Tag: relativity

New research looks at gamma-ray bursts

Astrophysicists Jon Hakkila of the College of Charleston and Robert Nemiroff of the Michigan Technological University have published research indicating that blasts that create gamma-ray bursts may actually exceed the speed of light in surrounding gas clouds, but do so without violating Einstein’s theory of relativity. Source: https://phys.org/news/2019-09-gamma-ray.html…

Bridge between quantum mechanics and general relativity still possible

Quantum mechanics and the general theory of relativity form the bedrock of the current understanding of physics—yet the two theories don’t seem to work together. Physical phenomena rely on relationship of motion between the observed and the observer. Certain rules hold true across types of observed objects and those observing, but those rules tend to break down at the quantum level,…

Black hole that ‘rings’ like a bell shows Einstein was right

Astronomers have looked at the way a black hole ‘rings’ like a bell to test a prediction of Einstein’s general relativity. Turns out Einstein is still right Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2216409-black-hole-that-rings-like-a-bell-shows-einstein-was-right/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Milky Way’s black hole appears to be getting hungrier

“We have never seen anything like this in the 24 years we have studied the supermassive black hole. It’s usually a pretty quiet, wimpy black hole on a diet. We don’t know what is driving this big feast.” Source: https://earthsky.org/space/milky-ways-black-hole-appears-to-be-getting-hungrier…

Radio emission from a neutron star’s magnetic pole revealed by General Relativity

Pulsars in binary systems are affected by relativistic effects, causing the spin axes of each pulsar to change their direction with time. A research team led by Gregory Desvignes from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany, has used radio observations of the source PSR J1906+0746 to reconstruct the polarised emission over the pulsar’s magnetic pole and to…

The paradoxes of Zen Buddhism could help us grasp fundamental physics

If you’re struggling to understand the mysteries of quantum physics and relativity, you need all the help you can get – even borrowing Buddhist mysticism, shows a new book Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24332460-100-the-paradoxes-of-zen-buddhism-could-help-us-grasp-fundamental-physics/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

US Govt Considers Changing Requirements for Rocket Launches. Commercial Space Group Objects

Long-time Slashdot reader apoc.famine writes: In a proposed change to the licensing of spaceflight operations, the FAA writes: “This action would fundamentally change how the FAA licenses launches and reentries…by proposing a regulatory approach that relies on performance-based regulations rather than prescriptive regulations…..This action would also enable flexible timeframes, remove unnecessary ground safety regulations, redefine when launch begins to allow specified…

Arecibo Observatory gets $12.3 million grant

Arecibo in Puerto Rico was completed in 1963. In recent years, it has weathered multiple hurricanes. The emergency supplemental funds – supported by the U.S. Congress – represent an investment in the future of this large, famous and much-loved radio dish. Source: https://earthsky.org/human-world/arecibo-observatory-12-3-million-grant-upgrade…

Physicists who came up with supergravity win $3m Breakthrough Prize

Supergravity is an idea that could unite general relativity with quantum mechanics, and the three physicists who formulated it have now won a $3 million prize for their work Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2212449-physicists-who-came-up-with-supergravity-win-3m-breakthrough-prize/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…