Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: cosmology

X Particles Detected Inside LHC for the First Time Ever!

Physicists at the LHC have recently identified a collection of approximately one hundred “X particles” originating from the early moments of the Big Bang. These findings, which may lead to a deeper understanding of the universe, have been published in the Physical Review Letters journal.

Particle accelerators bring particles into high-speed collisions. The largest of these is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), located near Geneva. The purpose of these experiments is to simulate aspects of the Big Bang and to examine how matter behaves under those conditions.

In recent years, these high-energy collisions have led to the discovery of several theorized particles. More recently, physicists have detected about a hundred short-lived “X particles,” so named due to their mysterious structures, amid billions of elementary particles.

What happened before the Big Bang? Computational method may provide answers

We’re often told it is “unscientific” or “meaningless” to ask what happened before the Big Bang. But a new paper by FQxI cosmologist Eugene Lim, of King’s College London, UK, and astrophysicists Katy Clough, of Queen Mary University of London, UK, and Josu Aurrekoetxea, at Oxford University, UK, published in Living Reviews in Relativity, proposes a way forward: using complex computer simulations to numerically (rather than exactly) solve Einstein’s equations for gravity in extreme situations.

Astronomers probe the nature of a massive young stellar object

Astronomers from Argentina and Spain have performed near-infrared observations of a massive young stellar object known as MYSO G29.862−0.0044. The observational campaign sheds more light on the nature of this object and its unique morphology. The new findings are presented in a paper published August 13 on the arXiv preprint server.

Massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) are stars in the very early stage of formation and the progenitors of massive main-sequence stars. However, due to their short formation timescale (about 10,000–100,000 years) and the severe extinction by the surrounding gas and dust, observations of MYSOs remain challenging.

Located some 20,200 away, MYSO G29.862−0.0044 (YSO-G29 for short), is a massive young stellar object associated with the star-forming region G29.96–0.02. The object is likely embedded within a dense molecular core.

Accidental double zoom reveals millimeter waves around supermassive black hole

An international team of astronomers led by Matus Rybak (Leiden University, Netherlands) has proven, thanks to accidental double zoom, that millimeter radiation is generated close to the core of a supermassive black hole. Their findings have been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics and are available on the arXiv preprint server.

Deep beneath the French Alps, scientists hunt for dark matter

The mysterious substance called dark matter is intrinsically invisible. It cannot be directly observed—rather, its presence is inferred by its gravitational influence on the universe, such as binding galaxy clusters together and moving stars around their galaxy faster than they should.

Singularities are Inevitable, Physicist Claims

Use code sabine at https://incogni.com/sabine to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan.

According to Einstein’s theories, the universe started with a Big Bang singularity and is slowly expanding until it disperses into nothingness. But physicists have also come up with theories claiming that the Big Bang was non-singular and can repeat, restarting the cycle over again. These are called “cyclic models,” and they’ve re-emerged into the spotlight now that there’s mounting evidence that dark energy is weakening over time. However, a physicist from UC Berkeley recently published a paper which he claims “categorically rules out” cyclic models. Let’s take a look.

🤓 Check out my new quiz app ➜ http://quizwithit.com/
📚 Buy my book ➜ https://amzn.to/3HSAWJW
💌 Support me on Donorbox ➜ https://donorbox.org/swtg.
📝 Transcripts and written news on Substack ➜ https://sciencewtg.substack.com/
👉 Transcript with links to references on Patreon ➜ https://www.patreon.com/Sabine.
📩 Free weekly science newsletter ➜ https://sabinehossenfelder.com/newsletter/
👂 Audio only podcast ➜ https://open.spotify.com/show/0MkNfXlKnMPEUMEeKQYmYC
🔗 Join this channel to get access to perks ➜
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1yNl2E66ZzKApQdRuTQ4tw/join.

#science #sciencenews #physics #singularity

Theoretical study reveals failure of key quark-gluon plasma probe in low-energy region

According to theoretical predictions, within a millionth of a second after the Big Bang, nucleons had not yet formed, and matter existed as a hot, dense “soup” composed of freely moving quarks and gluons. This state of matter is known as quark-gluon plasma (QGP). Finding definitive evidence for the existence of QGP is crucial for understanding cosmic evolution.

A laser-propelled mini spacecraft could travel to a nearby black hole, astrophysicist says

“I think it’s reasonable to expect we could find a nearby one within the next decade,” Bambi said in the statement.

Today, building the necessary laser array would cost around $1.1 trillion, far beyond the reach of current science budgets. But if trends in technology continue, Bambi estimates that cost could fall to around one billion euros within 30 years, putting it on par with current flagship space missions.

“We don’t have the technology now,” Bambi said in the statement. “But in 20 or 30 years, we might.”

/* */