchers at JILA improved molecular measurement precision, enabling tests of the fine structure constant's evolution over time. This could reveal changes in the strength of electromagnetic interactions.
Researchers have discovered the Universe's strongest magnetic field, generated by violent collisions between neutron stars. The discovery sheds light on the mysterious short Gamma-ray bursts, which are the most powerful explosions in the universe. Scientists believe that strong magnetic fields play a crucial role in their formation.
Scientists have new evidence for the 'inflation' scenario that describes the universe's sudden growth from submicroscopic to astronomical size in its first trillionth of a second. The WMAP satellite data show a faint polarization signal, which was weaker than expected, but still supports the inflation prediction.
A study using hundreds of images from two deep sky surveys found that more than half of the largest galaxies in the nearby universe have collided and merged with another galaxy. The mergers occur quickly, leaving faint features difficult to detect, but confirm predictions for large-scale structure formation. Ongoing study will reveal i...
Researchers confirm that Einstein's cosmological constant behaves like dark energy, driving the acceleration of the universe. The study uses innovative imaging data from the Supernova Legacy Survey, which reveals a precision of 10% and challenges theoretical ideas about dark energy.
Florida State University research physicist Edmund G. Myers is using a state-of-the-art Penning trap to measure the precise difference in mass of tritium and helium-3 atoms, which will help pin down the mass of the electron neutrino.
Physicists Andreas Karch and Lisa Randall propose that the relaxation principle in the early universe led to the formation of three- or seven-dimensional realities. These dimensions could be hidden from our perception, with our three-dimensional reality being just one of them.
A team of scientists led by Alan E.E. Rogers successfully detected deuterium using a radio telescope array, a significant breakthrough in understanding the universe's origins. The detection has implications for understanding dark matter and cosmic baryon density.
A recent study by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory suggests that the sun contains nearly three times more neon than previously believed. This discovery has solved a critical problem with understanding how the sun works. The increased amount of neon plays a crucial role in energy flow from nuclear reactions to space.
A study suggests that abandoning livestock can significantly reduce global warming, with animal agriculture emitting 21% of all human-caused carbon dioxide. This shift in diet would have no adverse effects on health and could potentially meet Kyoto treaty targets for reducing emissions.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science has identified 125 major questions that scientists have yet to answer, including the nature of dark matter and the biological basis of consciousness. The journal's special issue marks its 125th anniversary and explores these fundamental gaps in scientific knowledge.
Scientists at Ohio State University discovered that bumpy surfaces on interstellar dust grains can explain the formation of molecular hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. By simulating different surfaces, researchers found that only bumpy textures enable two hydrogen atoms to bond in space.
Researchers improve measurement of Casimir force, influencing small objects more than gravity, with implications for nanotechnologists. The study confirms gravity behaves as expected, ruling out exceptions to Newton's theories.
Researchers using the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey observe a fundamental constant unchanged over 7 billion years. The fine structure constant affects atomic interactions and light emission, with no variation detected in distant galaxies.
Research by Dr. Michael Murphy suggests that the fine structure constant, governing electromagnetic forces, may have changed over time by about one part in two-hundred-thousand during the last 10 billion years. This finding challenges existing knowledge and could have significant implications for our understanding of the universe.
A team of researchers has found evidence of dark energy in the universe's cosmic neighborhood, with billions of galaxies emerging from a sea of dark energy. The findings provide supporting evidence for the presence of dark energy, which is causing the universe to accelerate in expansion.
Researchers found that rotating black holes can cause negative refraction in electromagnetic radiation, affecting our knowledge of the universe. This discovery highlights the importance of considering gravitational forces when studying the origin of the universe.
An international team of astronomers has measured the motion of an entire galaxy in the sky using radio telescopes. The measurements show that the galaxy moves at a speed of 190 km/s relative to our Milky Way towards the Andromeda galaxy, and provide insights into the history and future evolution of the Milky Way.
Dark energy drives universe expansion, but its effects are complex and not fully understood. String theory offers a potential explanation, suggesting the existence of 'pocket universes' with distinct physical laws.
Researchers are exploring alternative explanations for dark energy, including the possibility of modified gravity laws and a multiverse. String theory suggests that the value of the cosmological constant may be very small, while another speaker proposes using
University of Pennsylvania astrophysicist Licia Verde outlines a multi-disciplinary approach to studying dark energy. The investigation draws on data from galaxy surveys, supernovae, and the Cosmic Microwave Background, providing clues about this enigmatic component.
Scientists at Ohio State University and colleagues have discovered a sizeable chunk of the universe's missing baryons, estimated to match the amount that went missing 10 billion years ago. The finding suggests dark matter may be responsible for the gas's presence in super-hot rivers surrounding galaxies.
Dr. McDonald and his team solved the missing solar neutrinos puzzle, confirming that neutrinos change type on their journey to Earth from the sun. This discovery validates theories of energy generation in the sun and transforms our understanding of elementary particle physics.
Researchers observe enormous cavities surrounding a supermassive black hole, preventing gas from cooling and forming new stars. The discovery sheds light on the universe's structure and supports recent theories about black holes' role in shaping galaxy evolution.
Researchers Sean Carroll and Jennifer Chen suggest infinite entropy, rather than finite, resolves the universe's low entropy, allowing for an eternal cycle of inflation and increasing entropy. This approach resolves a long-standing puzzle in physics, explaining why time flows in only one direction.
Radio astronomers have demonstrated a new technique called e-VLBI, which allows them to combine data from multiple telescopes worldwide and produce high-quality images of the sky in real-time. This enables the observation of distant objects like IRC+10420, a supergiant star surrounded by dusty gas and emitting strong radio waves.
The Quantum Universe report outlines nine fundamental questions in response to research funding agency requests, focusing on particle physics' role in understanding dark matter, dark energy, and more. The report emphasizes new knowledge from particle physics is needed to answer exciting scientific questions of this century.
Researchers at BaBar Collaboration have discovered a new way in which matter-antimatter asymmetry occurs, known as CP direct violation. The study found a significant difference in decay rates between B mesons and their antimatter counterparts.
The BaBar experiment at SLAC has discovered striking matter-antimatter asymmetry in the decay of B and anti-B mesons. The researchers found a clear signal for direct charge parity (CP) violation, with a preference for B meson decays over anti-B meson decays by 13%. This effect is significantly stronger than observed in kaons.
Theoretical physicist Robert J. Scherrer proposes a model that explains dark matter and dark energy as two sides of the same coin, using an exotic form of energy called scalar fields. This unifying idea avoids previous problems and could potentially explain the mysterious phenomena.
Researchers at Ohio State University have discovered a formaldehyde-based chemical in interstellar dust clouds, suggesting that organic molecules may play a more prominent role in star and planet formation. The findings could change ideas about how these molecules form in the universe.
The Space Simulator, a $500,000 Beowulf cluster, has achieved remarkable performance in astrophysics simulations, calculating the evolution of the Universe and studying massive star explosions. Its low cost and scalability make it an ideal tool for specific research applications.
Researchers found a blazar, an enormous source of energy from a supermassive black hole, which is one billion years old. The discovery sheds light on the formation of stars and galaxies, offering insights into the universe's early evolution.
Recent study by Yale University's Richard Easther and colleagues proposes that the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) may contain evidence for string theory. The CMB is thought to hold a fossilized record of the first moments of time, with subtle fluctuations potentially revealing signs of string theory.
Researchers analyzed data from 96,545 galaxies to track star formation history. They found that massive galaxies formed stars earlier than smaller ones, and star formation has decreased since then, contributing to the gradual dimming of the universe.
Astronomers using the Very Large Telescope have secured new data that provide the strongest constraints to date on the possible variation of the fine-structure constant. The study shows no evidence for a time-dependent change in this fundamental constant, contradicting previous claims.
A study suggests that debris from the gobbled-up Sagittarius dwarf galaxy may be 'smoking gun' for detecting dark matter's WIMPs. The combination of WIMPs from the Milky Way and Sagittarius could produce a distinct pattern on the DAMA detector, confirming their existence.
Theoretical cosmologist George F.R. Ellis wins the Templeton Prize for his work on general relativity theory and its intersection with theology and social justice. His research questions the origin of the universe and explores the relationship between science, faith, and morality.
Physicists at Ohio State University propose a solution to the long-standing information paradox by suggesting that black holes are made up of giant tangles of strings that preserve the information of particles that enter them. This theory resolves the paradox and provides new insights into the nature of black holes.
Researchers at the University of Melbourne have discovered a sub-atomic particle called X(3872) that defies explanation using current theories. This 'mystery meson' has unique mass and decay properties that challenge our understanding of quarks and the color force.
The eSTAR network uses intelligent agents to automatically observe and analyze astronomical events, such as supernovae explosions and black hole activity. The agents can detect and respond to the rapidly changing universe faster than humans, allowing for more efficient science discovery.
Scientists at NIST have precisely measured the lifetime of neutrons using a powerful technique. The measurement is consistent with current theories about particles and forces of nature, providing valuable insights into the creation of matter immediately after the Big Bang.
A new model suggests that the Big Bang could have been an explosion within a black hole, with the universe expanding into an infinite space. The theory, developed by UC Davis and University of Michigan mathematicians, satisfies Einstein's equations while allowing for expansion.
A new study analyzing Type 1A supernovae measured with the Hubble Space Telescope sheds light on the nature of dark energy. The results confirm that the universe is expanding at an increasing rate, reinforcing initial discoveries made five years ago.
The study provides strong support for the popular cold dark matter model of the universe, suggesting that galaxies are surrounded by massive, three-dimensional halos. The team measured the shapes of over 1.5 million distant galaxies using weak gravitational lensing, revealing that dark matter halos extend far beyond visible stars.
Researchers from Cardiff University and the Royal Observatory Edinburgh found that some supernovae belch out huge quantities of cosmic dust. This discovery suggests that supernovae were responsible for producing the first solid particles in the Universe, shedding light on the origin of our planet.
A UBC-led research team has confirmed the existence of the universe's oldest and farthest planet, a gas giant formed 13 billion years ago. The ancient world takes a century to complete each orbit and is unlikely to support life due to its metal-poor composition.
Physicists at the University of California, Irvine have discovered superweakly interacting massive particles (superWIMPs) that may constitute up to one-quarter of the universe's mass. These new particles are predicted to be stable and could provide an alternative explanation for dark matter.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University discovered two new instances of Type Ia supernovae, providing valuable insights into the early evolution of the universe. The identified stars are believed to be around 4.7 and 7.6 billion light years from Earth, offering a better understanding of cosmic distances.
The WMAP experiment's results confirm many aspects of inflationary theory while ruling out others. The latest trends in cosmology suggest a new era of precision cosmology, where speculation about the universe is confirmed or rejected by solid experimental data.
The Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2Mass) has completed its vast archive of images and data, featuring five million images, now available online. The survey revealed new class of stars, brown dwarfs, a more complete understanding of the Milky Way's structure, and a detailed database of asteroids.
The SIRTF is designed to peer into deep regions of the universe not visible optically, providing clues to star and galaxy formation. With its infrared spectrograph, it will observe ultrafrigid stars and penetrate obscuring dust in the cosmos.
Researchers created a 3D map of protein structures, grouping them into four distinct classes based on their folds. The map reveals the evolutionary history of proteins and holds promise for understanding cellular functions and designing more effective pharmaceutical drugs.
Scientists have created a 3D map of the protein universe, organizing over 500 common motifs and revealing clusters that resemble cigars. This map helps visualize the relationships among all proteins in nature, shedding light on evolutionary changes and potential applications in biomedical research.
Fotini Markopoulo Kalamara presents a fresh approach to researching theoretical possibilities for looking inside black holes and at particles of space/time. She proposes that an 'inside' quantum theory of gravity should be the collection of all partial observations of the inside observers.
The AMANDA telescope, a massive structure in Antarctica, has successfully tracked high-energy neutrinos to their sources. By pinpointing the direction of these elusive subatomic particles, scientists can gain insights into cosmic events and the origins of the universe.
The Kavli Institute will bring together top minds in particle astrophysics and cosmology to tackle fundamental questions about the universe. The institute will focus on areas like dark matter, black holes, and hidden space-time dimensions.
Researchers probing strong nuclear force's nature encounter surprise at RHIC in Brookhaven, NY., where particles stream out faster from football-shaped collision tips than sides. This defies treasured boost invariance theory and complicates understanding of collisions.
Scientists using Whipple Observatory gamma-ray telescope discover energetic gamma-ray flares from active galaxies, revealing relativistic jets and compact emission regions. The study also holds promise to reveal nature of 'dark matter' and 'dark energy', which dominate universe's mass budget.
Researchers develop waveform templates to analyze gravity wave signals, enabling detection of neutron star collapses and black hole collisions. Gravity waves offer a window to the universe carrying different information than electromagnetic waves.