Gravity Measurements Answer Questions on Climate Change

For years, there are questions and discussion on the impact of climate change on the ice-covered regions of the globe. Scientists have been investigating space-borne gravity measurements in the GRACE satellite mission. It is based on the fact that the redistribution of masses on the Earth surface can be mapped in terms of the terrestrial gravity field. The results indicate that Greenland's glaciers are shrinking at an accelerating pace.

Reference: Science Daily

Black Hole Induced Galaxy Existence?

A new scenario has emerged from observations of a black hole without a home, may indicate that black holes may be building their own host galaxy. This may be the long-sought missing link to understanding why the masses of black hole are larger in galaxies that contain more stars. The study suggests that super-massive black holes can trigger the formation of stars

The chicken and egg analogy hence: did a galaxy or black hole come first?

Reference:
Elbaz et al. Quasar induced galaxy formation: a new paradigm? Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2009; 507 (3): 1359 DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/200912848

Robot Armada in Space

In the future, the approach of planetary exploration maybe different than traditional methods. An armada of robots instead of one will be sent on exploration, where each autonomous robot will be expendable and low-cost. In addition, they will command themselves or with each other simultaneously. A team at the University of Arizona are developing autonomous software and have built a robotic test bed that can mimic a field geologist or astronaut, capable of working independently and as part of a large team.

An example mission scenario will be using an orbiter to circle Titan with a global view of the moon while communicating to the air balloons to fly to unknown areas or areas of interest. The aerial balloon commanding multiple rovers on surface exploration. On the other hand, the rover can report to the airship or orbiter of an aerial geographic property on the surface.  The idea is similar to divide and conquer with autonomous robots in space.

Reference: http://autonomy.caltech.edu

Dark Matter Bolometer Detector

The existence of dark matter is induced from the behavior of faraway galaxies, which move in ways that can only be explained by a gravitational pull caused by more mass than can be seen. They estimate dark matter represents around 20 percent of the universe, with the other 75 percent made up of dark energy, a repulsive force that is causing the universe to expand at an ever-quickening pace.

Eduardo Abancens designed a prototype dark matter detector called a scintillating bolometer. It is a crystal so pure that it can conduct the energy ostensibly generated when a particle of dark matter strikes the nucleus of one of its atoms.

To prevent interference by cosmic rays, the bolometer is shielded in lead and kept half a mile underground. The challenge is to freeze the device to near-absolute zero, the temperature at which all motion stops. At the edge of absolute zero, it will possible to measure expected changes of a few millionths of a degree Fahrenheit.

Reference: “A BGO scintillating bolometer as dark matter detector prototype.” By N. Coron, E. García, J. Gironnet, J. Leblanc, P. de Marcillac, M. Martínez, Y. Ortigoza, A. Ortiz de Solórzano, C. Pobes, J. Puimedón, T. Redon, M.L. Sarsa, L. Torres and J.A. Villar. Optical Materials, Vol. 31 Issue 10, August 2009.

Mystery of the Epsilon Aurigae Star

The super-bright star, epsilon Aurigae, dims its lights every 27 years puzzles scientist. The star is too bright to be observed with a majority of professional telescopes, so a collaborative project called "Citizen Sky" is created to solve this mystery. The star will be dim during all of 2010. Scientists hypothesize that there is a mysterious companion with the star that causes this phenomena.

Reference: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/08/citizensky/