Collaborate Disseminate
We may be a step closer to understanding the mystery of fast radio bursts (FRBs), as astronomers have now detected the first such signal from within our own galaxy. The radio burst in this case was traced to a highly magnetic dead star called a magneta… Continue reading Fast-radio-burst-like signal traced to dead star in our galaxy
Scientists have achieved first light with an upgrade to one of the most powerful X-ray lasers the world has ever seen. The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) images individual atoms and molecules by blasting them with intense X-ray bursts, and now its … Continue reading Second-generation of powerful X-ray laser fires for the first time
A newly released map shows our home galaxy in a new light. The eROSITA telescope has scanned the entire sky in X-rays, painting a colorful portrait that reveals large-scale structures and hundreds of thousands of previously unknown X-ray sources.Contin… Continue reading Stunning X-ray image delivers a deep dive into the Milky Way
Usually, a brush with a black hole marks the end of an object’s journey – after all, even light itself can’t escape the intense gravity. But in the galaxy GSN 069, a star has managed to survive a close encounter with a black hole, ending up in orbit ar… Continue reading Brush with black hole may turn star into planet in a trillion years
One of the core components of cosmology is the understanding that the universe is expanding evenly in all directions. It was predicted by theory decades ago, and supported by measurements of the cosmic microwave background. But new X-ray observations n… Continue reading Parts of the universe may be expanding faster than others
Generally, X-rays are used to examine bones, while MRI and ultrasound are used to look at softer tissues. But an emerging method is adapting X-ray to image soft tissue, so that its higher resolution can reveal tumors or other problems earlier than othe… Continue reading New X-ray technique images soft-tissue tumors clearer than MRI
Finding a way to unify conflicting scientific models into a “Theory of Everything” is essentially a Holy Grail of physics. Now a NASA observatory has conducted one of the first experimental tests of these theories, scouring the sky for evidence of a hy… Continue reading X-ray telescope searches for evidence of Theory of Everything
Astronomers have found evidence of the most powerful explosion in the universe. Using data from ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA’s Chandra X-ray space telescopes, the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Australia, and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)… Continue reading Astronomers find the most powerful explosion in the universe
Astronomers have spotted a tiny, cool star putting on a stellar light show that would shame our Sun. This X-ray “superflare” was 10 times more powerful than anything the Sun can produce, and is completely unexpected for a star this small.Continue Readi… Continue reading Tiny, cool star fires off enormous X-ray superflare
In graduate school, I had a seminar course where one of the sections was about X-ray crystallography. I was excited, because being able to discern the three-dimensional structure of macromolecules just by shining X-rays on them seemed like magic to me. And thanks to a lackluster professor, after the section …read more
Continue reading A Beginner’s Guide to X-Ray Crystallography