Toggle light / dark theme

Physicists Close In on the Fifth Force That Could Unlock the Mystery of Dark Matter

Scientists are using trapped ions in cutting-edge experiments to hunt for signs of an undiscovered particle that might help unravel the mystery of dark matter. The Standard Model of particle physics offers an exceptionally precise description of the fundamental components that form all visible ma

Growing evidence for evolving dark energy could inspire a new model of the universe

The birth, growth and future of our universe are eternally fascinating.

In the last decades, telescopes have been able to observe the skies with unprecedented precision and sensitivity.

Our research team on the South Pole Telescope is studying how the universe evolved and has changed over time. We have just released two years’ worth of mapping of the infant universe over 1/25th of the sky.

“There is only one interpretation of quantum mechanics” | David Deutsch FULL INTERVIEW

David Deutsch, known as the ‘father of quantum computing’, explains how accepting the reality of quantum mechanics means accepting the multiverse.

How are the branches of a multiverse different from each other?

With a free trial, you can watch David Deutsch debate infinity with George Ellis and Sara Walker at https://iai.tv/video/the-edge-of-the-universe?utm_source=You…of-reality.

The many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics says that all possible outcomes of quantum measurements are physically realised in different worlds. These many worlds have proved extremely contentious, with critics arguing that they are mere fantasy. In this exclusive interview, leading physicist David Deutsch explains the philosophy behind the many-worlds interpretation and argues that not only is it the best interpretation of quantum mechanics – it is the only interpretation.

#quantum #quantummechanics #quantumphysics #quantumcomputing.

David Deutsch is a theoretical physicist best known as the founding father of quantum computation and as a key figure and advocate for the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. Deutsch is a Visiting Professor of physics at the Centre for Quantum Computation and the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford University. Interviewed by Charlie Barnett, Senior Producer at the IAI.

Double detonation: New image shows remains of star destroyed by pair of explosions

For the first time, astronomers have obtained visual evidence that a star met its end by detonating twice. By studying the centuries-old remains of supernova SNR 0509–67.5 with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), they have found patterns that confirm its star suffered a pair of explosive blasts.

ALMA reveals hidden structures in the first galaxies of the universe

Astronomers have used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to peer into the early universe and uncover the building blocks of galaxies during their formative years. The CRISTAL survey—short for [CII] Resolved ISM in STar-forming galaxies with ALMA—reveals cold gas, dust, and clumpy star formation in galaxies observed as they appeared just 1 billion years after the Big Bang.

“Thanks to ALMA’s unique sensitivity and resolution, we can resolve the internal structure of these early in ways never possible before,” said Rodrigo Herrera-Camus, principal investigator of the CRISTAL survey, professor at Universidad de Concepción, and Director of the Millennium Nucleus for Galaxy Formation (MINGAL) in Chile. “CRISTAL is showing us how the first galactic disks formed, how stars emerged in giant clumps, and how gas shaped the galaxies we see today.”

CRISTAL, an ALMA Large Program, observed 39 typical star-forming galaxies selected to represent the main population of galaxies in the early universe. Using [CII] line emission, a specific type of light emitted by ionized in cold interstellar gas, as a tracer of and dust, and combining it with near-infrared images from the James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes, researchers created a detailed map of the interstellar medium in each system.

Star-Shredding Spectacle: NASA Reveals Brightest Black Hole Blasts Since the Big Bang

Supermassive black holes usually lurk unseen, but when an unlucky star drifts too close they ignite titanic outbursts brighter than 100 supernovae. By mixing NASA, ESA, and ground-based data, astronomers caught three of these rare “extreme nuclear transients,” including the cheekily named “Barbie

Supernova remnant SNR J0450.4−7050 investigated in detail

An international team of astronomers has employed various satellites and ground-based telescopes to perform multiwavelength observations of a supernova remnant known as SNR J0450.4−7050. Results of the observational campaign, published June 18 on the pre-print server arXiv, yield new insights into the properties of this remnant, finding that it is much larger than previously thought.

Supernova remnants (SNRs) are diffuse, expanding structures resulting from a supernova explosion, which usually last several hundred thousand years before dispersing into the (ISM). Observations show that SNRs contain ejected material expanding from the explosion and other interstellar material that has been swept up by the passage of the shockwave from the exploded star.

Studies of SNRs beyond the Milky Way are crucial for understanding their feedback in different evolutionary phases and gaining insights into their local ISM. The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is one of the galaxies that has its SNR population explored in detail.