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Category: space
A New Understanding of Einstein-Rosen Bridges
The formulation of quantum field theory in Minkowski spacetime, which emerges from the unification of special relativity and quantum mechanics, is based on treating time as a parameter, assuming a fixed arrow of time, and requiring that field operators commute for spacelike separations. This procedure is questioned in the context of quantum field theory in curved spacetime (QFTCS). In 1935, Einstein and Rosen (ER), in their seminal paper [1] proposed that “a particle in the physical Universe has to be described by mathematical bridges connecting two sheets of spacetime” which involved two arrows of time. We further establish that the quantum effects at gravitational horizons aesthetically involve the physics of quantum inverted harmonic oscillators that have phase space horizons. Recently proposed direct-sum quantum theory reconciles the ER’s vision by introducing geometric superselection sectors associated with the regions of spacetime related by discrete transformations. This new understanding of the ER bridges promises a unitary description of QFTCS, along with observer complementarity. Furthermore, we present compelling evidence for our new understanding of ER bridges in the form of large-scale parity asymmetric features in the cosmic microwave background, which is statistically 650 times stronger than the standard scale-invariant power spectrum from the typical understanding of inflationary quantum fluctuations when compared with the posterior probabilities associated with the model given the data. We finally discuss the implications of this new understanding in combining gravity and quantum mechanics.
Gravity and quantum mechanics.
Disentangling a dusty nova: Astronomers take a closer look at LMCN 2009-05a
By analyzing the data from the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) international database and the Small and Medium Aperture Telescope System (SMARTS), astronomers have inspected a nova in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) known as LMCN 2009-05a. Results of the study, published August 19 on the pre-print server arXiv, disentangle the nature and properties of this nova.
Chemists create new high-energy compound to fuel space flight
University at Albany chemists have created a new high-energy compound that could revolutionize rocket fuel and make space flights more efficient. Upon ignition, the compound releases more energy relative to its weight and volume compared to current fuels. In a rocket, this would mean less fuel required to power the same flight duration or payload and more room for mission-critical supplies. Their study is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
“In rocket ships, space is at a premium,” said Assistant Professor of Chemistry Michael Yeung, whose lab led the work. “Every inch must be packed efficiently, and everything onboard needs to be as light as possible. Creating more efficient fuel using our new compound would mean less space is needed for fuel storage, freeing up room for equipment, including instruments used for research. On the return voyage, this could mean more space is available to bring samples home.”
The newly synthesized compound, manganese diboride (MnB2), is over 20% more energetic by weight and about 150% more energetic by volume compared to the aluminum currently used in solid rocket boosters. Despite being highly energetic, it is also very safe and will only combust when it meets an ignition agent like kerosene.
Warped protoplanetary disks reshape existing ideas about how planets form
The textbook picture of how planets form—serene, flat disks of cosmic dust—has just received a significant cosmic twist.
New research, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, is set to reshape this long-held view. An international team of scientists, wielding the formidable power of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), has found compelling evidence that many protoplanetary disks, the very birthplaces of planets, are in fact subtly warped.
These slight bends and twists in the disk plane, often just a few degrees, bear a striking resemblance to the subtle tilts observed among the planets in our own solar system. This discovery suggests the initial conditions for planetary systems might be far less orderly than previously thought, with profound implications for how planets grow and settle into their final orbits.
The world’s volcanoes are waking up — And they’re erupting pure technology
One of Earth’s most unique geological formations is volcanoes, as they can be located either on land or underwater. They are even found on other planets. These formations come in all shapes and sizes, varying from shields to composites and cinder cones. When they erupt, they spew lava. As more and more of the world’s volcanoes are waking, they are also erupting pure technology. That’s right, within these unique geological formations, there are valuable elements that could revolutionize the renewable industry.
The world is gradually transitioning to renewable energy sources as alternatives to burning fossil fuels. This transition forms part of a greater goal to reduce the total greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. Unfortunately, the renewable technologies that we rely on to harness energy from renewable sources are not as environmentally friendly as we want to believe.
According to the SPIE Digital Library, renewable energy technology needs particular elements for production, and obtaining these elements has proven to be challenging. Without these elements, we cannot address other challenges that these technologies face, which are intermittency and storage. For example, solar panels and wind turbines are both dependent on specific weather conditions, which result in intermittency in power supply.
Strange spotted rock on Mars could reveal signs of ancient life
Learning how to study the leopard-like spots found on both terrestrial and Martian rocks can prepare scientists for when the real samples arrive from space. A curious red Martian rock nicknamed Sapphire Canyon has scientists excited, as its spotted appearance hints at possible organic origins. On Earth, researchers tested a powerful laser technique, O-PTIR, on a similar rock found by chance in Arizona, proving it can rapidly and precisely reveal a material’s chemical makeup. This high-resolution method could play a key role in analyzing Mars samples once they arrive, adding to its growing track record in NASA missions like Europa Clipper.
In 2024, NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance collected an unusual rock sample. The rock, named Sapphire Canyon, features white, leopard-like spots with black borders within a red mudstone and might hold clues about sources of organic molecules within Mars.
Here on Earth, in Review of Scientific Instruments, by AIP Publishing, researchers from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology used a technique called optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy (O-PTIR) to study a visually similar rock. They wanted to determine if O-PTIR can be applied to the Sapphire Canyon sample when it is eventually brought here for study.
