Daily Archives: July 5, 2017

Nasas Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer, or Nicer, is an X-ray telescope that was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early June. Installed on the International Space Station, by mid-July it will commence its scientific work to study the exotic astrophysical objects known as neutron stars and examine whether they could be used as deep-space navigation beacons for future generations of spacecraft.

What are neutron stars? When stars at least eight times more massive than the sun exhaust all the fuel in their core through thermonuclear fusion reactions, the pressure of gravity causes them to collapse. The supernova explosion that results ejects most of the stars material into the far reaches of space. What remains forms either a neutron star or a black hole.

I study neutron stars because of their rich range of astrophysical phenomena and the many areas of physics to which they are connected. What makes neutron stars extremely interesting is that each star is about 1.5 times the mass of the sun, but only about 25km in diameter the size of a single city. When you cram that much mass into such a small volume, the matter is more densely packed than that of an atomic nucleus. So, for example, while the nucleus of a helium atom has just two neutrons and two protons, a neutron star is essentially a single nucleus made up of 1057 neutrons and 1056 protons.

We can use neutron stars to probe properties of nuclear physics that cannot be investigated in laboratories on Earth. For example, some current theories predict that exotic particles of matter, such as hyperons and deconfined quarks, can appear at the high densities that are present in neutron stars. Theories also indicate that at temperatures of a billion degrees Celsius, protons in the neutron star become superconducting and neutrons, without charge, become superfluid.

The magnetic field of neutron stars is extreme as well, possibly the strongest in the universe, and billions of times stronger than anything created in laboratories. While the gravity at the surface of a neutron star may not be as strong as that near a black hole, neutron stars still create major distortions in spacetime and can be sources of gravitational waves, which were inferred from research into neutron stars in the 1970s, and confirmed from black holes by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatoryrecently.

The main focus of Niceris to accurately measure the mass and radius of several neutron stars and, although the telescope will observe other types of astronomical objects, those of us studying neutron stars hope Nicerwill provide us with unique insights into these fascinating objects and their physics. Nicerwill measure how the brightness of a neutron star changes according to its energy, and how it changes as the star rotates, revealing different parts of the surface. These observations will be compared to theoretical models based on properties of the star such as mass and radius. Accurate determinations of mass and radius will provide a vital test of nuclear theory.

Another aspect of neutron stars that could prove important for future space travel is their rotation and this will also be tested by Nicer. Rotating neutron stars, known as pulsars, emit beams of radiation like a lighthouse and are seen to spin as fast as 716 times per second. This rotation rate in some neutron stars is more stable than the best atomic clocks we have on Earth. In fact, it is this characteristic of neutron stars that led to the discovery of the first planets outside our solar system in 1992 three Earth-sized planets revolving around a neutron star.

The Nicermission, using a part of the telescope called sextant, will test whether the extraordinary regularity and stability of neutron star rotation could be used as a network of navigation beacons in deep space. Neutron stars could thus serve as natural satellites contributing to agalactic (rather than global) positioning system and could be relied upon by future manned and unmanned spacecraft to navigate among the stars.

Nicer will operate for 18 months, but it is hoped that Nasawill continue to support its operation afterwards, especially if it can deliver on its ambitious scientific goals. I hope so too, because Nicer combines and greatly improves upon the invaluable capabilities of previous X-ray spacecraft RXTE, Chandra, and XMM-Newton that are used to uncover neutron stars mysteries and reveal properties of fundamental physics.

The first neutron star, a pulsar, was discovered in 1967 by Jocelyn Bell Burnell. It would be fitting to obtain a breakthrough on neutron stars in this 50th anniversary year.

Wynn Ho is an associate professor at the University of Southampton. This article was originally published on The Conversation (www.theconversation.com)

Excerpt from:

Neutron stars could be our GPS for deep-space travel - The Independent

[Image: NASA]

Before astronauts go to Mars, they can go to M.A.R.S. the Modular Analog Research Station, a project which simulates a mission to the moon or Mars. Located in Poland, the M.A.R.S. habitat consists of four underground modules plus a central office that includes a kitchen and social room. The first module consists of a bedroom, gym and hygiene room, while the second will contain bioreactors and research instruments. The third module will be for storage of food, equipment, etc. while the fourth will serve as a laboratory.

The six participants in the two-week experiment will live in the base and travel from module to module on foot or in a small two-person vehicle, wearing space suits that measure oxygen levels, carbon dioxide, pressure and temperature. They will collect research samples via a Mars rover that was created by students atRzeszw University of Technology. Meanwhile, they will receive notifications such as sandstorm warnings and energy level notifications from nuclear reactor simulators.

One of the first questions that springs to mind regarding long-term space missions is: what will the astronauts eat? That question will be addressed in the simulation, of course: the participants will receive vitamins, microelements and proteins from produced in bioreactors, and they will also cultivate edible plants through hydroponics. Thats where 3D printing comes in to this particular mission. Verashape, creator of theVSHAPER3D printer line, will be 3D printing the equipment that the participants will use to cultivate the plants.

We decided to combine hydroponics with 3D Printing and create a modern hydroponic cultivation dedicated to space solutions. Containers that will be included in its composition will be printed using 3D Printing technology in cooperation with the VSHAPER Printer manufacturer, said Olga Grabiwoda of the Design Institute in Kielce.

Other nutrition will come from insects and algae, via the bioreactors. Thats obviously going to take some getting used to, as is everything involved in a mission to the moon or Mars, and the goal of the simulation is to see how well astronauts can adapt to the conditions of such a mission. Sociological and psychological examinations will be performed, in addition to the gathering of data such as sleep quality, hormones, pulse and sugar levels. The results of the experiment will be made available to the public in the form of scientific and popular science publications.

Several Polish companies are involved in the simulation, providing technology such as a lock through which the participants will enter the habitat, bioreactors and a microgravity simulation machine. The Verashape team, for its part, is thrilled to be participating in such an experiment.

We could not be indifferent to such an interesting initiative, said Jacek Wach, Marketing Manager at Verashape. There are only a few places like this one in the world in China, Hawaii and the Deserts of Utah. We are very willing to engage in research projects. Participating in the M.A.R.S. project weindirectly contribute to the development of the space industry in Poland.

The M.A.R.S. initiative was developed by Dr. Agata Kolodziejczyk, a neuroscientist from the European Space Agency. She is also involved with plans to build a moon village, or base, on the moon a project that will depend heavily on 3D printing. The hope is that the M.A.R.S. simulation will be the first of many, depending on funding from sponsors. Discuss in the 3D Printed Hydroponics forum at 3DPB.com.

See original here:

3D Printed Hydroponics Part of Large-Scale Space Travel Simulation - 3DPrint.com