Lifeboat Foundation

Scientists are diving deep into the origins of supermassive black holes, using recent gravitational wave detections as a key tool.

By leveraging signals from smaller black holes, researchers hope to detect the harder-to-catch waves from supermassive pairs, potentially unlocking the secrets of their formation and growth.

Unveiling the mystery of supermassive black holes.

The Firefly Sparkle was previously imaged by Hubble Space Telescope and Keck Observatory, but was followed-up using the power of both gravitational lensing and multi-wavelength data from JWST’s CAnadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey (CANUCS). The role of the lens was played by the massive galaxy cluster called MACS J1423.8 + 2,404, which lies between us and the Firefly Sparkle.

“Without the benefit of this gravitational lens, we would not be able to resolve this galaxy,” said Kartheik Iyer, a co-lead author of the paper, in a press release. “We knew to expect it based on current physics, but it’s surprising that we actually saw it.”

In the team’s paper, published in Nature on Dec. 11, they created a model to “undo” the visual distortions of the lensing. It turns out that the Firefly Sparkle’s original form appears like a stretched raindrop; its stars have not yet settled into either the central bulge or a thin disk. In other words, the galaxy is still very much in the process of forming.

ABSTRACT. We reanalyse the Pantheon+ supernova catalogue to compare a cosmology with non-FLRW evolution, the timescape cosmology, with the standard Lambda cold dark matter (⁠|Lambda$|CDM) cosmology. To this end, we analyse the Pantheon+ for a geometric comparison between the two models. We construct a covariance matrix to be as independent of cosmology as possible, including independence from the FLRW geometry and peculiar velocity with respect to FLRW average evolution. This framework goes far beyond most other definitions of model independence. We introduce new statistics to refine Type Ia supernova (SNe Ia) light-curve analysis. In addition to conventional galaxy correlation functions used to define the scale of statistical homogeneity we introduce empirical statistics that enables refined analysis of the distribution biases of SNe Ia light-curve parameters |beta c$| and |alpha x_1$|⁠. For lower redshifts, the Bayesian analysis highlights important features attributable to the increased number of low-redshift supernovae, the artefacts of model-dependent light-curve fitting, and the cosmic structure through which we observe supernovae. This indicates the need for cosmology-independent data reduction to conduct a stronger investigation of the emergence of statistical homogeneity and to compare alternative cosmologies in light of recent challenges to the standard model. Dark energy is generally invoked as a place-holder for new physics. For the first time, we find evidence that the timescape cosmology may provide a better overall fit than |Lambda$|CDM and that its phenomenology may help disentangle other astrophysical puzzles. Our from-first-principles reanalysis of Pantheon|$+$| supports future deeper studies between the interplay of matter and non-linear spacetime geometry in a data-driven setting.

A team of materials scientists, physicists, mechanical engineers, and molecular physiologists at Stanford University have developed a nanoparticle technique that can be used to measure force dynamics inside a living creature, such as Caenorhabditis elegans worms biting their food.

In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes how they used infrared radiation to excite luminescent nanocrystals in a way that allowed the energy levels of cells inside a C. elegans worm to be measured.

Andries Meijerink, with Utrecht University, has published a News & Views piece in the same journal issue, outlining the work done by the team in California.

Hula hooping is so commonplace that we may overlook some interesting questions it raises: “What keeps a hula hoop up against gravity?” and “Are some body types better for hula hooping than others?” A team of mathematicians explored and answered these questions with findings that also point to new ways to better harness energy and improve robotic positioners.

The results are the first to explain the physics and mathematics of hula hooping.

“We were specifically interested in what kinds of body motions and shapes could successfully hold the hoop up and what physical requirements and restrictions are involved,” explains Leif Ristroph, an associate professor at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and the senior author of the paper, which appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“The Universe Expands Beyond All Bounds”

The universe expands beyond all bounds, Black holes gain mass, where wonders surround. Curvature shifts like moonlight’s gleam, Adding new mass, no matter redeemed.

A new year dawns with lessons to share, Physics reveals a truth so rare. The cosmos vast, profound, and wide, Marks 2025 with knowledge as our guide.

The first endeavor of this brand-new year, Explains black hole growth without drawing near. Expanding space, a force untamed, Curvature energy, its role proclaimed.

Continue reading “Observational evidence for cosmological coupling of black holes and its implications for an astrophysical source of dark energy” »

Milestone in Physics.

In a groundbreaking study, researchers have developed optical spring tracking to enhance signal clarity in gravitational-wave detectors, such as aLIGO.

This innovation could dramatically increase our understanding of cosmic events like black hole mergers, potentially unlocking secrets of the universe’s formation.

Revolutionary advances in gravitational wave detection.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission has detected magnetic distortions in solar wind, known as switchbacks. To better understand these phenomena, whose origins remain uncertain, a study was conducted by a network of collaborators. This study, published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, reveals that solar jets can create similar disturbances without causing a complete reversal of the magnetic field.

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission revealed the presence of switchbacks, sudden and rapid reversals of the magnetic field in the solar wind. These peculiar phenomena, rarely observed near Earth, have captivated the scientific community due to their enigmatic origins. A leading theory suggests that switchbacks originate from solar jets, which are ubiquitous in the lower atmosphere of the sun.

To investigate their origins, a team of researchers from LPP, LPC2E, FSLAC, the University of Dundee and Durham University conducted 3D numerical simulations to replicate plasma behavior in the sun’s atmosphere. These simulations modeled solar jets and studied their propagation in solar wind.