An international team, led by Dr. Alexandra Le Reste from Stockholm University and the Oskar Klein Centre, used the MeerKAT radio telescope to investigate processes at the origin of the Epoch of Reionization, a crucial period occurring a billion years after the Big Bang. The study, made possible by MeerKAT's increased sensitivity relative to older telescopes, reveals how galaxy mergers might have influenced the transformation of the Universe during this epoch.
Stopping dead seems to be a default setting when driverless cars encounter a problem. This can cause chaos on roads, writes professor Barry Brown in The Conversation.
A supernova explosion powered by a black hole consuming its binary companion. This is an interpretation forwarded in the latest issue of the journal Nature, where astronomers from Stockholm University participate in a study of a recent cosmic explosion. Supernovae are the explosions of massive stars. Supernova SN 2022jli was discovered in May 2022 in the nearby (75 million lightyears) galaxy NGC 157 in the constellation Cetus. Detailed monitoring of the fading supernova using the Zwicky Transient Facility at Palomar showed a periodic change in brightness, implying that two objects were involved in the deadly dance.
Sweating, facial expressions and increased heart rate. Our bodies send signals about our emotions – signals that can be picked up by sensors. The input can then be used to design our next workout, meal or learning experience. Luis Quintero’s research provides a sneak peek into the future.
Eutrophication is the gradual increase of nutrients such as phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in lakes and seas. While N can re-enter the ecosystem via the natural nitrogen cycle, there is no natural remedy for P, and unless physically removed, P stays in the aquatic environment forever. Therefore, the removal of P from eutrophicated systems is of utmost importance.
Where do we come from? How were all our atoms created? These are some of the intriguing questions that a group of astronomers called the R-Process Alliance are trying to answer. Today, they publish a new groundbreaking study in the prestigious scientific journal Science, where they show footprints from the cosmic creation of super heavy elements. Terese Hansen, researcher at the Department of Astronomy, is one of the co-authors. Where do we come from? How were all our atoms created? These are some of the intriguing questions that a group of astronomers called the R-Process Alliance are trying to answer. Today, they publish a new groundbreaking study in the prestigious scientific journal Science, where they show footprints from the cosmic creation of super heavy elements. Terese Hansen, researcher at the Department of Astronomy, is one of the co-authors. "Rapid neutron capture is an awe-inspiring cosmic phenomenon, responsible for the creation of the heaviest elements in our universe," explains Dr. Terese Hansen, Stockholm University, astronomer and co-author on the paper. "However, the site where the r-process occur which lead to the creation of super heavy elements has been a mystery to us, at least until now”. Dr. Hansen is one of the founding members of the R-Process Alliance. The R-Process Alliance has unveiled a groundbreaking revelation in their latest project, cracking the code to the formation of super heavy elements. As these elements form in the r-process to achieve their super heavy status, they become inherently unstable, ultimately fragmenting into elements like silver and palladium. This cascade of elemental disintegration has left a tell-tale signature in the atmospheres of stars, a silver fingerprint that the R-Process Alliance believe is the remnants of super heavy elements breaking apart. "In our pursuit of understanding the r-process, we have identified a distinct accumulation of silver and palladium in the atmospheres of stars," notes Dr. Hansen. "These elements are the offspring of super heavy elements that have undergone fragmentation, providing a tangible insight to the processes occurring in the extreme cosmic environments that form the nebulae where new stars are born." What makes this discovery particularly significant is that it offers a glimpse into the production of elements heavier than any man-made counterparts. While these super heavy elements remain elusive to direct observation, the indirect evidence found in stellar atmospheres serves as a testament to what may have happened in the environment that eventually led to the birth of new stars. The implications of this research extend far beyond the realm of astrophysics. By meticulously mapping the chemical compositions of stars, the R-Process Alliance is not only uncovering the ‘where’ and ‘when’ of rapid neutron capture events but also providing crucial insights into the quantity of heavy elements, such as silver, generated by these cosmic explosions. In short: it provides us with an unprecedented understanding of element formation in the universe. The study is based on observation of 42 stars in the MilkyWay. The team investigated 31 elements observed in 34 previous studies.
Data is available in abundance. However, to utilize this raw material we need to sort it so that patterns and trends become visible. Zed Lee develops algorithms that are useful for industry as well as healthcare.
Grain was a vital product in pre-industrial Europe and its price variations are an indicator of food availability and the level of subsistence stress. In a new research project, Fredrik Charpentier Ljungqvist, together with three other researchers from different disciplines, will investigate and explain the relationship between grain prices and food stress in various parts of Europe from the 16th century to the 18th century.
Knut and Alice Wallenberg's foundation appoints 31 Wallenberg Academy Fellows this year, one of them is MMK associate professor Mika Sipponen! These prestigious funds will cover research over five years. After the end of the first period, it is possible to apply for another five years of financing. Mika Sipponen will lead reseach on creating living materials for water purification and carbon fixation. Read all about the plans on the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation webpage
How many connected devices are there in the world? No one knows for sure, but according to a forecast, we might reach 50 billion in a couple of years. This means that enormous amounts of data have to be generated, managed and stored. Today’s cloud solutions won’t be enough, argues Ramin Firouzi.
In the latest issue of the journal Nature, astronomers from Stockholm University participate in a study of an optical transient displaying fast flickering of light. A small black hole in a distant galaxy could lie behind the phenomenon. Supernovae – exploding stars - are well known transients that suddenly appear on the night sky and then shine on for a few weeks. Current supernova survey telescopes find thousands of these each year, but also start to find different and faster optical transients. The Zwicky Transient Facility at Palomar in California discovered the object named AT2022tsd in September last year (2022), and it was soon clear that it was not an ordinary supernova.
A team of European astronomers recently utilized observations made with the James Webb Space Telescope to study the atmosphere of the nearby exoplanet WASP-107b. By peering deep into WASP-107b's fluffy atmosphere, they discovered not only water vapor and sulfur dioxide but even clouds of silicates (i.e., sand). The results of the study were published today in the prestigious journal Nature. Astronomers worldwide are currently leveraging the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the capabilities of the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to conduct groundbreaking observations of exoplanets—planets orbiting stars other than our Sun. One of these captivating worlds is WASP-107b, a unique gas giant planet orbiting a star slightly cooler and less massive than our own Sun. Although the planet's mass is comparable to Neptune, its size is much larger, almost approaching that of Jupiter. This characteristic renders the atmosphere of WASP-107b rather 'fluffy' compared to the gas giants in our solar system, enabling astronomers to explore its atmosphere approximately 50 times deeper than a Jupiter-like planet.
