#Most Powerful

[xtruss]

China's Most Powerful Spectral Telescope Expected To Enter Use in Qinghai in 2026

— Global Times | Editor: Li Yan | January 30, 2023

China's most powerful spectral telescope with an aperture of 4.4 meters which can realize multi-target and high-resolution spectral observation simultaneously is expected to be completed and enter use in 2026 at the Lenghu Astronomical Observation Base, the largest astronomical observation base in Asia.

According to the Lenghu Astronomical Observation Base located in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province, Shanghai Jiao Tong University plans to build a large-aperture multi-functional spectral telescope, Jiaotong University Spectroscopic Telescope (JUST), at the base.

After three years of monitoring and testing conducted by the research team, the location of JUST at the Lenghu Astronomical Observation Base in Lenghu area on Saishiteng Mountain in Qinghai was found to enjoy advantages including good air quality, clear night skies, and other stable atmospheric conditions for constructing the world’s first-class large-scale observation base for optical and infrared astronomy.

So far, a total of 12 telescope projects from 11 scientific research institutes have been launched at the base. After their completion, the base will become Asia’s largest astronomical observation base.

With an aperture of 4.4 meters, the spectral telescope project adopted a lightweight design and is equipped with multiple spectrometers, allowing for rapid switching of target sources and timely spectroscopic observations.

According to the plan, JUST is expected to be completed and put into use in 2026, and carry out research work covering three aspects including exploring the dark universe, tracking the dynamic universe and searching for exoplanets as planned. After the project is completed, it is expected to achieve a series of breakthrough research results with significant impact in the fields of time-domain astronomy, exoplanet search, and cosmic web structure and evolution.

The JUST project is one of the major projects in the astronomical field strategically planned by the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The JUST site will be located near the Lenghu Town on the Saishiteng Mountain in Qinghai.

The JUST will be installed at the point B at an altitude of 4,322 meters above sea level on the Saishiteng Mountain. The current largest dome at the point C at an altitude of 4,200 meters, is the 2.5-meter Wide Field Survey Telescope (WFST) Mozi for time-domain surveys.

After it is completed, the JUST is expected to carry out characteristic spectral observations around scientific goals such as cosmic web structure, multi-messenger astronomy, and exoplanet exploration. By that time, the JUST will be the most powerful spectral telescope in China and will work closely with the survey telescope Mozi and the upcoming space-survey telescope, Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST), to provide indispensable first-hand observation data for the further development of astronomy in China.

JUST’s High-Resolution Spectrometers will realize multi-target and high-resolution spectral observation simultaneously for the first time in the World, expected to greatly improve the efficiency of exoplanet detection.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

The Giant Magellan Telescope’s final mirror fabrication begins

The Giant Magellan Telescope begins the four-year process to fabricate and polish its seventh and final primary mirror, the last required to complete the telescope’s 368 square meter light collecting surface, the world’s largest and most challenging optics ever produced. Together, the mirrors will collect more light than any other telescope in existence, allowing humanity to unlock the secrets of the Universe by providing detailed chemical analyses of celestial objects and their origin.

Last week, the University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab closed the lid on nearly 20 tons of the purest optical glass inside a one-of-a-kind oven housed beneath the stands of the Arizona Wildcats Football Stadium. The spinning oven will heat the glass to 1,165°C so as it melts, it is forced outward to form the mirror’s curved paraboloid surface. Measuring 8.4-meters in diameter—about two stories tall when standing on edge—the mirror will cool over the next three months before moving into the polishing stage.

At 50 million times more powerful than the human eye, “the telescope will make history through its future discoveries,” shares Buell Jannuzi, Principal Investigator for the fabrication of the Giant Magellan Telescope primary mirror segments, Director of Steward Observatory, and Head of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. “We are thrilled to be closing in on another milestone in the fabrication of the Giant Magellan Telescope.”

The most recently completed primary mirror is ready for integration into a giant support system prototype early next year for final optical performance testing. This testing will serve as the dress rehearsal for all seven primary mirrors. Once assembled, all seven mirrors will work in concert as one monolithic 25.4-meter mirror—a diameter equal to the length of a full-grown blue whale—resulting in up to 200 times the sensitivity and four times the image resolution of today’s most advanced space telescopes.

The Giant Magellan Telescope will be the first extremely large telescope to complete its primary mirror array. With strong operational infrastructure completed at the telescope site in Chile, focused manufacturing is taking place on the telescope’s critical subsystem before starting on the enclosure.

“We are in an important stage of fabrication, with much of the manufacturing happening in the United States,” shares Robert Shelton, President of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

The 39-meter-tall telescope structure is being manufactured with 2,100 tons of American steel at a newly-built manufacturing facility in Rockford, Illinois, and fabrication of the telescope’s first of seven adaptive secondary mirrors—a one for one pair with each of the seven primary mirrors—is underway.

“The combination of light-gathering power, efficiency, and image resolution will enable us to make new discoveries across all fields of astronomy,” shares Rebecca Bernstein, Chief Scientist for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “We will have a unique combination of capabilities for studying planets at high spatial and spectral resolution, both of which are key to determining if a planet has a rocky composition like our Earth, if it contains liquid water, and if its atmosphere contains the right combination of molecules to indicate the presence of life.”

The telescope is expected to see first light by the end of the decade, and will work to answer some of humanity’s most pressing questions: Where did we come from? Are we alone in the Universe?

TOP IMAGE....University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab staff members placing nearly 20 tons of Ohara E6 low expansion glass into a mold for casting the Giant Magellan Telescope's seventh primary mirror segment, September 2023. CREDIT Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

LOWER IMAGE....University of Arizona Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab staff members placing chunks of Ohara E6 low expansion glass into a mold for casting the Giant Magellan Telescope's seventh primary mirror segment, September 2023. CREDIT Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

[stay-with-wonder]

Rigel: Orion's Brightest Star

Rigel is a star you can easily spot in the night sky. It is the brightest star in the constellation Orion (the hunter) and the seventh brightest star in the night sky. But did you know that Rigel is not just one star but a system of four stars? And that is a blue supergiant, one of the most massive and luminous stars in our galaxy? I will be focusing on Rigel and its companions in this post.

What is Rigel?

What are Rigel’s Companions?

Rigel is not alone in its orbit around the center mass of the system. It has three companions: Rigel Ba, Rigel Bb, and Rigel C. These are all main-sequence stars, which means they still burn hydrogen in their cores. They are also blue-white, with spectral types of B9 V. They have similar masses and radii, ranging from 2.94 to 3.84 times that of the Sun and from 2.5 to 3 times that of the Sun respectively.

Rigel Ba and Rigel Bb form a close pair that orbits each other every 9.86 days. They are so close that they cannot be seen separately, even with powerful telescopes. They are called a spectroscopic binary because their orbital motion can be detected by measuring the Doppler shifts in their spectral lines.

Rigel A and Rigel Bc form an even wider pair that orbits each other every 24,000 years. This pair can be seen with binoculars or small telescopes under good conditions.

There is also a fifth star that may be part of the system, but it is not confirmed yet. It is a faint red dwarf star of magnitude 15.3 that lies about 220 arcseconds* away from Rigel A. 

*(Arcseconds, also known as arc-seconds or arc seconds, are a unit of angular measurement used in various fields, including astronomy, geodesy, and navigation. They are a subdivision of an arcminute, a unit of angular measurement equal to 1/60th of a degree.)

How Did Rigel Form and Evolve?

Rigel started as a massive main sequence star that burned the hydrogen in its core very quickly. As the hydrogen was depleted, the star began to contract and heat up, while its outer layers expanded and cooled down. As a result, Rigel became a supergiant star.

Rigel will continue to fuse heavier elements until it reaches iron, which cannot release any more energy by fusion. (Stars undergo fusion reactions in their cores, where lighter elements combine to form heavier elements, releasing energy in the process of fusion. A fusion process continues until the core contains predominantly iron. At this point, the process of fusing iron requires more energy than it releases, slowing down. This process poses a problem because fusion reactions provide the outward pressure that counteracts the inward pull of gravity, supporting the star against collapse. Without the energy generated by fusion, the star loses its means of support and can eventually collapse under its gravity.) At this point, Rigel will collapse and explode into a supernova. But this won’t happen for another million years or so.

The supernova explosion will destroy most of Rigel’s mass and eject it into space as gas and dust. The training core will either become either a neutron star or a black hole, depending on how massive it is.

The fate of Rigel's companions will depend on how close they are to Rigel when it explodes. If they are too close, they will be destroyed or disrupted by the shock wave and radiation from the supernova. If they are far enough, they will survive but may be affected by the change in gravity and radiation from the remnant.

Rigel is important for several reasons. First, it is a prominent star that helps us identify the constellation of Orion and find other stars in the sky. Second, it is a bright and nearby example of a supergiant star, which helps us understand the evolution and fate of massive stars. Third, it is a complex star that challenges our ability to observe and measure its components and interactions. Fourth, it is a potential supernova progenitor that may explode in the near future (in astronomical terms, of course) and provide us with a spectacular show and valuable data.

Rigel is also important for cultural reasons. It has been known and named by many civilizations throughout history, and it has been associated with various myths and legends. In ancient China, Rigel was called Shang Zuo, meaning "the left-hand seat of the king," and it was part of the Three Stars asterism that represented the emperor's throne. In Arabic, Rigel was called Rijl al-Jawza', meaning "the foot of the central one," referring to Orion as a giant. In modern times, Rigel has been featured in many works of science fiction and fantasy, such as Star Trek, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and The Chronicles of Narnia.

Rigel is a fascinating star that deserves our attention and admiration. It is not only a beautiful sight in the night sky, but also a rich source of scientific information and cultural inspiration. I hope you enjoyed learning about Rigel and its companions, and I encourage you to look for them the next time you gaze at the stars. And as always, this blogger has to sign out, Stay With Wonder!

[spacenutspod]

The very early Universe was a dark place. It was packed with light-blocking hydrogen and not much else. Only when the first stars switched on and began illuminating their surroundings with UV radiation did light begin its reign. That occurred during the Epoch of Reionization. But before the Universe became well-lit, a specific and mysterious type of light pierced the darkness: Lyman-alpha emissions. Even though the early Universe was too dark for light to travel through the opaque gas that dominated it, astronomers have still detected some Lyman-alpha lines prior to the lights coming on in the Epoch of Reionization. Where did it come from? That’s been a significant unanswered question that many have pondered. Lyman-alpha emissions occur in the UV range and come from hydrogen atoms as their electrons transition to a specific energy state. Lyman-alpha spectral lines are part of what astronomers call the Lyman-alpha forest. The forest is a series of absorption lines stemming from the hydrogen in distant astronomical objects. As their light passes through gas clouds with different redshifts, it creates the forest of Lyman-alpha lines. “Providing an explanation for the surprising detection of Lyman-alpha in these early galaxies is a major challenge for extragalactic studies,” the authors of some new research write. The research is published in Nature Astronomy and may have found the answer. Its title is “Deciphering Lyman-alpha emission deep into the epoch of reionization.” The lead author is Callum Witten, a researcher at the Kavli Institute for Cosmology at Cambridge University in the UK. “One of the most puzzling issues that previous observations presented was the detection of light from hydrogen atoms in the very early Universe, which should have been entirely blocked by the pristine neutral gas that was formed after the Big Bang,” Witten said in a press release. “Many hypotheses have previously been suggested to explain the great escape of this ‘inexplicable’ emission.” But now there’s a new cosmological sheriff in town: the James Webb Space Telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope: humanity’s new favourite science instrument. Image Credit: NASA The JWST was built with the ability to peer back to the Universe’s early days. That was one of the primary drivers of the entire endeavour. The JWST’s ability to sense the photons released by the stars in the first galaxies early in the Universe’s life has opened a new window into the early Universe and is leading us toward answers to many long-standing questions. The JWST has both the sensitivity and the angular resolution to follow ancient light back to its source. “Here, we take unique advantage of both high-resolution and high-sensitivity images from the James Webb Space Telescope Near Infrared Camera to show that all galaxies in a sample of Lyman-alpha emitters with redshift >7 have close companions,” the researchers write in their paper. This is an important point with huge implications. The JWST images of the Lyman-Alpha emitter LAE EGSY8p68 reveal more detail than previous observations with the Hubble Space Telescope. The JWST’s resolving power reveals a clump of smaller, dimmer galaxies around the bright galaxies in LAE EGSY8p68 that the HST couldn’t see. The region is a much busier, crowded region with lots of active star formation. “Where Hubble was seeing only a large galaxy, Webb sees a cluster of smaller interacting galaxies, and this revelation has had a huge impact on our understanding of the unexpected hydrogen emission from some of the first galaxies,” said study co-author Sergio Martin-Alvarez from Stanford University. The early galaxies were prodigious star producers and were a rich source of Lyman-alpha emissions. Most of the emissions were blocked by the primordial neutral hydrogen that filled the space between galaxies in the early Universe. What does it tell us that most Lyman-Alpha Emitters (LAEs) are galaxies with close neighbours? According to the authors, it tells us that galactic mergers and their abundant star formation are behind the Lyman-alpha emissions. A galactic merger simulation produced a mock JWST image that looks remarkably like the actual JWST image of interacting galaxies. This figure from the study helps explain some of the findings. The top left panel and lower left panel are two images of the LAE EGSY8p68. The top one is from the JWST, and the lower one is from the Hubble Space Telescope. The more powerful JWST revealed some close galactic companions for LAE EGSY8p68. b to e are images from a galactic merger simulation called Azahar. Two of those simulated images are mock images of what the JWST would see if it were observing a merger. Those two images are very similar to the real JWST image in a. The purple in e shows the density of Lyman-alpha emissions. Image Credit: Witten et al. 2023. The researchers used simulations of galactic mergers and interactions called Azahar to test their idea. Azahar showed that as stellar mass gathered and stars formed in these early galaxies, two things happened. The stars emitted Lyman-alpha emissions, and they created bubbles and channels of ionized hydrogen in the light-blocking neutral hydrogen. The bubbles and channels allowed Lyman-alpha emissions through. This video shows some of the results from the Azahar simulation. Credit: S. Martin-Alvarez This research shows that there were more galactic mergers in the early Universe than we could see before the JWST got going. Those mergers and interactions and the abundant star formation that they spawned are responsible for both creating the Lyman-alpha emissions and creating a path for them out of the dense, opaque neutral hydrogen that dominated the young Universe. In a nutshell, the high galactic merger rate in the young Universe is responsible for the mysterious Lyman-alpha emissions. The researchers aren’t done yet. They’re planning more detailed observations of galaxies at different stages of merging to develop their idea even more. The post The JWST Solves the Mystery of Ancient Light appeared first on Universe Today.

[manisha15]

"AI in Space Exploration: How AI is Advancing Our Understanding of the Cosmos"

When we look up at the night sky, we wonder about the stars, planets, and the vast unknown of space. Space exploration has always fascinated us, and now, artificial intelligence (AI) is making it even more exciting. In this article, we'll explore how AI is making space exploration easier and helping us discover more about the universe.

AI-Powered Data Analysis

One of the most significant contributions of AI to space exploration is its ability to process and analyze vast amounts of data collected from telescopes, spacecraft, and other instruments. In the past, scientists faced the daunting task of sifting through mountains of data manually, which was time-consuming and prone to errors. AI algorithms, on the other hand, excel at handling big data.

Machine learning algorithms can identify patterns, anomalies, and trends in astronomical data with remarkable precision. They can quickly classify celestial objects, such as stars, galaxies, and asteroids, based on their characteristics, spectral signatures, and motion. This automated data analysis accelerates the pace of discovery and allows scientists to focus on interpreting the results rather than crunching numbers.

Autonomous Spacecraft and Rovers

AI-driven autonomy is another game-changer in space exploration. Autonomous spacecraft and rovers equipped with AI systems can make real-time decisions without human intervention. They can adjust their trajectories, navigate through treacherous terrain, and respond to unexpected challenges.

For instance, NASA's Mars rovers, like Curiosity and Perseverance, utilize AI algorithms to plan their routes, avoid obstacles, and prioritize scientific targets. These rovers can explore the Martian surface more efficiently and adapt to changing conditions, greatly enhancing the scientific yield of their missions.

AI in Exoplanet Discovery

The search for exoplanets—planets orbiting stars outside our solar system—has been a key focus of space exploration. AI has played a pivotal role in this endeavor by analyzing data from telescopes like Kepler and TESS. Machine learning algorithms can identify subtle changes in a star's brightness caused by the transit of an exoplanet, making it possible to detect previously undiscovered worlds.

Furthermore, AI is helping astronomers characterize exoplanets by analyzing their atmospheres. By studying the spectral signatures of exoplanets, scientists can determine their composition, temperature, and potential habitability. AI accelerates this process by automating the analysis of spectroscopic data.

The Future of AI in Space Exploration

The future of AI in space exploration looks promising. Researchers are developing AI systems that can predict space weather, monitor space debris, and assist in the search for extraterrestrial life. AI-powered spacecraft are expected to play a crucial role in upcoming missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Moreover, AI can facilitate international collaboration in space exploration by standardizing data analysis and sharing insights in real time. This collaboration can accelerate scientific progress and lead to groundbreaking discoveries.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence has ushered in a new era of space exploration, empowering scientists to explore the cosmos more efficiently and effectively. By automating data analysis, enhancing spacecraft autonomy, and aiding in exoplanet discovery, AI is advancing our understanding of the universe at an unprecedented pace.

As we continue to develop and refine AI technologies for space exploration, we can look forward to even more remarkable discoveries and a deeper appreciation of the wonders of the cosmos. AI is not just a tool; it is our partner in the quest to unravel the mysteries of the universe and unlock the secrets of the cosmos.

About the Author

Meet Manisha, a Senior Research Analyst at Digicrome with a passion for exploring the world of Data Analytics, Artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning. With her insatiable curiosity and desire to learn, Manisha is constantly seeking opportunities to enhance her knowledge and skills in the field.

For Data Science course & certification related queries visit our website:- www.digicrome.com & you can also call our Support:- 0120 311 3765

[bloomerboomer-us]

Will machine learning find alien life?

If technologically advanced extraterrestrial life exists, why haven't we found it yet? We've only searched a small part of the galaxy, usually. Algorithms from the first digital computers may not work well on petabyte-scale datasets. Now, research published in Nature Astronomy and led by University of Toronto undergraduate student Peter Ma, along with researchers from the SETI Institute, Breakthrough Listen, and scientific research institutions worldwide, has applied a deep learning technique to a previously studied dataset of nearby stars and found eight previously unidentified signals of interest.

"In total, we had searched through 150 TB of data of 820 nearby stars, on a dataset that had previously been searched through in 2017 by classical techniques but labeled as devoid of interesting signals," said Peter Ma, lead author. "We're scaling this search effort to 1 million stars today with the MeerKAT telescope and beyond. We believe that work like this will help accelerate the rate we're able to make discoveries in our grand effort to answer the question 'are we alone in the universe?'"

Technosignatures, or alien technology, are searched for in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Radio signal searches are most common. Radio travels through space's dust and gas at the speed of light, making it a great way to send information across the stars (about 20,000 times faster than our best rockets). SETI projects use antennas to intercept alien radio signals.

This Breakthrough Listen study reexamined Green Bank Telescope data from West Virginia that initially showed no targets of interest. New deep learning techniques were applied to a classical search algorithm to improve speed and accuracy. After running the new algorithm and manually checking the data, newly detected signals had several key characteristics:

Narrow-band signals had spectral widths of a few Hz. Natural signals are broadband. Signals with non-zero drift rates sloped. Slopes could indicate a signal's origin was not local to the radio observatory. Only ON-source observations showed signals. When we point our telescope at a celestial source, the signal appears and disappears when we look away. The source's proximity causes human radio interference in ON and OFF observations. Astronomer Cherry Ng, another of Ma's research advisors, said, "These results dramatically illustrate the power of applying modern machine learning and computer vision methods to data challenges in astronomy, resulting in both new detections and higher performance. Application of these techniques at scale will be transformational for radio technosignature science."

This new data analysis method can help researchers better understand and quickly re-examine targets. Ma and his advisor Dr. Cherry Ng are excited to implement this algorithm's extensions on SETI's COSMIC system.

Since Frank Drake's Project Ozma at the Greenbank Observatory in 1960, researchers have been able to collect more data. New computational tools are needed to quickly process and analyze this massive amount of data to find anomalies that may indicate extraterrestrial intelligence. This machine learning approach is pioneering the "are we alone" question.

Source: SETI Institute. "Will machine learning help us find extraterrestrial life?." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 January 2023. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230130130512.htm>.

**This artical and AI image if copied credit to Marjorie Farrington https://www.facebook.com/marge.farrington 

[cointitta]

Interstellar orbiter

#INTERSTELLAR ORBITER PLUS#

If we’re lucky we’ll have several planets to fly by. We’re funding efforts of ground-based observatories to see if we can find planets around Alpha Centauri A and B. The third part is how do we communicate back from Alpha Centauri? Later this year we’ll have the RFP for the communications piece. We’re within a few weeks of releasing our request for proposal on that. The second key thing is the light sail and how you attach the to it. The first is, “Can you build this giant laser array for any affordable cost and get the beam through the atmosphere?” We are writing 13 contracts for the first study phase of that. We’ve narrowed down to three we consider the real deal breakers. The next five to seven years we’re going to be addressing key technology questions. We’re convinced that the battery technology as it exists is within the power levels we need. Optical communicationsĪfter you’ve flown through the system you turn around, lock a small laser on board back on the Earth then we fire the laser signal back. You’ll have three or four cameras, so if one of them gets hit by a piece of interstellar dust there’s other ones to take over. One of the reasons that we’re going to send hundreds of them is we’re probably going to lose a lot of them. It’s how much power can put on the sail and how long you can focus it. It’s probably going to be folded up in some way.

#INTERSTELLAR ORBITER PLUS#

The total mass of the light sail plus chip is a few grams at most. Then the next day you would launch another one. It takes about 10 minutes to accelerate to 20 percent the speed of light. It has to be in the southern hemisphere because Alpha Centauri is not visible from the northern hemisphere. Another possibility may be southern New Zealand. The notional place would be the Atacama Desert in Chile. It would be in a highly elliptical orbit where the apogee would be pointed kind of in the direction of Alpha Centauri. We’re thinking of something that would look about the size of a typical communications satellite, so a few thousand kilograms maybe is the mothership. The mothership would probably hundreds or thousands of. Then sometime 10 to 15 years from now we would start building the full-scale system. That presumably would take five or so years to build and test. Hopefully after five years, we could begin to construct some sort of major field demonstration. Yuri Milner has committed $100 million for the next five to seven years to do the technology. So, you need basically some sort of telescope-type function. Another idea is that when you get close to the target system, you actually deploy a small, lightweight optical system. The baseline approach is to actually configure the sail itself, so it acts as an optical. What you really need is an optical system, probably a few tens of centimeters. A few million kilometers will be our flyby distance. We’d like to get close enough, if there’s something that looks like forest, to get a spectrum of the forest area versus oceans. One of the ideas is obviously some spectrometer. Currently the best approach is to try to send to fly by and get images and maybe other kinds of data, spectrum and so forth, to really characterize this planet. We hope we find evidence of what might be a life-bearing planet. If all goes well, 25 years from now we’ll launch our first interstellar probes. I spoke to Worden by phone about the timing of the Breakthrough Starshot and what it will take to achieve it. These StarChips would fly by the exoplanet Proxima-b to beam back images and maybe spectral readings to determine whether it could sustain life. Worden’s team is still figuring out exactly how this might be done, but the current concept calls for accelerating small wafers, called StarChips, to incredible speeds by projecting laser light onto a centimeter-scale lightsail attached to each chip. Worden leads what’s expected to be a decades-long, privately funded endeavor to launch a succession of spacecraft, each weighing just a few grams, toward the next star system over, Alpha Centauri 4.3 lightyears away. Defense Department and NASA, so it was perhaps not surprising that after a four-decade government career he would find a bold and provocative goal. Pete Worden has long had a reputation for looking far beyond the confines of his career in the U.S. Education: Bachelor of Science in physics and astronomy from University of Michigan doctorate in astronomy from University of Arizona graduate of Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama graduate of the National War College degree in National Security Studies from Syracuse University.

[merelygifted]

Cat's Eye Nebula seen in 3D - Phys.org

Researchers have created the first computer-generated three-dimensional model of the Cat's Eye Nebula, revealing a pair of symmetric rings encircling the nebula's outer shell. The rings' symmetry suggests they were formed by a precessing jet, providing strong evidence for a binary star at the center of the nebula. The study was led by Ryan Clairmont, who recently completed secondary school in the United States, and is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

A planetary nebula forms when a dying solar-mass star ejects its outer layer of gas, creating a colorful, shell-like structure distinctive to these objects. The Cat's Eye Nebula, also known as NGC 6543, is one of the most complex planetary nebulae known. It is just over 3,000 light-years away from Earth, and can be seen in the constellation Draco. The Cat's Eye Nebula has also been imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in high resolution, revealing an intricate structure of knots, spherical shells, and arc-like filaments.

The nebula's mysterious structure confounded astrophysicists because it could not be explained by previously accepted theories for planetary nebula formation. More recent research showed that precessing jets were potential shaping mechanisms in complex planetary nebulae such as NGC 6543, but lacked a detailed model.

Ryan Clairmont, an astronomy enthusiast, decided to try to establish the detailed 3D structure of the Cat's Eye to find out more about the potential mechanism that gave it its intricate shape. To do this, he sought out the help of Dr. Wolfgang Steffen of The National Autonomous University of Mexico and Nico Koning from the University of Calgary, who developed SHAPE, 3D astrophysical modeling software particularly suitable for planetary nebulae.

To reconstruct the nebula's three-dimensional structure, the researchers used spectral data from the San Pedro Martir National Observatory in Mexico. These provide detailed information on the internal motion of material in the nebula. Together with these data and images from the Hubble Space Telescope, Clairmont constructed a novel 3D model, establishing that rings of high-density gas were wrapped around the outer shell of the Cat's Eye. Surprisingly, the rings are almost perfectly symmetric to each other, suggesting they were formed by a jet—a stream of high-density gas ejected in opposite directions from the nebula's central star.

The jet exhibited precession, similar to the wobbling motion of a spinning top. As the jet wobbled, or precessed, it outlined a circle, creating the rings around the Cat's Eye. However, the data indicates the rings are only partial, meaning the precessing jet never completed a full 360-degree rotation, and that the emergence of the jets was only a short-lived phenomenon. The duration of outflows is an important piece of information for the theory of planetary nebulae. Since only binary stars can power a precessing jet in a planetary nebula, the team's findings are strong evidence that a system of this type exists at the center of the Cat's Eye.  ...

[brijeshtiwaripune]

NASA's Webb Telescope Has Discovered the Profoundest Infrared Image Of The Early Universe

NASA announced Monday that the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful observatory ever placed in orbit, has revealed the "deepest and clearest infrared image of the early universe" ever taken, dating back 13 billion years. The stunning image, revealed by President Joe Biden in a White House briefing, is teeming with thousands of galaxies and features the faintest items ever observed, colorized from infrared to blue, orange, and white tones. "This telescope is one of the great engineering achievements of humanity," he said. Webb's First Deep Field depicts SMACS 0723, a galaxy cluster that acts as a gravitational lens, magnifying even more distant galaxies behind it. These faint background galaxies have been brought into sharp focus by Webb's primary imager NIRCam, which operates in the near infrared spectral region because light from the expansion of the universe has been stretched out by the time it reaches us. Webb completed the fibreglass shot in 12.5 hours, outperforming the Hubble Space Telescope by weeks. The next batch of pictures will be available on Tuesday. Initial goals An international committee decided that the Carina Nebula, a massive cloud of dust and gas 7,600 light years away, would be included in the first wave of images. Read the full article

[fumpkins]

Keeping the energy in the room

The sensor mounted for use in an MKID Exoplanet Camera. Credit: Ben Mazin

It may seem like technology advances year after year, as if by magic. But behind every incremental improvement and breakthrough revolution is a team of scientists and engineers hard at work.

UC Santa Barbara Professor Ben Mazin is developing precision optical sensors for telescopes and observatories. In a paper published in Physical Review Letters, he and his team improved the spectra resolution of their superconducting sensor, a major step in their ultimate goal: analyzing the composition of exoplanets.

“We were able to roughly double the spectral resolving power of our detectors,” said first author Nicholas Zobrist, a doctoral student in the Mazin Lab.

“This is the largest energy resolution increase we’ve ever seen,” added Mazin. “It opens up a whole new pathway to science goals that we couldn’t achieve before.”

The Mazin lab works with a type of sensor called an MKID. Most light detectors—like the CMOS sensor in a phone camera—are semiconductors based on silicon. These operate via the photo-electric effect: a photon strikes the sensor, knocking off an electron that can then be detected as a signal suitable for processing by a microprocessor.

An MKID uses a superconductor, in which electricity can flow with no resistance. In addition to zero resistance, these materials have other useful properties. For instance, semiconductors have a gap energy that needs to be overcome to knock the electron out. The related gap energy in a superconductor is about 10,000 times less, so it can detect even faint signals.

What’s more, a single photon can knock many electrons off of a superconductor, as opposed to only one in a semiconductor. By measuring the number of mobile electrons, an MKID can actually determine the energy (or wavelength) of the incoming light. “And the energy of the photon, or its spectra, tells us a lot about the physics of what emitted that photon,” Mazin said.

Leaking energy

The researchers had hit a limit as to how sensitive they could make these MKIDs. After much scrutiny, they discovered that energy was leaking from the superconductor into the sapphire crystal wafer that the device is made on. As a result, the signal appeared weaker than it truly was.

In typical electronics, current is carried by mobile electrons. But these have a tendency to interact with their surroundings, scattering and losing energy in what’s known as resistance. In a superconductor, two electrons will pair up—one spin up and one spin down—and this Cooper pair, as it’s called, is able to move about without resistance.

“It’s like a couple at a club,” Mazin explained. “You’ve got two people who pair up, and then they can move together through the crowd without any resistance. Whereas a single person stops to talk to everybody along the way, slowing them down.”

In a superconductor, all the electrons are paired up. “They’re all dancing together, moving around without interacting with other couples very much because they’re all gazing deeply into each other’s eyes.

“A photon hitting the sensor is like someone coming in and spilling a drink on one of the partners,” he continued. “This breaks the couple up, causing one partner to stumble into other couples and create a disturbance.” This is the cascade of mobile electrons that the MKID measures.

But sometimes this happens at the edge of the dancefloor. The offended party stumbles out of the club without knocking into anyone else. Great for the rest of the dancers, but not for the scientists. If this happens in the MKID, then the light signal will seem weaker than it actually was.

Fencing them in

Mazin, Zobrist and their co-authors discovered that a thin layer of the metal indium—placed between the superconducting sensor and the substrate—drastically reduced the energy leaking out of the sensor. The indium essentially acted like a fence around the dancefloor, keeping the jostled dancers in the room and interacting with the rest of the crowd.

They chose indium because it is also a superconductor at the temperatures at which the MKID will operate, and adjacent superconductors tend to cooperate if they are thin. The metal did present a challenge to the team, though. Indium is softer than lead, so it has a tendency to clump up. That’s not great for making the thin, uniform layer the researchers needed.

But their time and effort paid off. The technique cut down the wavelength measurement uncertainty from 10% to 5%, the study reports. For example, photons with a wavelength of 1,000 nanometers can now be measured to a precision of 50 nm with this system. “This has real implications for the science we can do,” Mazin said, “because we can better resolve the spectra of the objects that we’re looking at.”

Different phenomena emit photons with specific spectra (or wavelengths), and different molecules absorb photons of different wavelengths. Using this light, scientists can use spectroscopy to identify the composition of objects both nearby and across the entire visible universe.

Mazin is particularly interested in applying these detectors to exoplanet science. Right now, scientists can only do spectroscopy for a tiny subset of exoplanets. The planet needs to pass between its star and Earth, and it must have a thick atmosphere so that enough light passes through it for researchers to work with. Still, the signal to noise ratio is abysmal, especially for rocky planets, Mazin said.

With better MKIDs, scientists can use light reflected off the surface of a planet, rather than transmitted through its narrow atmosphere alone. This will soon be possible with the capabilities of the next generation of 30-meter telescopes.

The Mazin group is also experimenting with a completely different approach to the energy-loss issue. Although the results from this paper are impressive, Mazin said he believes the indium technique could be obsolete if his team is successful with this new endeavor. Either way, he added, the scientists are rapidly closing in on their goals.

Spectral resolution of superconducting single photon detectors more than doubled

More information: Nicholas Zobrist et al, Membraneless Phonon Trapping and Resolution Enhancement in Optical Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors, Physical Review Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.017701 . On Arxiv: arxiv.org/abs/2204.13669

Provided by University of California – Santa Barbara

Citation: Keeping the energy in the room (2022, July 1) retrieved 4 July 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-07-energy-room.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

New post published on: https://livescience.tech/2022/07/04/keeping-the-energy-in-the-room/

[jkxcomics]

While the effects of last week’s devastating news continue to wash over the US and beyond, we still want to celebrate #pride and give visibility to #LGBTQInSTEM. So today’s highlight is by guest artist Aedan Gardill (@aedansarchive) of the fabulous @schuylerborges! Schuyler Borges is a graduate student at the University of Northern Arizona, where they have pioneered their own astrobiology research by collaborating with professors in various departments (biology, astronomy, geology) and colleagues from other universities around the world.  Their research focuses on studying cyanobacteria in Antarctica to understand the type of life we could find on exoplanets. By measuring the spectral signature of different bacterial communities in a (for most of the year) Antarctic dried up stream bed. Using this spectral information, these bacterial communities in the stream beds can be remotely detected using satellite imaging. In the future, when more powerful telescopes are available, this information can be used to detect bacteria living on distant planets.   Outside of academia, Schuyler passionately works with THRIVE Lifeline (@thrivelifeline), a crisis hotline dedicated to helping those with marginalized identities in STEM with mental health crises. Identifying as non-binary themselves, they want to make sure their peers with marginalized identities have the support they need in academia. Thank you for being you @schuylerborges! #PrideInSTEM #OutInSTEM #LGBTQinSTEM #Pride #astrobiology #antarctica #cyanobacteria #mentalhealth https://www.instagram.com/p/CfUoM5uOkh_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[spaceexp]

Quasar Tsunamis Rip Across Galaxies

NASA - Hubble Space Telescope patch. March 19, 2020 Using the unique capabilities of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, a team of astronomers has discovered the most energetic outflows ever witnessed in the universe. They emanate from quasars and tear across interstellar space like tsunamis, wreaking havoc on the galaxies in which the quasars live. Quasars are extremely remote celestial objects, emitting exceptionally large amounts of energy. Quasars contain supermassive black holes fueled by infalling matter that can shine 1,000 times brighter than their host galaxies of hundreds of billions of stars. As the black hole devours matter, hot gas encircles it and emits intense radiation, creating the quasar. Winds, driven by blistering radiation pressure from the vicinity of the black hole, push material away from the galaxy's center. These outflows accelerate to breathtaking velocities that are a few percent of the speed of light. "No other phenomena carries more mechanical energy. Over the lifetime of 10 million years, these outflows produce a million times more energy than a gamma-ray burst," explained principal investigator Nahum Arav of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. "The winds are pushing hundreds of solar masses of material each year. The amount of mechanical energy that these outflows carry is up to several hundreds of times higher than the luminosity of the entire Milky Way galaxy."

Image above: This is an illustration of a distant galaxy with an active quasar at its center. A quasar emits exceptionally large amounts of energy generated by a supermassive black hole fueled by infalling matter. Using the unique capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered that blistering radiation pressure from the vicinity of the black hole pushes material away from the galaxy's center at a fraction of the speed of light. The "quasar winds" are propelling hundreds of solar masses of material each year. This affects the entire galaxy as the material snowplows into surrounding gas and dust. Image Credits: NASA, ESA and J. Olmsted (STScI). The quasar winds snowplow across the galaxy's disk. Material that otherwise would have formed new stars is violently swept from the galaxy, causing star birth to cease. Radiation pushes the gas and dust to far greater distances than scientists previously thought, creating a galaxy-wide event. As this cosmic tsunami slams into interstellar material, the temperature at the shock front spikes to billions of degrees, where material glows largely in X-rays, but also widely across the light spectrum. Anyone witnessing this event would see a brilliant celestial display. "You'll get lots of radiation first in X-rays and gamma rays, and afterwards it will percolate to visible and infrared light," said Arav. "You'd get a huge light show—like Christmas trees all over the galaxy." Numerical simulations of galaxy evolution suggest that such outflows can explain some important cosmological puzzles, such as why astronomers observe so few large galaxies in the universe, and why there is a relationship between the mass of the galaxy and the mass of its central black hole. This study shows that such powerful quasar outflows should be prevalent in the early universe. "Both theoreticians and observers have known for decades that there is some physical process that shuts off star formation in massive galaxies, but the nature of that process has been a mystery. Putting the observed outflows into our simulations solves these outstanding problems in galactic evolution," explained eminent cosmologist Jeremiah P. Ostriker of Columbia University in New York and Princeton University in New Jersey. Astronomers studied 13 quasar outflows, and they were able to clock the breakneck speed of gas being accelerated by the quasar wind by looking at spectral "fingerprints" of light from the glowing gas. The Hubble ultraviolet data show that these light absorption features created from material along the path of the light were shifted in the spectrum because of the fast motion of the gas across space. This is due to the Doppler effect, where the motion of an object compresses or stretches wavelengths of light depending on whether it is approaching or receding from us. Only Hubble has the specific range of ultraviolet sensitivity that allows for astronomers to obtain the necessary observations leading to this discovery.

Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Animation Credits: ESA/NASA

Aside from measuring the most energetic quasars ever observed, the team also discovered another outflow accelerating faster than any other. It increased from nearly 43 million miles per hour to roughly 46 million miles per hour in a three-year period. The scientists believe its acceleration will continue to increase over time. "Hubble's ultraviolet observations allow us to follow the whole range of energy output from quasars, from cooler gas to the extremely hot, highly ionized gas in the more massive winds," added team member Gerard Kriss of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. "These were previously only visible with much more difficult X-ray observations. Such powerful outflows may yield new insights into the link between the growth of a central supermassive black hole and the development of its entire host galaxy." The team also includes graduate student Xinfeng Xu and postdoctoral researcher Timothy Miller, both of Virginia Tech, as well as Rachel Plesha of the Space Telescope Science Institute. The findings were published in a series of six papers in March 2020, as a focus issue of The Astrophysical Journal Supplements. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, in Washington, D.C. Hubble Space Telescope (HST): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html The Astrophysical Journal Supplements: http://apjs.aas.org/ Papers: https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0067-0049/page/Focus_on_HSTCOS_Observations Image (mentioned), Animation (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Rob Garner/GSFC/Claire Andreoli/STSi/Ann Jenkins/Ray Villard/Virginia Tech/Nahum Arav. Best regards, Orbiter.ch Full article

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Astronomers find progenitor of magnetic monster

Neutron stars, the compact remains of a massive star following a supernova explosion, are the densest matter in the Universe. Some neutron stars, known as magnetars, also claim the record for the strongest magnetic fields of any object. How magnetars, which are a mere 15 kilometers across, form and produce such colossal magnetic fields remains a mystery. 

New observations by a team of astronomers, including NSF’s NOIRLab’s André-Nicolas Chené, may shed important light on the origin of these magnetic powerhouses. Using various telescopes around the globe, including the Canada-France-Hawai‘i Telescope (CFHT) on Maunakea [1], the researchers have identified a new type of astronomical object — a massive magnetic helium star (an unusual variant of a Wolf-Rayet star), which may be the precursor of a magnetar. 

“For the first time, a strong magnetic field was discovered in a massive helium star,” said Chené. “Our study suggests that this helium star will end its life as a magnetar.”

Despite having been observed for more than a century by astronomers, little was known about the true nature of this star, known as HD 45166, beyond the fact that it is rich in helium, somewhat more massive than our Sun, and part of a binary system.

“This star became a bit of an obsession of mine,” said Tomer Shenar, an astronomer at the University of Amsterdam and lead author of a study published in the journal Science. Having studied similar helium-rich stars before, Shenar was intrigued by the unusual characteristics of HD 45166, which has some of the characteristics of a Wolf-Rayet star, but with a unique spectral signature. He suspected that magnetic fields could explain these perplexing characteristics. "I remember having a Eureka moment while reading the literature: ‘What if the star is magnetic?’,” he said.

Shenar, Chené, and their collaborators set out to test this hypothesis by taking new spectroscopic observations of this star system with the CFHT. These observations revealed that this star has a phenomenally powerful magnetic field, about 43,000 gauss [2], the most powerful magnetic field ever found in a massive star. By also studying its interactions with its companion star, the team were able to make precise estimates of its mass and age.

The researchers speculate that, unlike other helium stars that eventually evolve from a red supergiant, this particular star was likely created by the merger of a pair of intermediate-mass stars. 

“This is a very specific scenario, and it raises the question of how many magnetars come from similar systems and how many come from other types of systems,” said Chené.

In a few million years, HD 45166, which is located 3000 light-years away in the constellation Monoceros (the Unicorn), will explode as a very bright, but not particularly energetic, supernova. During this explosion, its core will contract, trapping and concentrating the star’s already daunting magnetic field lines. The result will be a neutron star with a magnetic field of around 100 trillion gauss — the most powerful type of magnet in the Universe.

“We thought that the most likely magnetar candidates would come from the most massive of stars,” said Chené. “What this research shows us is that stars that are much less massive can still become a magnetar, if the conditions are just right.” 

IMAGE....A team of researchers, including NOIRLab astronomer André-Nicolas Chené, has found a highly unusual star that may become one of the most magnetic objects in the Universe: a variant of a neutron star known as a magnetar. This finding marks the discovery of a new type of astronomical object — a massive magnetic helium star — and sheds light on the origin of magnetars. Panel one illustrates the system, known as HD 45166, as it appears today. Panel two illustrates how, in a few million years, HD 45166 will explode as a very bright, but not particularly energetic, supernova. During this explosion, its core will contract, trapping and concentrating the star’s already daunting magnetic field lines. Panel three illustrates the ultimate fate of HD 45166 after its core has collapsed, resulting in a neutron star with a magnetic field of around 100 trillion gauss — the most powerful type of magnet in the Universe.  CREDIT NOIRLab/AURA/NSF/P. Marenfeld/M. Zamani

[wisdomrays]

TAFAKKUR: Part 173

The Quest for a Habitable Planet

A planet outside the solar system was first discovered in 1995. As of 2013, the number of planets outside our solar system has reached more than 850. Within the last two years alone, more planets were discovered than in all the other years combined.

A planet that revolves around another star outside our solar system is called an Exoplanet or Extra solar planet. Ongoing studies involving this field are carried out via simultaneous ground and space based missions and observations. Scientists are searching a small portion of the Milky Way galaxy, approximately 3000 light years away, by using ground and space telescopes, along with various other astronomic methods (1). Despite all this technology, the observation area is too big when compared to the size of the object of interest.

It has been calculated that the Milky Way, a disc shaped galaxy, consists of 200 billion stars spread over a diameter of nearly 100,000 light years and a thickness of 1000 light years. When we consider the amount of stars in a single galaxy, and the fact that there are between a hundred billion and one trillion galaxies in the universe, the number of possible exoplanets is likely much larger than those we currently know of.

Classification of exoplanets

Exoplanets are classified according to their physical, chemical, and other characteristics, along with their diameter and mass: Jupiter like; greater than Jupiter; Earth like; greater than Earth

Classifications according to surface and atmospheric temperatures are as follows: Hotter than Jupiter; colder than Neptune; colder than Jupiter; small blue dots or twin Earths.

The presences of free-floating planets which have lost their parent stars because of different formation processes or other factors have also been discovered.

One of the common features of the exoplanets currently discovered is their short distance to the star they revolve around, which is usually less than half the distance between the Earth and the Sun. The known exoplanets are also defined by their faster revolutions in much shorter periods. Therefore, larger planets that are closer to their stars can be observed easily. When these planets are passing in front of their stars, a decrease in the brightness of the star is detected via spectrometers.

Radial velocity, one of the methods used to discover exoplanets, relies on the observations of a star's kinetic fluctuations. The proximity and size of a revolving planet leads to slight changes in location and velocity of a host star. As a result of this, the star gets closer to earth and then becomes more distant, which is observed as the Doppler shift of spectral line color waves. 75 % of all known planets have been discovered using this method.

Earth-like planets or habitable places

In an official NASA report in December 2011, the discovery of an Earth-like planet was announced for the first time. This planet, named Kepler 22b, is 600 light years away and remains the most similar one to Earth among the known heavenly bodies. The distance of Kepler 22b to its star shows a high possibility for the presence of a habitable zone.

So what does this mean?

Earth is such a special home for us humans that everything here has been assigned to serve us with delicate calculations. Factors such as the Earth's mass, gravity, distance to the Sun, rotational and revolution velocity, chemistry, thickness of the atmosphere, magnetic shield, hydrosphere/land ratio, ecological balances, and average temperature are all perfect for biological life.

Earth revolves in such a region and position that a majority of the planetary water is in a liquid state and is not ice or vapor.Thedistance of the habitable zone to our Sun is between 135,000,000 - 225,000,000 km. Earth revolves at a 150,000,000 km distance to the Sun. The value of a habitable zone for each planet depends on the diameter, mass, heat and radiation strength of the host star. In other words, aside from the similarity of an exoplanet to Earth, a classification of its host star with in terms of size and age is also important.

Kepler 22b owns the title as the first planet to match the criteria above with its following features:

Has a radius 2.4 times bigger than Earth

Revolution time is 290 days (365 for Earth)

15% closer to its star compared to the Earth-Sun distance

The size and surface temperature of Kepler 22b's host star is very similar to that of the Sun's

The surface temperature of the planet is 22 C

The size of the habitable zone for Kepler 22bis 133,500,000 - 240,000,000 km

Aside from these similarities, it is noteworthy to report the problems that scientists encountered regarding Kepler 22b:

The unknown presence of water on the surface

No information on the gaseous contents of the atmosphere.

The gravitational force is 2.5 times greater than on Earth.

Rocks constitute the surface instead of soil.

The hardest part is that Kepler 22bremains 600 light years away from us. This means it would take us 11 billions years to get there with today's fastest spacecrafts. Who knows when we will be able to decrease this time with the advent of superior technology.

What do religious scholar say about life in outer space?

Among His manifest signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and that He has dispersed in both of them living creatures. And He has full power to gather them together when He wills. (Ash-Shura 42:29)

While interpreting the Qur'anic verse above, the known scholar notes the following:

"Since the earliest times, this verse has been taken as a proof for the view that there are living creatures, whether resembling human beings or not, in the places other than the earth. This view may be true. The second part of the verse, 'He has full power to gather them together when He wills,' has been understood that these creatures and human beings will possibly come together either in this world or in that of the other creatures. … there may be earth-like globes in the heaven where creatures resembling earthly ones live."

"Perhaps people will not be able to reach those places individually or as a whole generation, but this can be achieved by mankind as a species. In other words, when the Divine Will manifests itself in that direction, humans here can encounter those other life forms."

This commentary reflects what Bediuzzaman Said Nursi had said decades ago:

"The earth, although much smaller than other heavenly bodies, is so densely inhabited by living creatures that even its grossest and most rotten parts are full of living things, such as micro-organisms. This shows that those infinite firmaments, with their numerous stars and constellations, are inhabited by conscious, living beings ..." (Nursi 2010, 530-531) 29th Word, First Aim, First Fundamental)

[spacenutspod]

Silently floating through the universe are cosmic objects that are both too large to be planets and too small to be stars. Called brown dwarfs, these substellar objects are among the most captivating objects in the universe, and their low surface temperatures mean that most of the light they emit is infrared and thus can only be observed and characterized using infrared telescopes. Fortunately, the joint NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope is an infrared-sensitive observatory, with the telescope’s powerful suite of instruments primarily observing in the near-infrared and mid-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Recently, a team of astronomers used Webb to observe a brown dwarf called W1935 and found an infrared emission from methane in the upper atmosphere of the brown dwarf. While this isn’t an uncommon detection, W1935 does not orbit a star — meaning there isn’t an obvious source behind the emission. The team does have theories as to what could be causing the methane emission and one of the leading theories involves the production of aurorae in the upper atmosphere of W1935.  The team believes that excess energy within the brown dwarf’s upper atmosphere could be what’s causing the emission, and after investigating the upper atmospheric environments of Jupiter and Saturn, the team found that the upper atmospheric heating that powers methane emissions from Jupiter and Saturn is linked to the production of aurorae. Graph showing the spectra of W1935 and W2220. Note the methane emission on the W1935 graph. (Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/L. Hustak (STScI)) If aurorae are indeed present on W1935, they wouldn’t be the same as aurorae seen on Earth. Aurorae produced within Earth’s atmosphere are created when Earth’s magnetic field interacts with solar wind that is ejected into space by the Sun. The energetic particles that make up the solar wind are caught by Earth’s magnetosphere and fall magnetic lines near Earth’s poles. The collision of these particles with Earth’s atmosphere is what creates the iconic green swirls of Earth’s aurora. However, earth is not the only planet within our solar system that experiences aurorae. As mentioned, Jupiter and Saturn regularly experience aurorae at their poles. The processes by which Jovian and Saturnian aurorae are created are similar to those of Earth, with surrounding moons, such as Jupiter’s Io and Saturn’s Enceladus, contributing to the gas giants’ aurorae. See AlsoJWST Mission UpdatesSpace Science CoverageNSF StoreClick here to Join L2 However, in the case of W1935, there is no stellar object to produce stellar wind that could interact with the brown dwarf’s atmosphere to produce aurorae or excess atmospheric energy. The team explains that, for W1935’s methane emission to make sense, either unknown internal atmospheric phenomena or external interactions with interstellar plasma/material have to occur. So, what is so intriguing about this methane emission? Why is the team investigating its source? W1935 was investigated as part of a project led by Jackie Faherty to use Webb to investigate 12 brown dwarfs. Another brown dwarf investigated by Faherty et al., called W2220, was found to be a near clone of W1935 in composition, brightness, temperatures, and spectral features of water, ammonia, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. However, the only major difference between the two brown dwarfs was the methane emission from W1935, with W2220 showing an absorption feature. “We expected to see methane because methane is all over these brown dwarfs. But instead of absorbing light, we saw just the opposite: The methane was glowing. My first thought was, what the heck? Why is methane emission coming out of this object?” said Faherty. Brown dwarf W1935 posed a mystery. Webb found that methane in this object’s atmosphere was emitting infrared light, despite no obvious energy source. Using clues from our solar system, scientists found a possible explanation in aurorae: https://t.co/Wh2m7OTssT #AAS243 pic.twitter.com/cklsay1ZNL — NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) January 9, 2024 To further investigate the methane emission, Faherty et al. utilized computer models that modeled both W1935 and W2220. The W2220 model showed an — expected — distribution of energy throughout the entire atmosphere of the brown dwarf, wherein the atmosphere gets increasingly colder with increasing altitude. However, the W1935 model results showed the exact opposite — an unexpected and surprising result. On W1935, atmospheric temperatures get warmer and warmer with increasing altitude; a phenomenon known as temperature inversion. “This temperature inversion is really puzzling. We have seen this kind of phenomenon in planets with a nearby star that can heat the stratosphere, but seeing it in an object with no obvious external heat source is wild,” said co-author Ben Burningham of the University of Hertfordshire in England. As mentioned, given brown dwarves’ similarities to gas giants like Jupiter, the team turned to Jupiter and Saturn to investigate possible causes for the temperature inversion within W1935. Faherty et al. found that temperature inversions are prominent within Jupiter and Saturn, and current theories suggest that external heating from aurorae and internal energy transport are responsible for them. Interestingly, the aurorae theory for W1935 is not the first time aurorae has been used to explain observations of brown dwarfs. From warmer brown dwarfs, scientists have detected radio emissions and used aurorae to explain the emissions. No telescope is as sensitive to infrared light as Webb, though, and thus further observations of these radio-emitting brown dwarfs to characterize the potential aurorae have been inconclusive. However, W1935 is the first brown dwarf auroral candidate to feature the methane emission signature. What’s more, it’s also the coldest auroral candidate, with a temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius, which is around 316 degrees Celsius warmer than Jupiter. Future observations of W1935 and other auroral candidate brown dwarfs with Webb will allow scientists to better understand aurorae on brown dwarfs. In the case of W1935, further investigation into how aurorae could form without stellar wind is needed. “With W1935, we now have a spectacular extension of a solar system phenomenon without any stellar irradiation to help in the explanation. With Webb, we can really ‘open the hood’ on the chemistry and unpack how similar or different the auroral process may be beyond our solar system,” Faherty said. Faherty et al.’s results were presented at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans in early January. (Lead image: artist’s concept of W1935 with aurorae. Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/L. Hustak (STScI)) The post Webb discovers potential aurorae on brown dwarf appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

[queenofthefaces]

Uncanny Coincidences: An Amnesty Fic

(Also on Ao3)

It was about twelve years since the Reconciliation Apocalypse that Wasn’t. Sylvain had rebuilt better and stronger than it ever was, with a bustling drive for knowledge and exploration—including to Earth. Armed with a new portal, the doorway between the worlds was used extremely liberally, now that it was moved to the basement of the Lodge.

Which, speaking of, business at Amnesty Lodge was better than ever, in a sense. It had become the premier resting stop for Sylvans coming to explore—though none of them had Earthen money to really pay, they worked small jobs, and sent back postcards from their travels.

Dani and Aubrey visited often, and were thinking about getting married. Duck and Minerva had been married for a couple of years—though neither of them are quite sure if they should count the accidental marriage or the intentional proposal as their anniversary. Agent Stern had been given a new post at the Green Bank Telescope, though he was thinking of retiring soon. Mama was sculpting enough that she opened an art gallery down the block from Dave’s Dehumidifier Depot, and often displayed both local Kepler art and art from passing Sylvans. The most popular exhibit was a group project of several pieces showing scenery and daily life from an alien planet.

The day-to-day wasn’t as exciting as it had been, and for that, the former Pine Guard were grateful.

So it wasn’t unbelievable that no one thought twice about the reports of lost items in Kepler. Little things—jewelry, silverware, watches. Things that could easily have been misplaced.

It wasn’t until the thief got sloppy that people started taking notice.

There had been a break in at the Cryptomomica, a window jimmied open in the back. A chair pulled up to the door of the Chicanery to reach the higher locks. A bag too stuffed full of loot and hands too excited to notice the footsteps approaching from behind.

And Billy, who had just happened to pop in for a can of RC Cola.

A large, powerful man with a goat’s head creeping in the middle of the night would scare anyone, but the sight was downright terrifying to a scrappy twelve year old thief.

The next morning, Sheriff Owens had called up Mama. He’d never been one to believe in fate or destiny—but he was a lawman, and coincidences usually don’t come this pretty.

The boy was named Ned. Or, more accurately—N.E.D. He’s introduced himself with a flourished little speech.

“I have three names and I hate all of them! So I just go by my initials: N. E. D. Ned. Sounds a lot nicer than Norris Edgar Daley, doesn’t it?”

Though, the next time he was asked, the initials stood for “Nigel Eduardo D’alimonte.”

He’d already seen too much, and of the scant information he’d given about his past—he had no home to return to. They didn’t quite know what to do with him, so they ended up doing what they did with all the strays of Kepler: they let him stay at Amnesty Lodge.

He didn’t look anything like the late Ned Chicane, but there was something around the eyes, something in the way he held himself, that echoed eerily close. He took his toast the same way—burnt on the edges with peanut butter and honey; he tapped out the same staccato rhythm on tables when he wanted to remind people he was there. At one point, Barclay fell into the beats of old banter so seamlessly, he didn’t even notice until he’d made reference to something the kid wasn’t there for.

And it was a few weeks in, Mama had caught it—the kid had nightmares. Reoccurring nightmares of monsters, of drowning in pools, and being buried alive in snow, of falling from great heights, and of fire, oh, how this kid dreamt of fire. His hands trembled when he saw a candle, though his phobia was expertly hidden, unless you knew what to look for—the tightness around the jaw, the stealthy diversions.

As he stayed at the Lodge, there were nights where he’d confessed to Mama that the nightmares were worse, but that there were more nights where he’d just dream vividly of mundane things. Of locking something important in a display case, of performing in front of a camera, of throwing away cans of RC Cola, of writing letters.

He didn’t know why he woke up crying in that last one; it was a happy dream.

The former Pine Guard spoke in hushed voices about him, sometimes. Some nights, Aubrey didn’t sleep, feverishly researching soul magic with Sylvain, who didn’t have many answers of her own.

In Sylvain, second chances are gifted by way of a spectral form. When Aubrey tried to revive Ned Chicane, it didn’t work—her powers had just been shot to hell.

What she couldn’t have known, though, was when she was calling for Sylvain’s magic to save her friend, it was Earth who responded to the call.

On Earth, second chances are gifted by way of a new life, a rebirth. It just took twelve years for Ned to get back to them.