#fritz zwicky

[sixquarksinatrenchcoat]

Slipped this into my PhD thesis draft I just sent to my adviser

[allalfavincerho]

senza gloria, ma sferici

ele [o Zwicky, astrofísico suiço] era muito engraçado, né... quando ele não gostava de alguém, ele dizia que a pessoa era um "bastardo esférico". porque "bastardo esférico"? porque não importava o ângulo que você olhava para a pessoa, ele sempre era um bastardo... como uma esfera, né: não importa de onde você olha a esfera ela sempre é uma esfera, né prof zabot numa live no youtube sobre a teoria da "luz cansada"

[trad. [Zwicky, astrofisico svizzero] era molto divertente: quando qualcuno non gli piaceva diceva che era un "bastardo sferico". Perché un bastardo sferico? perché non importava sotto quale angolo lo si guardasse, era sempre un bastardo. Come una sfera, no? non importa da dove la si guardi, ha sempre la stessa forma, giusto? - prof zabot in un live su youtube sulla teoria della "luce stanca"]

[hotnesia]

Unveiling the Mysteries of the Universe: The History and Discovery of Dark Matter from Early Observations to Modern Technology

Focus Hotnesia – Dark matter, a term that has captured the imagination of scientists and the public alike, represents one of the greatest mysteries in astrophysics and cosmology. This elusive form of matter, which does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, has become a cornerstone of modern cosmology, influencing our understanding of the universe’s structure and evolution. This article delves…

[max-rainet]

[mysticstronomy]

IS DARK MATTER REAL??

Blog#385

Wednesday, March 20th, 2024.

Welcome back,

Astrophysicists have piled up observations that are difficult to explain with dark matter. It is time to consider that there may be more to gravity than Einstein taught us

The stars still have secrets. we know why they shine, and we know why they twinkle, but we still do not know why they move the way they move. The problem has been with us for the better part of a century. In the 1930s Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky observed that some galaxies in a cluster of about 1,000 fly surprisingly fast around their common center of mass.

Even with generous estimates of the individual galaxies’ masses, they did not add up enough to account for this motion. Zwicky fixed the mismatch by conjecturing the existence of a new kind of matter: “dark matter.”

In the 1970s American astronomer Vera Rubin, who died in 2016, saw the same thing happening in single galaxies. The velocities of stars far out from the center of a galaxy remained roughly the same as those closer in, when astronomers would have expected them to slow down because of the dwindling gravity at the galaxy’s far reaches. Again, the visible mass alone was not sufficient to explain the observations.

Rubin concluded that in galaxies, too, dark matter must be present.

Since then, even more evidence has accumulated that we must be missing something. The tiny temperature fluctuations in the cosmic background radiation astronomers see pervading space, as well as the gravitational bending of light around galaxies and galaxy clusters and the formation of the cosmic web of large-scale structure throughout space, confirm that normal matter alone cannot explain what we see.

For many decades the most popular hypothesis has been that dark matter is composed of new, so far undetected particles that do not interact with light. The alternative explanation that we have the right particles but the wrong laws of gravity has received little attention.

Thirty years ago this stance was justified. The idea of particle dark matter gained traction because back then physicists had other reasons to believe in the existence of new particles. Around the 1950s and 1960s physicists realized that the protons, neutrons and electrons that make up atoms are not the only particles out there.

Over the next decades particle accelerators started turning up new particles left and right; these came to make up the Standard Model of particle physics and opened theorists’ minds to even more possibilities. For instance, efforts to unify the fundamental forces of nature into a single force required theorizing a set of new particles, and the concept of supersymmetry, developed in the 1970s, predicted a mirror particle for every known particle in the universe.

Some of these theorized particles would make good dark matter candidates. Another suspect for the role was a particle called the axion, invented to explain the smallness of a parameter in the Standard Model.

But after three decades of failed attempts to detect any of these particles, ignoring alternative hypotheses is no longer reasonable.

Originally published on www.scientificamerican.com

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, March 23rd, 2024)

"WHAT IS MIRROR UNIVERSE THEORY??"

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Observational study supports century-old theory that challenges the Big Bang

A Kansas State University engineer recently published results from an observational study in support of a century-old theory that directly challenges the validity of the Big Bang theory.

Lior Shamir, associate professor of computer science, used imaging from a trio of telescopes and more than 30,000 galaxies to measure the redshift of galaxies based on their distance from Earth. Redshift is the change in the frequency of light waves that a galaxy emits, which astronomers use to gauge a galaxy's speed.

Shamir's findings lend support to the century-old "tired light" theory instead of the Big Bang. The findings are published in the journal Particles.

"In the 1920s, Edwin Hubble and George Lemaitre discovered that the more distant the galaxy is, the faster it moves away from Earth," Shamir said. "That discovery led to the Big Bang theory, suggesting that the universe started to expand around 13.8 billion years ago. At around the same time, preeminent astronomer Fritz Zwicky proposed that galaxies that were more distant from Earth did not really move faster."

Zwicky's contention was that the redshift observed from Earth is not because the galaxies move but because the light photons lose their energy as they travel through space. The longer the light travels, the more energy it loses, leading to the illusion that galaxies that are more distant from Earth also move faster.

"The tired light theory was largely neglected, as astronomers adopted the Big Bang theory as the consensus model of the universe," Shamir said. "But the confidence of some astronomers in the Big Bang theory started to weaken when the powerful James Webb Space Telescope saw first light.

"The JWST provided deep images of the very early universe, but instead of showing an infant early universe as astronomers expected, it showed large and mature galaxies. If the Big Bang happened as scientists initially believed, these galaxies are older than the universe itself."

While new imaging casts doubt on the Big Bang, Shamir's study used the constant rotational velocity of the Earth around the center of the Milky Way to examine the redshift of galaxies at the Milky Way's galactic poles that move in different velocities relative to Earth and to test how the change in the redshift responds to the change in velocity.

"The results showed that galaxies that rotate in the opposite direction relative to the Milky Way have lower redshift compared to galaxies that rotate in the same direction relative to the Milky Way," Shamir said. "That difference reflects the motion of the Earth as it rotates with the Milky Way. But the results also showed that the difference in the redshift increased when the galaxies were more distant from Earth.

"Because the rotational velocity of the Earth relative to the galaxies is constant, the reason for the difference can be the distance of the galaxies from Earth. That shows that the redshift of galaxies changes with the distance, which is what Zwicky predicted in his Tired Light theory."

IMAGE: Northeastern University researchers have shown that our visible universe and invisible dark matter likely co-evolved from the time of the Big Bang. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

[uncontrolledfission]

The search for dark matter

Post #6 on Physics and Astronomy, 06/10/23

Welcome back. 

This time, I’m going to be talking about how astronomers and physicists have made an effort to detect and provide evidence for the existence of dark matter. 

To recap from my first issue, it’s worth talking about what dark matter actually is. It’s a type of matter estimated to make up about 80% of the Universe’s matter. To date, it hasn’t been detected. Light passes straight through, it is assumed, however we infer the existence of such a substance due to its gravitational influence. 

We can take an example from the Bullet Cluster. This is a pair of galaxy clusters that collided head-on a while ago. That pink mist you see in the photo is hot gas, and within it most of the regular matter. The blue mist, on the other hand, is dark matter, and where most of the mass of these two galaxies were in this photo. 

Vera Rubin and Kent Ford

Vera Rubin and Kent Ford were two astronomers who had worked together to observe the Andromeda Galaxy, more specifically the rotational velocities of concentric regions from the center. The prediction was that, the further you looked from the center, the less the velocity of the stars within that region, since a greater centripetal force would be required to maintain a high-velocity orbit. This, however, was not the case. 

It was observed that the velocity remained nearly constant the further you went out. Wait a minute, though, this didn’t make sense–that velocity was high enough, in theory, to make the stars fly off into space. But they weren’t.

These findings matched those of Fritz Zwicky. He was a Swiss astronomer who had studied the Coma galaxy cluster. He made the same observation–the speeds were so high that the stars should just have been flung off into space. His findings, however, were ignored.

Experiments to detect dark matter

So far, experiments to detect dark matter have been largely unsuccessful. Some of these include PICASSO, LUX-ZEPLIN, EURECA, FUNK, KIMS, DarkSide, Edelweiss, DARWIN, and DAMA/LIBRA, which is what I’m exploring next. 

This detector in particular, introduced promising results which ended up the subject of dispute. DAMA/LIBRA, which hoped to capture activity from WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles), returned a signal with a period of one year. This looked to be one step closer to affirming dark matter’s existence–however, COSINE-100, an experiment set up to mirror that of DAMA/LIBRA, could not reach those same results, which led to the belief that the signal detected could be from some other factor.

The search for dark matter is one that interests me very much. It’s like telling someone in the Stone Age that metal exists, and they should go find it. Except, dark matter is seemingly even more impossible to find, since we can’t perceive it, with the human eye or the best of our current technology. Which, I guess you could argue, would be exactly how the Stone Age person would have felt, but you understand my point.

That said, it’s something I’m eagerly watching. The day we find something promising? You’ll hear it first from me.

[sciencestyled]

Galactic Guesswork: The Bizarre Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Welcome, intrepid explorers of the cosmic carnival, to the most mind-bending show on this side of the Milky Way: the enigma of dark matter and dark energy! Imagine, if you will, that our universe is like a ginormous cosmic burrito, and we’re only tasting the spicy salsa without even realizing there’s a whole fiesta of flavors hiding underneath. Yep, that's right – about 85% of the universe is this mysterious stuff called dark matter and dark energy, and we’re still figuring out what on Earth (or in space) it all means!

Now, grab your metaphorical popcorn, because this rollercoaster starts with the mystery of the universe's missing mass. Picture the early astronomers like Galileo and Newton as the original Ghostbusters, looking for all the visible stuff in the cosmos. Fast forward to the 1930s, when Fritz Zwicky, with a name that sounds like a retro comic book hero, noticed that the galaxies in the Coma Cluster were moving around like kids hopped up on sugar. He figured out there must be something invisible giving them a gravitational push. Voilà, dark matter was born – the invisible hand in the cosmic cookie jar!

Enter Vera Rubin in the 1970s, the real MVP who confirmed that galaxies spin way faster than they should if only visible matter was in play. It’s like if you saw a frisbee flying through the air and realized it’s being propelled by an invisible jetpack. Thanks to her, we know dark matter exists, even if it’s as elusive as that one sock you always lose in the laundry.

But wait, the universe had more tricks up its sleeve. Enter stage left: dark energy, the Beyoncé of cosmic phenomena – fabulous, mysterious, and always in the spotlight. In the 1990s, astronomers noticed that the universe isn’t just expanding, it’s doing so at an accelerating rate, like a YouTube video buffering at hyperspeed. This was thanks to observations of distant supernovae, which, much like surprise guest stars on a TV show, gave us unexpected clues about the universe's plot twists. And thus, dark energy was thrust into the limelight, making us question everything we thought we knew about the universe.

Now, let’s get to the juicy part: what exactly is this dark stuff made of? Scientists have thrown around more theories than Marvel has superheroes. Dark matter might be composed of WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) or MACHOs (Massive Astrophysical Compact Halo Objects). And if those acronyms sound like characters from a sci-fi buddy cop movie, you’re not far off. These particles are like the undercover agents of the universe, working behind the scenes to keep galaxies spinning and the cosmos in order.

Dark energy, on the other hand, might be the universe’s version of anti-gravity – a force that’s pushing everything apart. Think of it as the cosmic equivalent of your favorite cartoon character running off a cliff and somehow staying afloat. Scientists have cooked up theories involving quantum fields and vacuum energy, but pinning down dark energy is like trying to nail jelly to a wall.

To hunt down these elusive entities, scientists have rolled out the big guns – and by guns, I mean colossal detectors and telescopes. The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is like the universe’s ultimate science fair project, smashing particles together at ludicrous speeds to see what secrets pop out. Space telescopes like the Hubble and the upcoming James Webb are the cosmic paparazzi, snapping pics of the universe's red carpet events to catch dark matter and dark energy in action.

But even with all this high-tech wizardry, detecting dark matter and dark energy is trickier than convincing your parents that video games are educational. We’re talking about stuff that doesn’t interact with light, making it essentially invisible. It’s like trying to catch a ninja who’s also a ghost. Yet, with every experiment and observation, we get a smidge closer to understanding these cosmic ninjas.

Now, what does all this mean for science education and our understanding of the universe? Buckle up, because this is where it gets wild. Dark matter and dark energy aren’t just footnotes in the cosmic story; they’re the plot twists that change everything. They shape the structure of the universe, influencing galaxy formation, cosmic microwave background radiation, and even the ultimate fate of everything we know. It’s like discovering that the secret ingredient in grandma’s famous pie recipe is something you’ve never even heard of – it changes your whole perspective.

The implications are profound. If we crack the dark matter and dark energy codes, we could revolutionize our understanding of physics, potentially leading to new technologies that make today’s sci-fi look like child’s play. Imagine harnessing dark energy to power spaceships or using dark matter as the ultimate stealth tech. The future could be stranger and more fantastic than any blockbuster movie.

In conclusion, the quest to unravel the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy is the ultimate scientific odyssey – an adventure filled with intrigue, discovery, and mind-boggling revelations. As we continue to probe the cosmic shadows, each piece of evidence brings us closer to the truth, turning science education into a thrilling narrative that rivals the best Hollywood thrillers. So, stay curious, my fellow cosmic detectives, because the universe has many more secrets to spill, and we’re just getting started on this wild ride through the dark!

[niceandaccurategoodomensanalysis]

The very first scene from Good Omens S2: Angel Crowley in the middle of the cosmic web

A guide to the creation of the universe: from Crowley Starmaker to space missions - part 2

A look at the history of our universe, following the opening scene of the second series of Good Omens.

This analysis was originally written for a very special event that took place last November, which marked a milestone in the history of astronomy! Part 1 here - Read the next part here.

II: Dark matter and dark energy

A discussion on some of universe's intrinsic components - dark matter and dark energy - and the role they play in its expansion.

Returning for a moment to the very first scene of season two, in the image posted here, we see Crowley, in his angelic version, amidst a structure resembling the meshes of a web.

This structure is called the Cosmic Web, and is a trace left by the Big Bang; it not only connects all the galaxies in the universe, but also helps to create them. The Cosmic Web is made up of filaments of hydrogen and dark matter, which we will discuss in a moment; its reticular shape is due to the interaction of gas and dark matter with gravitational forces.

The galaxies that form are also subject to gravitational attraction, which is why they coalesce into larger and larger clusters at the nodes of the cosmic web, where more filaments meet.

WHAT IS THE DARK MATTER?

Everything in our universe is composed of matter, i.e. something that occupies space and has mass. Specifically, ‘normal’ matter, the kind we deal with every day, is composed of atomic particles, i.e. protons, neutrons and electrons, and can exist in a solid, liquid, gaseous or plasma state. We can see it, we can touch it, we can measure various characteristics of it. It is obvious to us that it exists, because we touch it every day or perceive it with instruments, such as telescopes and microscopes. Above all, normal matter can absorb and reflect different frequencies of light. This is the phenomenon at the basis of our perception of colours and allows us to deduce characteristics about celestial bodies far away from us, such as their gradual receding, which has allowed us to elaborate theories on the expansion of the Universe.

Dark' matter, on the other hand, owes its name to the fact that it does not interact with light in any way: it does not reflect it, absorb it or emit it, not at levels measurable by us, at least. But we do know that it has mass and occupies space, thanks to indirect observations.

The first to suggest that galaxies might be made up of something not directly visible was the astronomer Fritz Zwicky, who in the 1930s, while observing the constellation Chioma, noticed a discrepancy between the visible mass and the mass calculated from the velocity of the galaxies within it.

Further evidence came in the 1970s from the astronomer Vera Rubin, who noticed that the stars at the edge of galaxies were moving at the same speed as those at the centre, not slower, as her calculations had suggested. Vera's hypothesis was that galaxies are literally surrounded by a halo of dark matter, so that the distribution of matter within them is uniform.

The observation of gravitational lensing under anomalous conditions also gives us clues to the presence of dark matter. Gravitational lensing occurs when a celestial body is so massive that it exerts a strong gravitational pull that can alter the trajectory of light passing close to it, bending it like an optical lens.

This phenomenon has also been observed in the vicinity of celestial bodies that would not have a mass large enough to produce it, so cosmologists believe that their true masses are far greater than those detected by telescopes.

To date, scientists estimate that the Universe is made up of only 5% normal matter and about 27% dark matter. The remaining 68% would be dark energy.

WHAT IS THE DARK ENERGY?

If we know little about dark matter, we know virtually nothing about dark energy. Its existence is purely theoretical: 'dark energy' is the name given to the force that creates a negative pressure in the universe, causing it to expand at an ever-increasing rate.

Scientists have formulated two hypotheses according to which dark energy could have both a constant density and a density that varies in time and space; it should fill empty space and interact only with the force of gravity. The most common justification among physicists and cosmologists is that it is an energy intrinsic to the physical vacuum: where one exists, the other also exists.

In the next chapter, we're going to continue exploring our Universe. Next stop: the Big Bang.

More infos at:

_ Building Blocks - NASA Science

_ Fritz Zwicky and the Existence of Dark Matter | SciHi Blog

_ Shining a Light on Dark Matter - NASA Science

_ Gravitational lens - Wikipedia

_ Dark matter - Wikipedia

_ Dark energy - Wikipedia

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[merelygifted]

Space photo of the week: James Webb telescope reveals surprising starburst in ancient galaxy | Live Science

New infrared observations from the James Webb Space Telescope unveil a galaxy far, far away that's creating new stars

...  This new image from JWST (also available as a zoomable version) reveals that this irregular dwarf galaxy has undergone several sudden bursts of star formation, the European Space Agency (ESA) said in a description of the image. Its low content of heavy elements (those heavier than hydrogen and helium) makes it typical of the galaxies that existed in the early universe. It's also much smaller than the Milky Way. 

If you look at the galaxy's core, you can see two distinct bright areas studded with stars. It's thought that the youngest stars are in the northwest region. Both places are surrounded by brown filaments — gas bubbles heated by stellar winds and intense ultraviolet radiation emitted by young stars burning exceptionally hot, ESA said. 

One reason for these two lobes of young stars may be the presence of another nearby galaxy. You can see it below I Zwicky 18 in this image as a collection of blue stars. The small galaxy orbits its larger companion, and its gravitational influence may trigger star formation within it, scientists suspect.

I Zwicky 18 gets its name from its discoverer, Fritz Zwicky, the Swiss astronomer who discovered the galaxy in the 1930s.

Almost as impressive as the photo is what exists behind I Zwicky 18 and its neighbor in this image. In the top-right corner is a star in front of the galaxy. But around it are hundreds of other oval-shaped galaxies in the background, some white and others tinted orange because they're so far away. (Reddish light has a longer wavelength.)   ...

[artful-insincerity]

Fritz Zwicky

this name goes so hard. try saying it a few times! it's really fun, top tier name

[ellieswr1d]

Discovered by Fritz Zwicky in 1941, the Cartwheel Galaxy is a lenticular ring galaxy that is around 500-million light years away! It can be found in the constellation Sculptor. The appearance of this galaxy is interesting, being the result of a collision between a large spiral galaxy and a smaller galaxy that is not visible in the photo.

The collision most importantly affected the galaxy’s shape and structure. The Cartwheel Galaxy has two rings, a bright inner ring and a surrounding, colorful ring. The two rings expand outwards from the core. Astronomers refer to this as a ring galaxy. This structure is a lot less common than a spiral galaxy like our Milky Way.

The bright core contains a tremendous amount of hot dust with the brightest areas being the home to gigantic young star clusters. On the other hand, the outer ring, which has expanded for about 440 million years, is dominated by star formation and supernovas. As this ring expands, it plows into surrounding gas and triggers star formation.

So enjoy this gorgeous photo! 🤍

[ironychan]

I have heard from a couple of sources now that dark matter was originally proposed by Fritz Zwicky but nobody cared because he was an asshole. Thus the acceptance of the idea was delayed until Vera Ruben, who was much more polite about it.

[astroimages]

JAMES WEBB DESAFIA O BIG BANG - A TEORIA DA LUZ CANSADA

CONSIDERE APOIAR O TRABALHO DO SPACE TODAY, ASSINANDO A PLATAFORMA SPACE TODAY PLUS PREMIUM, POR APENAS R$29,00 POR MÊS, MENOS DE 1 REAL POR DIA!!! https://spacetodayplus.com.br/premium/ APRESENTAÇÃO "SERÁ QUE ESTAMOS SOZINHOS?" INGRESSOS PARA O RIO DE JANEIRO, DIA 29 DE SETEMBRO, 19 HORAS, NO TEATRO CLARA NUNES NO SHOPPING DA GÁVEA: https://bileto.sympla.com.br/event/96832 Surgiu um estudo inovador, desafiando a compreensão convencional do desvio para o vermelho como um indicador de distância confiável em astronomia. Publicada em 12 de agosto de 2024, esta pesquisa sugere que a velocidade de rotação da Via Láctea pode introduzir um viés nas medições do desvio para o vermelho, potencialmente remodelando nossa compreensão da estrutura e expansão do universo. O estudo, intitulado “Um viés empírico consistente do desvio para o vermelho: uma possível observação direta da teoria TL de Zwicky”, explora a possibilidade de que o desvio para o vermelho não seja influenciado apenas pela velocidade linear das galáxias, mas também por sua dinâmica rotacional em relação à Via Láctea. Essa revelação pode ter implicações profundas para modelos cosmológicos que dependem fortemente de dados de redshift Uma das principais descobertas do estudo é a diferença observada no desvio para o vermelho entre galáxias que giram na mesma direção da Via Láctea e aquelas que giram na direção oposta. A pesquisa indica que galáxias girando na mesma direção exibem um desvio médio mais alto para o vermelho, e essa discrepância aumenta com valores mais altos de desvio para o vermelho. Isso sugere um viés sistemático em vez de um erro aleatório, levando a uma reavaliação dos modelos atuais de redshift. As implicações desse viés são significativas, pois desafia a compatibilidade das teorias cosmológicas existentes com o modelo de redshift. Se as teorias atuais estiverem completas, argumenta o estudo, o desvio para o vermelho como indicador de distância está incompleto. Isso poderia explicar anomalias como a tensão constante do Hubble e a presença de galáxias maduras no universo primitivo. Para garantir a robustez de suas descobertas, os pesquisadores compararam dados de vários telescópios e metodologias, cobrindo os pólos galácticos norte e sul. A consistência entre esses conjuntos de dados ressalta a confiabilidade do viés de redshift observado, abordando as preocupações sobre a reprodutibilidade dos resultados científicos. O estudo também revisita a teoria da “luz cansada” de Fritz Zwicky, sugerindo que o viés do desvio para o vermelho observado pode ser uma observação empírica direta que apóia essa hipótese centenária. A teoria de Zwicky postula que a luz perde energia em grandes distâncias, levando a um desvio para o vermelho que não se deve apenas à velocidade das galáxias. Esta pesquisa abre novos caminhos para explorar modelos cosmológicos alternativos, como a possibilidade de um universo giratório ou de um eixo em escala cosmológica. Essas teorias podem explicar estruturas de grande escala no universo que atualmente não são explicadas por modelos padrão. À medida que a comunidade científica digere essas descobertas, os autores do estudo enfatizam a necessidade de mais pesquisas para explorar as implicações desse viés do desvio para o vermelho. Ao desafiar os paradigmas estabelecidos, este estudo convida astrônomos e cosmólogos a repensar os princípios fundamentais que sustentam nossa compreensão do universo.

[skycrorg]

La cámara de energía oscura explora el cúmulo de Coma, una inspiración para la teoría de la materia oscura

Esta imagen densamente poblada muestra un enorme cúmulo no de estrellas individuales, sino de galaxias enteras, conocido como el cúmulo de Coma.

La Dark Energy Camera ha captado una imagen del deslumbrante cúmulo de Coma, llamado así por el pelo de la reina Berenice II de Egipto. Esta colección de galaxias no sólo es importante en la mitología griega, sino que también fue fundamental para el descubrimiento de la existencia de la materia oscura. La teoría surgió en 1937 cuando el astrónomo suizo Fritz Zwicky se dio cuenta de que las…