Contrary to recent reports, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is not in danger of disappearing – Westport News

Philip Marcus, University of California, Berkeley

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Philip Marcus, University of California, Berkeley

(THE CONVERSATION) In the last 10 years, but in the last five months in particular, the press has reported dire warnings that the Great Red Spot of Jupiter is dying. However, some astronomers believe, to paraphrase Mark Twain, that the reports of its death are greatly exaggerated, or at least premature.

Robert Hooke, an early British physicist who discovered cells, first described the Great Red Spot in 1665. In 1979, when two Voyager spacecraft flew close by Jupiter, images showed that the spot was a red cloud that rotated as part of a huge vortex several times larger than the Earth.

Concerns for the Great Red Spots health arose when astronomers realized that the clouds area in 1979 was only half of its size in the 1800s, as determined from old photographic plates. Recent images showed more cloud shrinkage, leading to headlines that the spot could die within 20 years. In spring 2019, astronomers reported that it was unraveling, and shedding large blades and flakes of red clouds.

I have been intrigued by the Great Red Spot since 1979, when I viewed the Voyager images only days after NASA processed them. The beautiful structure of this extraordinary atmospheric intrigued me since my career was evolving from astrophysics to fluid dynamics the study of how liquids and gases move. What better way to begin exploring the fundamental physics and math of fluid dynamics than to study the Great Red Spot?

Jupiters clouds and vortices

I believe that the Great Red Spot is in no danger of disappearing. By analyzing the cloud images with computer models that incorporate the physics of how fluids move, my research group at Berkeley was able to determine the area of the spot. We discovered that the area of the spot cloud is larger than its underlying vortex, the swirling gas that defines it. The question then becomes: Does a decrease in the area of the cloud mean that the vortex itself is shrinking?

It is difficult to determine the relationship between the clouds size and the vortexs size or even how Jovian clouds form and dissipate. Therefore, to understand the health of the spot, planetary scientists need to study the health of its vortex and not its cloud; the clouds shrinkage is not a harbinger of death. Based on the spots interactions with other vortices my Berkeley group found there is no evidence that that vortex itself has changed its size or intensity.

Jupiters atmosphere contains vortices besides the Great Red Spot, some of which are useful for monitoring its health. Some, like this spot, are anticyclones that rotate in the opposite direction of the planets spin; others are cyclones that rotate in the same direction as the planets spin. Anticyclones appear as bright clouds and so are easily detectable, but cyclones (except at the poles) often have filamentary clouds or no clouds at all.

How do we know that Jovian cyclones exist when clouds are not visible? For more than a century astronomers documented the motions of cloud-covered anticyclones as they slowly drifted across Jupiter. Changes in their speeds were often abrupt and seemed to occur for no reason. However, by assuming that these observable vortices interact with cloud-free (and unobservable) cyclones, we can explain the abrupt changes.

Two simultaneous events that led to flaking

Anticyclones merge with each other. However, anticyclones repel cyclones. In spring 2019, when the flaking was observed, the Great Red Spot was also observed to merge with a series of small clouds (likely small anticyclones) on its northwest side. Such mergers are common; Voyager 1 first observed these and they have subsequently been observed every few months. Typically, small anticyclones are not digested immediately, but produce lumps on the spots boundary that orbit around it, slowly migrating into the center.

I believe that the shedding of clouds from the spot as flakes and blades observed in 2019 was due to two simultaneous events: undigested lumps of merged anticyclones traveling along the spots boundary and a close encounter with one or more unobservable cyclones.

When a large anticyclone and smaller cyclone approach each other before repelling, they create a stagnation point near the boundary of the anticyclone where the local winds abruptly change direction, going off approximately perpendicular to their original directions. Think of two fire hoses aimed at each other so that their streams of water collide the streams momentarily halt at the point of impact (the stagnation point) and then scatter outward. Any cloud or undigested lump on the spot that encounters a stagnation point will similarly shatter and flake away in opposite directions.

The numerical calculations of my Berkeley research group show that the recent observations of cloud shedding can be explained by the collision of undigested red clouds at the edge of the Great Red Spot with stagnation points produced during a close encounter with a cyclone.

Pieces of the red cloud scatter outward from the stagnation point, appearing as flakes and blades. Neither the mergers that created the lumps nor the close encounters with cyclones are unusual by themselves, but it is not that common for them to occur at the same time. However, neither event is a sign of ill health for the Great Red Spot. My colleagues and I believe it will survive for many more years.

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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/contrary-to-recent-reports-jupiters-great-red-spot-is-not-in-danger-of-disappearing-127673.

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Contrary to recent reports, Jupiter's Great Red Spot is not in danger of disappearing - Westport News

Astronomers Find a Galaxy Containing Three Supermassive Black Holes at the Center – Universe Today

NGC 6240 is a puzzle to astronomers. For a long time, astronomers thought the galaxy is a result of a merger between two galaxies, and that merger is evident in the galaxys form: It has an unsettled appearance, with two nuclei and extensions and loops.

NGC 6240 is about 400 million light years away, in the constellation Ophiuchus. Even though its been studied intensely, its a very dusty place, and certain details have been obscured. But a new study using the European Southern Observatorys (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT,) along with the advanced 3D MUSE Spectrograph, has opened up a new window into NGC 6240, and revealed a big surprise.

The galaxy is the result of not two galaxies merging, but three. And as a result, its home to not two supermassive black holes, but three.

Up until now, such a concentration of three supermassive black holes had never been discovered in the universe.

The MUSE spectrograph is a visible light spectrograph with both a wide field of view and excellent spatial resolution, thanks to adaptive optics. Its whats known as a panoramic integral-field spectrograph. It saw first light in 2014, and is optimized for studying a wide variety of objects, including supermassive black holes in nearby galaxies. Astronomers used MUSEs power to peer into NGC 6240 with more precision than ever before, revealing the three supermassive black holes.

An international team of scientists produced this new research, led by scientists from Gottingen and Potsdam. The study is published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. Their paper is titled A triple nucleus system in the advanced or final state of merging.

Through our observations with extremely high spatial resolution we were able to show that the interacting galaxy system NGC 6240 hosts not two as previously assumed but three supermassive black holes in its centre, said Professor Wolfram Kollatschny from the University of Gttingen, the lead author of the study.

Up until now, such a concentration of three supermassive black holes had never been discovered in the universe, adds Dr Peter Weilbacher of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP). The present case provides evidence of a simultaneous merging process of three galaxies along with their central black holes.

This study could be part of a missing link in our understanding of how galaxies form. The largest, most massive galaxies in the universe are a bit of a puzzle. Our understanding of how they form cant explain the largest ones. There hasnt been enough time in the approximately 14 billion year age of the universe for the most massive galaxies to form, even taking into account the merging of two galaxies.

But if three galaxies can merge simultaneously, like NGC 6240 has, then that goes a long way towards explaining the existence of enormous galaxies.

If, however, simultaneous merging processes of several galaxies took place, then the largest galaxies with their central supermassive black holes were able to evolve much faster, said Peter Weilbacher in a press release. Our observations provide the first indication of this scenario.

The MUSE spectrographs capabilities made this discovery possible. Not only is it mounted on the 8-meter VLT with adaptive optics, which gives it a sharpness similar to the Hubble Space Telescope, but it creates a spectrum for each single pixel in the image. That power allowed it to peer into the dust and resolve the southern black hole into two separate black holes.

NGC 6240 is likely near the end of its merging process, which can take over a billion years to conclude. Each of the supermassive black holes has more mass than 90 million Suns, and eventually all three of these black holes will merge into one massive behemoth. When that happens, some time in the distant future, that merger will create powerful gravitational waves.

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Astronomers Find a Galaxy Containing Three Supermassive Black Holes at the Center - Universe Today

Three Supermassive Black Holes Discovered at the Core of One Galaxy – SciTechDaily

The irregular galaxy NGC 6240. New observations show that it harbors not two but three supermassive black holes at its core. The northern black hole (N) is active and was known before. The zoomed-in new high-spatial resolution image shows that the southern component consists of two supermassive black holes (S1 and S2). The green color indicates the distribution of gas ionized by radiation surrounding the black holes. The red lines show the contours of the starlight from the galaxy and the length of the white bar corresponds to 1000 light-years. Credit: P Weilbacher (AIP), NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, and A Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)

An international research team led by scientists from Gttingen and Potsdam proved for the first time that the galaxy NGC 6240 contains three supermassive black holes. The unique observations, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, show the black holes close to each other in the core of the galaxy. The study points to simultaneous merging processes during the formation of the largest galaxies in the universe.

Massive Galaxies like the Milky Way typically consist of hundreds of billions of stars and host a black hole with a mass of several million up to several 100 million solar masses at their centers. The galaxy known as NGC 6240 is known as an irregular galaxy due to its particular shape. Until now, astronomers have assumed that it was formed by the collision of two smaller galaxies and therefore contains two black holes in its core. These galactic ancestors moved towards each other at velocities of several 100 km/s and are still in the process of merging. The galaxy system which is around 300 million light-years away from us close by cosmic standards has been studied in detail at all wavelengths, and has so far been regarded as a prototype for the interaction of galaxies.

Through our observations with extremely high spatial resolution we were able to show that the interacting galaxy system NGC 6240 hosts not two as previously assumed but three supermassive black holes in its center, reports Professor Wolfram Kollatschny from the University of Gttingen, the lead author of the study. Each of the three heavyweights has a mass of more than 90 million Suns. They are located in a region of space less than 3000 light-years across, i.e. in less than one-hundredth of the total size of the galaxy. Up until now, such a concentration of three supermassive black holes had never been discovered in the universe, adds Dr. Peter Weilbacher of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP). The present case provides evidence of a simultaneous merging process of three galaxies along with their central black holes.

The discovery of this triple system is of fundamental importance for understanding the evolution of galaxies over time. Until now it has not been possible to explain how the largest and most massive galaxies, which we know from our cosmic environment in the present time, were formed just by normal galaxy interaction and merging processes over the course of the previous 14 billion years approximately, ie the age of our universe. If, however, simultaneous merging processes of several galaxies took place, then the largest galaxies with their central supermassive black holes were able to evolve much faster, Peter Weilbacher summarizes. Our observations provide the first indication of this scenario.

For the unique high-precision observations of the galaxy NGC 6240 using the 8-meter VLT, a telescope operated by the European Southern Observatory in Chile, the 3D MUSE spectrograph was used in spatial high-resolution mode together with four artificially generated laser stars and an adaptive optics system. Thanks to the sophisticated technology, images are obtained with a sharpness similar to that of the Hubble Space Telescope but additionally contain a spectrum for each image pixel. These spectra were decisive in determining the motion and masses of the supermassive black holes in NGC 6240.

The scientists assume that the observed, imminent merging of the supermassive black holes in a few million years will also generate very strong gravitational waves. In the foreseeable future, signals of similar objects can be measured with the planned satellite-based gravitational wave detector LISA and further merging systems can be discovered.

Reference: NGC 6240: A triple nucleus system in the advanced or final state of merging by W. Kollatschny, P.M. Weilbacher, M.W. Ochmann, D. Chelouche, A. Monreal-Ibero and R. Bacon, T. Contini, Astronomy & Astrophysics 2019.DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201936540(PDF)

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Three Supermassive Black Holes Discovered at the Core of One Galaxy - SciTechDaily

Of the Two Stars in Alpha Centauri, One is Probably More Habitable than the Other – Universe Today

In the past, the number of known exoplanets has exploded, with 4093 confirmed detections so far (and another 4,727 candidates awaiting confirmation). With the discovery of so many planets that are dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of light years away, a great deal of attention has understandably been directed to our nearest stellar neighbors. Could planets be right next door, with the possibility of life being there as well?

While a potentially-habitable planet was recently discovered around Proxima Centauri (Proxima b), Alpha Centauri remains something of a question mark. But thanks to a recent study from the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT), we might be getting closer to determining if this neighboring system supports life. In a twist, the study revealed that one of the stars in the binary system is more likely to be habitable than the other.

The study, Obliquity Evolution of Circumstellar Planets in Sun-like Stellar Binaries, recently appeared in the Astrophysical Journal and was funded through the NASA Exobiology Program. The study was led by Billy Quarles, a research scientist with the Center for Relativistic Astrophysics, and included Prof. Gongjie Li of GITs Center for Relativistic Astrophysics and Jack Lissauer from NASAs Ames Research Center.

When it comes right down to it, individual stars that have a system of multiple planets (like our Solar System) are quite rare. Binary systems like Alpha Centauri, on the other hand, are quite common. This system is made up of Alpha Centauri A, a G-type yellow star that is slightly larger than our Sun, and Alpha Centauri B a K-type orange star that is closer in size to our Sun.

In 2012, astronomers thought they had detected a candidate exoplanet orbiting around Alpha Centauri B (designated Alpha Centauri Bb). Unfortunately, subsequent analysis led astronomers to announce by 2015 that this was a false positive that was likely just a spurious ghost in the data analysis. A possible planetary transit was noted in 2013, but it was reportedly too close to its primary to support life.

To determine if Alpha Centauri could have any habitable planets orbiting them, the team of astrophysicists modeled a theoretical twin of Earth into a binary system. This consisted of contrasting how Earths axial tilt (aka. obliquity) varies over time with the variation of Mars axial tilt. They then modeled Earth into Alpha Centauri A and Bs circumsolar habitable zones (aka. Goldilocks zones).

While both planets are similarly inclined 23.4 vs. 25.19 to their orbital plane Mars obliquity has been subject to more change over time. And whereas the stability of Earths variations in obliquity over time has ensured a stable climate, Mars more pronounced variations have been a major factor in its transition from a warmer, wetter world to the cold and inhospitable place it is today.

Basically, changes in Earths obliquity are what is responsible for Earth experiencing ice ages and warm epochs (aka. glacial and interglacial periods). However, the precession of Earths tilt is gentle and slow, varying between 22.1 and 24.5 over the course of 41,000 years. These types of long-term transitions have provided lifeforms with enough time to adapt and evolve, and have also prevented any period from being too long or extreme.

Mars axis, on the other hand, precesses between 10 and 60 every 2 million years. When tilted to 10, the atmosphere condenses at the poles and causes both water vapor and carbon dioxide to solidify, making the ice expand. At a tilt of 60, Mars would be more likely to grow an ice belt around its equator, where it is otherwise much warmer and experiences surface temperatures of up to 35C (95 F) at midday during summer.

The presence of the Moon is also a factor since its gravitational pull helps to stabilize our axis. Were it not for the Moon, Earths gravitational interactions with Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter would cause wilder changes in our tilt. If we didnt have the moon, Earths tilt could vary by about 60 degrees, Quarles said in a recent GIT news story. Wed look maybe like Mars, and the precession of its axis appears to have contributed to a loss of atmosphere.

While the study modeled variations of an exo-Earth orbiting either star, it mainly focused on an Earth-like planet orbiting in the habitable zone around B, with A being the orbiting star. While Alpha Centauri A did relatively well in this simulation, the results were not encouraging for that Alpha Centauri B showing that an Earth-like exoplanet would unlikely be able to support life.

In short, Alpha Centauri A and B orbit each other at about the same distance as Uranus and our sun, which is very close in a binary system. As highly-elliptical orbit with B causes it to pass close to B before moving far away, which generates a powerful gravitational sling. When modeled, this effect overpowered the exo-Earths own dynamics, causing its tilt and orbit to vary widely.

Even the presence of a large satellite such as our own Moon did not improve the situation for the exo-Earth. In fact, it actually made it worse since it contributed to axial instability. As Quarles explained:

The biggest effect you would see is differences in the climate cycles related to how elongated the orbit is. Instead of having ice ages every 100,000 years like on Earth, they may come every 1 million years, be worse, and last much longer.

With these results in hand, the team then expanded their study to encompass more in the way of star systems. When it comes right down to it, single-star systems with multiple planets (like the Solar System) are actually quite rare. Meanwhile, multiple-star systems are common, with roughly 50% of stars in the known Universe appearing to have binary companions.

From this, the team determined that 87% of Earth-like exoplanets located in systems were likely to have axial tilts similar to Earths which is stably inclined at 23.4. Moreover, they found that with binary systems in the more general sense, the probability that plants would experience gentle precessions in their obliquity increased considerably. Said Prof. Li:

In general, the separation between the stars is larger in binary systems, and then the second star has less of an effect on the model of Earth. The planets own motion dynamics dominate other influences, and obliquity usually has a smaller variation. So, this is quite optimistic.

Still, bad news for Alpha Centauri, especially any planets that could be orbiting B. Its also bad news for those hoping to send a mission there in the not-too-distant future to search for signs of life such as Breakthrough Starshot. However, there was a sliver of hope to be found in the study since the model showed that a planet with the right kind of orbital mechanics could support life

Planetary orbit and spin need to precess just right relative to the binary orbit. There is this tiny sweet spot, said Quarles. We simulated what it would be like around other binaries with multiple variations of the stars masses, orbital qualities, and so on. The overall message was positive but not for our nearest neighbor.

Its a sort of good news/bad news situation. While it is a little discouraging to think that Alpha Centauri may not have any habitable planets (which appears to be the case for Proxima b as well), it is good to know that 50% of stars in the known Universe have a shot at supporting life. In the end, finding extraterrestrial life (not to mention extraterrestrial intelligence) is all about numbers!

Further Reading: Georgia Tech

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Of the Two Stars in Alpha Centauri, One is Probably More Habitable than the Other - Universe Today

Jobs Boost at Innovative Gwent Insurtech Firm – Business News Wales

Leading Wales insurtech incubator Pontypool-based pH Innovate continues to expand it technical and marketing teams after winning new customers for its innovative insurance trading platform.

Success in winning new contracts, including one with an app offering an unique reverse auction insurance product, is leading to jobs growth at the Torfaen business.

pH Innovate, based at Torfaens Mamhilad Park Estate, has an unique approach to recruiting technical staff via its trainee programme. The scheme allows school leavers, who have an interest in technology but perhaps limited qualifications and experience, to start a career.

The burgeoning business recently recruited five new staff, four trainee developers and a marketing executive three of whom have now started. It has plans to recruit a further four trainee developers in the new year.

Stephen Peck, one of the owners of pH Innovate, explained:

While businesses are in dire need of technical skills very few want to help develop these skills and instead chase the limited number of experienced or well-qualified applicants or they even end up outsourcing work abroad.

In addition to the personal satisfaction in helping develop careers and building skills we find that we our employment recruitment programme gives us a competitive advantage in the market both through reduced cost of staff turnover and ability to provide a high level of technical skill to our customers.

Fellow business owner David Harlow said:

The five new recruits all come from the local area. Were extremely pleased with the calibre and quality of the local recruitment pool. One of our recruits has a degree in astro physics so were pleased to be able to say that we now have our very own rocket scientist.

David said:

All the recruits are from the local NP4 or NP44 areas. All of them have been struggling to get jobs in IT and development and have, until now, been working in fast food chains/warehouses. The recruits like the idea that they can learn and grow with the business.

pH Innovate has won several contracts over the last quarter including with a young driver insurance start up, a comparison site for a large financial organisation and with industry first insurance app Honcho.

Honcho operate a reverse auction market place that notifies a panel of brokers / Insurers when customers are looking for car insurance, providers then bid for the customers business.

Honcho have partnered with Quote The Market, part of pH Innovate also based here in Torfaen, to supply multiple insurance providers to their platform allowing them to build a competitive panel of providers swiftly and economically.

Forming a part of Quote The Markets next generation innovative comparison services, the ability to supply multiple brands in a single (API) feed frees up partners, such as Honcho, to focus on developing their front facing brand.

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Jobs Boost at Innovative Gwent Insurtech Firm - Business News Wales

UK researchers awarded 30m investment in global neutrino physics project – University of Birmingham

The UK has made a new, multi-million pound investment in the DUNE global science project, bringing together the scientific communities of the UK and 31 countries from Asia, Europe and the Americas to build the worlds most advanced neutrino observatory.

DUNE (the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment) is a flagship international experiment that has the potential to lead to profound changes in our understanding of the universe. It is hosted by the United States Department of Energys Fermilab, and will be designed and operated by a collaboration of over 1,000 physicists across 32 countries.

The investment from UK Research and Innovations Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is a four-year construction grant to 13 educational institutions and to STFCs Rutherford Appleton and Daresbury Laboratories. The grant represents the first of two stages to support the DUNE construction project in the UK which will run until 2026 and represent a total investment of 45M.

Various elements of the experiment are under construction across the world, with the UK taking a major role in contributing essential expertise and components to the experiment and facility. UK scientists and engineers will design and produce the principle detector components at the core of the DUNE detector, which will comprise four large tanks each containing 17,000 kg of liquid argon. The UK groups are also developing a state-of-the art, high speed data acquisition system to record the signals from the detector, together with the sophisticated software needed to interpret the data and provide the answers to the scientific questions.

Professor Alfons Weber from the University of Oxford, who is leading the project in the UK, says: DUNE will be an exciting experiment and it is fantastic to see how the UK is supporting fundamental science. This announcement has allowed us to take a lead in many aspects of the experiment as the biggest contributor outside the USA. We have a significant task ahead of us in the coming years and we are looking forward to delivering our contributions.

The Birmingham team received 252,805 to provide essential contributions to the experiment. They are bringing their experience in data acquisition from experiments at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and Super Proton Synchrotron to the challenges of selecting and recording data from the DUNE detectors.

Dr Alan Watson, the Birmingham team leader, says: DUNE is an exciting new direction for us, and offers a unique opportunity to answer fundamental questions in particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology.

The DUNE project aims to advance our understanding of the origin and structure of the universe. It will study the behaviour of particles called neutrinos and their antimatter counterparts, antineutrinos. This could provide insight as to why we live in a matter-dominated universe while anti-matter has largely disappeared.

DUNE will also watch for supernova neutrinos produced when a star explodes, which will allow the scientists to observe the formation of neutron stars and black holes, and will investigate whether protons live forever or eventually decay, bringing us closer to fulfilling Einsteins dream of a grand unified theory.

The UK universities involved in the project are: Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Imperial College London, Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester, Oxford, Sheffield, Sussex, UCL and Warwick.

For media enquiries, please contact Beck Lockwood, Press Office, University of Birmingham, tel +44 (0)121 414 2772.

About DUNE

The international Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF) and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), hosted by the U.S. Department of Energys Fermilab, will provide insight into the origin of matter in the universe. LBNF will create the worlds most intense high-energy neutrino beam and send it 1300km from Fermilab in Illinois towards the 70,000 ton DUNE detector one mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. Once constructed, LBNF and DUNE will operate for at least 15 years undertaking a broad and exciting science programme.

Fermilab is Americas premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. A U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory, Fermilab is located near Chicago, Illinois, and operated under contract by the Fermi Research Alliance LLC, a joint partnership between the University of Chicago and the Universities Research Association, Inc.

UK involvement with the DUNE collaboration is through STFC and the following universities: Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Imperial, Lancaster, Liverpool, UCL, Manchester, Oxford, Sheffield, Sussex and Warwick. They provide essential expertise and components to the experiment and facility. This ranges from the high-power neutrino production target, the readout planes, accelerator development associated with PIP-II and data acquisitions systems to the reconstruction software.

STFC manages the UKs investment in the international facility, giving UK scientists and engineers the chance to take a leading role in the management and development of the DUNE far detector and the LBNF beam line. The STFC Technology Department is also involved in the data acquisition system for the detector and in designing a high power neutrino production target.

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UK researchers awarded 30m investment in global neutrino physics project - University of Birmingham

West African International Summer School for Young Astronomers Completes Another Successful School – Space in Africa

On October 28, undergraduate and graduate students from across Africa gathered for one week at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja, Nigeria. The course immediately followed a week-long workshop for instructors.

The goals of the program are to contribute to building a critical mass of astronomers, to build a community of future scientific leaders in West Africa, and to exchange ideas about teaching and learning across continents.

Students in the undergraduate stream learned scientific thinking via innovative teaching methods, derived from principles of education research especially inquiry. This included a project in which students designed and conducted a scientific investigation about the distance to an astronomical object. Students also participated in interactive lessons about stars, exoplanets, galaxies, radio astronomy and cosmology, and in discussions about career paths in STEM. Another highlight was the group teaching project, where student teams designed an astronomy outreach activity to bring back to their home communities.

Students in the graduate stream learned the basics of UNIX and Python, allowing them to inspect, process and visualize astronomical data. They were also introduced to the practical implementation of both Frequentist and Bayesian modelling for astronomy. In addition, they learned to schedule optical observations on the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network. They were able to obtain time-series data on variable stars, process it using Python and then determine the type of variable stars they observed.

Additional highlights from this year included a Women in Science lunch, a project on how to communicate astronomy ideas to the public, night-sky observing, and discussion of the future of astronomy in Africa with Director of the Office of Astronomy for Development, Kevin Govender.

The time Ive spent at WAISSYA 2019 has been one of the best moments of my life words cannot express how I feel, says Iheanacho Prince James (from Imo State University in Owerri, Nigeria.) Personally Ive gotten a better understanding of teamwork and brainstorming, academically Ive learnt a lot about cosmology, stars, galaxies, the solar system etc., opportunity-wise Im [now] aware of the various job opportunities available for students in science (most especially Physics) departments. Ive never experienced this kind of learning before.

Many students have also shared that WAISSYA helped them to appreciate that they themselves can think as scientists: they can ask their own scientific questions, break those down into smaller questions, and figure out the answers to these questions by using their own ideas.

Instructors came from Africa, North America, and Europe to collaborate on designing interactive teaching activities for students. The instructor team held discussions about what makes effective teaching and what teaching challenges and strengths they face in their different contexts. Each teaching activity at WAISSYA is co-taught by two or more instructors, to facilitate the exchange of teaching strategies, and build a community around teaching. Research in other contexts, including work by WAISSYA Co-Director, Dr Linda Strubbe, has shown that co-teaching can support newer instructors in learning and incorporating interactive teaching methods into their future courses. The Instructor Workshop week included a visit to the University of Abuja for an astronomy symposium and a morning of astronomy outreach to three schools in the area.

Instructors were pleased with the results of this years school. Seeing our students develop their scientific thinking over the course of the week has been so inspiring, says Co-Director Linda Strubbe, a Postdoctoral Research Associate from Kansas State University. Im so grateful to be here working with our students, and am sure that their futures as scientists are bright! WAISSYA Instructor Esaenwi Sudum, a Research Scientist at the Centre for Basic Space Science in Nsukka, Nigeria, adds, The students energy and drive, their willingness to learn and their dedication, inspired us as instructors to bring our best.

WAISSYA is sponsored by the Dunlap Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics, NASRDA Center for Basic Space Science Nsukka Nigeria, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), the Development in Africa with Radio Astronomy (DARA) Project, Open Astronomy Schools initiative of the International Astronomical Union, International Centre for Theoretical Physics, European Research Council, and personal donations from Dr. Duy Nguyen.

New to WAISSYA 2019 is an educational partnership with Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO). As a Global Sky Partner to the LCO, WAISSYA postgraduate students were able to use the LCO global telescope network to obtain data on variable stars for scientific analysis.

For more information, please contact:

Primary contact:

Dr. Linda StrubbeWAISSYA Co-Director; Postdoctoral Research Associate, Kansas State University and American Association of Physics Teachers+1 647 783 4096lstrubbe@phys.ksu.edu

Additional contacts:

Dr Bonaventure OkereWAISSYA Co-Director; Director of Centre for Basic Space Science, Nsukka, Nigeria+234 806 466 2538bona.okere@gmail.com

Dr Jielai ZhangWAISSYA Co-Director; Schmidt Science Fellows in Partnership with the Rhodes Trust; OzGrav Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Swinburne University of Technology+44 7835296079 (via Whatsapp)jzhang@schmidtsciencefellows.org

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West African International Summer School for Young Astronomers Completes Another Successful School - Space in Africa

A galactic train wreck with three supermassive black holes – Astronomy Now Online

NGC 6240 is an ongoing collision between three galaxies. Hard X-rays from two sources near the center of the merging galaxies indicated the presence of two supermassive black holes. Astronomers have now found a third. Image: P Weilbacher (AIP), NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, and A Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University) Image: P Weilbacher (AIP), NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, and A Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)

NGC 6240 is an irregular, chaotic-looking triple galaxy system 300 million light years from Earth where three galaxies are in the process of merging. Extensive observations indicated the presence of two supermassive black holes and now, researchers have found a third.

Through our observations with extremely high spatial resolution we were able to show that the interacting galaxy system NGC 6240 hosts not two, as previously assumed, but three supermassive black holes in its centre, said Wolfram Kollatschny of the University of Gttingen.

Each of the black holes has a mass of more than 90 million times that of the Sun, and all three are located within a region spanning just 3,000 light years.

Up until now, such a concentration of three supermassive black holes had never been discovered in the universe, said Peter Weilbacher of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam. The present case provides evidence of a simultaneous merging process of three galaxies along with their central black holes.

The discovery of such a triple system sheds light on how galaxies grow over time and how massive galaxies seen in the present-day universe managed to evolve as rapidly as they did in the 14 billion years since the Big Bang.

If simultaneous merging processes of several galaxies took place, then the largest galaxies with their central supermassive black holes were able to evolve much faster, said Weilbacher. Our observations provide the first indication of this scenario.

To identify the third supermassive black hole, researchers used the European Southern Observatorys Very Large Telescope, the 3D MUSE spectrograph and adaptive optics to collect high-resolution spectra.

All three supermassive black holes likely will merge in a few million years, generating powerful gravitational waves. Similar signatures may be detected in the more foreseeable future by Earth- or space-based gravity wave detectors.

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A galactic train wreck with three supermassive black holes - Astronomy Now Online

This huge radio telescope is out to solve an epic astrophysics mystery – Wired.co.uk

The radio-quiet zone begins about a half an hour drive away from this remote, desolate place in the Karoo desert, in South Africas Northern Cape. The use of mobile phones and laptops is strictly forbidden. A few trees and shrubs dot the ochre landscape; occasionally, a tiny scorpion scurries away in the blazing sun. What holds your eye, though, are the giant dishes.

This is MeerKAT 64 radio dishes spread across eight square kilometres, each 13.5 metres in diameter and on their supports as tall as a five-storey building. Together they form a single radio telescope. MeerKAT means "more KAT" (the Karoo Array Telescope was its seven-dish forerunner), and astronomers use it to study the radio waves emitted by strange but little-understood objects in distant space. Because phones and other gadgets also emit radio waves, they are strictly off limits, to make sure these antennae pick up only signals of cosmic origin.

Big as it is, MeerKAT is just a start, the precursor to what will become the worlds largest radio telescope: the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). Over the next decade, SKA will add another 133 dishes, and the Karoo antennae will work in tandem with as many as 133,000 smaller antennae to be installed in Australia.

SKAs aim is to help scientists understand how our universe works: to observe how hydrogen gas is assembled into galaxies and gives birth to new stars, and to track down the sources of radio waves arriving on Earth. Many come from pulsars the dead, rapidly spinning, ultra-dense leftover cores of massive stars. Then there are the mysterious Fast Radio Bursts brief flashes in the sky with the power of 500 million suns that have puzzled scientists since their discovery just over a decade ago.

One of MeerKATs first tasks when it opened in June 2018 was to snap the closest-ever image of our Milky Ways galactic centre, home to the super-massive black hole Sagittarius A. Located some 25,000 light years away, its a region in space full of interstellar gas and dust. Optical telescopes are of little use here, as visible light is blocked. Radio waves, however, glide right through.

MeerKATs picture shows the black hole like a sweltering oven. The red and orange colours of the image are misleading, however, because humans cant see radio waves. The picture has nothing to do with fire, and the visualisation of the radio waves could have been done in any colour, says Fernando Camilo, the chief scientist at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.

The round area just to the right of the centre of the image is Sagittarius A. Elsewhere are areas of star formation (the bright spot to the right, and the hourglass shape to the left), and the remnants of supernovas stars that have exploded and died (far left). The thin lines snaking away in all directions, known as "fine filamentary threads" remain a mystery, however. They have not been found anywhere else in our galaxy, though, so they may have some connection to the black hole.

When SKA is fully operational which is expected to happen by 2030 it will be able to peer 14 billion years back to the moments after the Big Bang, and provide new insights about supernovas, black holes and the infant universe.

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This huge radio telescope is out to solve an epic astrophysics mystery - Wired.co.uk

Astrophysics, Genetic Engineering, and ASMR: Architecture Like You’ve Never Heard It Before | Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)…

The Arc Podcast Launches at SCI-Arc

Los Angeles, CA (November 12, 2019) SCI-Arc is very pleased to announce the launch of its podcast The Arc, a forum that builds connections between architecture and other worlds.

Recorded and produced at SCI-Arc in Los Angeles, The Arc is led by SCI-Arc faculty and History + Theory Coordinator Marrikka Trotter. Each episode juxtaposes a contemporary architectural idea or concern with related concepts from other disciplines, ranging from science to sports, in casual, unscripted, and intimate conversations. The idea is to create fresh approaches to the canon of architectural thought through lively, engaged dialogue with experts in other fields.

The Arc presents an incredibly dynamic platform which prompts architects to engage and communicate with the world at large, says SCI-Arc Director Hernan Diaz Alonso. It is yet another way of expanding upon our mission of promoting architectural thinking and redefining the edges of architecture, so that when put in conversation with other fields, it is illuminated and shifted in a way that produces new global perspectives and novel windows into humanity.

Listeners can expect to hear a diversity of thoughts and voices ranging from SCI-Arc Undergraduate Program Chair Tom Wiscombe, to neuroscientist Dr. Yawende Pearse, to Nightmare Before Christmas production designer Bill Boes, to dominatrix Mistress Lucy Kahn. Episodes will be released monthly, beginning with Episode 1: Scale, available November 20.

Architecture is culturally curious, says Trotter. We actively seek analogues and connections to other fields of knowledge and other kinds of practiceand of course cultivating this kind of open engagement with the world around us is critical for creative education. For me each conversation is like a portal into another world. Im learning so much from the people I get the opportunity to engage with, both about their field and, in a kind of disciplinary ricochet, about my own. Theres a mutual contaminationa transfer of excitement that moves in both directions.

Subscribe toThe Arcon iTunes and Spotify.

About SCI-Arc Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) is dedicated to educating architects who will imagine and shape the future. It is an independent, accredited degree-granting institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs in architecture. Located in a quarter-mile-long former freight depot in the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles, the school is distinguished by its vibrant studio culture and emphasis on process. SCI-Arcs approximately 500 students and 80 faculty members, most of whom arepracticing architects, work together to reexamine assumptions, create, explore, and test the limits of architecture. SCI-Arc faculty and leadership have garnered more than 500 national and international design awards and recognitions, including Progressive Architecture awards, American Institute of Architects (AIA) awards, and the prestigious Jencks and Pritzker architecture prizes. In DesignIntelligences 2019 US survey, SCI-Arc ranked #2 in Design Technologies, #3 Most Hired From, and was top ten among the nations Most Admired Undergraduate Programs in Architecture. SCI-Arc is located at 960 E. 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013. http://www.sciarc.edu

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Astrophysics, Genetic Engineering, and ASMR: Architecture Like You've Never Heard It Before | Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)...

These are just some of the incredible women to watch in science – Women’s Agenda

Its 2019 and women have come a long way in terms of workplace equality.

But things have been a little slower when it comes to recognising the contribution of women in science.

Just one in every four sources quoted in science stories in Australia are female, and just 18 per cent of biographies on Wikipedia are women.

Thats despite the fact there is absolutely no shortage of talented female scientists available and change is happening when it comes to shifting the number of women going into science and ultimately rising up the leadership ranks.

Below, Jessie Tu shares a list of women to watch in this space. Its not a definitive list and its one that were keeping alive to grow further. If you know more women who should be included, please get in contact.

And dont forget to subscribe to The STEM Wrap, our weekly newsletter for Women in STEM here.

Karlie Noon, astronomer, CSIRO State: ACTField: AstronomyAlinta Noon is a Kamilaroi woman from the Tamworth region and was nominated for the Young Australian of the Year in her state last year. She completed a double major in pure maths and physics and became the first in her family to attend university at the University of Newcastle. She landed a job with CSIROs Indigenous STEM Education Project and is mentoring girls in STEM and advocating for Indigenous astronomy. Jazmeen Payne profiled Alinta Noon earlier this year for Womens Agenda, as a finalist for the 2019 Womens Agenda Leadership Awards.

Lindell Bromham, evolutionary biologist, ANU State: ACTField: BiologyLindell founded the Network for Women in Biology at ANU in Canberra. Shes worked in macroevolution (the study of evolution of groups larger than an individual species) and macroecology (the study of relationships between organisms and their environment) and is creating new ways of using molecular data to uncover new theories of evolution.

Cleo Loi, astrophysicist, University of CambridgeState: NSWField: AstrophysicsAt 23, Cleo was a physics student at the University of Sydney when she proved the existence of plasma tubes inside our planets magnetosphere. This extraordinarily talented astrophysicist is now completing her PhD at the University of Cambridge, where she is a member of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics research group.

Madeleine Schultz, lecturer in chemistry, Deakin University State: VICField: ChemistryMadeleine is a lecturer in chemistry at Deakin University and has focused her research on how tertiary chemistry teachers can aptly transfer skills and knowledge in their field through the evaluation of current practices. In Australia, male science teachers continue to outnumber female science teachers, but Madeleines contributions are changing things for the better.

Marzi Barghamadi, experimental scientist, CSIRO State: VICField: Energy TechnologyAfter completing her PhD on lithium sulfur batteries at Swinburne University of Technology, Marzi began work at CSIRO developing new energy storage devices. When shes not in the lab testing out new materials, she supervises postgraduate students studying advanced lithium batteries.

Emma Johnston, marine biologist, UNSW State: NSWField: Marine BiologyEmma is a world-leading marine ecologist and Dean of Science at the University of NSW. She has travelled widely to conduct experiments in diverse environments, combining the disciplines of ecology and biology to determine the impact of marine biological invasions and strategies for improving global estuarine heath.

Debra Bernhardt, biomechanic and professor, University of Queensland State: QLDField: BiomechanicsDebra is a lecturer and professor in biomechanics and nanotechnology at the University of Queensland. She combines computational methods with theory to develop ways of understanding molecular matter and hopes to discover new materials to help our understanding of devices, fluids and materials.Jacqui Romero, physicist, University of QueenslandState: QLDField: Quantum mechanics and quantum informationJacqui completed a Masters in physics in her home country of the Philippines, and did her PhD at Uni of Glasgow. She works at the Quantum Technology Lab at the University of Queensland, as the associate investigator. Shes an advocate for more diversity in STEM and was interviewed by our journalist Madeline Hislops article here for Womens Agenda.

Krystal De Napoli, astrophysics student, Monash UniversityState: VICField: AstronomyKrystal is a Gomeroi woman and astrophysics student at Monash University. As the first in her family to attend university, Krystal combines her cultural and ancestral knowledge of the cosmos with academic studies of astronomy and mathematics. She is majoring in astrophysics and a strong advocate for Indigenous sciences, which she explores through public presentations and research.

Onisha Patel, biologist, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical ResearchState: VICField: Structural BiologyOnisha is a structural biologist at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Parkville, Victoria. Her cancer research has focused on creating new ways to tackle protein, cell growth and protein molecules to enable the design of alternative therapeutics for cancer treatments. She has presented her research to a diverse audience through school visits, art exhibitions, and Open House Melbourne events.

Macinley Butson, inventorState: NSWField: MedicalengineerIn 2016, Macinley was the first ever Australian to win 1stplace at the INTEL International Science and Engineering Fair in its 68year history. She was 16 years old. She was also name 2018 NSW Young Australian of the Year and Youth Ambassador at last years Sydney Science Festival. Butson has invented many incredible machineries, includinga sticker that tests when water is safe to drink, that is capable of potentially saving millions of lives from dangerous biologically contaminated water. She also produced SMART Armour, a radiation shield that has the potential to remove up to 80% of unwanted radiation exposure reaching non-treated breast during radiotherapy cancer treatment.Anything this powerhouse of a woman cant do? Oh, she also wonWoman of the Future Award this year and theStockholm Junior Water Prize in September. We profiled her this year when she was a finalist for our Womens Agenda Leadership Awards.

Adriana Verges, associate professor and ecologist, UNSW State: NSWField: Marine EcologyBarcelona-born marine ecologist and storyteller Adriana Verges has focused on projects that highlight the ecological impacts of climate change and the conservation of the worlds algal forests and meadows, which are increasingly under threat. As an associate professor at the UNSW, she is inspiring the next generation of young female scientists to experiment with new ways of communicating science to the wider public. Devika Kamath, astrophysicist, Macquarie University State: NSWField: AstrophysicsDevika is an Astrophysicist and Lecturer in Astronomy & Astrophysics at Macquarie University. After completing her postdoctoral research fellowship in Belgium, she pioneered a search strategy for rare stellar fossils and dying stars. She was recently awarded the prestigious Australian Research Council DECRA fellowship to further develop her research. She is actively involved in student training and outreach programmes which improve Australias STEM community, especially for young girls.

Hannah Brown, epigenetics expert, University of Adelaide State: SAField: Paediatrics and Reproductive HealthBased at the University of Adelaides Centre for Nanoscale Biophotonics, Hannah is a former researcher in womens health and fertility and current Chief Science Storyteller at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. She has travelled to France and the United States for research and her PhD was on Reproductive biology. She is passionate about science communication and engaging new audiences with creative storytelling.

Hilary Goh, geologist, SounDelve State: WAField: GeologyHilary studied geology at Wollongong before obtaining her Honours in Tasmania. As a geoscientist, she applied robotics hardware to create 3D mapping. As a member of Women in Mining, she recently got together with some friends and founded the Perth Machine Learning Group where they help each other code for machine learning through weekly meetups and discussions.

Sharna Jamadar, biomedical researcher, Monash University State: VICField: PsychologySharna is an expert in neuroimaging and Senior Research Fellow at Monash Biomedical Imaging. She also works at the Monash Institute for Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, where her research focuses on understanding various cognitive resilience to combat ageing process. Sharna is a member of the Gender Equity and Diversity Committees of the Australasian Neuroscience Society and co-founder of the Australasian Women in Neuroscience Network.

Anna Dean, veterinary epidemiologist, World Health OrganizationState: NSWField: EpidemiologyAfter completing her PhD in epidemiology in Switzerland, Anna conducted further research in Cte dIvoire and Togo. She now works for the World Health Organization, developing new strategies for combating drug-resistant tuberculosis and assisting governments with implementing effective treatment for citizens.

Danielle Meyrick, radiochemist and chief scientific officer, Theranostics State: WAField: OncologyDanielle was one of the first radio-chemists in Australia to produce targeted therapies in treating neuroendocrine tumour treatment and prostate cancer. In addition to her role as resident doctor at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, she was lecturer in analytical and chemical sciences at Murdoch University and Councillor of The Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering.

Kelly Wong, science educator, The Science Channel State: SAField: EducationAfter studying biomedical science in Queensland, Kelly completed her PhD, researching human B cell responses to grass pollen allergy. She expanded her skills into media through social media and science communication. She works as the online producer at The Royal Institution of Australia, which includes brands such as Australias Science Channel, Cosmos Magazine, SCINEMA International Science Film Festival. She is invested in using social media to engage existing and new audiences with science.

Shyuan Ngo, motor-neuron scientist, University of QueenslandState: QLDField: Metabolic diseasesShyuans research attempts to understand the causes and consequences of metabolic dysfunction in motor neuron disease and develop new therapies for people who suffer with MND. Internationally renowned, Shyuan has collaborated with researchers and neurologists across the world and has won numerous fellowships in Australia.

Kate Charlton-Robb, Conservation geneticist and dolphin researcher, Monash UniversityState: VICField: ConservationAs a zoologist, molecular geneticist, and founding director & principal researcher of the Australian Marine Mammal Conservation Foundation, Kate has found time to write for publications like the Sydney Morning Herald, highlighting the social issues and gender disparities female scientists face in Australia. She is a sought-after commentator and expert on marine issues in the media.

Michelle Lim, clinical psychologist and researcher, Swinburne UniversityState: VICField: PsychologyMichelle researchers loneliness and its effects on young people. She works with companies to develop apps and videos that combat loneliness and advocate for further scientific research on how our lives are simultaneously compromised and improved by technology. As chairwoman of the Australian Coalition to End Loneliness, she oversees research and advocacy to combine science, government agencies and charities in the search for quality strategies to manage loneliness.

Ayesha Tulloch, conservation biologist, Sydney University State: QLDField: ConservationAyesha is passionate about the ecology of birds and mammals, beginning her career as a ranger with the National Parks and Wildlife Service in Royal National Park in NSW. Her PhD focused on strategizing processes to the management of threats against biodiversity in Queensland. She also undertook roles as research fellow across a number of universities. More recently, she travelled to Madagascar to work with the Wildlife Conservative Society to develop human subsistence conservation.

Amanda Lilleyman, ecologist, Charles Darwin UniversityState: NTField: OrnithologyAs a lifelong birdwatcher, Amandas interest has taken her to the remotest regions of Australia where she is studying the effects of climate change on migratory birds. She is the winner of numerous awards and scholarships for her research and helps increase the exposure and awareness of habitat destruction in her role as Team Leader at Conservation Volunteers Australia.

Misty Jenkins, immunologist, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research State: VICField: Medical ScienceAs well as having a background as a medical research scientist, Misty is Laboratory Head at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Victoria , a LOral Women In Science Fellowship recipient and ambassador for Poche Centre for Indigenous Health. In 2016, she was named in the Westpac/Australian Financial Review Top 100 Women of Influence in the field of Innovation.

This list is still open and growing! If you know an extraordinary woman to watch in science, let us know at [emailprotected]

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These are just some of the incredible women to watch in science - Women's Agenda

The Milky Ways black hole kicked a star out of our galaxy – WPMT FOX 43

Astronomers have spotted a star speeding through our galaxy at more than 3,728,227 mph. And in 100 million years, it will leave the Milky Way for good.CREDIT: James Josephides/Swindburne Astronomy Productions

Astronomers have spotted a star speeding through our galaxy at more than 3,728,227 mph. And in 100 million years, it will leave the Milky Way for good.

But where did it come from and why is it in such a hurry to leave? Astronomers using the 3.9-meter Anglo-Australian Telescope at the Australian National Universitys Siding Spring Observatory discovered the star and conducted follow-up measurements to track its path.

The findings about the star published Tuesday in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

We traced this stars journey back to the center of our galaxy, which is pretty exciting, said Gary Da Costa, study author and professor at the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. This star is traveling at record-breaking speed 10 times faster than most stars in the Milky Way, including our Sun.

The astronomers were looking for the remains of small galaxies that orbit the Milky Way. The telescope they were using can measure about 400 targets at a time. Instead, they found a star on the outskirts of the galaxy that had been kicked there by the supermassive black hole at the center. The black hole is known as Sagittarius A* or Sgr A*. The black hole is 4.2 million times more massive than our sun.

If the black hole interacted with a binary star system that got to close, the results can be tragic for the star system.

If such a binary system approaches a black hole too closely, the black hole can capture one of the stars into a close orbit and kick out the other at very high speed, said Thomas Nordlander, study co-author and professor at ANU.

The star is 29,000 light-years away from Earth and it was kicked away by the black hole about five million years ago.

In astronomical terms, the star will be leaving our galaxy fairly soon and it will likely travel through the emptiness of intergalactic space for an eternity, said Da Costa. Its great to be able to confirm a 30-year-old prediction that stars can be flung out of a galaxy by the supermassive black hole at its center.

The astronomers plan to keep tracking the star and gain a more precise measurement of its velocity and position, thanks to the European Space Agencys Gaia satellite, according to Dougal Mackey, study author and ARC Future Fellow at the Australian National Universitys Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Mackey said there are a number of known hyper velocity stars like this one, but special features set the newly observed star apart.

The two really special features of this star, though, are that its speed is much higher than other similar stars that were previously discovered (which all had velocity below 1000 km/s) and its the only one where we can be almost certain that it has come directly from the center of the Milky Way, he said. Together those facts provide evidence for something called the Hills mechanism which is a theorised way for the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way to eject stars with very high velocity.

The astronomers dont know how common these so-called evictions are, but they have a theory that one might occur every few hundred thousand years, he said.

Determining the orbits of these kinds of stars can also help astronomers to understand and measure other parts of the galaxy. And understanding the composition and properties of a star born in the middle of the galaxy would shed light on stars that are otherwise hard for astronomers to observe.

For this particular star, we hope to obtain better spectroscopic measurements that might let us determine its composition, Mackey said. Thats interesting because we think it was born right in the Galactic Center, which is a region thats very difficult for us to observe in detail. So with this star we might learn about the conditions of star formation in that region and the composition of the gas from which stars are being formed.

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The Milky Ways black hole kicked a star out of our galaxy - WPMT FOX 43

Physicists revive hunt for dark matter in the heart of the Milky Way – Science Magazine

NASAs Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has mapped the entire sky and found a faint, unexplained excess of gamma rays (inset) coming from around the center of our galaxy.

By Adrian ChoNov. 12, 2019 , 5:45 PM

A controversial dark matter claim may be making a comeback. Three years ago, a team of particle astrophysicists appeared to nix the idea that a faint glow of gamma rays in the heart of our Milky Way Galaxy could be emanating from dark matterthe mysterious stuff whose gravity holds the galaxy together. But the conclusion that the gamma rays come instead from more ordinary sources, such as spinning neutron stars known as pulsars, may have been too hasty, the team reports in a new study. So the dark matter hypothesis may alive and well after all.

Im sure that some people will start to think about dark matter interpretations [of the glow] again, says Dan Hooper, a theorist at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Batavia, Illinois, who was not involved in either study. Others are less sure there will be such a revival.

Hooper and his Fermilab colleague Lisa Goodenough discovered the unexplained gamma ray glow in 2009 while studying data from NASAs orbiting Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Dubbed the galactic center excess, that glow enshrouds the heart of the galaxy. Draw a circle on the sky around the galactic center 30 in radius and the excess will account for 2% of all gamma rays coming from within it.

Hooper and Goodenough immediately suggested the glow could be evidence of dark matter. Physicists think the entire Milky Way Galaxy lies embedded in a vast cloud of dark matter, like the swirl of color within a marble, with the dark matter densest in the middle. And theory generally suggests that, rarely, when two dark matter particles collide they should annihilate each other to produce ordinary particles, such as the observed high energy photons, or gamma rays. The discovery of the galactic center excess touched off a frenzy of model building, in which theorists tried to concoct specific theories of dark matter that would fit the data.

However, the gamma rays could also come from less exotic sources like pulsars. In 2015, Tracy Slatyer, a particle astrophysicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, and colleagues appeared to make the case that all of the galactic center excess could come from a population of pulsars that are too faint for Fermi to resolve individually.

The argument was tricky. To see the faint gamma ray excess by itself, the researchers had to first subtract out contributions from a half-dozen other known sources. These include the bright disk of the galaxy, sources from beyond the galaxy, and the vast Fermi bubbles, lobes of gamma ray emission that the space telescope discovered on either side of the plane of our galaxy. That left a bulls-eyelike glow in the center of the galaxy. Then, to tell whether the excess was coming from dark matter or pulsars, the researchers analyzed not the spatial distribution of the light, but something far more subtle: how grainy it is.

The digital image of the glow consists of about 12,000 pixels, each containing a handful of gamma ray photons, with the number varying from pixel to pixel. If the photons come from dark matter, which should be distributed smoothly in the galaxy, those variations should have a predictable size. If they come from point sources like pulsars, the variations should be bigger and the picture should be grainier. Thats because the number of pulsars in each pixel will also vary, contributing extra pixel-to-pixel variations.

In 2015, Slatyers team reported that the picture was so grainy that it was most likely produced by pulsars. The study had a big effect. Citations to Hooper and Goodenoughs original paper fell from more than 120 in 2015 to just over 40 last year.

Now, however, Slatyer and MIT postdoc Rebecca Leane have found a problem with the different spatial patterns or templates used to subtract the other contributions to the gamma ray flux. In particular, if the templates for the different types of point sources arent right, then the analysis tends to drastically underestimate the smoother dark matter signal, tests on simulated data show. If we dont model things correctly, we seem to be removing dark matter, Leane says. In fact, when the researchers injected a simulated dark matter signal into the real Fermi data, their analysis did not necessarily find it, they report in a paper in press at Physical Review Letters. So a real dark matter signal could be in the data and they may have missed it, Leane explains.

Will particle theorists start to puzzle over the galactic center excess again? Hooper hopes they will. Whether 5% or 50% or 90% of the people who lost interest will come back, I dont know, he says. Others say the galactic center excess will likely remain too ambiguous to analyze decisively. I dont see anything so far that cant be explained with [conventional] astrophysics, says Glennys Farrar, a theorist at New York University in New York City.

The real lesson of the new work is that physicists need to better understand the ordinary but complicated astrophysics in the center of the galaxy, says Mattia Di Mauro, an astroparticle physicist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, who works on the Fermi space telescope. But Im scared that it will revive only the interest in dark matter.

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Physicists revive hunt for dark matter in the heart of the Milky Way - Science Magazine

The Universe May Be Roundand That Would Be Bad News for Physicists – Gizmodo

Scientists analyzing data from a defunct satellite say we should all consider that our universe might be round, rather than flat. The consequences, they explain in a new paper, could be crisis-inducing.

Current theories of the universe, which describe its age, size, and how it evolves over time, are built around a flat spacetime. A new paper reiterates that data from the final Planck satellite release might be better explained by a round universe than a flat universe. Though not everyone agrees with the papers conclusions, theauthors write that the consequences of assuming a flat universe when the universe is actually round could be dire.

The point isnt really that the universe is closed, or round, the studys corresponding author Alessandro Melchiorri from Sapienza University of Rome told Gizmodo. Instead, he explained that if Planck data seems to prefer a closed universe, then the potential consequences and how they might butt up against cosmologists most popular theory of the universe must be seriously investigated, lest the theory fall apart.

The universe might come in one of three shapes: open, closed, or flat. Parallel lines in an open universe will always move farther apart; parallel lines in a closed universe will eventually meet (and single lines will eventually meet up with themselves); and parallel lines in a flat universe will stay parallel forever.

Scientists already knew from Planck satellite data that mass in the universe was warping the the cosmic microwave background radiation, the farthest radiation our telescopes can see, more than the standard theory of cosmology predicted. Perhaps this is a statistical fluctuation or something wrong with the way scientists are interpreting the databut it would be an incredibly unlikely statistical fluctuation, with less than 1 percent odds. Instead, the team led by Eleonora Di Valentino at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom posited that the observation could be explained simply by a closed universe. This change, however, would put plenty of other measurements out of agreement with Plancks data.

This tension falls on the heels of another important issue with the Planck data, called the Hubble tension. Experiments measuring the cosmic microwave background cant seem to agree with experiments measuring closer objects when it comes to how fast the universe is expanding.

This new paper would be a *really* big deal if true, Dan Hooper, head of the Theoretical Astrophysics Group at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory told Gizmodo in an email. But he wasnt completely swayed. Overall, my view is that in order to convince me of something that is this surprising, one would have to present some very compelling evidence. At this time, the evidence that is available doesnt reach this high standard.

Others highlighted the fact that it may be too early to toss out what many scientists consider to be a core fact of the universe. There are still things we dont understand in the systematics, meaning potential sources of error from the act of making the measurement, said Rene Hloek, professor at the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto. She told Gizmodo that physicists need to be much surer about whether the issue arises from systematic errors or not before shell be convinced.

After all, aside from the Planck data, the lambda-CDM model, which is the standard model of the universe, seems to work really well. Using just six parameters, it seems to fit our observations of the universe, albeit a flat universe, nearly perfectly.

Melchiorri told Gizmodo that questioning prevailing theories is simply science, especially when, to his group, such a discrepancy appears to exist. The point is to have an open mind, he said. Several proposed experiments both on the ground and in space would take more measurements of the cosmic microwave background and either wipe out existing discrepancies as statistical flukes or show scientists that the universe is truly behaving in an unexpected manner.

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The Universe May Be Roundand That Would Be Bad News for Physicists - Gizmodo

NASA Venus Mission Surprise: There Could Be Life Existing On Earths Twin – International Business Times

For many years, humans have been wondering if there are alien beings from other planets or galaxies. We even ask ourselves and say, Is there life outside our world?

Whats interesting is that we are often bombarded with news of possible aliens, UFOs and ancient fossils that suggest that there could be life outside of Earth yet none of them have actually been accepted by the general scientific community.

Now per a report, a new study is suggesting that yes, there might be life outside of Earth and it can be found no less than on the planet with the most extreme conditions - Venus. According to research published on Nov. 10 by Dr. Rhawn Joseph in Nature/Springer journal Astrophysics and Space Science, "Yes, there is life on other worlds. However, our neighbors are not human, but mushroom-shaped fungi dwelling on the surface of Venus and Mars.

There came doubts and questions about this statement. Is there life on Venus? Is that really possible? Dr. Dirk Schulze-Makuch indicated that life may have been transmitted from Earth to our neighbors, Venus and Mars, through meteors which banished out from our planet.

Fungi, in fact, are great survivors. Fungi have populated the most environments of Earth, including places that are affected by nuclear events. Other scientists and researchers have also toyed with the idea that Venus may be home to different creatures, mostly fungi. However, Dr. Joseph was the first one to show photographic evidence of these mushroom-shaped specimens.

Dr. Rudolf Schild of the Dept of Astrophysics at the Harvard-Smithsonian checked out the photos and agreed: "These specimens look just like mushrooms."

Venus is an impossible habitation for any creature, which some have compared to Hell due to its surface temperature of 465.85 degrees Celsius. There are no known Earthly organisms that can survive above 300 degrees Celsius. Thats why some scientists already concluded that it is impossible for living creatures to survive on Venus unless they have evolved.

Is there water in Venus? Many scientists consider that there is great water in the clouds of Venus. In the article Life on Venus by Dr. Joseph, he reasoned out there is water beneath the ground as well. He even used the deserts of Earth on how the water gives life to living creatures and organisms. In Dr. Josephs published article Astrophysics and Space Science, he said, "The hyper-arid, waterless surface of Venus may draw moisture and water up from the subterranean depths, just as occurs in the arid deserts of Earth. If so, then any organisms living below ground may be continually supplied with water as it rises to the surface."

Many scientists believe that billions of years ago Venus was a wet planet with streams, rivers, oceans and lakes where life probably evolved.

An artists illustration shows Venus Express in orbit around the planet. Photo: ESA

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NASA Venus Mission Surprise: There Could Be Life Existing On Earths Twin - International Business Times

Why Astronomers Worry About the Brightness of SpaceX’s Starlink Satellite Megaconstellation – Space.com

SpaceX is planning to launch the second installment of its Starlink megaconstellation on Monday (Nov. 11), and astronomers are waiting to see well, precisely what they will see.

When the company launched its first set of Starlink internet satellites in May, those with their eyes attuned to the night sky immediately realized that the objects were incredibly bright. Professional astronomers worried the satellites would interfere with scientific observations and amateur appreciation of the stars.

"That first few nights, it was like, 'Holy not-publishable-word,'" Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told Space.com. "That kind of was the wake-up call."

Related: SpaceX's 1st Starlink Internet Satellite Megaconstellation Launch in Photos!

SpaceX and its leader, Elon Musk, reassured astronomers that once the satellites settled into place, they would stop masquerading as the stars they are named for. McDowell wanted to confirm the accuracy of Musk's statement, so he asked an email Listserv of amateur astronomers to wait for the first batch of Starlink satellites to reach their final orbit, then compare the brightness of specific satellites to the stars around them.

Those observations started in July. McDowell hasn't completed an exhaustive analysis, but he said the preliminary results are concerning, with Starlink satellites regularly clocking in at magnitudes between 4 and 7, which is bright enough to see without a telescope. "The bottom-line answer is, you can consistently see these things," he said.

The initial Starlink launch carried 60 satellites, but that's just a tiny fraction of what SpaceX has described as its long-term plan, of launching tens of thousands of the devices in orbit. "When you're talking about 30,000 satellites, and many above the horizon at any one time, that's what's new about this," McDowell said. "It's not going to be just the occasional interference, it's going to be continual."

McDowell and his colleagues specializing in optical astronomy aren't used to having to ignore technology masquerading as astronomy. But it's a position radio astronomers are quite familiar with, since satellites send data back to their humans in radio frequencies. "That was something that people realized was coming," he said, "whereas the light-pollution aspect caught us by surprise."

In response to the outcry, Musk said in May that he "sent a note to Starlink team last week specifically regarding albedo reduction," which refers to the amount of light reflected by the satellites. In a separate tweet regarding the issue, Musk also said that SpaceX doesn't intend to interfere with optical astronomy. "That said, well make sure Starlink has no material effect on discoveries in astronomy. We care a great deal about science," he wrote.

But McDowell complained that SpaceX hasn't provided any details about what modifications the satellites could endure and how much they would dim. He hopes to repeat his brightness check once the Starlink satellites that SpaceX plans to launch next week reach their final orbits.

"We can hope that that will improve things, but let's see, the proof is in the pudding, right?" he said. "All we can do right now is go on what they've actually put up there. And what they've actually put up there are really bright satellites that if you had many thousands of them would represent a serious change to the night sky."

For McDowell, the concern is about more than Starlink or SpaceX specifically. "This whole new scale of space industrialization means that this is a problem that we have to start worrying about, and in fact, should have started worrying about 10 years ago," he said. "I'm not trying to say we absolutely shouldn't do megaconstellations. But let's phase it in, let's assess the degree of light pollution, let's manage it as a resource."

He hopes that the space community adopts general practices about how much light pollution individual projects can produce, paralleling existing guidelines for managing space debris. "We thought we could ignore the space age in astronomy, but it's here," McDowell said. "Now we have to take it seriously and deal with the impacts on ground-based astronomy."

Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Need more space? Subscribe to our sister title "All About Space" Magazine for the latest amazing news from the final frontier!

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Why Astronomers Worry About the Brightness of SpaceX's Starlink Satellite Megaconstellation - Space.com

The most spectacular celestial vision youll never see – Astrobiology Magazine

Contrary to previous thought, a gigantic planet in wild orbit does not preclude the presence of an Earth-like planet in the same solar system or life on that planet.

Whats more, the view from that Earth-like planet as its giant neighbor moves past would be unlike anything it is possible to view in our own night skies on Earth, according to new research led by Stephen Kane, associate professor of planetary astrophysics at UC Riverside.

The research was carried out on planets in a planetary system called HR 5183, which is about 103 light years away in the constellation of Virgo. It was there that an eccentric giant planet was discovered earlier this year.

Normally, planets orbit their stars on a trajectory that is more or less circular. Astronomers believe large planets in stable, circular orbits around our sun, like Jupiter,shield us from space objectsthat would otherwise slam into Earth.

Sometimes, planets pass too close to each other and knock one another off course. This can result in a planet with an elliptical or eccentric orbit. Conventional wisdom says that a giant planet in eccentric orbit is like a wrecking ball for its planetary neighbors, making them unstable, upsetting weather systems, and reducing or eliminating the likelihood of life existing on them.

Sometimes, planets pass too close to each other and knock one another off course. This can result in a planet with an elliptical or eccentric orbit. Conventional wisdom says that a giant planet in eccentric orbit is like a wrecking ball for its planetary neighbors, making them unstable, upsetting weather systems, and reducing or eliminating the likelihood of life existing on them.

Questioning this assumption, Kane and Caltech astronomer Sarah Blunt tested the stability of an Earth-like planet in the HR 5183 solar system. Their modeling work is documented in a paper newly published in theAstronomical Journal.

Kane and Blunt calculated the giant planets gravitational pull on an Earth analog as they both orbited their star. In these simulations, the giant planet often had a catastrophic effect on the Earth twin, in many cases throwing it out of the solar system entirely, Kane said.

But in certain parts of the planetary system, the gravitational effect of the giant planet is remarkably small enough to allow the Earth-like planet to remain in a stable orbit.

The team found that the smaller, terrestrial planet has the best chance of remaining stable within an area of the solar system called the habitable zone which is the territory around a star that is warm enough to allow for liquid-water oceans on a planet.

These findings not only increase the number of places where life might exist in the solar system described in this study they increase the number of places in the universe that could potentially host life as we know it.

This is also an exciting development for people who simply love stargazing. HR 5813b, the eccentric giant in Kanes most recent study, takes nearly 75 years to orbit its star. But the moment this giant finally swings past its smaller neighbor would be a breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime event.

When the giant is at its closest approach to the Earth-like planet, it would be fifteen times brighter than Venus one of the brightest objects visible with the naked eye, said Kane. It would dominate the night sky.

Going forward, Kane and his colleagues will continue studying planetary systems like HR 5183. Theyre currently using data from NASAs Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the Keck Observatories in Hawaii to discover new planets, and examine the diversity of conditions under which potentially habitable planets could exist and thrive.

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The most spectacular celestial vision youll never see - Astrobiology Magazine

Clemson scientists further refine how quickly the universe is expanding – Clemson Newsstand

From left, Clemsons Marco Ajello, Lea Marcotulli, Abhishek Desai and Dieter Hartmann were co-authors on a newly released paper in The Astrophysical Journal.Image Credit: College of Science

CLEMSON, South Carolina Wielding state-of-the-art technologies and techniques, a team of Clemson University astrophysicists has added a novel approach to quantifying one of the most fundamental laws of the universe.

In a paper published Friday, Nov. 8, in The Astrophysical Journal, Clemson scientists Marco Ajello, Abhishek Desai, Lea Marcotulli and Dieter Hartmann have collaborated with six other scientists around the world to devise a new measurement of the Hubble Constant, the unit of measure used to describe the rate of expansion of the universe.

Cosmology is about understanding the evolution of our universe how it evolved in the past, what it is doing now and what will happen in the future, said Ajello, an associate professor in the College of Sciences department of physics and astronomy. Our knowledge rests on a number of parameters including the Hubble Constant that we strive to measure as precisely as possible. In this paper, our team analyzed data obtained from both orbiting and ground-based telescopes to come up with one of the newest measurements yet of how quickly the universe is expanding.

The concept of an expanding universe was advanced by the American astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889-1953), who is the namesake for the Hubble Space Telescope. In the early 20th century, Hubble became one of the first astronomers to deduce that the universe was composed of multiple galaxies. His subsequent research led to his most renowned discovery: that galaxies were moving away from each other at a speed in proportion to their distance.

Hubble originally estimated the expansion rate to be 500 kilometers per second per megaparsec, with a megaparsec being equivalent to about 3.26 million light years. Hubble concluded that a galaxy two megaparsecs away from our galaxy was receding twice as fast as a galaxy only one megaparsec away. This estimate became known as the Hubble Constant, which proved for the first time that the universe was expanding. Astronomers have been recalibrating it with mixed results ever since.

With the help of skyrocketing technologies, astronomers came up with measurements that differed significantly from Hubbles original calculations slowing the expansion rate down to between 50 and 100 kilometers per second per megaparsec. And in the past decade, ultra-sophisticated instruments, such as the Planck satellite, have increased the precision of Hubbles original measurements in relatively dramatic fashion.

The teams analysis paves the way for better measurements in the future using telescopes from the Cherenkov Telescope Array.Image Credit: Photo courtesy of Daniel Lpez/IAC

In a paper titled A New Measurement of the Hubble Constant and Matter Content of the Universe using Extragalactic Background Light-Gamma Ray Attenuation, the collaborative team compared the latest gamma-ray attenuation data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopesto devise their estimates from extragalactic background light models. This novel strategy led to a measurement of approximately 67.5 kilometers per second per megaparsec.

Gamma rays are the most energetic form of light. Extragalactic background light (EBL) is a cosmic fog composed of all the ultraviolet, visible and infrared light emitted by stars or from dust in their vicinity. When gamma rays and EBL interact, they leave an observable imprint a gradual loss of flow that the scientists were able to analyze in formulating their hypothesis.

The astronomical community is investing a very large amount of money and resources in doing precision cosmology with all the different parameters, including the Hubble Constant, said Dieter Hartmann, a professor in physics and astronomy. Our understanding of these fundamental constants has defined the universe as we now know it. When our understanding of laws becomes more precise, our definition of the universe also becomes more precise, which leads to new insights and discoveries.

A common analogy of the expansion of the universe is a balloon dotted with spots, with each spot representing a galaxy. When the balloon is blown up, the spots spread farther and farther apart.

Some theorize that the balloon will expand to a particular point in time and then re-collapse, said Desai, a graduate research assistant in the department of physics and astronomy. But the most common belief is that the universe will continue to expand until everything is so far apart there will be no more observable light. At this point, the universe will suffer a cold death. But this is nothing for us to worry about. If this happens, it will be trillions of years from now.

But if the balloon analogy is accurate, what is it, exactly, that is blowing up the balloon?

Matter the stars, the planets, even us is just a small fraction of the universes overall composition, Ajello explained. The large majority of the universe is made up of dark energy and dark matter. And we believe it is dark energy that is blowing up the balloon. Dark energy is pushing things away from each other. Gravity, which attracts objects toward each other, is the stronger force at the local level, which is why some galaxies continue to collide. But at cosmic distances, dark energy is the dominant force.

Lead author Alberto Dominguez of the Complutense University of Madrid is a former postdoctoral researcher in Marco Ajellos group at Clemson. Dominguez is shown here at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma, Spain.Image Credit: Photo courtesy of Alberto Dominguez

The other contributing authors are lead author Alberto Dominguez of the Complutense University of Madrid; Radek Wojtak of the University of Copenhagen; Justin Finke of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.; Kari Helgason of the University of Iceland; Francisco Prada of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia; and Vaidehi Paliya, a former postdoctoral researcher in Ajellos group at Clemson who is now at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron in Zeuthen, Germany.

It is remarkable that we are using gamma rays to study cosmology. Our technique allows us to use an independent strategy a new methodology independent of existing ones to measure crucial properties of the universe, said Dominguez, who is also a former postdoctoral researcher in Ajellos group. Our results show the maturity reached in the last decade by the relatively recent field of high-energy astrophysics. The analysis that we have developed paves the way for better measurements in the future using the Cherenkov Telescope Array, which is still in development and will be the most ambitious array of ground-based high-energy telescopes ever.

Many of the same techniques used in the current paper correlate to previous work conducted by Ajello and his counterparts. In an earlier project, which appeared in the journal Science, Ajello and his team were able to measure all of the starlight ever emitted in the history of the universe.

What we know is that gamma-ray photons from extragalactic sources travel in the universe toward Earth, where they can be absorbed by interacting with the photons from starlight, Ajello said. The rate of interaction depends on the length that they travel in the universe. And the length that they travel depends on expansion. If the expansion is low, they travel a small distance. If the expansion is large, they travel a very large distance. So the amount of absorption that we measured depended very strongly on the value of the Hubble Constant. What we did was turn this around and use it to constrain the expansion rate of the universe.

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Clemson scientists further refine how quickly the universe is expanding - Clemson Newsstand

A gifted physicist reduced to living in his car: what killed Hamid Alamdari? – The Guardian

Hamid Farahi Alamdari was full of stories. When he was living out of his car in a Tesco car park in Harlow, Essex, he told anyone who would listen about his exciting past as an avionics engineer, Iranian war veteran and physicist. Then there was his pice de rsistance: the time he was shortlisted to be Stephen Hawkings assistant. I took it all with a pinch of salt at first because he was telling me all these stories and I could tell he was a drinker, says account manager Adam Protheroe. He could have been anybody. He could have told me that he was the king of Iran and I wouldnt have known any better.

Protheroe became close friends with Hamid in 2017. Id seen him around and he was living in a Peugeot 206 that was parked up just around the corner. I came back a couple of days later with a bag full of clothes and bits and pieces and socks. My wife cooked him a nice meal and I took it down to him in a little box and started talking to him from there.

He would eat with him, take him to appointments and raised more than 700 to get Hamid accommodation in the winter that followed. Protheroe wasnt bothered whether he was telling the truth or not. He liked Hamid, and who wouldnt spin a yarn or two when life had dealt them such a bum deal?

726 homeless people died in England and Wales in 2018, according to the latest ONS figures. Over the next few months, G2 and Guardian Citieswill look behind this statistic to tell the stories of some of those who have died on Britains streets. We will tell not just the story of their death, but the story of their life what they were like as kids, what their dreams were, their hobbies, what people loved about them, what was infuriating. We will also examine what went wrong with their lives, how it impacted on their loved ones, and if anything could have been done differently to prevent their deaths.

As the series develops, we will invite politicians, charities and homelessness organisations to respond to the issues raised. We will also ask readers to offer their own stories and reflections on homelessness. We want the stories we tell to become the fulcrum of a debate about homelessness; to make a difference to a scourge that shames us all.

It is time to stop just passing by.

Protheroe was by no means the only one to fall for Hamids raffish charm. Many of the locals had a soft spot for the bearded stranger with the laughter lines and exotic accent. Hamid chatted to his new friends about literature and science, spiritualism and martial arts, Iraq and war, pretty much anything. And then one day he was gone. Just as he had arrived unannounced, he disappeared. In February 2018, Hamid was taken ill and moved into emergency accommodation. He died there alone. Like two-thirds of homeless people, Hamid suffered with addiction. And like many people who die homeless, he looked far older than his 55 years.

Harlow is one of the new towns built after the second world war to ease overcrowding in London. In its early years it had a thoroughly modern can-do feel to it, boasting Britains first all-pedestrian shopping precinct and first modern high-rise residential tower block. But more recently it has fallen on tough times. This year, Harlows Conservative MP, Robert Halfon, suggested the town had become a dumping ground for London councils, which have sent hundreds of troubled families to live in converted office blocks in his constituency. The last census, in 2011, showed that Harlow had higher unemployment, less home ownership, lower educational qualifications and poorer health than the average for both Essex and England.

In June, however, Halfon said things were looking up for the town. The news that homelessness is at its lowest level since 2010 is a real step in the right direction, he declared. Halfon quoted the absurdly low figure of five homeless people, and was soon corrected by a local Labour councillor, Tony Edwards, who pointed out that the figure referred to rough sleeping not homelessness, and that in fact more than 4,500 people were on the housing-needs register in Harlow and about 400 people had made homeless applications in 2018/19. That paints a very different picture. It means that, with a population of 85,000, 5.3% of people in the town are waiting to have a housing need met.

It is 18 months since Hamid died, and we meet Protheroe in the Tesco superstore cafe where he and Hamid would often get together for coffee and bacon sandwiches. Protheroe is business-like and comes straight to the point. He says he doesnt want us to get the wrong impression; hes not a do-gooder. He considered Hamid a friend rather than a charity case. Im not a selfish bastard, but Im not out to help everybody I can, he says. If anything, Ill help animals more than Ill help people. I just got to know Hamid and we became mates.

Hamid told Protheroe he had ended up homeless in 2017 after selling his pension in a dodgy deal and then running into money troubles. But even here there is a mystery. Unlike most people living on the streets, he still had savings in the bank. He camped in woodland close to Tesco until his tent was set alight. Protheroe says Hamid told him that teenagers were responsible, but he didnt like to talk about it.

Soon after this a Harlow local gave Hamid the old Peugeot 206. He parked it by Tesco and moved in. The interior of his car-home was crammed with donated clothes and books science books, spiritual self-help guides, novels, all sorts. The only space left for Hamid was the passenger seat. Protheroe thought his friend might be an eccentric hoarder.

He was very educated. But something obviously went wrong somewhere along the line

Hamid told him he spoke seven languages, that he had a PhD in astrophysics and theoretical maths, and mentioned the job he almost got with the late Prof Hawking. He also talked about fighting in the Iran-Iraq war, showed him photographs of members of his platoon who had died, and told him he suffered from terrible flashbacks. Thats why he drank, he said to blot out the memories. Protheroe is surprised by how well they got to know each other in such a short period of time. He would find himself visiting Hamid at night to make sure he was OK.

Although Hamid was a good deal older, 41-year-old Protheroe found himself playing a paternal role. He would often tick Hamid off about the state of his car-home. Id open up the car door and hed been smoking roll-ups in there. I said youve got to sleep in there, and theres smoke billowing out. It wasnt the kind of car I would have liked to have slept in, if Im being honest. Hamid wasnt very tidy. Id have a go at him Sort yourself out, you look like a sack of shit, you need to run a brush through your hair. Id just have a dig at him and wed have a bit of back and forth. Hed laugh at me, and take the piss.

Like Protheroe, Chrissy Sorce is almost apologetic about befriending Hamid. I dont know why I took to him. I dont go out and randomly do that to everybody. Its just something about him he was likable. Sorce, who is 51, works at a car-rental firm based in the industrial park next to Tesco. He parked the Peugeot behind our workplace, and I just started chatting to him on my fag breaks, she recalls.

Sorce talks about his fondness for scratch cards He was always trying to win millions, bless him and how she stored books for him in her daughters shed to free up space in the Peugeot. They were quite intellectual books. He was very educated. But something obviously went wrong somewhere along the line, which can happen, cant it?

Hamid told Sorce many fascinating and funny stories. But for all that, there was a terrible vulnerability about him, she says. It was all a fake, really, because at the end of the day he was still lying in that car and sleeping in the freezing cold. Sometimes when he was drunk he would weep and tell her he wished he was dead. Sorce says she told him not to be daft, and to take any opportunity that came along. But she admits, at this stage of his life, few opportunities were coming his way. I think the council could have housed him. He could have been put in a room a lot sooner, surely. They all knew where he was.

What she most liked about Hamid is that he didnt want anything from her. He never even asked me for a pound. She pauses and smiles. He did ask me to go out for dinner, though, but I had to let him down and say no. I think he liked the women. He would go into Tesco and chat to them. She once did his washing for him, she says. I washed and ironed everything. I said to him: Do you want me to do any more? But he never gave me any more to do. He was proud. After I did that, he went out and bought me washing powder to replace what Id done. I told him not to bother, but he did it anyway.

She knows some people couldnt understand why she wanted to help him. They said it straight out to her. When I took home his washing and yes, it really did stink one of my managers said: Eeeeugh, how could you wash all his clothes? I said: Easy, you just put them in the washing machine and take them out. Sorce says she couldnt help thinking it could just as easily have been her living in that car. Were all one pay cheque away from being homeless. You never know whats going to bring you down, thats how I see it.

At times, she says, Hamid seemed confused. She and Protheroe believe he had early-stage dementia. As for his stories, she didnt know what to make of them. You never know whats true and whats not, do you? You just go along with it.

Both Sorce and Protheroe were anxious that Hamid should take care of his appearance. They believed that this, coupled with sobriety, could be the difference between him getting a council home or not. Thats why Protheroe ended up taking him to his barbers one day. Hamid was attending an alcohol dependency therapy group in Harlow, says Protheroe. The idea was that, if he demonstrated he could get off the booze, they would recommend that the council should give him somewhere to live. I was trying to sober him up and make him look a bit more respectable. So I took him to my barber. Hamid had this big old white Father Christmas beard and he took all that off, cut his hair and he looked like a different person.

It was at the barbers that Protheroe began to suspect Hamid may have been telling the truth about his academic background. My barber is a very intelligent guy, and him and Hamid were having conversations about string theory, this theory, that theory. It was really bizarre to hear Hamid coming out with these things.

Hamid never did get council accommodation, but Protheroe says in some ways he was his own worst enemy. The Harlow homeless project Streets2Homes tried to find a place for Hamid to live. Theyd say: Weve got a room for you, but you cant drink or smoke in the room, and there are all these rules and regulations. Hamid was like Nononono, Im not having that. And he just wouldnt do it. If you want help, first of all youve got to help yourself. Hamid was like: Id rather sit in my car and drink and smoke.

Protheroe admits he may be being tough on his friend insisting that an alcoholic does not drink in his own home is a big ask. Hamid may well have benefited from the Housing First model, whereby homeless people are provided with a home and then addiction issues are addressed with wraparound support. Streets2Homes declined to talk to us for this article.

There was also something about the car-home that made Hamid special. He was well known to Tesco customers and became something of a local celebrity. Hamid and his Peugeot had become a landmark. Protheroe reckons Hamid had good reason to be wary of council accommodation. He tells us of the time Hamid was robbed while staying in a hostel. He had his bloody pin number written on his bank card and whoever it was that stole it from the hostel emptied his bank, absolutely emptied his bank. So I was on the phone to his bank and tried to get it all sorted out. He had a couple of grand in the bank; that was what was left over from his pension.

Sorce thinks Hamid declined offers of housing because they were not permanent, and he felt he would be even more exposed there. He wanted to steer clear of people who were similar to him, she says. Hamid told her he was offered a place at Terminus House in Harlow, a grim-looking block of flats often described as a human warehouse where hundreds of residents, sent from councils across London, are crammed together in tiny flats. Halfon has referred to the practice of rehousing families from London in his constituency as social cleansing. The building made headlines in July because of a drugs network operating nearby, and police figures show that crime within a 500-metre radius of Terminus House rose 20% in the 10 months after it opened.

Rather than accepting a place in Terminus House, Hamid returned to his silver Peugeot, carried on smoking and drinking, and continued to be berated by his good friend for his slovenliness. Protheroe says that somehow Hamid, for all his bad habits and obduracy, brought out an incredible generosity in the Harlow community. One day Hamid broke the key in the lock of the car door, and Protheroe posted a shout-out on Facebook for help. This guy got in touch, came down, and sorted him with a key. It was normally a 200 job, but he did it as a gesture of goodwill.

When the weather turned and Protheroe was worried Hamid might get hypothermia, he set up a GoFundMe page. A kind-hearted girl phoned me up around midnight, and said: I cant stop thinking about this guy. I want to come out and help him. I said: Right, Ill get out of bed and come and meet you. She and her husband drove down in a hundred grand Mercedes AMG Jeep. They paid 400 or 500 quid to put him up in the Park Inn for a week.

Another woman turned up with a huge biscuit tin crammed with cigarettes. It was filled to the brim. There must have been a couple of thousand roll-ups in it. And soon after it became apparent that there was no longer room for Hamid in the Peugeot, another miracle happened. A guy rocked up with an Audi estate car, which was like twice the size of his existing premises. He parked that up behind, and the Peugeot became a storage facility for all the junk while Hamid moved into the Audi.

Its a story deserving of a happy ending. But of course it didnt have one. Eventually, as he became ill, Hamid did accept help, and during a cold snap in February 2018 he was provided with emergency accommodation by Streets2Homes at the Oasis Hotel in Harlow. Nav Hussein, the hotel manager, checked on Hamid after receiving a concerned call over his whereabouts. When he went to his room, he saw two empty bottles of alcohol, and Hamid sitting upright on the bed. Hussein called out to him, but received no reply. He then noticed there was something different about the colour of Hamids hands and realised he was dead.

The autopsy revealed that Hamid had died of organ failure, but Protheroe is convinced he had simply lost the will to live. At the time, Hamid was on a complex cocktail of medication. I think that it had got to the point where hed just had enough, and he stopped taking his meds.

A few weeks after his death, the council arranged a funeral for Hamid. Protheroe was disappointed by the turnout. He was pleased that Hamids family were there, but wondered where they had been when his friend needed them most.

Hamid Farahi Alamdaris Facebook was last updated in November 2015. It states he started a new job as an aircraft engineer in 2006, and that he worked as an aircraft maintenance engineer for British Airways World Cargo. Most of his friends are beautiful young women from any number of countries, and a few are aviation engineers and fellow Iranians. His Facebook biography says he graduated from Bristol Aeronautical University in 1997. But there is no Bristol Aeronautical University. There is a renowned aerospace engineering department at Bristol University. However, Bristol University tells us Hamid never studied there. British Airways refuses to confirm that he worked there.

At the bottom of the list of friends is a man called Ariane F Alamdari. Ariane is Hamids nephew. Over the phone he tells us that his uncle could be a difficult man, particularly when he was drinking, but he did not believe he was a liar. Of all his personality traits, embellishing the truth or telling fibs was not one of the things that I knew him for. Ariane says the details of his uncles life are a puzzle to him. He introduces us to his father, Hamids older brother Saeed, who he says can tell us more.

Saeed is a 64-year-old academic who lectures in engineering at Bradford College and lives in Roundhay, a well-to-do suburb of Leeds. We meet in Roundhay Park, one of Europes largest city parks. Saeed is a short, slight man, who carries himself with an easy elegance. He has just completed the first half of his regular 10-mile walk around the lake. Saeed talks quietly and thoughtfully about Hamid and their parents, who came to Iran from Azerbaijan and spoke Turkish. He says that he was the lucky brother. Because he was eight years older than Hamid, he managed to leave Iran for the UK before the shah was overthrown and Ayatollah Khomeini established an Islamic republic in Iran. This was the main thing that set their lives apart, he says.

Saeed does not pretend to know every detail of his brothers life. There were so many years they were apart. Like us, he has been trying to piece together a complex jigsaw since Hamids death.

Saeed and Hamid were two of four children born into a middle-class family in Tehran. Their parents were practising Muslims and their children grew up in a secular Iran. Their father had a good, stable job working in security for the ministry of health, while their mother brought up the children. Saeed says it was obvious from early on that young Hamid was outstandingly gifted. He was good at all sorts of sports, but most of all he was academically brilliant. Both boys were drawn to the sciences, engineering and maths.

There was something else that stood out about young Hamid he loved to take risks. He and his friends used to go on to the roof of mosques and jump off them, and the curator would chase them, recalls Saeed. He liked getting chased. He wanted to be on the edge.

Life changed for everybody after the revolution of 1979. By then Saeed had already established himself in the UK. He left Tehran in 1974, studied mechanical and aerospace engineering at Leeds University, did a masters degree in combustion and settled to a life in academia. Hamid was only 16 at the time of the revolution. In 1981, when he turned 19, he was conscripted into the army to fight in the Iran-Iraq war, which had begun the previous year. Because he was such a high achiever, he was drafted in as a lieutenant.

Astrophysics was a favourite subject of his. Parallel universes. Im just hoping that in other universes, Hamid will be living a better life

Saeed shows us a photo of a fresh-faced Hamid, standing at ease in an army uniform that looks a couple of sizes too big for him. However, Saeed thinks he was anything but at ease. Here was a young man responsible for the lives of so many other men who simply didnt want to be there. He had a platoon under his control, and most of these soldiers were drafted from villages. Hamid told me that on the day they were leaving for the front, the soldiers mothers got together and told him: Were leaving our sons in your hands. And during the war he lost most of his platoon he always blamed himself for that.

Saeed says the war left Hamid with post-traumatic stress disorder. Hamid suffered a recurring nightmare that Iraqi soldiers were coming towards him with their hands raised, but he shot them anyway. After leaving the army, he went to India to study physics and to try to heal himself. Hamid told Saeed he studied for a degree, then completed a PhD. He also said he spent much of the time meditating and reading the great 13th-century Persian poets Rumi and Shams Tabrizi. I think meditating and reading were coping mechanisms for him, Saeed says. But by now Hamid also had another coping mechanism: booze.

After India, Hamid returned to Tehran, where he found himself in trouble. He could not cope with the oppressive regime or the alcohol ban. On one occasion, Hamid told Saeed, he and his friends were sentenced to 80 lashes after being caught drinking. But one of his friends had a hump on his back, and Hamid said: Youre not going to lash him. He was asked: Well, do you want to take his punishment? He said: I will, and he received 160 lashes. Thats when he came to the conclusion that this was not the place for him.

In the mid-90s, Hamid came to the UK. He was in his early 30s and lived with his sister in Croydon while doing an admin job with the charity Age UK and studying English at Croydon College. According to Saeed, he won the colleges student of the year award. From there he moved to Bristol, but Saeed says that, rather than studying at university, as suggested on his Facebook profile, Hamid attended Bristol College to get a diploma to enable him to work on planes. It was around this time that he made his application to become Stephen Hawkings assistant at the University of Cambridge. A letter dated 31 August 1997 confirms his application for the post, but there does not appear to be any correspondence about his shortlisting.

Hamid didnt get the job as Hawkings assistant, but was employed as an aeronautical engineer in Bristol. He had a stable job, lived with a girlfriend and made a decent life for himself. Saeed says these were his happiest years in Britain. But even then his brother had noticed a change. He had always been a risk-taker, but now he was becoming positively reckless. Hamid told him of a time he had gone to a drug-dealers house in Bristol to buy cannabis. He said they had machetes and everything, and all the drugs were on the table. He and his friend took everything from the table and just ran away. For a few months he had to stay low. Its not that he needed the money. He did it for the high.

In 2008 Hamid lost his job, and went on a downward spiral. He moved to the market town of Great Dunmow in Essex and stayed with a friend for a while. By now it was obvious to Saeed that his brother was addicted to alcohol and cannabis and that his life was becoming increasingly chaotic.

At one point, Saeed paid for Hamid to go to Afghanistan for an interview for a job at a US air force base. Hamid also told Saeed that he went to Saudi Arabia to be interviewed for a post in avionics. But neither of these jobs materialised. Hamid would often phone Saeed at work, asking for money. Eventually, Saeed had to give an instruction not to put Hamids calls through to him.

Saeed had his own problems. He and his wife had separated and he was looking after his son, who has Aspergers. When Hamid came to stay in Leeds, he inevitably brought trouble. There was one terrible weekend in 2011 when, within 20 minutes of Hamid arriving, there was a knock on Saeeds door. It was Hamids drug dealer. I was furious that he had arranged that. I told him, you come here whenever you want, Hamid, but no drugs. Ive a son living with me no drugs, no alcohol. The next day they were walking back to Saeeds car. He had fallen behind me, and I realised he was drinking from a bottle of whisky in a brown paper bag. His face was getting redder and redder. When he saw me looking at him, he put it in his pocket. I dragged it out and smashed it on the floor. I said: Didnt I tell you, if youre coming here, no alcohol. I had my son with me.

Saeed couldnt cope with his brothers behaviour. On the Monday, I took him to the bus station. I shook hands with him and I said: Ill see you in another world. That was the last time the brothers saw each other. Hamid would occasionally phone usually asking for money. The last time he phoned was three in the morning. His speech was slurred. I said to him: Assume you have no brother. Saeed looks out on to the lake. He says he knows he was hard on Hamid, but he felt he had to choose between his brother and his sons welfare. I have my regrets, he says. Possibly I was asking too much from him.

It was around five years later, in 2017, that Hamid sold his pension and ended up homeless. A year later he died. Hamid Farahi Alamdari physicist, spiritualist, risk-taker, addict, war veteran. He may have fought his war in a faraway country for a remote regime, but in many ways he was typical of the thousands of British war veterans who are homeless never shaking off the ghosts of the battlefield and left with lifelong PTSD. He might have told all the friends he made in that industrial park in Harlow about the beautiful and clever things in life, but ultimately it is his confessions about nightmares and the psychological scars left by war that left the strongest impression.

As for the PhD and being shortlisted for the job with Hawking, who knows? All his friends are certain of is that he had exceptional ability, that he died a disappointed man, and that they miss him. Adam Protheroe and Chrissy Sorce knew him for less than a year, but he changed their lives. Sorce says she knows she helped Hamid, but she still thinks she let him down at the end. I felt a bit bad because he messaged me a few times and I was so busy with my own family that I didnt really respond back to him as much as I should have. I did feel something towards him. He had a nice nature. I have a plant here he bought me for Christmas. I called it Hamid. Its a large succulent, is thriving and sits on her windowsill at home.

At the cafe in Harlow, Protheroe says he cant drive past Tesco these days without thinking of his friend. He was gutted when he heard of Hamids death. He mentions a book Hamid gave him as a present. Its called The Prophet. Its only a thin book, and it was just inspirational stuff live your life this way, do good, be the best person you can. It means a lot to him, he says.

Back in Leeds, Saeed admits it was a shock when he discovered Hamid had been living in a car and died homeless. He says he cant express just how grateful he is to the people of Harlow for looking after Hamid when he had given up. We were stunned by the number of books in the car, the clothes that people had given him, all the flowers at his funeral. He spends a lot of time reflecting on his brothers life, and says that these days he can remember the good times more easily. Astrophysics was a favourite subject of his. Parallel universes. He shakes his head. It was a waste of a good life. Im just hoping that in other universes, parallel universes, Hamid will be living a better life.

Saeed and his sister decided not to tell their 90-year-old mother, who still lives in Iran, about Hamids death because they thought it would break her heart. But about a week after he died, she called my sister from Iran saying: Im getting these dreams either Hamid is ill or he is dead, which is it? And then my sister said: Yes, he has passed away. Saeed says that his mother was relieved Hamid is finally at peace.

Saeed is getting ready for the second half of his walk around Roundhay Park. Sometimes he meets a man in the park who reminds him of his brother. Seven oclock in the morning hes feeding swans, and hes got a bottle of wine with him, Saeed says. There will come a time when I will strike a conversation with him. Listen, I had a brother and he went right through what youre going through now. For now, Saeed just tells him to take care of himself.

In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org

If you are worried about becoming homeless, contact the housing department of your local authority to fill in a homeless application. You can use the gov.uk website to find your local council

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A gifted physicist reduced to living in his car: what killed Hamid Alamdari? - The Guardian

The Universe Is Laced with Giant Structures Connecting Distant Galaxies – Asgardia Space News

Hundreds of billions of galaxies spiral, ring-shaped, looped, and others make up our universe. Sometimes, despite their differences and the vast distances between them, galaxies move together, as if an unseen force connects them

Finding such connections suggests the presence of large-scale structures, scientists say. Made of hydrogen gas and dark matter, they are the filaments, sheets, and knots that link galaxies together. En masse, they are a far-reaching network of cosmic connections.

However, we know very little about the dynamics of the structures. Scientists are eager to learn more, as the structures may change some fundamental ideas we hold about the universe.

'Thats actually the reason why everybody is always studying these large-scale structures,' Noam Libeskind, a cosmographer at the Leibniz-Institute for Astrophysics, tells Vice. 'Its a way of probing and constraining the laws of gravity and the nature of matter, dark matter, dark energy, and the universe.'

Synchronicity in spite of distances

Each galaxy is part of a gravitationally bound cluster, a local group that contains a few other galaxies. The local group is, in turn, a part of a supercluster. So, for example, the Milky Way is part of a local group that contains several dozen galaxies, and the local group is part of the Virgo supercluster, that has more than 10,000 galaxies.

The effect a galaxy may have on another on the local scale is well-understood. However, how galaxies are linked to others at distances too great to be explained by gravitation remains unknown.

A recentstudy publishedin The Astrophysical Journaldescribes 445 galaxies rotating in sync with the motions of other galaxies located at a distance of tens of millions of light years away.

'This discovery is quite new and unexpected,' says Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institutes astronomerJoon Hyeop Lee, the lead author of the study. 'I have never seen any previous report of observations or any prediction from numerical simulations exactly related to this phenomenon.'

Leeand his team looked at galaxies within 400 million light years of Earth, finding that the ones rotating toward our home planet had neighbors that were moving toward it as well. Similarly, those rotating away fromEarthhad neighbors moving away from Earth, too.

'The observed coherence must have some relationship with large-scale structures, because it is impossible that the galaxies separated by six megaparsecs [roughly 20 million light years] directly interact with each other,' Leesays.

The conclusion the team made was that there must be a slowly rotating large-scale structure to explain the synchronous rotation and movement of the galaxies.

And while the idea is new, it has been observed before: A 2014 study discovered alignment of supermassive black holes at the cores of quasars that stretch billions of light years. The discovery, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, included observations of synchronicity by using the Very Large Telescope in Chile. Analyzing the recordings from the polarization of light from nearly 100 quasars, the research team, led by University of Liges Damien Hutsemkers, reconstructed the alignment of the black holes, finding that the rotation axes of 19 quasars were parallel, even though they had been separated by a few billion light years.

'Galaxy spin axes are known to align with large-scale structures such as cosmic filaments, but this occurs on smaller scales,' Hutsemkers says. 'However, there is currently no explanation why the axes of quasars are aligned with the axis of the large group in which they are embedded.'

Will new studies overturn old theories?

If the large-scale structures exist, then the cosmological principle one that states that the universe is basically uniform and homogeneous is false. The existence of such structures would counter that principle. Even so, Hutsemkers and his team warned that more research is needed to seriously put a dent on the long-standing belief. 'Other similar structures are needed to confirm a real anomaly,' he says.

One of the difficulties astronomers face is the limitations of the observational techniques, although future radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometer Array may help. 'As far as large-scale alignments are concerned, we are essentially waiting for more data,' Hutsemkers says. 'Such studies are statistical and a step forward would require a large amount of polarization data, not easy to gather with current instrumentation.'

Another issue is the way in which dwarf galaxies seem to align around larger host galaxies. This is a problem for the CDM model, which provides the theoretical timeline of the universe since its inception. Simulations under the model show that the satellite galaxies should be distributed randomly and yet they are not. Such neatly synced galaxies have been found to orbit the Milky Way, Andromeda, and Centaurus A, with the latest discovery published in Science in 2018.

The latter has also led scientists to admit that the CDM model has serious faults.

'At the moment, we have observed this at the three closest galaxies,' Oliver Mller, lead author of the 2018 study, says. 'Of course, you can always say that its only three, so its not statistical yet. But it shows that every time we have good data, we find it, so it could be universal.'

A 2015 study suggested a way to bring together the CDM model with the new findings, suggesting that cosmic web filaments might be guiding the synced galaxies. 'One of the great things about science is that you can have a model built with thousands of pieces of data but if one thing doesnt stick it starts to crack,' explains lead author Libeskind. 'That crack either has to be sealed or its going to bring the whole house down.'

Next-generation technology offers hope

The consensus among scientists is that more research is needed, with much of the hope placed upon the data that will come from the next-generation observatories. The synced dwarf galaxies and the alignment of galaxies across millions of light years seem to hold clues to the mysteries of the large-scale structure of the universe, of forces that we do not yet understand, or both.

'What I really like about this stuff is just that we are still at the pioneering phase,' says Mller. 'Thats super exciting.'

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The Universe Is Laced with Giant Structures Connecting Distant Galaxies - Asgardia Space News