Astronomy Daily | Space News: S04E92
In this episode of Astronomy Daily, host Anna takes you on an exhilarating exploration of groundbreaking cosmic discoveries that could change our understanding of life in the universe. From compelling evidence of extraterrestrial life to the complexities surrounding SpaceX's operations, this episode is packed with insights that will ignite your curiosity about the cosmos.
Highlights:
- Strongest Evidence Yet for Extraterrestrial Life: Join us as we delve into the remarkable findings from the James Webb Space Telescope, which suggest the presence of biological compounds in the atmosphere of the exoplanet K218b. Discover how these observations could mark a pivotal moment in our quest to answer the age-old question: Are we alone in the universe?
- SpaceX Landings Suspended in the Bahamas: Learn about the Bahamian government's decision to suspend all SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket landings pending an environmental assessment. We discuss the implications of this sudden halt and the growing regulatory challenges faced by private space companies.
- A Planet Orbiting Two Stars: Explore the discovery of an unprecedented exoplanet orbiting a binary brown dwarf system. This unique configuration challenges existing theories of planetary formation and opens new avenues for understanding the diversity of planetary systems.
- The Universe May Rotate: Uncover a groundbreaking theory suggesting that the entire universe might be rotating, albeit extremely slowly. This hypothesis could help resolve the Hubble tension and deepen our understanding of cosmic expansion.
- Solving the Mystery of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays: Discover how scientists may have identified the source of ultra high energy cosmic rays as the mergers of binary neutron stars. This theory provides a new lens through which to study some of the universe's most energetic phenomena.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) . Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Strongest evidence for extraterrestrial life
10:30 - SpaceX landings suspended in the Bahamas
17:00 - Planet orbiting two stars
22:15 - The universe may rotate
27:30 - Ultra high energy cosmic rays mystery solved
✍️ Episode References
Extraterrestrial Life Findings
[University of Cambridge]( https://www.cam.ac.uk/ (https://www.cam.ac.uk/) )
SpaceX Suspension News
[Bahamas Government]( https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/ (https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/) )
Planet Discovery
[University of Birmingham]( https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/ (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/) )
Universe Rotation Theory
[Royal Astronomical Society]( https://www.ras.ac.uk/ (https://www.ras.ac.uk/) )
Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays Research
[New York University]( https://www.nyu.edu/ (https://www.nyu.edu/) )
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily]( http://www.astronomydaily.io/ (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) )
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Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/26660574?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to Astronomy Daily your cosmic
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 connection to the stars and beyond i'm
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 Anna and today we have an absolutely
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 stellar lineup of space news that you
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 won't want to miss we're diving into
00:00:10 --> 00:00:11 what scientists are calling the
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 strongest evidence yet for life beyond
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 our solar system a discovery that could
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 fundamentally change our understanding
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 of our place in the universe
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 we'll also explore why the Bahamas has
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 suspended SpaceX landings and take you
00:00:25 --> 00:00:26 on a journey to a newly discovered
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 planet that orbits two stars in a
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 configuration previously only seen in
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 science fiction plus does the entire
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 universe rotate a new theory suggests it
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 might and this could solve one of
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 astronomy's biggest puzzles and finally
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 we may have cracked the six decade
00:00:43 --> 00:00:44 mystery of where the most powerful
00:00:44 --> 00:00:48 particles in space come from so strap in
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 as we journey through today's cosmic
00:00:50 --> 00:00:51 headlines and explore the wonders
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 waiting for us among the stars let's get
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 started in what might be the most
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 exciting astronomical discovery in
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 recent years scientists are reporting
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 what they describe as the strongest
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 evidence yet for extraterrestrial life
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 beyond our solar system a team of
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 astrophysicists led by Professor Niku
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 Madu Sudan from the University of
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 Cambridge has made observations using
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 the James Webb Space Telescope that
00:01:17 --> 00:01:18 could bring us closer to answering
00:01:18 --> 00:01:22 humanity's age-old question are we alone
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 in the universe the observations focus
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 on a planet called
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 K28b which is located 124 lighty years
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 away from Earth in the LEO constellation
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 this planet is significantly larger than
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 Earth nearly nine times as massive and
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 2.6 times the size and orbits in what
00:01:41 --> 00:01:42 scientists call the habitable zone of
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 its star a cool red dwarf that's less
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 than half the size of our sun what's
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 truly remarkable about these findings is
00:01:50 --> 00:01:51 the detection of two chemical compounds
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 in the planet's atmosphere dimethyl
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 sulfide or DMS and dimethyl dissulfide
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 or DMDS what makes these chemicals so
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 significant is that on Earth they're
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 primarily produced by marine phytolanton
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 microscopic marine algae in other words
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 they're biological in origin professor
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 Madus Sudan describes this as
00:02:10 --> 00:02:11 potentially a tipping point in our
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 search for extraterrestrial life telling
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 reporters "Decades from now we may look
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 back at this point in time and recognize
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 it was when the living universe came
00:02:20 --> 00:02:23 within reach." The scientific team is
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 being appropriately cautious however the
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 findings published in the astrophysical
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 journal Letters report the signals with
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 what's called three sigma significance
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 meaning there's about a 0.3% probability
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 they occurred by chance while impressive
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 this falls short of the gold standard
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 for discoveries in physics there are
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 also important questions about whether
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 K218b's overall conditions are favorable
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 to life the Cambridge team suggests the
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 planet could be covered by a vast deep
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 ocean potentially making it the most
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 habitable known world beyond our solar
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 system but other scientists dispute this
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 interpretation suggesting it might be a
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 gas planet or have oceans made of magma
00:03:03 --> 00:03:07 rather than water dr norahani a chemist
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 at the University of Burn who wasn't
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 involved in the study points out that
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 there might be alternative explanations
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 for the presence of these chemicals life
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 is one of the options but it's one among
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 many she notes adding that we would need
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 to rule out all other possibilities
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 before claiming definitive evidence of
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 life dr joe Barstow from the Open
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 University shares this skepticism saying
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 her skepticism dial for any claim
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 relating to evidence of life is
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 permanently turned up to 11 she
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 clarifies that this isn't because she
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 doubts extraterrestrial life exists but
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 because such a profound discovery
00:03:43 --> 00:03:44 requires an extraordinarily high burden
00:03:44 --> 00:03:48 of proof at 124 light years away we
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 won't be sending probes to K28b anytime
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 soon to confirm these findings but as
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 Professor Madhusan points out astronomy
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 has never been about physically visiting
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 distant objects we're trying to
00:04:01 --> 00:04:02 establish if the laws of biology are
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 universal in nature he explains i don't
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 see it as we have to go and swim in the
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 water to catch the fish if confirmed
00:04:11 --> 00:04:12 this discovery would represent a
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 monumental shift in our understanding of
00:04:14 --> 00:04:15 life in the
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 cosmos even as a tenative finding it
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 provides compelling evidence that the
00:04:20 --> 00:04:21 chemical signatures of life may be
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 detectable on distant worlds opening new
00:04:24 --> 00:04:25 frontiers in our search for
00:04:26 --> 00:04:27 extraterrestrial neighbors in this vast
00:04:28 --> 00:04:29 universe
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 next up today some not so good news for
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 SpaceX the Bahamas government has
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 announced a significant suspension of
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 all SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket landings in
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 the country pending a comprehensive
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 environmental assessment according to
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 Bahamian Director of Communications
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 Latry Raming no further clearances will
00:04:48 --> 00:04:49 be granted until a full environmental
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 assessment is reviewed this decision
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 marks a sudden halt to what had been an
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 expanding relationship between the
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 Caribbean nation and Elon Musk's private
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 space company just two months ago in
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 February the Bohemian government had
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 approved 19 more landings throughout
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 2025 all subject to regulatory approval
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 now those plans have been put on
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 indefinite hold the suspension follows a
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 concerning incident last month when a
00:05:16 --> 00:05:19 SpaceX Starship spacecraft exploded in
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 space minutes after lifting off from
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 Texas social media videos captured fiery
00:05:24 --> 00:05:25 debris streaking through the skies near
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 South Florida and the Bahamas after the
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 spacecraft broke up in space according
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 to Bahamian officials debris from the
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 spacecraft fell into the country's
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 airspace though they stated the debris
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 contained no toxic materials and wasn't
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 expected to significantly impact marine
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 life or water quality it's important to
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 note that while this suspension directly
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 affects the Falcon 9 landing program the
00:05:48 --> 00:05:49 incident that prompted the review
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 involved SpaceX's larger Starship
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 vehicle the Starship program is separate
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 from the Falcon 9 operations that had
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 been taking place in Bohemian territory
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 this development highlights the growing
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 complexity of managing space operations
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 as private companies like SpaceX
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 dramatically increase the frequency of
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 launches and landings the Bahamas with
00:06:10 --> 00:06:12 its proximity to US launch sites and
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 relatively sparse population had emerged
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 as an attractive location for SpaceX's
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 expanding operations for SpaceX this
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 suspension creates a significant
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 logistical challenge the company has
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 been working to increase its launch
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 cadence and relies on successful rocket
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 recovery to maintain its reusable rocket
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 business model finding alternative
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 landing sites or adjusting mission
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 profiles could impact the company's
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 launch schedule and costs the incident
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 also draws attention to broader concerns
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 about space debris and environmental
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 impacts as space activities increase
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 globally while space agencies and
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 companies have long addressed the issue
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 of orbital debris the potential for
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 launch failures to affect territories
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 beneath flight paths is becoming a more
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 pressing regulatory concern as space
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 activities continue to grow and
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 diversify countries like the Bahamas are
00:07:03 --> 00:07:04 establishing their own regulatory
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 frameworks to balance economic
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 opportunities with environmental
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 protection and safety concerns
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 this incident may well serve as an
00:07:12 --> 00:07:14 important precedent for how nations
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 handle the complex relationship between
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 commercial space operations and their
00:07:18 --> 00:07:19 own sovereign
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 interests if you're a fan of Star Wars
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 this next story is for you you're
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 probably familiar with the iconic double
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 sunset seen from the planet Tatooine
00:07:29 --> 00:07:30 while that seemed like pure science
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 fiction astronomers have actually
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 discovered several planets orbiting
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 binary star systems over the years but
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 now they found something truly
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 unprecedented that pushes our
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 understanding of planetary systems even
00:07:43 --> 00:07:47 further a team led by Thomas Befra a PhD
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 student at the University of Birmingham
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 has discovered an exoplanet with a
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 configuration never seen before this
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 planet named
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 2M1510ABB orbits not just any binary
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 star system but a pair of brown dwarfs
00:08:02 --> 00:08:03 objects that are larger than gas giant
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 planets but too small to be proper stars
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 what makes this discovery particularly
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 remarkable is the planet's orbit unlike
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 previously discovered planets around
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 binary stars that typically orbit in
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 roughly the same plane as their host
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 stars this planet follows a path that's
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 perpendicular at a right angle to the
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 orbit of its two host stars i am
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 particularly excited to be involved in
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 detecting credible evidence that this
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 configuration exists said Beraftoft
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 about the discovery published in Science
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 Advances his colleague Professor Amorei
00:08:35 --> 00:08:39 Trio added that a planet orbiting not
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 just a binary but a binary brown dwarf
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 as well as being on a polar orbit is
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 rather incredible and exciting the
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 discovery was actually serendipitous the
00:08:49 --> 00:08:50 team wasn't specifically looking for
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 such a planet when they made their
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 observations using the ultraviolet and
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 visual aell spectrograph instrument on
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 the European Southern Observatory's Very
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 Large Telescope in Chile they were
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 actually studying the brown dwarf pair
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 known as
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 2M1510 which is only the second pair of
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 eclipsing brown dwarfs ever discovered
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 while observing the orbital path of the
00:09:12 --> 00:09:15 two brown dwarfs the astronomers noticed
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 something unusual the stars were being
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 pushed and pulled in ways that couldn't
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 be explained by their interaction alone
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 after reviewing all possible scenarios
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 they concluded that the only explanation
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 consistent with their data was the
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 presence of a planet orbiting on a polar
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 axis this discovery is significant
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 because while theoretical models had
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 suggested such configurations were
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 stable and planet forming discs on polar
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 orbits around stellar pairs had been
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 detected we lacked concrete evidence
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 that planets could actually form and
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 persist in such arrangements it opens up
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 new possibilities for understanding the
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 diversity of planetary systems and
00:09:54 --> 00:09:55 challenges conventional theories about
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 how planets form as Professor Trio noted
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 the discovery was serendipitous in the
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 sense that our observations were not
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 collected to seek such a planet or
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 orbital configuration as such it is a
00:10:07 --> 00:10:10 big surprise overall I think this shows
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 to us astronomers but also to the public
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 at large what is possible in the
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 fascinating universe we inhabit
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 while we're reporting on surprising
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 discoveries what if everything in the
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 universe is spinning not just galaxies
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 and planets but the entire cosmos
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 itself a groundbreaking new study
00:10:28 --> 00:10:29 published in monthly notices of the
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 Royal Astronomical Society suggests this
00:10:32 --> 00:10:35 might actually be the case researchers
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 including Istvan Saputi from the
00:10:37 --> 00:10:38 University of Hawaii Institute for
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 Astronomy have proposed that the
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 universe may indeed rotate just
00:10:42 --> 00:10:46 extremely slowly how slowly they
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 estimate it might complete a single
00:10:47 --> 00:10:50 rotation once every 500 billion years
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 which would be far too gradual for us to
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 easily detect this seemingly simple idea
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 could help resolve one of astronomy's
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 most persistent puzzles the Hubble
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 tension this problem emerges from the
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 fact that we have two different methods
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 of measuring how fast the universe is
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 expanding and frustratingly they give us
00:11:07 --> 00:11:10 different answers one method examines
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 distant exploding stars or supernovi to
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 measure the expansion rate over the past
00:11:15 --> 00:11:18 few billion years the other technique
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 analyzes the cosmic microwave background
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 radiation essentially the afterlow of
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 the big bang to determine how fast the
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 very early universe was expanding some
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 13 billion years ago the discrepancy
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 between these two measurements has left
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 astronomers scratching their heads for
00:11:34 --> 00:11:37 years saputi's team took a novel
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 approach they developed a mathematical
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 model of the universe following standard
00:11:41 --> 00:11:44 cosmological rules but with one key
00:11:44 --> 00:11:46 difference they added a tiny amount of
00:11:46 --> 00:11:50 rotation as Saputi explains much to our
00:11:50 --> 00:11:51 surprise we found that our model with
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 rotation resolves the paradox without
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 contradicting current astronomical
00:11:55 --> 00:11:58 measurements the idea draws inspiration
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 from the Greek philosopher Heracitis of
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 Ephesus who famously said "Panta Ray
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 everything moves." Saput's team thought
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 perhaps
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 pantaiklutai everything turns might also
00:12:09 --> 00:12:12 be true what's particularly compelling
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 about this theory is that it doesn't
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 violate any known laws of physics it
00:12:16 --> 00:12:19 simply introduces a subtle cosmic spin
00:12:19 --> 00:12:22 that affects how space expands over time
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 in a way that could explain our
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 conflicting measurements
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 the next steps for researchers will be
00:12:28 --> 00:12:31 to develop a full computer model based
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 on this theory and identify ways to
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 detect signs of this slow cosmic
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 rotation if confirmed this could
00:12:39 --> 00:12:40 fundamentally change our understanding
00:12:40 --> 00:12:43 of the universe and how it has evolved
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 since the Big
00:12:44 --> 00:12:47 Bang we're on a bit of a roll today with
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 new discoveries so let's throw one more
00:12:49 --> 00:12:52 into the mix after six decades of
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 mystery scientists may have finally
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 solved one of the universe's most
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 perplexing riddles the origin of ultra
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 high energy cosmic rays or
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 U-HCRs these extraordinary particles
00:13:03 --> 00:13:06 which were first discovered in the 1960s
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 pack energies more than a million times
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 greater than what our most powerful
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 particle accelerators on Earth can
00:13:11 --> 00:13:14 produce until now their source has
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 remained elusive physicist Glennice
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 Ferrar from New York University has
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 published a groundbreaking paper in
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 Physical Review Letters that offers a
00:13:21 --> 00:13:24 compelling explanation her research
00:13:24 --> 00:13:25 suggests these incredibly energetic
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 particles are created during the violent
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 merger of binary neutron stars when two
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 of these ultra dense stellar remnants
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 collide according to Ferrar's model the
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 turbulent magnetic fields generated
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 during these catastrophic mergers
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 provide the perfect environment for
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 accelerating particles to these
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 mind-boggling energies
00:13:45 --> 00:13:48 after six decades of effort the origin
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 of the mysterious highest energy
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 particles in the universe may finally
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 have been identified
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 ferrares what makes this theory
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 particularly elegant is that it
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 addresses several long-standing puzzles
00:14:00 --> 00:14:03 about U-HRs at once it explains the
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 tight correlation between a cosmic rays
00:14:05 --> 00:14:08 energy and its electric charge a feature
00:14:08 --> 00:14:10 that previous theories struggled to
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 account for it also provides a framework
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 for understanding the extraordinary
00:14:14 --> 00:14:16 energy of the highest energy cosmic rays
00:14:16 --> 00:14:19 that have been detected in rare events
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 the theory suggests these particles
00:14:20 --> 00:14:23 originate as rare R process elements
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 like xenon and torium which are
00:14:25 --> 00:14:28 synthesized during neutron star mergers
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 these same mergers also produce
00:14:30 --> 00:14:32 gravitational waves which we've already
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 detected through facilities like LIGO
00:14:34 --> 00:14:36 and Virgo this connection provides a
00:14:36 --> 00:14:39 clear path for experimental validation
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 scientists can now look for correlations
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 between gravitational wave detections
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 and the arrival of ultra high energy
00:14:45 --> 00:14:49 cosmic rays they can also analyze UHCR
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 data for the chemical signatures of
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 these R process
00:14:52 --> 00:14:55 elements if confirmed Ferrar's work
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 represents a major advancement in our
00:14:57 --> 00:15:00 understanding of both cosmic rays and
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 neutron star mergers it gives
00:15:02 --> 00:15:04 astronomers and physicists a new lens
00:15:04 --> 00:15:06 through which to study some of the
00:15:06 --> 00:15:08 universe's most energetic and violent
00:15:08 --> 00:15:10 phenomena potentially opening windows
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 into fundamental physics that we simply
00:15:12 --> 00:15:15 cannot replicate in laboratories on
00:15:15 --> 00:15:18 Earth well that's all for today's Cosmic
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