Tag: gamma ray astronomy
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The lowdown on the highest energy light
[ This blog is dedicated to tracking my most recent publications. Subscribe to the feed to keep up with all the science stories I write! ] Incredible hulking facts about gamma rays From lightning to the death of electrons, the highest-energy form of light is everywhere For Symmetry Magazine: Gamma rays are the most energetic…
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Some light reading about light
[ This blog is dedicated to tracking my most recent publications. Subscribe to the feed to keep up with all the science stories I write! ] As I mentioned before, I’m branching out a bit and writing some listicles for Symmetry Magazine this year. The first covered gravity, and the second covers… light! Eight things…
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No quantum foam seen in the cosmic beer glass
[ This blog is dedicated to tracking my most recent publications. Subscribe to the feed to keep up with all the science stories I write! ] Light from distant black holes doesn’t surf on waves of quantum foam Strongest check yet on quantum gravity effects in astronomy turns up nothing For Ars Technica: Quantum gravity…
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High-energy cosmic rays are sped on their way by exploding stars
Where do cosmic rays originate? Cosmic rays are mostly high-energy protons from deep space that hit Earth’s upper atmosphere, creating showers of other particles that can be detected at the surface. Some of these protons are so incredibly high energy—meaning they’re moving just a whisker slower than the speed of light—that only exceptional astronomical events…
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Pulsar eats companion star, burps gamma rays
Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars—the dense remnants of stars much more massive than the Sun. Some pulsars are in binary systems, and when they feed off their companion star, their rotation rate can increase until they’re spinning hundreds of times per second. Known as millisecond pulsars, these are often also strong emitters of gamma…
Bowler Hat Science 