One Small Step for the Higgs Boson, One Giant Leap for Particle Physicists
On the 4th of July, 2012, CERN verified the tantalizing rumors by announcing the discovery of the elusive and long sought after Higgs boson.
An Astronomical Book List
It’s summer, which means it’s time to grab a book and lounge by the pool! Here are a few of our favorite astronomy picks. Enjoy!
Supernovae in 3D
Recent research suggests that Supernovae are aspherical, but the question remains: is this asymmetry merely incidental or is it a vital clue to the explosion mechanism behind SNe? By observing stripped-envelope SNe (i.e. SNe without a H-rich layer) we may see deeper into the heart of the exploding star. Using spectropolarimetry we are able to note that these SNe are in fact aspherical, which may be the cause of the explosion mechanism itself.
NGC 6864 vs. NGC 6229: Dueling Blue Straggler Populations
Blue stragglers are stars within a globular cluster that lie along an extension of the main-sequence, above the turnoff point. As such they appear to be much younger than the rest of their stellar population. Current research suggests that they form by coalescence of mass-transfer between two companions in a binary system and the merger of two stars induced by stellar collision. By observing the population distributions of blue stragglers in globular clusters we can learn about the mechanisms through which they formed and the evolutionary dynamics of the cluster itself.
Astrophysics: A Philosophical Perspective
A reflection on the relationship between astrophysics and philosophy.