In our most basic understanding of our Solar System, planets are drawn into the orbit of our massive star, the Sun. But what happens to planet-sized objects that don’t have a star? A team of astronomers studying Jupiter-mass binary objects (JuMBOs) in the Orion Nebula are gaining a new understanding of these unusual systems. These massive, free-floating objects are being drawn into orbit with each other. These latest findings come from observations made by the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) at the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

This groundbreaking discovery has been made in the field of astronomy, thanks to advancements in sensitivity that have allowed scientists to detect fainter and smaller objects in space. Using the VLA, astronomers searched for counterparts to a group of 40 Jupiter-mass binary objects known as JuMBOs, previously identified by Pearson and McCaughrean in 2023. Surprisingly, only one of these objects, JuMBO 24, exhibited a radio counterpart.

This remarkable finding challenges existing theories on the formation of stars and planets. The radio luminosity of the two planets in this binary system is significantly higher than that detected in brown dwarfs, which are objects that share similarities with these planets. This abnormality raises new questions and provides exciting research opportunities to further understand the nature of these free-floating planets. While it is possible that the association between infrared and radio signals is coincidental, the team considers this to be highly unlikely, with odds of only 1 in 10,000. This discovery builds upon the previous work of Kao et al., who, in 2018, detected a single planetary-mass system resembling the components of JuMBO 24 using the VLA.

Dr. Luis F. Rodriguez, Professor Emeritus at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, who participated in this research, emphasizes the significance of the discovery. “What’s truly remarkable is that these objects could have moons similar to Europa or Enceladus, both of which  have underground oceans of liquid water that could support life”, he stated.

The detection of radio waves originating from both components of a double system of free-floating planets represents a significant milestone in our exploration of the universe. It also presents an exciting opportunity for further research into the potential habitability of planets beyond our solar system. You can read the entire published findings HERE.

About NRAO

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a National Science Foundation facility, operated under a cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

NRAO Media Contacts

Corrina C. Jaramillo Feldman
Public Information Officer – New Mexico
VLA, VLBA, ngVLA
Tel: +1 505-366-7267
cfeldman@nrao.edu

Jill Malusky
NRAO & GBO News & Public Information Manager
Tel: +1 304-460-5608
jmalusky@nrao.edu

The post Astronomers Discover Jupiter-sized Objects Drawn into Each Other’s Orbit appeared first on National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

The supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way is spinning so quickly it is warping the spacetime surrounding it into a shape that can look like a football, according to a new study using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the National Science Foundation’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). 

Astronomers call this giant black hole Sagittarius A* (Sgr A* for short), which is located about 26,000 light-years away from Earth in the center of our galaxy.

Black holes have two fundamental properties: their mass (how much they weigh) and their spin (how quickly they rotate). Determining either of these two values tells scientists a great deal about any black hole and how it behaves.

A team of astronomers have unveiled a new method for determining the rotational speed of the enigmatic black hole, Sgr A*. By combining X-ray and radio data, the team observed the movement of surrounding material and deduced the angular velocity of Sgr A*. Astonishingly, their findings revealed that Sgr A* spins at a rate reaching approximately 60% of the maximum possible value. This boundary is determined by the fundamental constraint that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. The team’s discovery challenges previous estimates made by astronomers, which spanned from Sgr A* being stationary to rotating at nearly the fastest rate conceivable. This groundbreaking research sheds new light on the dynamic nature of black holes and opens up exciting avenues for further exploration into their mysteries.

The paper describing these results led by Ruth Daly is published in the January 2024 issue of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and appears online at https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024MNRAS.527..428D/abstract. 

“Our work may help settle the question of how fast our galaxy’s supermassive black hole is spinning,” said Ruth Daly of Penn State University, who is the lead author on the new study. “Our results indicate that Sgr A* is spinning very rapidly, which is interesting and has far reaching implications..” This release was originally shared by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. Read the full release HERE.

About Chandra

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

About NRAO

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under a cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

NRAO Media Contact

Corrina C. Jaramillo Feldman
Public Information Officer – New Mexico
VLA, VLBA, ngVLA
Tel: +1 505-366-7267
cfeldman@nrao.edu

The post Telescopes Show the Milky Way’s Black Hole is Ready for a Kick appeared first on National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has just received a “heart transplant,” high in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile. ALMA, the most complex astronomical observatory ever built on Earth, installed a new hydrogen maser. Funded by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), this upgrade marks an essential investment, setting a new standard in reliability for observations.

A maser is an advanced atomic clock that uses the properties of the hydrogen atom to provide an extremely precise and stable frequency reference. This precision is crucial for Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations, enabling the synchronization of cosmic signals received by networks of telescopes spread across the globe. A brief, but fascinating, video brings together many voices across the international ALMA team to share the process of the replacement and its importance,

The new maser, now the heartbeat of ALMA’s operations, ensures a high level of accuracy essential for detailed explorations of the Universe. ALMA is a cornerstone of international astronomy as part of the Event Horizon Telescope, and other Very Long Baseline Interferometry studies, most famously revealing the first image of black hole M87* and Sagittarius A*, at the center of our own Milky Way Galaxy.

The integration of the new maser into the ALMA Array was aided by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Haystack Observatory. The original maser remains operating as a backup, strengthening ALMA’s resilience against potential system failures and ensuring reliable, continuous astronomical research. This upgrade solidifies ALMA’s position at the forefront of astronomical research, enabling astronomers to uncover more mysteries of the Universe with greater accuracy and reliability.

About ALMA & NRAO

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).

ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.

NRAO is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

The post ALMA Gets a New Heartbeat appeared first on National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

Following a generous grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation, the Central Development Laboratory (CDL) at the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) has selected their first recipient of the postdoctoral Women in Engineering fellowship, Priyanka Mondal. The Women in Engineering program increases opportunities for women to enter the field of radio astronomy through engineering pathways.

Priyanka Mondal received her Ph. D degree from the department of Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 2009. She has contributed to projects on filters, slotted waveguide antenna arrays, ultra-wideband pulse generation, dielectric waveguides, corrugated horn antennas, GaAs and GaN Schottky diode based frequency multipliers, and subharmonic mixers for organizations in Asia, Europe and North America. She has authored/co-authored sixty-three technical papers at national and international journals and conferences. She was awarded by the Kalpana Chawla Memorial Doctoral Fellowship, Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies Postdoctoral Fellowship in the year of 2007 and 2011, respectively. She does review for the project proposals, technical papers for the conferences and journals.

As part of NRAO’s ongoing commitment to Women in Engineering, the new fellowship program supports outstanding postdoctoral women engineers whose research is related to the NRAO’s mission. These fellows, who are granted two-year appointments, will spend up to 75 percent of their time on self-directed research while also contributing to the Observatory’s development and delivery of radio astronomy techniques, capabilities, or education and public outreach activities. The Women in Engineering program also includes a co-op program that  provides laboratory work experiences for graduate and undergraduate women engineering students, giving them the opportunity to fulfill the practical training component of their co-op programs CDL.

When asked how the Heising-Simons Women in Engineering Fellowship would impact her life and career, Priyanka said the following, “The Engineering Fellowship at NRAO’s Central Development will open up a door for me to work on the most advanced/breakthrough technologies and uncover scientific possibilities. Together with my research ideas, experiences and passion, I believe the fellowship tenure will empower me to contribute significantly toward the performance enhancements of the astronomical instruments at NRAO and to the global scientific community. This engineering fellowship at CDL certainly will enrich me professionally and support me to become an eminent radio scientist/engineer in future.”

The CDL Women in Engineering program builds upon the insights from the landmark 2012 study, “Stemming the Tide: Why Women Leave Engineering,” by creating stimulating, rewarding, and positive work experiences that both value and encourage contributions from women in engineering fields. This type of early positive engagement has been shown to increase the likelihood that women will both enter and remain in the field, bringing diverse viewpoints to the ever-changing needs of engineering projects. The $725,000 Heising-Simons Foundation grant allows NRAO for the initial development and maintenance of the Women in Engineering Program during its first two years.

NRAO Director Tony Beasley said, “Diverse viewpoints and expertise are what keeps NRAO at the forefront of engineering in radio astronomy. NRAO is excited to work with the Heising-Simons Foundation to expand our commitment to making radio astronomy and engineering a positive and growth-oriented career path for women.”

About the Heising-Simons Foundation

The Heising-Simons Foundation is a family foundation based in Los Altos and San Francisco, California. The Foundation works with its many partners to advance sustainable solutions in climate and clean energy, enable groundbreaking research in science, enhance the education of our youngest learners, and support human rights for all people.

About NRAO

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

The post First Recipient of Women in Engineering Fellowship Joins Staff of Central Development Laboratory appeared first on National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration has released new images of supermassive black hole M87*. A recent paper published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics presents new images from data collected by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and several other instruments within the EHT. These new images show a bright ring surrounding a deep central depression, “the shadow of the black hole,” as predicted by general relativity.  Excitingly, the brightness peak of the ring has shifted by about 30º compared to the first images, which is consistent with scientists’ theoretical understanding of variability from turbulent material around black holes.

“A fundamental requirement of science is to be able to reproduce results,” says Dr. Keiichi Asada, an associate research fellow at Academia Sinica Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taiwan.  “Confirmation of the ring in a completely new data set is a huge milestone for our collaboration and a strong indication that we are looking at a black hole shadow and the material orbiting around it.”

The image of M87* taken in 2018 is remarkably similar to what was seen in 2017—a bright ring of the same size, with a dark central region and one side of the ring brighter than the other. The mass and distance of M87* will not appreciably increase throughout a human lifetime, so general relativity predicts that the ring diameter should stay the same from year to year.

To help accomplish new and exciting science, the EHT is under continuous development. The Greenland Telescope joined the EHT for the first time in 2018, just five months after its construction was completed far above the Arctic Circle. This new telescope significantly improved the image fidelity of the EHT array, improving the coverage, particularly in the North-South direction. The Large Millimeter Telescope also participated for the first time with its full 50 m surface, greatly improving its sensitivity. With the use of the phased-up ALMA array of twenty 12-m diameter antennas, also observed in the 2017 experiments, the 2018 EHT array had significantly improved sensitivity and u-v coverage to produce a high quality image. The EHT array was also upgraded to observe in four frequency bands around 230 GHz, compared to only two bands in 2017.

Repeated observations with an improved array are essential to demonstrate the robustness of findings and strengthen confidence in results. In addition to the groundbreaking science, the EHT also serves as a technology testbed for cutting-edge developments in high-frequency radio interferometry.

The image of M87* taken in 2018 is remarkably similar to what was observed in 2017. Astronomers saw a bright ring of the same size, with a dark central region and one side of the ring brighter than the other. The mass and distance of M87* will not appreciably increase throughout a human lifetime, so general relativity predicts that the ring diameter should stay the same from year to year. The stability of the measured diameter in the images from 2017 to 2018 robustly supports the conclusion that M87* is well described by general relativity.

“One of the remarkable properties of a black hole is that its radius is strongly dependent on only one quantity: its mass,” said Dr. Nitika Yadlapalli Yurk, a former graduate student at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), now a postdoctoral fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. “Since M87* is not accreting material (which would increase its mass) at a rapid rate, general relativity tells us that its radius will remain fairly unchanged over human history. It’s pretty exciting to see that our data confirm this prediction.”

This work used data from ALMA and seven other instruments across the EHT array, including the Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX), the IRAM 30-meter telescope (PV), the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT), the Submillimeter Array (SMA), the Submillimeter Telescope (SMT), and the Greenland Telescope (GLT).

Portions of this release were taken from news shared by the Event Horizon Telescope and the Joint ALMA Observatory. 

Read EHT’s complete press release here. 

Read JAO’s complete press release here. 

About the EHT

The EHT collaboration involves more than 300 researchers from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. The international collaboration is working to capture the most detailed black hole images ever obtained by creating a virtual Earth-sized telescope. Supported by considerable international investment, the EHT links existing telescopes using novel systems, creating a fundamentally new instrument with the highest angular resolving power that has yet been achieved.

The individual telescopes involved are ALMA, APEX, the IRAM 30-meter Telescope, the IRAM NOEMA Observatory, the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT), the Submillimeter Array (SMA), the Submillimeter Telescope (SMT), the South Pole Telescope (SPT), the Kitt Peak Telescope, and the Greenland Telescope (GLT).  Data were correlated at the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR) and MIT Haystack Observatory.  The postprocessing was done within the collaboration by an international team at different institutions.

The EHT consortium consists of 13 stakeholder institutes: the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the University of Arizona, the University of Chicago, the East Asian Observatory, Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt, Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique, Large Millimeter Telescope, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, MIT Haystack Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Radboud University, and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

About ALMA & NRAO

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).

ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.

NRAO is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

The post New Details of Supermassive Black Hole’s Shadow Revealed appeared first on National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

New scientific results from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the Very Large Array (VLA), and Green Bank Observatory (GBO) will be revealed at multiple press conferences during the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) from January 8-11, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The AAS meeting includes a series of press conferences based on a range of themes. Presentations will highlight new research, including new types of planet and star formation, and the accidental discovery of a primordial galaxy.

Press conferences will be held in person during the conference, and streamed live on the AAS Press Office Page.

Note: Each press conference consists of a panel of scientists presenting 4-5 unique scientific results. The number listed in parentheses indicates the order of presentation for the listed result.

All press conferences are listed and will occur in Central Time.

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Monday, 8 January 2024, 10:15 am CT – Dust, Clouds & Darkness

A Polarized Dust Ring in the Milky Way’s Center
Natalie Butterfield (NRAO) (1)

Mystery of Star Formation Revealed by Hearts of Molecular Clouds
Jin Koda (Stony Brook University) & Amanda Lee (U.Mass. Amherst) (3)

The Dark Galaxy J0613+52
Karen O’Neil (Green Bank Observatory) (4)

Monday, 9 January 2024, 2:15 pm CT – High-Energy Phenomena and Their Origins

Evolution of Planetary Disk Structures Seen for the First Time
Cheng-Han Hsieh (Yale University) (3)

Tuesday, 9 January 2024, 2:15 pm CT – High-Energy Phenomena and Their Origins

Spatially-resolved spectroscopy of dual quasars at cosmic noon with JWST and ALMA
Yuzo Ishikawa (Johns Hopkins University) (1)

(To be confirmed) Wednesday, 10 January 2024, 10:15 am CT

A New Census of Neutral Clouds in the Milky Way’s Nuclear Wind
Jay Lockman (Green Bank Observatory)

Wednesday, 10 January 2024, 2:15 pm CT – Stars, Disks & Exoplanets

JWST’s New View of Beta Pictoris Suggests Recent Episodic Dust Production from an Eccentric, Inclined Secondary Debris Disk

Christopher Stark (NASA Goddard) (3)

Thursday, 11 January 2024, 2:15 pm CT – Oddities in the Sky

The Smith Cloud: A Dust Bowl Barreling Through Our Galactic Halo
Johanna Vazquez (Texas Christian University) (3)

For embargo access for members of the press, please contact Jill Malusky at jmalusky@nrao.edu or Corrina Jaramillo Feldman at cfeldman@nrao.edu.

NRAO Media Contacts

Corrina C. Jaramillo Feldman
Public Information Officer – New Mexico
VLA, VLBA, ngVLA
Tel: +1 505-366-7267
cfeldman@nrao.edu

Jill Malusky
NRAO & GBO News & Public Information Manager
Tel: +1 304-460-5608
jmalusky@nrao.edu

In addition to the press conferences, dozens of papers with new and ongoing science results from NRAO and GBO facilities will be presented during AAS 243 conference sessions. Highlights will be posted to the NRAO website, the GBO website, and social media. 

About NRAO

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under a cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

About Green Bank Observatory

The Green Bank Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation and is operated by Associated Universities, Inc. 

The post AAS 243 NRAO Press Announcement appeared first on National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

An international team of astronomers have found ring and spiral structures in very young planetary disks, demonstrating that planet formation may begin much earlier than once thought. The results were presented today at the 243rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Using data from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s (NRAO) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) the team captured images of Class 0 and Class I planetary disks, which are much younger than the Class II disks observed by earlier disk surveys. Class II disks are known to have gaps and ring structures, indicating that planetary formation is well underway. “ALMA’s early observations of young protoplanetary disks have revealed many beautiful rings and gaps, possible formation sites of planets,” said Cheng-Han Hsieh, PhD Candidate at Yale University, “I wondered when these rings and gaps started to appear in the disks”

This new study shows that structure begins to form when the disks are about 300,000 years old, which is incredibly fast. Young disks can have multiple rings, and spiral structures, or evolve into a ring with a central cavity. These observations challenge our understanding of how planets form, particularly large Jupiter-like planets. “It is difficult to form giant planets within a million years from the core accretion model,” said Cheng-Han Hsieh. Future studies will pinpoint the exact time when the disk substructure appears and how that connects to early planet formation.

Watch the press conference here.  

About ALMA & NRAO

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).

ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.

NRAO is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

###

Jill Malusky, NRAO & GBO News & Public Information Manager

jmalusky@nrao.edu

304-460-5608

The post Early Evolution of Planetary Disk Structures Seen for the First Time appeared first on National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

An international team of astronomers has revealed mysterious star formation at the far edge of the galaxy M83. This research was presented today in a press conference at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The research used several instruments operated by the National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), including the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), and the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), along with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan’s (NAOJ) Subaru Telescope and the NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX).

Normally, new stars form as a result of diffuse atomic gas shrinking into concentrations of molecular gas, called molecular clouds, whose high density cores at their center trigger star formation. This process is common in the inner part of galaxies, but becomes increasingly rare toward galaxy outskirts.

A surprising number of very young stars are known to exist at the far edges of many galaxies, but scientists could not understand how and why these stars were made, because they could not pinpoint their formation sites. This research discovered 23 molecular clouds that showed a different type of star formation. The large bodies of these clouds were not visible like “normal” molecular clouds—only their star-forming dense cores, the “hearts” of the clouds, were observed. This discovery provides an important clue to understanding the physical processes that lead to star formation in general.

“The star formation at galaxy edges has been a nagging mystery since their discovery by the NASA GALEX satellite 18 years ago” said astronomer Jin Koda, of Stony Brook University, who led this research,  “Previous searches for molecular clouds in this environment turned out unsuccessful.” David Thilker, of Johns Hopkins University, who originally discovered the star formation activity occurring in the outskirts of M83 and other galaxies, commented, “It has been gratifying to see the search for dense clouds associated with the outer disk finally come to fruition, revealing a characteristically different observational fingerprint for the molecular clouds.”  

The revelation of these molecular clouds uncovered a link to a large reservoir of diffuse atomic gas, another discovery by this research. Normally, atomic gas condenses into dense molecular clouds, within which even denser cores develop and form stars. This process is in operation even at galaxy edges, but the conversion of this atomic gas to molecular clouds was not evident, for reasons that are yet unresolved.

Amanda Lee, who was an undergraduate student on Koda’s research team, processed GBT & VLA data for these findings. Through this, she discovered the atomic gas reservoir at the galaxy edge. “We still do not understand why this atomic gas does not efficiently become dense molecular clouds and form stars.” As often is the case in astronomy, pursuing answers to one mystery can often lead to another. “That’s why research in astronomy is exciting,” adds Lee, who is now pursuing her Ph.D. in astronomy at UMass Amherst.

Thilker added, “I am excited to see this new opportunity leveraged more broadly in the outer disk environment in order to gain a deeper insight for physical processes central to the inside-out growth of galaxies still happening in the current cosmic epoch.’

“When I started, I didn’t know what role my work would play. It was very exciting to see it contribute to the big picture of star formation,” said Lee.

Watch the press conference here. 

About ALMA & NRAO

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).

ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.

NRAO is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

About Green Bank Observatory

The Green Bank Observatory is a major facility of the National Science Foundation and is operated by Associated Universities, Inc. The first national radio astronomy observatory in the US, it’s home to the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope, the largest fully-steerable radio telescope in the world.

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Corrina Jaramillo Feldman, Public Information Officer – NRAO/VLA/ngVLA

cfeldman@nrao.edu

505-366-7267

Jill Malusky, NRAO & GBO News & Public Information Manager

jmalusky@nrao.edu

304-460-5608

The post Mystery of Star Formation Revealed by Hearts of Molecular Clouds appeared first on National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

In a groundbreaking cosmic quest, the SETI Institute’s Commensal Open-Source Multimode Interferometer Cluster (COSMIC) at the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is expanding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). This cutting-edge technology is not a distinct telescope; it’s a detector. COSMIC searches for extraterrestrial signals and paves the way for future science using a copy of the raw data from the telescope’s observations. At the heart of COSMIC’s mission is pursuing the age-old question: Are we alone in the universe? Project scientist Dr. Chenoa Tremblay and the team detailed the project in a paper published this week in The Astronomical Journal.

What sets COSMIC apart is its adaptability to the future. The system is designed for future upgrades, ensuring it remains at the forefront of cosmic exploration. With the potential to expand its capabilities, COSMIC could soon cover more stars, explore new frequencies, and enhance our understanding of the vast cosmic tapestry. It is important to note that COSMIC’s capabilities go beyond searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. Future upgrades could unlock new explorations, from finding fast radio bursts with a submillisecond temporal resolution to studying spectral line science and axionic dark matter.

“COSMIC introduces modern Ethernet-based digital architecture on the VLA, allowing for a test bed for future technologies as we move into the next generation era,” said Tremblay. “Currently, the focus is on creating one of the largest surveys for technological signals, with over 500,000 sources observed in the first six months. However, the flexibility of the design allows for a wide range of other scientific opportunities, such as studying fast radio burst pulse structures and searching for axion dark matter candidates. We hope to open opportunities for other scientists to use our high time (nanoseconds) or our high spectral resolution (sub-Hz) to complete their research. It is an exciting time for increasing the capabilities of this historic telescope.”

COSMIC stands on the shoulders of giants like Project Phoenix, with the capacity to search millions of stars and the potential to expand to tens of millions—a leap in scope and sensitivity. Currently operational on the VLA, COSMIC is searching using observations from the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS), which will map 80% of the sky in three phases over two years and catalog approximately 10 million radio sources.

COSMIC’s Ethernet-based system adds a new collaborative element to the cosmos. The multicasting technology allows other commensal systems to access COSMIC’s processing power, enabling a collaborative scientific ecosystem to develop. Imagine multiple telescopes working together to unlock the universe’s most profound mysteries.

“The COSMIC system greatly enhances the VLA’s scientific capabilities. Its main goal of detecting extraterrestrial technosignatures addresses one of the most profound scientific questions ever. This topic was previously not possible with the VLA,” said Dr. Paul Demorest, National Radio Astronomy Observatory. “By operating in parallel with projects such as the VLA Sky Survey, COSMIC will accomplish one of the largest SETI surveys ever while still allowing the VLA to carry out its usual program of other astronomical research.”

Read this original press release on the SETI website.

The post COSMIC: SETI Institute Unlocks Mysteries of the Universe with Breakthrough Technology at the Very Large Array appeared first on National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

Within the framework of the scientific conference “ALMA 10 years: Past, Present, Future,” which is bringing together 180 astronomers and astronomers from around the world in Puerto Varas, southern Chile, between December 4 and 8, 2023, astronomers Sergio Martín and Juan Cortés gave a press conference to show the achievements and discoveries of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the last decade, which have marked a milestone in our understanding of the Universe.

Over three decades ago, North America, Europe, and Japan began outlining the idea of building a millimeter observatory as three separate projects. Thanks to the leaders’ vision of that time, a joint project much more ambitious than what was initially projected was possible. A global collaboration from the Atacama plateau in Chile has been in search of our cosmic origins for a decade.

Some exciting discoveries of these first ten years of ALMA have been the first image of a black hole (with the EHT Collaboration) and impressive views of protoplanetary disks. In total, more than 3,500 scientific publications have been published thanks to this unique instrument of its kind.

As a host country, Chile has gained numerous benefits, including developing high-tech skills and promoting astronomy. Chilean scientists are guaranteed access to 10% of ALMA’s observing time, promoting significant growth in the number of local astronomers, from 50 in the early 2000s to more than 300 today.To commemorate this first decade of operations, ALMA called 180 members of its scientific community around the world to meet at a conference in which, starting today, it is sharing its latest results and in which they will be able to look at the technical challenges of the future to stay in the world’s technological vanguard.The conference that takes place in Puerto Varas between December 4 and 8 includes talks and posters from experts from around the world on cosmology and galaxies in the distant Universe, star formation, astrochemistry, exoplanets, and the Sun, to name just a few.

Read more at ALMA’s website.

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