Daily Archives: October 21, 2021

Ying Feng Kline, a lecturer of Chinese from Penn State University, will serve as lead instructor for the summer academy. Dr. Yanfei Zhu, UNG associate professor of visual arts, and faculty members from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, High Point University, Hamilton College and other schools will offer online talks for the pre-camp and post-camp activities.

"It's rare to have the chance to tackle both science and Chinese language learning at the same time, and yet, Professor He's dedication to this initiative will provide a truly special learning experience," Dr. Christopher Jespersen, dean of the College of Arts & Letters, said. "We look forward to hosting the STARTALK camp at UNG."

UNG has hired four professional tutors and two UNG Chinese Language Flagship students who are on the advanced track to work with students in spring 2022.

The mission of STARTALK is to support "student education and teacher development programs of less commonly taught and critical-need languages that meet the national security and defense priorities."

Dr. D. Brian Mann, department head of Modern and Classical Languages, said research shows teaching Chinese earlier helps the knowledge become more ingrained for students, and it will set them up well for advanced studies at UNG.

"This makes it possible for them to go further in their Chinese proficiency," Mann said.

Applications for the spring 2022 tutoring are open through Nov. 1. Accepted students will meet individually with their tutor online for half an hour weekly for 17 weeks during the spring semester.

There will be a separate application process for the June 5-18 residential camp, but students who receive tutoring will be encouraged to apply. Students who participate in the camp will have access to post-camp learning activities.

Go here to read the rest:

Grant to fund Chinese and astronomy camp - News at UNG

Unprecedented observations of a nearby supernova in 2020 have given astronomers an extraordinarily detailed look at the explosion of a massive star, including images taken immediately before and after the explosion. The result is a complete picture of the death of a red supergiant star when it runs out of fuel, collapses under its own gravity, and explodes in a core-collapse supernova.

"We used to talk about supernova work like we were crime scene investigators, where we would show up after the fact and try to figure out what happened to that star," explained Ryan Foley, an assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz. "This is a different situation, because we really know what's going on and we actually see the death in real time."

Foleys team reported their findings in a paper published October 21 in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The supernova, called SN 2020fqv, is in the interacting Butterfly Galaxies, which are located about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered in April 2020 by the Zwicky Transient Facility at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego, California. Astronomers realized that the supernova was simultaneously being observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a NASA satellite designed primarily to discover exoplanets. They quickly trained the Hubble Space Telescope on it as well as a suite of ground-based telescopes, including at UCs Lick Observatory and at the Keck and Gemini Observatories in Hawaii.

Together, these observatories gave a holistic view of a star in the very earliest stage of destruction. Hubble probed the material very close to the star, called circumstellar material, just hours after the explosion. This material was blown off the star in the last year of its life. These observations allowed astronomers to understand what was happening to the star just before it died.

"We rarely get to examine this very close-in circumstellar material since it is only visible for a very short time and we usually don't start observing a supernova until at least a few days after the explosion," explained first author Samaporn Tinyanont, a postdoctoral researcher at UCSC. "For this supernova, we were able make ultra-rapid observations with Hubble, giving unprecedented coverage of the region right next to the star that exploded."

TESS provided an image of the system every 30 minutes starting several days before the explosion through the explosion itself and continuing for several weeks. The team also looked at Hubble observations of the star going back to the 1990s. Hubble was used again starting only hours after astronomers first detected the explosion. And from studying the circumstellar material with Hubble, the scientists gained an understanding of what was happening around the star in the previous decade. By combining all of this information, the team was able to create a multi-decade look at the star's final years.

"Now we have this whole story about what's happening to the star in the years before it died, through the time of death, and then the aftermath of that," said Foley. "This is really the most detailed view of stars like this in their last moments and how they explode."

The Rosetta Stone of Supernovas

Tinyanont and Foley have called SN 2020fqv "the Rosetta Stone of supernovas." The ancient Rosetta Stone, which has the same text inscribed in three different scripts, helped experts learn to read Egyptian hieroglyphs.

In the case of this supernova, the science team used several different methods to determine the mass of the exploding star. These included comparing the properties and the evolution of the supernova with theoretical models; using information from a 1997 archival Hubble image of the star to rule out higher mass stars; and using Keck observations to directly measure the amount of oxygen in the supernova, which probes the mass of the star. The results are all consistent: around 14 to 15 times the mass of the sun. Accurately determining the mass of the star that explodes in a supernova is crucial to understanding how massive stars live and die.

This is the first time we've been able to verify the mass with these three different methods for one supernova, and all of them are consistent, said Tinyanont. Now we can push forward using these different methods and combining them, because there are a lot of other supernovas where we have masses from one method but not another.

The findings also indicate that the star had a complicated history of mass loss a few years before core collapse. In the years before stars explode, they tend to become more active. Some astronomers point to the red supergiant Betelgeuse, which has recently been belching significant amounts of material, and they wonder if this star will soon go supernova. While Foley doubts Betelgeuse will imminently explode, he does think we should take such stellar outbursts seriously.

"This could be a warning system," said Foley. "So if you see a star start to shake around a bit, start acting up, then maybe we should pay more attention and really try to understand what's going on there before it explodes. As we find more and more of these supernovas with this sort of excellent data set, we'll be able to understand better what's happening in the last few years of a star's life."

Foley noted that these unique observations of a supernova were carried out during the COVID-19 lockdowns in the spring of 2020 and required extraordinary efforts and coordination by a large number of people, mostly working from home. Many observatories were shut down for part of the time, but they reopened soon enough to obtain crucial data for the study.

It was fantastic how people worked together to make this happen, Foley said. A lot of people were involved, and it was logistically complicated, but in the end the data we got were amazing.

Read more from the original source:

Astronomers witnessed the spectacular death of a star as it happened - UC Santa Cruz

Researchers at NUI Galway, MIT and Cambridge used the ALMA telescope to provide a window to the composition of young planets.

An astronomer from NUI Galway is part of an international team that for the first time found evidence of a planets atmosphere being stripped away by a giant collision in a nearby star system.

At just 95 light years from Earth, the young star named HD 172555 was witness to an impact between two newly formed planets that are estimated to be about the size of Earth.

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope in Chile, researchers from NUI Galway, MIT and Cambridge University studied the collision and unexpectedly detected a ring of carbon monoxide gas in the dust produced.

This, for the first time, indicates that impacts can release large amounts of gas as well as dust, and that this gas can survive long enough to be detected, said Dr Luca Matr, an adviser for the study and lecturer at NUI Galways Centre for Astronomy.

Based on the amount of gas detected, the team was able to estimate that the size of the impact was likely massive and dated it to around 200,000 years ago. This has the potential to revolutionise our understanding and observability of giant impacts, Matr added.

Findings of the study were published yesterday (20 October) in the journal Nature. It may solve years of mystery around the unusual composition of dust observed by scientists in the HD 172555 region indicating the aftermath of a planetary impact like the one that led to the formation of the moon.

The ALMA observatory used for the study consists of 66 radio telescopes working in unison. Ireland gained access to it after joining the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in 2018. It was used in a study published in July to understand how moons are formed.

Matr said that the amount of gas discovered in this latest research is 10 to 20pc of the mass of Venus atmosphere, which goes on to show the incredible sensitivity of the observations.

This puts forward gas observations as a viable detection method of terrestrial planet-forming collisions, and as a window to the composition of young planets, he said.

Lead author Tajana Schneiderman of MIT said that this the first time scientists have detected the phenomenon of protoplanetary atmosphere being stripped away in a giant impact.

Everyone is interested in observing a giant impact because we expect them to be common, but we dont have evidence in a lot of systems for it. Now we have additional insight into these dynamics.

Dont miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for theDaily Brief, Silicon Republics digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Read the original here:

Galway astronomer in global team that detected giant collision in space - Siliconrepublic.com

Wythe Marschall, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of the History of Science at Harvard University, spoke to Ithaca College students and faculty about the lack of inclusion of scientific knowledge from marginalized communities.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy Seminar, Defining, Globalizing, and Decolonizing the History of Science: Reflections and Open Problems, took place Oct. 19 in the Center for Natural Sciences. Marschall spoke virtually to about 21 members of the campus community regarding the limitations of science, as defined by European and American standards.

Marschall said the history of science as it is known should become more objective in its explanation of scientific knowledge systems. He said there were several cases in history in which scientific ideas from marginalized, non-Western communities were often overlooked like the separation of traditional Chinese medicine, a branch of Chinese medicine which encompasses a range of health and healing practices, from biomedicine, a branch of Western medicine that combines biological and physiological principles to clinical practice.

So if science is unitarian transhistorical, how do you explain sudden shifts? Marschall asked. There might be an issue with sort of assuming that there is this one view of reality that we are all just working toward.

When examining the history of science, Marschall said it was important to look at three models of scientific philosophy. The first, epistemic paternalism the withholding of evidence from someone without their consent comes from the idea that the interference in the inquiry of others could be considered justifiable. Second, epistemic diversity the ability to produce rich and diverse knowledge takes into account the scientific discoveries of marginalized communities in order to produce a more diverse understanding of the world. Third, epistemic decolonization the critique of the colonization of knowledge calls into question the prevalence of the Western knowledge system and seeks to give marginalized communities a say as to what is considered science.

The history of science has often been taught for a long time as unitary, so theres one thing called science; we sort of know it when we see it, Marschall said. Transhistorically, that thing itself doesnt really change, although we gain more knowledge about it its generally performed by people who have more money than other people; more social status. Its often masculine and its often white.

Marschall said that while there were no definite ways to ensure a complete redefinition of what is and is not counted in the history of science, much of the work begins with education. He said universities must not only begin to re-evaluate the material that is being taught in science classes but also re-evaluate the ways in which that material is being taught.

Its hard because you are in a building in an elite university, and even if youre in a circle, youre still sort of in a position of epistemic authority, Marschall said. So theres some of that sort of paternalistic work that happens in universities that were all accustomed to.

Senior Antara Sen, who helped organize the event, said they enjoyed learning about the ways in which many scientific discoveries have been overshadowed by elitist standards of academia.

I think that talking about these issues helps illuminate to younger students that there isnt just one way to be a scientist, Sen said. Science truly is the all-encompassing act of making knowledge.

Sen also said they agreed with Marschalls point on epistemic paternalism and that it was an idea that could be applied beyond science.

The idea that one race supersedes all others to the point that other races need their help to survive has existed for millennia, Sen said.

Eric Leibensperger, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, said he was pleased the seminar was able to draw attention to the impact of colonialism in the field of science.

While a lot of what we teach is derived from [Western scientists], theres a whole wealth of information and knowledge out there that we might not be exposed to and be using to its best ability, Leibensperger said. I think its a really powerful message to be able to realize theres much more out there and that theres much more that we can do to give credit where credit is due.

Leibensperger also said there should be more consideration into the way science is taught. He said that while science is taught in a linear manner, it did not reflect the extent of scientific discovery throughout history.

There are leaps and bounds; discoveries and all of those things so there are big, monumental moments, Leibensperger said. Progress is almost always happening to some extent.

Excerpt from:

Department of Physics and Astronomy holds guest speaker event - Ithaca College The Ithacan

You are invited to our next Physics and Astronomy Colloquium taking place on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, from 12:10 - 1 PM in CNS 206/208.

Presenter: Wythe Marschall, Harvard University/New York University

Title: Defining, Globalizing, and Decolonizing the History of Science: Reflections and Open Problems

Abstract:Increasingly, many historians of science are challengingthe discipline at a fundamental level, calling for more diverse syllabi, renewed programs of research into knowledge traditions that originated outside of Europe and North America, and a reexamination of both what counts as scientific knowledge and who labors to create it. That is, when we write evidence-based accounts of efforts to systematically understand our world, whose voices should we listen to? How can we study different ways of systematically making knowledge, side by side? Most glaringly, how should we understand the legacy of Euroamerican colonialism on systems of science around the world today, ones that often continue to draw upon pre-colonial knowledge traditions? In this talk, I will sketch out the shifting terrain of the history of science in the age of the pandemic, globalized commerce, and the shared omni-crisis of climate disruption. The history of science has long served to prompt working scientists and engineers to look beyond the often narrow confines of their technical fields, questioning their social and political roles. Today, more than ever, an intellectually rigorous and culturally inclusive perspective on what it means to do science is a critical tool not only for professional historians but for everyone engaged in the work of making and sharing knowledge.

View post:

Physics and Astronomy Seminar - Defining, Globalizing, and Decolonizing the History of Science: Reflections and Open Problems - Ithaca College

Bubbles of gas released by black holes spread across vast distances of the intergalactic space, affecting star formation thousands of lightyears away from their source, a new study shows.

Astronomers knew that black holes draw in matter from their surroundings due to their powerful gravitational pull. They also previously documented that some of this matter subsequently escapes in the form of jets of charged particles that squirt out at the speed of light out of the black hole's poles.

But it wasn't until this new study that they managed to document in detail how this ejected material spreads throughout the intergalactic space over hundreds of thousands of light years. The process is somewhat similar to the way in which ash clouds from volcanic eruptions on Earth propagate through the atmosphere and affect weather on distant continents, the scientists said in a statement.

"Our investigation shows how the gas bubbles accelerated by the black hole are expanding and transforming in time," Marisa Brienza, a research fellow at the department of physics and astronomy of the University of Bologna, Italy, and lead author of the study, said in a statement. "Indeed, they create spectacular mushroom-shaped structures, rings and filaments that are similar to those originating from a powerful volcanic eruption on planet Earth."

Related: Surprise discovery suggests that black holes are more complex than thought

These new insights were possible thanks to radio observations by the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) and the German-led X-ray space telescope eROSITA.

The gas bubbles observed in this study emanate from a black hole at the center of a rather ordinary group of galaxies called Nest200047. The black hole, which lies about 200 million lightyears away from Earth, sucks in matter from its surroundings and at the same time releases powerful jets of charged particles and hot gas.

Using LOFAR, the largest low-frequency radio telescope in the world, astronomers in this study were able to observe how these jets create gas bubbles that over time transform into filaments as they drift farther away from their source and interact with objects in the surrounding universe. The observations were combined with images from eROSITA, the first space-based telescope capable of imaging X-ray radiation across the entire sky.

"For many years, researchers have been trying to figure out how much of the surrounding area a black hole can influence," Timothy Shimwell, of the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), which manages LOFAR, said in the statement. "The images we have created of this incredible system show that the answer is astonishingly large. The black hole doesn't just influence the host galaxy but instead it impacts a vast intergalactic environment which may contain hundreds of other galaxies, and it will affect aspects such as the rate at which stars form in those galaxies."

The LOFAR telescope, a network of tens of thousands of radio stations spread all over Europe but primarily residing in the Netherlands, enables astronomers to scan large portions of the sky with a very high resolution. The telescope has previously captured some of the most detailed images of distant galaxies and the jets of plasma emitted by them.

"This is yet another fantastic scientific breakthrough that LOFAR has facilitated and it's opened up a new avenue of research that is going to be actively pursued," Huub Rottgering, an astronomer at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands, and also a co-author of the paper, said in the statement.

The study was published on Monday (Oct. 18), in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Follow Tereza Pultarova on Twitter @TerezaPultarova. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

View post:

Black hole 'volcanic eruptions' influence vast areas of intergalactic space, study shows - Space.com

Just after midnight Thursday, Clayton Thompson was sitting outsidehis Fishers home when he sawsomething he "couldn't believe."

"It was gigantic," Thompson told IndyStar. "A blaze in the sky, almost like a fireball."

He happened to be recording himself on anapp, when he's seen on videostartled by a bright streak of light hurtling across the sky.

"Oh my God," he says on camera. "Look at that ... Halley's comet, baby ... what is that?"

He spent the next few hours researching what it could have been.Experts answered his question for IndyStar,taking into account both the speed and brightness of the object.

Thompson says he usually looks up at the sky for a "glimpse of anything," but he notes this timehe got lucky.

"I'dnever seen anything like it," Thompson said. "And it was just so vibrant and so close that it made an impact on me."

Based on those factors, the object waslikely a man-made object reentering the Earth's atmosphere, according toButler University physics and astronomy professor Brian Murphy.

"It was because of the speed at which it was moving," Murphyexplained. "It looked as though it was moving fast, but it was moving a lot slower than say a meteor orsay a fireball. They would be moving close to four to fivetimes the speed than what we saw there."

Man-made space junkusually falls back to Earth around 17,000 miles per hour, Murphy said.A meteor or space rock, on the other hand, would travel significantly faster at around 90,000 miles per hour.

NASA astronaut shows off Indianapolisfrom space: See the picture here

The American Meteor Society, a non-profit astronomyorganization, collected more than 150 reports of a fireball seen around 12:40 a.m. EST across several states including Indiana, Ohioand Kentucky. The Indiana sightings included reports from Westfield and Fishers, where Thompson recorded his video.

The organization concluded the object seen was not a natural fireball, but in fact there-entry of aRussian reconnaissance satellite, which "launched on Sept. 9 but failed to maintain orbit," theAmerican Meteor Society states.

The various viewpoints across the Midwest likely helped in making thatdetermination, Murphy explained.

But that very fact the broad coverage area and the immense brightness may have alsobewildered observers, leading them tothink it was a more natural phenomena, such as a fireball.

A fireball is a type ofexceptionally bright meteor, "spectacular enough to to be seen over a very wide area," according to NASA.And the one seen over Indiana early Thursday was really bright.

"This onehada very bright nucleus ... and left a trail behind it,"Indiana University astronomy professorCatyPilachowski said.The object's flaringalso mimicked a the "burst of energy" seen when afireball'sparticles heat up and explode,she explained.

Another twist:the Orionid meteor shower, which peakedlate Wednesday and early Thursday morning.

More: The Orionid meteor shower will peak Thursday morning, but moon glare might ruin it

The Orionid meteor shower isassociated with the well-known Halley's Comet, which "isn't anywhere near us,"Pilachowski explained, but it continually sheds dust as it orbits around the sun. Thosetiny dust particles sometimes fall intoEarth'satmosphere, heat up and create streaks of lights in the sky.

The shower continues into Thursday, but the fullmoon's light willdecrease visibilityand "wash out" many of the meteors, according to Indiana University.If the weather is clear, people may still beable to catch aflash of space matter early Friday morning between midnight and dawn though chances are slim.In the Indianapolis area, the forecast doesn't look too promising.

"We're going to be fairly cloudy tonight," Mike Ryan, a meteorologist with Indianapolis' National Weather Service, explained. "It's going to be very unlikely that we see any breaks in the clouds."

Youmight still get some opportunities to see meteors in the coming months.The Earth passes Halley's orbit twice each year, with the next chance of its meteor dust likely visible in the spring.

The next major meteor shower will be the Gemini shower inDecember, expected to peak on the night of Dec. 13. It's the "most active showerof the year," according to the Old Farmer's Almanac, with an average of 75 meteors flying by per hour. Pilachowski said the visibility for that showershould be "excellent."

Contact Rashika Jaipuriar atrjaipuriar@gannett.comandfollow her on Twitter @rashikajpr.

See the original post:

Fireball over Hamilton County was not a meteor. Here's what it was. - IndyStar