#deep space atomic clock

[historysurvivalguide]

Deep Space Atomic Clock

Better Clocks, Better Navigation, Better Science

JPL Exoplanet Travel Bureau Presents: Visions of the Future

[nasa]

Navigating Deep Space by Starlight

On August 6, 1967, astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell noticed a blip in her radio telescope data. And then another. Eventually, Bell Burnell figured out that these blips, or pulses, were not from people or machines.

The blips were constant. There was something in space that was pulsing in a regular pattern, and Bell Burnell figured out that it was a pulsar: a rapidly spinning neutron star emitting beams of light. Neutron stars are superdense objects created when a massive star dies. Not only are they dense, but neutron stars can also spin really fast! Every star we observe spins, and due to a property called angular momentum, as a collapsing star gets smaller and denser, it spins faster. It’s like how ice skaters spin faster as they bring their arms closer to their bodies and make the space that they take up smaller.

The pulses of light coming from these whirling stars are like the beacons spinning at the tops of lighthouses that help sailors safely approach the shore. As the pulsar spins, beams of radio waves (and other types of light) are swept out into the universe with each turn. The light appears and disappears from our view each time the star rotates.

After decades of studying pulsars, astronomers wondered—could they serve as cosmic beacons to help future space explorers navigate the universe? To see if it could work, scientists needed to do some testing!

First, it was important to gather more data. NASA’s NICER, or Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer, is a telescope that was installed aboard the International Space Station in 2017. Its goal is to find out things about neutron stars like their sizes and densities, using an array of 56 special X-ray concentrators and sensitive detectors to capture and measure pulsars’ light.

But how can we use these X-ray pulses as navigational tools? Enter SEXTANT, or Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology. If NICER was your phone, SEXTANT would be like an app on it.  

During the first few years of NICER’s observations, SEXTANT created an on-board navigation system using NICER’s pulsar data. It worked by measuring the consistent timing between each pulsar’s pulses to map a set of cosmic beacons.

When calculating position or location, extremely accurate timekeeping is essential. We usually rely on atomic clocks, which use the predictable fluctuations of atoms to tick away the seconds. These atomic clocks can be located on the ground or in space, like the ones on GPS satellites. However, our GPS system only works on or close to Earth, and onboard atomic clocks can be expensive and heavy. Using pulsar observations instead could give us free and reliable “clocks” for navigation. During its experiment, SEXTANT was able to successfully determine the space station’s orbital position!

We can calculate distances using the time taken for a signal to travel between two objects to determine a spacecraft’s approximate location relative to those objects. However, we would need to observe more pulsars to pinpoint a more exact location of a spacecraft. As SEXTANT gathered signals from multiple pulsars, it could more accurately derive its position in space.

So, imagine you are an astronaut on a lengthy journey to the outer solar system. You could use the technology developed by SEXTANT to help plot your course. Since pulsars are reliable and consistent in their spins, you wouldn’t need Wi-Fi or cell service to figure out where you were in relation to your destination. The pulsar-based navigation data could even help you figure out your ETA!

None of these missions or experiments would be possible without Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s keen eye for an odd spot in her radio data decades ago, which set the stage for the idea to use spinning neutron stars as a celestial GPS. Her contribution to the field of astrophysics laid the groundwork for research benefitting the people of the future, who yearn to sail amongst the stars.  

Keep up with the latest NICER news by following NASA Universe on X and Facebook and check out the mission’s website. For more on space navigation, follow @NASASCaN on X or visit NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation website.  

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[bitumz]

Title: A withered Rose still has its thorns

Pairing: Cooper Howard / Lucy MacLean

Word count: 4k+

Rated: T [angst, depictions of past violence, hurt/comfort, mentions of death and loss, happy ending]

A/N: this was written for the incredible @valeriarts for this beautiful fanart they made me, and was heavily inspired by this insane Beauty and the Beast Ghoulcy Fanart they entered into the Ghoulcy Atomic Blast Event! As such, this responding work is absolutely riddled with BatB references, but is lovingly set in the Fallout canon world because I am an absolute goon for the old music and wasteland setting. A tale as old as time... Ao3 link

~~~~~

One year has passed since Lucy pulled the trigger on her own decayed mother, withered away and rotted from the inside out by the inevitable cruelty of the wasteland. A necessary evil she still tries to console herself with on such a gruesome anniversary, though these days the grizzly voice chiding her in her mind doesn’t sound like her own anymore. And Lucy thinks she's starting to realize exactly how decay feels.

One year of failed leads. Shattered expectations. The growing pains of being remade into a woman more familiar than she should be, even well beyond the reflection of a mirror. 

The old shopping center she and Cooper find themselves in that evening is almost painfully similar to the Super Duper Mart, old clothing and clocks, and half burnt candles and varying arrays of other decorative knick-knacks scattered about like hastily flung debris across the rotting floors. But unlike the mart, high walls divided large sections of the space, reminding her even harsher of the vault rooms back home, centered just so by a long, splaying hallway that seemed to go on for miles into the shadowed corridor. An old mall Cooper had called it, but to Lucy that meant nothing. 

She'd done what she could to keep her distance from him that day, him never being one to appreciate her foul moods, and instead of calling out the blood curdling hypocrisy of that whole idea (and the inevitable fight that would follow), she bit her tongue and did her best to sulk alone, in only the company of a few blessedly silent clothing displays and dusty bedroom furniture. 

One of the former caught Lucy’s attention more than the others, a headless mannequin donned in a flowing silk gown, royal blue cut through the middle with a bright yellow sash that drew in the curves of the waist and cascaded floor length at the rear with the rest of the flowing hemline to trail like a river of molten gold across the moldy tile. 

Her mother had always disliked her in dresses. And Lucy can't help but remember the hazy bits and pieces of her fifth birthday. Of her father presenting her with a beautifully boxed up gift. Her mother's disbelieving scowl over at the man as Lucy held the soft floral material up against her chest and beamed at her own reflection in the vault bathroom mirror. They way her father twirled her around the room in it for many a birthday after that, with only Norm, a few aging Cooper Howard movie posters, and blinding fluorescents overhead as audience, pride already flashing even brighter in her father’s eyes as every year she grew more and more into the perfect daughter she was expected to be. And though Lucy had been too young to consider yet just where that gift could have come from, those memories now scathed in the shadows, somewhere deep beneath her bones like a bustling city of thousands of people being blown to nothing more than ruin and ash. 

And at this point, after fighting through all the many foul factions of the wasteland for just over a year and searching for a sense of fairness and freedom for so long before, she was so so far beyond sick of monsters masquerading as man. 

It was why slipping from the confines of her vaultsuit and stepping into the rolling blue and gold layers of silk felt something like lying. Like putting on that ill-fitting wedding dress again and continuing to do as she was told. Adding her name to the list and filling the role set upon her from the very moment she came out screaming like a wild beast into her mother's arms and a carefully crafted existence. 

She tugged her own suit up the slender plastic hips of the mannequin in trade. Zipped it securely closed with the final brush of her hands tenderly across the shoulders.

The worn leather slacked too big around the petite figure, and Lucy felt her own muscles clench the slightest bit in her newly exposed chest and upper arms. Her time away from the vault had made her only stronger. She could feel it in the easing of their long days trudging through the sand and restless nights with Cooper beneath the stars. In his harsh lessons and even harsher truths. But looking back at her mother’s last little hand-me-down gift as it sat wrong on the headless figure before her made her feel a bit like a child again; lost and alone in a world that was still so very much too big.

So she did just as she would when she was little. Turned the oldies station on low on her Pip Boy. Sat cross legged upon the cold dingy floor. Sought out her mother’s advice.

“I’m not exactly sure what I’m supposed to do here.” Lucy said, eyes falling to her mismatched fingers in her lap. She curled them loose into the soft pile of golden fabric. “I wasn’t so sure I was going to make it through mourning you the first time around…” she admitted soft, swallowing at the pain rising heavy in her throat. “But this… now… knowing everything I do… I- I understand why you left. And I’m sorry I couldn’t help sooner… I’m so sorry…” And Lucy had long run out of water to waste on tears so she only clenched her fists tighter over her thighs. Waited quietly for a reassurance that would never come again, receiving only silence in answer apart from the lilting voice of Skeeter Davis softly reminding her from her wrist that the end of the world had already long since passed. 

Lucy could only blame her time above for being able to sense him well before she heard Cooper’s spurs clanging softly up the hall. And had it been even just a few months ago, she would have moved. Rose from the ground and stuck on a fake sunshine smile to avoid his prodding. Stood tall and still in the shadows like a predator in wait. But if he was going to continue to track her down every time she sought out solace, he was going to get what he got. Real and raw and just so very tired. 

“There ain’t shit for supplies,” his rumbling voice started before rounding the corner, “but I did find somethin’ interestin’ you may wanna have a look at wh…” Cooper stilled like the dead in the shattered frame of the once glass door. Rendered entirely silent, though she could feel the burn of his eyes across her newly bared arms, the curves of her shoulders, her dark hair falling loose and wild down her back. “What the fuck are you doin’?” He finally managed, sounding much farther away than he actually stood.

“Oh you know, just talking to my mom.” Lucy spoke flat to the mannequin, unmoving. “You’re interrupting.” She added in dismissal after a long dead-silent moment, but she only heard his boots close in closer behind her. 

So she held her breath and waited for the snide response to drawl from his lips. Something like ‘radaway’s losin’ its touch huh?’ she imagined first, or ‘Rose musta not took all the crazy with her when she left that fuckin’ vault...’

But as the pair of taunts grew hotter in her temples, nothing of the sort actually came from him... Which was odd enough in itself to make her finally look back over her shoulder. 

What she found was a world weary man who looked as lost as she felt. The darkness of the decaying building clinging to the protective cloak of his duster like a long drawn curse that was pained to let go. He carried the weight of his own deep in the lines of his scalded face, wearing his own many anniversaries of suffering in scattered jagged scars, jaw tense as if he fought not to set free a rising snarl at the sight before him, browline drawn beneath the shadow of his hat like she’d spoken a foreign language he couldn’t quite grasp. 

He eyed her hallowed vaultsuit as if personally affronted… Looked back down right at her, dark eyes sparking with something near that impenetrable mask of anger he so easily slipped on as they trailed slow down across the gathered yellow silk she fidgeted with at her waist, to the elegant tendrils of blue haloing in a wide puddle around her on the floor, shielding nearly as much of her body as the suit had, but still leaving her feeling so incredibly exposed to his studiously searching eyes. 

“What is it?” Lucy asked after a moment, unable to take the scrutiny any longer, heart rate rising as she shifted where she sat.

And Cooper blinked as if hearing her for the first. “What’s with the getup?”

Lucy forced the breath from her nose, long and heavy. Tugged a bit of the fabric up in a false curtsy. “Oh this old thing?” She tried to tease but fell flat. “I've never had a dress of my own, you know? Always something borrowed… and Mom used to say blue was my color.” Lucy smoothed the silk back down over her hips, missing the way the claim struck Cooper’s expression like the hail Mary of a well aimed brick. “My eyes, I guess.” She shrugged away.

“No.” Cooper disagreed low after a long beat. “It ain't your eyes.” Then he took the two last steps to stand near her side. Reached down a hand. “C’mon I wanna show you somethin’.” And for a moment Lucy sat unmoving, glancing away from Cooper’s gloved offering up to the plastic shell of her mother one last time. “She ain't goin’ anywhere.” Cooper promised soft after a while of watching her struggle, in a way Lucy now knew that only he had every right to vow. And it's what finally drew her hand out slowly into his. 

“Alright,” she breathed. And she rose.

—

The shop Cooper led her into was stacked floor to ceiling with disheveled shelves of books. Old wooden tables and chairs lined the front walls. Rows of cabinets had once cut lines through the center, now tipped and scattered by previous scavengers who must not have appreciated the incredibility of the rare bounty before her. But Lucy, however, was already mentally sorting through the contents of her pack and deciding what could be left behind to make more space.

It was the candlelight that eventually distracted her from the task. Lit aglow and sparsely set across the floor and on a few of the sturdier looking bookshelves all around the room, burning just bright enough to clear the murky darkness from the space…and it was the consideration of such a thing that emptied her chest, had Lucy steepling her hands over her mouth and gaping wide eyed all around her at the beautiful sight, the sheer number of books alone putting the vault’s ample collection to shame. But it was the man stood behind her in the darkened doorway that stopped her eyes. Silhouette framed in the soft glow of fire, features hidden almost entirely from view, but like the constant pull of the moon on the tide she could feel the weight of every ounce of his attention on only her. 

“Cooper,” Lucy called low, letting her hands fall slow to her sides. “This is incredible. I've never seen so many books in my life.”

And he ambled forward at his name like a bloodbug drawn to the life pumping quick through her veins, sharp features softened by the warm glow.

“Really?” He drawled in that way that preambled the rudeness she'd so long been awaiting. Downplaying the situation every time it got too close to - something. And he was never one to disappoint. “I thought all that Vault Tec propaganda down there would at least rival a two bit bookshop.” 

Lucy raised her eyes and turned away. Took another look about the room. Made her way to the closest shelf of books and let her fingertips brush lovingly across the dusted spines. Stacked a few aside that she had every intention of not leaving without. 

“It wasn't just propaganda,” Lucy informed, his jab unable to reach her properly through the soft flickering of flame. “Vault distributed media was delegated and traded by the overseers.” She sought him out again with the turn of her neck. “And as you know, ours was particularly fond of fairytales and cowboys. Villeneuve and Wister. That sort of thing. Not to mention the movies…” her smile was mean, a brazen curve of her lips.

And Cooper said nothing in riposte, instead simply closing the space between them with slow, lazy steps. Rested a hand against the shelf on either side of her head as she turned to face him, closing in and casting his shadow across her in a way that once would have made her feel small. 

Lucy only raised her chin, held his eyes above with the fire flickering hot in her own.

“Is that really what you wanna be doin’ today?” He asked her, a near growl as it rolled so close from his chest. “Defendin’ your daddy?” 

And the reminder twisted in her ribs like a spike, aimed and true; memories of laughter and life and being twirled around in loving arms slowly, agonizingly morphing into something more fowl in her gut like her father's guiltless eyes as he'd finally confessed aloud his many many sins down the barrel of a gun… Her mother's meatless corpse sagging gaunt in a chair nearby…

“Dance with me.” Lucy blinked, only truly registering the words as they settled skewed into her own ears. The violins dipped and drew out the start of Billie Holiday's, Crazy He Calls Me from her Pip Boy between them like a taunt and there was no better title for the way Cooper’s sharp eyes searched her face.

“Do what now?” 

“Dance with me.” Lucy repeated, just as unshaken. “You're right.” She nodded in truce. “I'd rather make new memories today than dwell on the old ones and my options are you or the mannequin.”

Cooper gauged her expression from mere inches above. Looked as if he awaited the splintering of her sanity beneath his glare. For the flinching call of her bluff as he raised his chin and thinned his eyes in a move she’d watched him use on countless others to sweeten a deal or seal a sentence. But Lucy only popped open the latch of her Pip Boy. Sat it nearby on the shelf. Held her hands out to him palms up in the dwindling space between them…

And Cooper took a step back and away. Squared his shoulders as if she had thrown a fist instead of anything near the beginnings of a dance. 

“Mannequin would suit better.” He said in faint protest, stilling only a moment longer to meet her unyielding eyes before sighing, shrugging his duster from his shoulders and draping it over the back of a nearby chair. Pulling his gloves off and dropping them unceremoniously into the splintering seat. 

And Lucy felt an altogether new sort of apprehension as he neared this time, sturdy arms straining against the worn fabric of his rarely seen sun-bleached undershirt. His bandolier of hastily crafted bullets glistened like sharp teeth across the visible rise and fall of his chest. He held a single bared hand out to her in offering, allowing her to take either that last fateful step forward or a silent final out…

And the thrill of it all was the best distraction she could ever ask for.

The fine hairs at the back of her neck rose in warning as she took this newest challenge in stride, just as she had the many before. “I don’t doubt it.” Lucy returned, resting a ruined-fingered hand over the solid curve of his shoulder. Cooper slipped her left into his and she couldn’t help but stare at that way her own something borrowed still looked pale and small against the rest of Cooper’s hand, wrapping warm and rough around her own. His other burned like a brand against her waist just as Billie sang of her own willingness to walk through fire and with it they were moving.

Cooper was a startlingly natural lead, sure in step and direction, guiding her along in soft curves of motion as if on instinct alone, whereas she stepped between his boots in thought absorbed angles, and it was a pre-war skill Lucy would not have imagined he cared to retain until that very moment. He’d always spoken so little of that time of his life, apart from Janey. And even if they weren’t spending an evening attempting to forget, she at very least knew better than to outright ask why. 

The thought brought her foot down hard on his for what she guessed was the second or third time judging by his growl.

“That supposed to be a two step?” Cooper rumbled over her instead. “‘Cause you’re movin’ like a goddamn sheet of plywood down there.”

And Lucy laughed a breathy thing at the very real exasperation in his tone.

“I’m distracted is all.” She forced herself to meet his eyes, so close and scalding in the candlelight. Reminding her even more of the last time she’d seen him display such a talent. The same way her father had taught her so many years ago… and she just couldn't help herself. “I remember this from the scene right after you killed Joey… Where you went back to town and danced with the widow in -”

“Deadhorse ya,” Cooper scathed in answer, spinning her silent in an almost violent twirl out to arms reach before snapping her back, her spine pressing flush against the buttons lining down his vest so that the “don’t start,” was hissed directly into her ear. It effectively scattered her thoughts and sent gooseflesh rising down the exposed skin of her arms for a much different reason than she knew was intended. But then he stilled them. Kept a forearm wrapped firm across the front of her waist. “Kick them boots off so you don’t take my fuckin’ toes too.” He nodded down over her shoulder, the brim of his hat brushing against her scattered hair. 

And she continued to follow his lead, shaking off one and then the other. Turned around again with minimal restraint as he took notice of her intention to face him once more. Lucy filled her lungs with the faint scent of old leather and smoke as his coarse fingers dragged slow patterns across the soft silk gathered at her hips. This time she brought both hands up to his shoulders. Felt his own slide home in a near perfect fit into the soft curves beneath her ribs. 

Then they were moving again, easier, a more natural sway that brought him the slightest bit closer. Allowed her to truly see his features painted warm beneath his hat in the firelight. Those most others would deem ugly, the proof heard often enough in wretched slurs and slithered curses from near every small bit of civilization they passed. But here in the safety of their solitude, the candles flickered deep against the rugged hollows of his face and brought somehow more life to his hazel eyes. And though they had always been so incredible to her, those eyes, something about the way the glow sparked in them now, subdued and scorching back at her in equal measure, was almost another distraction worthy of misstep. 

And she’d been doing so well until her eyes dropped to the side. Focused on the scattered splotches across his shoulders that proved his threadbare shirt had once been blue…

The music built and curled around them unimpeded by the realization, trumpets joining in with the strings to round out the repeated claims of being insane for all a number of reasons and Lucy couldn’t help but look down at her own feet again, strained and self deprecating as she focused on not stepping down onto his with the way her heart sped and cheeks flushed. His hands flexed at her waist.

“Relax.” Cooper bid low, undoubtedly sensing her struggle in her missteps and the growing tension of her muscles. “I ain’t in the mood for sparrin’ today and my drawin’ hand’s otherwise occupied, so you’re only fightin’ ya self.” 

The upward curve of his bowed lips and drawl of his words spoke only truths, something almost sad touching his eyes, and Lucy found trusting in him still came all too easy. She watched as the rise of his browline painted a told ya so look across his face while she focused only on her own breaths and the warmth of his tender hold about her waist, her movements growing more and more fluid between those very same hands that she’d seen reap death and destruction with ease for just over a year now in search of her father and the answers they were owed. Coming up just short on near every lead and tumbling almost as violently into each other's arms in one way or another so often now that it seemed only necessary for survival. 

“Perceptive.” She said finally. 

But this was something else… It was just so…

It was simply different, Lucy decided, rising up onto her bare toes to press her lips against Cooper’s just because she wanted to. Taking unapologetically in a way that he had been forcefully tearing into her from the beginning. And she softly parted her lips over his unmoving ones. Waited for the beast to surface and rear its fangs or draw its claws. To push her away with a shove or back her forcefully against the nearest surface in a deliciously dizzying coin toss of chance. Because, yes the beast was in there somewhere she knew well enough, but it was Cooper who had pulled her up from the floor of her vigil. Cooper who’d lit the candles that warmed the air around them; of a bookshop of all places. Cooper who still distracted her from her woes now in dance… 

And it was Cooper who kissed her back. Took her face into the sanctity of his hands to tilt and deepen it, his lips a hot brand across her own as he held her steady and tasted her slow in languid shallow swipes of his tongue along her lower lip. He parted from her just long enough for Lucy to draw a greedy breath from the shared air between them. Then he kissed her again, another sweet short press of his mouth over hers before he whispered “I gotcha somethin’ else,” near voiceless into the corner of her moony grin. 

Then he leaned back just enough to meet her eyes, his own expression sobering like he stood on the precipice of some great divide, and Lucy dared him to jump with the slight tilt of her head in question. 

Then he pulled out a drooping flower from the pocket of his slacks. A sun-bleached plastic rose that must have once been red before the end of the world and the crushing hands of time; petals welting and half melted... And her heart did a funny painful pair of skips in her chest at the sight of it held out to her in his own repeatedly scarred and sewn together hand. 

“What? It ain't enchanted or some shit.” Cooper said harsh, shifting an inch on his own two feet. A first misstep since they started this new dance. “I just know what it's like to not have a grave to mourn is all.” He tried again. “Don’t read too much into it.”

And what a feint it was to reach for in a room set aglow, filled to the brim with warmth and music; bound leather and parchment... 

Lucy’s smile was all straight white teeth.

“Of course not,” she succumbed, taking the rose from him carefully and tucking the stem safely away into the sash of her dress so that her hands were free to reach back out for what she really wanted. “I never really liked reading anyway,” she soothed, wrapping her wrists loose about the back of his neck and looking past him at a few new titles that would be soon added to her pile. “Though my bag has been feeling awful light lately.”

And Cooper chuckled soft, a deep rumble from his throat. 

“Fuck the books,” he said, breath ghosting warm against the sensitive skin at the side of her neck. Then his hands slid heavy through the silk pooled low at her back, drew her in close against his chest. “Pack the dress.” 

And for a long long while they danced together and forgot. 

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Reinventing the clock: NASA's new tech for space timekeeping

Here on Earth, it might not matter if your wristwatch runs a few seconds slow. But crucial spacecraft functions need accuracy down to one billionth of a second or less. Navigating with GPS, for example, relies on precise timing signals from satellites to pinpoint locations. Three teams at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, are at work to push timekeeping for space exploration to new levels of precision.

One team develops highly precise quantum clock synchronization techniques to aid essential spacecraft communication and navigation.

Another Goddard team is working to employ the technique of clock synchronization in space-based platforms to enable telescopes to function as one enormous observatory.

The third team is developing an atomic clock for spacecraft based on strontium, a metallic chemical element, to enable scientific observations not possible with current technology.

The need for increasingly accurate timekeeping is why the teams at NASA Goddard, supported by the center's Internal Research and Development program, hone clock precision and synchronization with innovative technologies like quantum and optical communications.

Syncing up across the solar system

"Society requires clock synchronization for many crucial functions like power grid management, stock market openings, financial transactions, and much more," said Alejandro Rodriguez Perez, a NASA Goddard researcher. "NASA uses clock synchronization to determine the position of spacecraft and set navigation parameters."

If you line up two clocks and sync them together, you might expect that they will tick at the same rate forever. In reality, the more time passes, the more out of sync the clocks become, especially if those clocks are on spacecraft traveling at tens of thousands of miles per hour. Rodriguez Perez seeks to develop a new way of precisely synchronizing such clocks and keeping them synced using quantum technology.

In quantum physics, two particles are entangled when they behave like a single object and occupy two states at once. For clocks, applying quantum protocols to entangled photons could allow for a precise and secure way to sync clocks across long distances.

The heart of the synchronization protocol is called spontaneous parametric down conversion, which is when one photon breaks apart and two new photons form. Two detectors will each analyze when the new photons appear, and the devices will apply mathematical functions to determine the offset in time between the two photons, thus synchronizing the clocks.

While clock synchronization is currently done using GPS, this protocol could make it possible to precisely synchronize clocks in places where GPS access is limited, like the moon or deep space.

Syncing clocks, linking telescopes to see more than ever before

When it comes to astronomy, the usual rule of thumb is the bigger the telescope, the better its imagery.

"If we could hypothetically have a telescope as big as Earth, we would have incredibly high-resolution images of space, but that's obviously not practical," said Guan Yang, an optical physicist at NASA Goddard.

"What we can do, however, is have multiple telescopes in various locations and have each telescope record the signal with high time precision. Then we can stitch their observations together and produce an ultra-high-res image."

The idea of linking together the observations of a network of smaller telescopes to affect the power of a larger one is called very long baseline interferometry, or VLBI.

For VLBI to produce a whole greater than the sum of its parts, the telescopes need high-precision clocks. The telescopes record data alongside timestamps of when the data was recorded. High-powered computers assemble all the data together into one complete observation with greater detail than any one of the telescopes could achieve on its own. This technique is what allowed the Event Horizon Telescope's network of observatories to produce the first image of a black hole at the center of our galaxy.

Yang's team is developing a clock technology that could be useful for missions looking to take the technique from Earth into space which could unlock many more discoveries.

An optical atomic clock built for space travel

Spacecraft navigation systems currently rely on onboard atomic clocks to obtain the most accurate time possible. Holly Leopardi, a physicist at NASA Goddard, is researching optical atomic clocks, a more precise type of atomic clock.

While optical atomic clocks exist in laboratory settings, Leopardi and her team seek to develop a spacecraft-ready version that will provide more precision.

The team works on OASIC, which stands for Optical Atomic Strontium Ion Clock. While current spacecraft utilize microwave frequencies, OASIC uses optical frequencies.

"What we can do, however, is have multiple telescopes in various locations and have each telescope record the signal with high time precision. Then we can stitch their observations together and produce an ultra-high-res image."

The idea of linking together the observations of a network of smaller telescopes to affect the power of a larger one is called very long baseline interferometry, or VLBI.

For VLBI to produce a whole greater than the sum of its parts, the telescopes need high-precision clocks. The telescopes record data alongside timestamps of when the data was recorded. High-powered computers assemble all the data together into one complete observation with greater detail than any one of the telescopes could achieve on its own. This technique is what allowed the Event Horizon Telescope's network of observatories to produce the first image of a black hole at the center of our galaxy.

Yang's team is developing a clock technology that could be useful for missions looking to take the technique from Earth into space which could unlock many more discoveries.

An optical atomic clock built for space travel

Spacecraft navigation systems currently rely on onboard atomic clocks to obtain the most accurate time possible. Holly Leopardi, a physicist at NASA Goddard, is researching optical atomic clocks, a more precise type of atomic clock.

While optical atomic clocks exist in laboratory settings, Leopardi and her team seek to develop a spacecraft-ready version that will provide more precision.

The team works on OASIC, which stands for Optical Atomic Strontium Ion Clock. While current spacecraft utilize microwave frequencies, OASIC uses optical frequencies.

"Optical frequencies oscillate much faster than microwave frequencies, so we can have a much finer resolution of counts and more precise timekeeping," Leopardi said.

The OASIC technology is about 100 times more precise than the previous state-of-the-art in spacecraft atomic clocks. The enhanced accuracy could enable new types of science that were not previously possible.

"When you use these ultra-high precision clocks, you can start looking at the fundamental physics changes that occur in space," Leopardi said, "and that can help us better understand the mechanisms of our universe."

The timekeeping technologies unlocked by these teams, could enable new discoveries in our solar system and beyond.

TOP IMAGE: Work on the quantum clock synchronization protocol takes place in this NASA Goddard lab. Credit: NASA/Matthew Kaufman

LOWER IMAGE: The Optical Atomic Strontium Ion Clock (OASIC) is a higher-precsion atomic clock that is small enough to fit on a spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Matthew Kaufman

[darkarfs]

I need to learn to love how I look post-shower. Fucking rained-on St. Bernard. (That's a Drumstick, which I got from my neighbor's freezer. I'm watching her cat this week while she's on vacation, and she said I could have a few.) I'd never been to a show at a college campus before. It was a 4,000 seat venue and it was almost completely full. And the crowd was exactly what you'd expect at that kind of show: the Venn diagram meeting place between anime nerds, stoners and metal nerds. We got there for opener Jason Richardson, a guy who did shred instrumentals with programmed blastbeats. Every song was indistinguishable from the other. He went on for too long. Totally admit going in that I only knew 5 or 6 Babymetal songs, but the ones I knew I more or less liked. I'm not a person who sees them as a novelty act, either, like "oh isn't that interesting, these Japanese pop-idol singers are fronting this riff-heavy metal band." The songs and performances speak for themselves, honestly, and the enthusiasm and energy are absolutely there. They choreograph the shit out of it, and they take it seriously, and yet...it's objectively very silly, and I like that. There's a video vignette at the start about how the infinite universe needs more love and free will and heavy metal in it, and these people want to bring it to us. There's footage of ruins, the desert, the world as seen from space, the Ouroboros, animals chasing one another. It dissolves into this vague "the universe at play, the cosmic ballet" sort of thing, and I take solace in the fact that metal never lets go of that imagery, ever. It shouldn't. Pretend metal is the music of the universe loving and strangling itself, always, because it really is, and I always wanna lose myself in that mess. They didn't do "KARATE," my favorite song of theirs. But they were giving 100% of themselves, and I admire commitment, even if I only knew 5 or 6 songs. Dethklok are currently Brendon Small, a tiny woman in spandex whose name I missed (I think it was Nili?), a bass player, and drumming legend "Atomic Clock" Gene Hoglan. And they are...listen, I've been going to metal shows since 1997, since my freshman year of high school. I've seen Cannibal Corpse, Opeth, Sepultura, Between the Buried and Me, Megadeth, Mastodon, Gojira, Slayer...these are maybe the tightest metal band I have ever seen play. And I think that has everything to do with the fact that they have to play to match the visuals on a giant screen behind them, and it was millisecond-precise, airtight. They're basically playing note-perfect live versions of every Dethklok music video you've ever seen, in real time. You'd need Gene Hoglan for that. FaceBones addressed us twice on the monitor, reminding us to stop being such dickfaces for not showering when going to shows and that we're all friends because we smoke weed. Smalls also took the time to address us as every character he voices on the show. He could do Pickles and Skwisgar, but his Nathan suffered because he had just sung 7 songs beforehand. Not blaming him for that! This is probably the only show I'd ever been to where I knew the words to EVERY song, too, which is weird to think about. Like, even when I saw bands I loved like Motorhead or Gwar, there's always a song I don't know, or a deep cut they do that I'm not familiar with. I knew all the Dethklok stuff.

So much fun. Good to be among the enthusiastic metal dorks, universally the best and most accepting crowds on Earth. Did a shirt count, and other than the two bands performing, the most represented band that I saw, weirdly, was Megadeth. Shout-out to the girl dressed as Dr. Rockso. People being let out to get back to their cars looked like the opening to Gravity's Rainbow. On our way back to the car, I overhear this conversation: Guy behind me: "Those visuals on those two songs were from the movie that just came out." Other guy: "Oh, there's a movie? Where can I watch it?" Me, turning around: "KIMCARTOON DOT ELL-EYE!" GBM: "Well, I'd like to pay them to watch it, yeah?" Me: "Oh, well, in that case, you can rent it on iTunes." Other guy: "Oh, well, fuck that, I'm not going through all of that." Me: "Y'all can't have it both ways, dudes!" An incredibly fun and lovely evening. Glad I did it, glad I had good company for it. I'd do it again.

[catgirl-greatsword]

@deep-space-atomic-clock

i finished reading dungeon meshi, i needed to make a silly crossover :)

ill probably make a continuation with the dish description

[masongrizchel]

The General Theory of Relativity - Einstein’s Masterpiece

Few scientific theories have revolutionized our understanding of the universe as profoundly as Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. Published in 1915, it redefined gravity not as a force, but as the warping of space and time caused by mass and energy. This elegant yet mind-bending idea has since been confirmed through numerous experiments and continues to shape modern astrophysics, from black holes to the expanding universe.

What is General Relativity?

Before Einstein, gravity was best described by Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation, which treated it as a force acting at a distance. However, Einstein realized that this approach had limitations, especially when dealing with high speeds and strong gravitational fields.

Einstein’s breakthrough was to link gravity with the fabric of spacetime itself. According to general relativity, mass and energy bend spacetime, and objects move along curved paths within this warped geometry. The famous equation summarizing this idea is:

This equation (the Einstein Field Equation) describes how spacetime curvature is influenced by mass energy, forming the foundation of modern gravitational physics.

Key Concepts of General Relativity

Spacetime is Curved by Mass and Energy: Einstein proposed that instead of thinking of gravity as a force, we should think of it as the bending of spacetime. Imagine placing a heavy ball on a rubber sheet—the sheet curves under the ball’s weight, and smaller objects move along these curves. Similarly, planets and stars distort spacetime, and objects move along the paths dictated by this curvature.

The Equivalence Principle: One of the fundamental ideas behind general relativity is the equivalence principle, which states that the effects of gravity are indistinguishable from acceleration. This means that if you're in a sealed box, you wouldn't be able to tell whether you're being pulled by Earth's gravity or accelerating in deep space. This insight led Einstein to realize that gravity affects time itself—a phenomenon known as gravitational time dilation.

Gravitational Time Dilation: Time runs slower in stronger gravitational fields. For example, clocks on Earth run slightly slower than those on the International Space Station because the ISS is farther from Earth’s gravitational influence. This effect has been experimentally verified using atomic clocks placed at different altitudes. A practical application of this is GPS satellites, which must account for general relativity to maintain accurate positioning. Without these corrections, GPS systems would drift by several kilometers per day!

Light Bends Around Massive Objects: One of the first experimental confirmations of general relativity came from gravitational lensing, where light bends as it passes near massive objects like stars or galaxies. During a 1919 solar eclipse, astronomers observed starlight bending around the Sun exactly as Einstein predicted, proving his theory to the world. Today, gravitational lensing is used to map dark matter and study distant galaxies.

Black Holes and Singularities: Perhaps the most mind-blowing consequence of general relativity is the black hole—a region where spacetime is so warped that nothing, not even light, can escape.

At the heart of a black hole lies a singularity, a point of infinite density where the laws of physics break down. The discovery of actual black holes, including the famous first image of a black hole’s event horizon in 2019, confirms Einstein’s predictions in the most extreme conditions.

How General Relativity Changed Astrophysics

General relativity has transformed astrophysics in several ways. The discovery of gravitational waves, first detected by LIGO in 2015, confirmed Einstein’s prediction that space itself can ripple due to cosmic events like colliding black holes. The theory also underpins modern cosmology, helping explain the expansion of the universe and the role of dark energy. Additionally, it provides the foundation for understanding extreme objects like black holes and neutron stars, whose behaviors align perfectly with Einstein’s equations.

Did You Know?

The GPS system corrects for both special and general relativistic effects to keep your location accurate!

Einstein initially resisted the idea of black holes, believing they were a mathematical curiosity rather than real objects.

The first experimental proof of gravitational redshift (time running slower in strong gravity) was done in 1959 with the Pound-Rebka experiment at Harvard University.

The first image of a black hole was released in 2019 by the Event Horizon Telescope, a global network of radio telescopes.

Conclusion

General relativity is more than just a beautiful set of equations—it’s a theory that governs the universe on the grandest scales. From explaining black holes to shaping our understanding of space and time, Einstein’s masterpiece remains one of the most successful scientific theories ever developed.

And yet, mysteries remain. How does gravity fit into quantum mechanics? What lies inside a black hole? Is time travel possible? As we continue to explore the cosmos, Einstein’s ideas will undoubtedly guide us toward new discoveries, just as they have for over a century.

The universe bends to the weight of gravity, and thanks to Einstein, we now know why.

[sunaleisocial]

Reinventing the Clock: NASA’s New Tech for Space Timekeeping - NASA

New Post has been published on https://sunalei.org/news/reinventing-the-clock-nasas-new-tech-for-space-timekeeping-nasa/

Reinventing the Clock: NASA’s New Tech for Space Timekeeping - NASA

Here on Earth, it might not matter if your wristwatch runs a few seconds slow. But crucial spacecraft functions need accuracy down to one billionth of a second or less. Navigating with GPS, for example, relies on precise timing signals from satellites to pinpoint locations. Three teams at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, are at work to push timekeeping for space exploration to new levels of precision.

One team develops highly precise quantum clock synchronization techniques to aid essential spacecraft communication and navigation.

Another Goddard team is working to employ the technique of clock synchronization in space-based platforms to enable telescopes to function as one enormous observatory.

The third team is developing an atomic clock for spacecraft based on strontium, a metallic chemical element, to enable scientific observations not possible with current technology.

The need for increasingly accurate timekeeping is why these teams at NASA Goddard, supported by the center’s Internal Research and Development program, hone clock precision and synchronization with innovative technologies like quantum and optical communications.

“Society requires clock synchronization for many crucial functions like power grid management, stock market openings, financial transactions, and much more,” said Alejandro Rodriguez Perez, a NASA Goddard researcher. “NASA uses clock synchronization to determine the position of spacecraft and set navigation parameters.”

If you line up two clocks and sync them together, you might expect that they will tick at the same rate forever. In reality, the more time passes, the more out of sync the clocks become, especially if those clocks are on spacecraft traveling at tens of thousands of miles per hour. Rodriguez Perez seeks to develop a new way of precisely synchronizing such clocks and keeping them synced using quantum technology.

In quantum physics, two particles are entangled when they behave like a single object and occupy two states at once. For clocks, applying quantum protocols to entangled photons could allow for a precise and secure way to sync clocks across long distances.

The heart of the synchronization protocol is called spontaneous parametric down conversion, which is when one photon breaks apart and two new photons form. Two detectors will each analyze when the new photons appear, and the devices will apply mathematical functions to determine the offset in time between the two photons, thus synchronizing the clocks.

While clock synchronization is currently done using GPS, this protocol could make it possible to precisely synchronize clocks in places where GPS access is limited, like the Moon or deep space.

When it comes to astronomy, the usual rule of thumb is the bigger the telescope, the better its imagery.

“If we could hypothetically have a telescope as big as Earth, we would have incredibly high-resolution images of space, but that’s obviously not practical,” said Guan Yang, an optical physicist at NASA Goddard. “What we can do, however, is have multiple telescopes in various locations and have each telescope record the signal with high time precision. Then we can stich their observations together and produce an ultra-high-res image.”

The idea of linking together the observations of a network of smaller telescopes to affect the power of a larger one is called very long baseline interferometry, or VLBI.

For VLBI to produce a whole greater than the sum of its parts, the telescopes need high-precision clocks. The telescopes record data alongside timestamps of when the data was recorded. High-powered computers assemble all the data together into one complete observation with greater detail than any one of the telescopes could achieve on its own. This technique is what allowed the Event Horizon Telescope’s network of observatories to produce the first image of a black hole at the center of our galaxy.

Yang’s team is developing a clock technology that could be useful for missions looking to take the technique from Earth into space which could unlock many more discoveries.

Spacecraft navigation systems currently rely on onboard atomic clocks to obtain the most accurate time possible. Holly Leopardi, a physicist at NASA Goddard, is researching optical atomic clocks, a more precise type of atomic clock.

While optical atomic clocks exist in laboratory settings, Leopardi and her team seek to develop a spacecraft-ready version that will provide more precision.

The team works on OASIC, which stands for Optical Atomic Strontium Ion Clock. While current spacecraft utilize microwave frequencies, OASIC uses optical frequencies.

“Optical frequencies oscillate much faster than microwave frequencies, so we can have a much finer resolution of counts and more precise timekeeping,” Leopardi said.

The OASIC technology is about 100 times more precise than the previous state-of-the-art in spacecraft atomic clocks. The enhanced accuracy could enable new types of science that were not previously possible.

“When you use these ultra-high precision clocks, you can start looking at the fundamental physics changes that occur in space,” Leopardi said, “and that can help us better understand the mechanisms of our universe.”

The timekeeping technologies unlocked by these teams, could enable new discoveries in our solar system and beyond.

By Matthew Kaufman, with additional contributions from Avery Truman NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

[catgirl-greatsword]

@deep-space-atomic-clock panic tyrfing (?)

beautiful radiant gf is beckoning you over, she wants you to come see! come see! cmonn, just a little closer... she is holding out her arms to give you a great big hug! so so compelling.. you can feel her warmth emana— ANGLERFISH GIRL, GNASHING TEETH, ANGLERFISH GIRL, SHE'S UPON YOU IN AN INSTANT; ATTACKING, RIPPING INTO YOUR SUPPLE THROAT

[teamkoyanews]

# The Two Main Categories of Physical Quantities: Fundamental and Derived

When it comes to understanding the vast world of physics, one of the core concepts involves recognizing the two main categories of physical quantities: fundamental quantities and derived quantities. This categorization is essential for making sense of the physical universe and serves as a foundation for both theoretical and applied sciences. In this blog post, we'll delve deep into what these categories mean, why they matter, and how they are used in everyday science and technology.

## What Are Physical Quantities?

Physical quantities are properties or characteristics of a system that can be measured and quantified. These quantities form the basis of all scientific experiments and calculations. In physics, every phenomenon, from the motion of celestial bodies to the vibrations of an atom, can be described in terms of physical quantities. But how do scientists categorize these quantities to make sense of them? That’s where the distinction between fundamental and derived quantities comes into play.

## Fundamental Quantities: The Building Blocks of Physics

Fundamental quantities, also known as base quantities, are the simplest forms of physical measurements. These quantities are independent, meaning they cannot be broken down into simpler components. They represent the foundational elements upon which all other measurements are built.

### The Seven Fundamental Quantities in the SI System

In the International System of Units (SI), there are seven fundamental quantities. Each of these has a corresponding unit of measurement, which serves as the standard reference across the scientific community:

1. **Length (meter, m)**

Length measures the distance between two points in space. Whether you're measuring the width of a room or the distance between planets, the meter serves as the standard unit.

2. **Mass (kilogram, kg)**

Mass represents the amount of matter in an object. From a tiny particle to a giant star, the kilogram is used to measure mass.

3. **Time (second, s)**

Time is a fundamental quantity that measures the interval between two events. The second is the universal unit for tracking everything from the tick of a clock to the expansion of the universe.

4. **Electric Current (ampere, A)**

Electric current measures the flow of electric charge. The ampere is the unit used in everything from powering your smartphone to generating electricity for entire cities.

5. **Temperature (kelvin, K)**

Temperature measures the thermal energy of a system. The kelvin is the SI unit that allows scientists to measure temperature, whether it's the heat of the sun or the coldness of deep space.

6. **Amount of Substance (mole, mol)**

The mole quantifies the amount of a substance, specifically counting atoms or molecules. It’s a critical unit in chemistry and other molecular sciences.

7. **Luminous Intensity (candela, cd)**

Luminous intensity measures the brightness of a light source. The candela is used to quantify how bright a light appears to the human eye.

### Why Fundamental Quantities Matter

These seven fundamental quantities are the building blocks of all physical measurements. They provide a standard framework that allows scientists and engineers to communicate, compare, and build upon each other’s work. Without these universal standards, the field of physics would lack consistency and precision.

## Derived Quantities: Constructed from Fundamentals

While fundamental quantities serve as the foundation, derived quantities are constructed from these base measurements. Derived quantities are physical quantities that can be expressed as a combination of fundamental quantities. They are formed through mathematical operations like multiplication or division.

### Examples of Derived Quantities

Derived quantities are more complex than fundamental quantities, but they are equally essential. Some common examples include:

- **Velocity (meters per second, m/s)**

Velocity measures how fast something moves in a particular direction. It’s derived by dividing distance (a fundamental quantity of length) by time (another fundamental quantity).

- **Force (newton, N)**

Force is derived from mass and acceleration. Using the equation \( F = ma \), force is measured in newtons, where 1 newton is equal to 1 kilogram meter per second squared (kg·m/s²).

- **Acceleration (meters per second squared, m/s²)**

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time. It’s calculated by dividing the change in velocity by the time taken for that change to occur.

- **Energy (joule, J)**

Energy is a measure of the ability to do work. It’s derived from force and distance and is measured in joules, where 1 joule equals 1 newton meter (N·m).

- **Pressure (pascal, Pa)**

Pressure measures force per unit area. It is derived by dividing force (in newtons) by area (in square meters), giving a unit of pascals (Pa), where 1 pascal equals 1 newton per square meter (N/m²).

### The Importance of Derived Quantities

Derived quantities allow us to describe and understand the more complex phenomena of the physical world. They provide a way to calculate and predict outcomes based on fundamental measurements. Without derived quantities, the laws of physics would remain incomplete, as we wouldn't have the means to express relationships between different physical properties.

## The Interconnectedness of Fundamental and Derived Quantities

Fundamental and derived quantities are deeply interconnected. Fundamental quantities are like the basic ingredients in a recipe, while derived quantities are the complex dishes that result from combining those ingredients. For example, when we combine length and time, we get speed (a derived quantity). When we combine mass and acceleration, we get force.

This interconnection is critical for building the frameworks that underpin modern science and technology. Whether it’s designing a new piece of technology, exploring space, or understanding the fundamental forces of nature, both fundamental and derived quantities play a key role in the process.

## Why Understanding Physical Quantities is Crucial for Science and Engineering

Understanding the distinction between fundamental and derived quantities is crucial for anyone involved in science, engineering, or technology. This knowledge allows for precision in measurement, consistency in experimentation, and clarity in communication. It also forms the foundation of many other disciplines, including chemistry, biology, and even economics.

In fields like engineering, where precision and accuracy are paramount, the ability to correctly identify and work with both fundamental and derived quantities can mean the difference between success and failure. From designing safe bridges and buildings to creating efficient engines and circuits, a strong grasp of these concepts is essential.

## Conclusion: The Power of Measurement

Physical quantities, divided into fundamental and derived categories, form the backbone of our understanding of the universe. The seven fundamental quantities provide a foundation of standardized measurements, while derived quantities allow us to explore more complex phenomena. Together, they empower scientists, engineers, and technologists to innovate, explore, and build in ways that continually expand our understanding of the world.

Understanding and correctly applying these concepts is not just a matter of academic interest; it's a practical necessity in many aspects of modern life. Whether you're a student learning physics for the first time or an engineer working on cutting-edge technology, a deep comprehension of fundamental and derived quantities will always be at the heart of your work.

Click here for more details

[violetlilly23]

Tag question game I guess. @deep-space-atomic-clock tagged me I guess? methinks this will be interesting . . .

were you named after anyone?

Yes, several

when was the last time you cried?

I dunno it's been years. unless you count if my *body* cries, in which case my eyes sometimes get misty from eyestrain and also I can't speak for the others

Do you have kids?

I have my OCs, which is kind of like having kids I assume

what sports do you/have you played?

*red vs blue voice* I ran track in high school

Do you use sarcasm?

Yeah but it's only like the really autistic kind of sarcasm because that is by far the best type of sarcasm

First thing you notice about people?

if their clothing/outfit is cool

Scary movies or happy endings?

I specifically only like happy endings for the characters I like. Sometimes I get upset when the villain/anti-hero/rival is more relatable than the hero and they lose/have a change of heart that makes them less relatable.

Any talents?

making good builds in ttrpgs/video games

Where were you born

what are you, the government?

what are your hobbies?

oh there are so many

Do you have any pets?

cats yeah

How tall are you?

5 ft 2 on land, 9 ft under water

Favorite subject in school?

whichever had the wackyest off topic discussion or exciting moment.

Dream Job?

Fucked up girl who you can trade for legendary items with, legendary item crafter

ok so like apparently I'm supposed to tag people on this? I dunno who to tag. uhhh @violetlilly23 @bowiecoded @strangehauntsuk @cyberpunkgame

[jcmarchi]

Lightning, camera, gamma ray! - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/lightning-camera-gamma-ray-technology-org/

Lightning, camera, gamma ray! - Technology Org

In September 2021, an unprecedented thunderstorm blew across Utah’s West Desert. Lightning from this storm produced at least six gamma-ray flashes that beamed downward to Earth’s surface and activated detectors at the University of Utah-led Telescope Array. The storm was noteworthy on its own—the array usually clocks one or two of the lightning-triggered gamma rays per year—but recent upgrades led to a new observation by the Telescope Array scientists and their lightning collaborators.

Lightning captured with the highspeed camera at 40,000 frames per second. Image credit: Rasha Abbasi

For the first time ever, they captured video footage of lightning-triggered downward terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs). A special camera running at 40,000 frames per second gave an unprecedented look at how gamma rays burst downwards to the Earth’s surface from cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. They found that not only were multiple gamma rays produced at later lightning stages than previously thought, but the rays were also associated with a pulse of optical light that had never been recorded.

“This is an important step in lightning research that could lead us to the physics producing these downward gamma rays,” said lead author Dr. Rasha Abbasi, now an assistant professor of physics at Loyola University Chicago. Abbasi began the research on TGFs as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Utah.

The study published in Geophysical Review Letters.

Telescope Array Collaborative leads the field

Gamma rays are no joke. The highest-energy light waves on the electromagnetic spectrum can knock electrons off atoms and cause serious harm to human cells. Until BATSE satellite detected the first terrestrial gamma ray flash in 1994, scientists thought only galactic events like exploding stars could produce gamma rays. Over time, physicists determined that TGFs were produced in the initial milliseconds of upward intracloud lightning, which beamed the rays into space. Since discovering upward TGFs, researchers have sought to understand the rarer phenomenon of downward TGFs, when cloud-to-ground lightning produces gamma rays that beam to the Earth’s surface.

Ground-based observations are ideal for studying downward TGFs because they’re just a few kilometers from the lightning storms themselves.

“The ability of the Telescope Array Surface Detector to detect downward TGFs is a great example of serendipity in science,” said John Belz, professor of physics and astronomy at the U and co-author of the study. “The TASD was designed to do astroparticle physics, by studying the particle showers produced by energetic atomic nuclei from deep space. Purely by happenchance, the astroparticle showers share many properties—including energy, duration, and size—with the gamma ray showers known as downward TGFs. So in a sense, we are able to operate two groundbreaking science facilities for the price of one.”

Telescope Array collaborators from the University of Utah, Loyola University Chicago, the Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research at New Mexico Tech and the National Institute for Space Research-Brazil (INPE), have installed a suite of lighting instrumentation to the existing Telescope Array, a ground-based grid of surface detectors primarily designed to observe ultra-high energy cosmic rays.

The stages of lighting that triggered terrestrial gamma rays. Image credit: Abbasi et al., 2023.

The array covers an area the size of New York City and is the largest of its kind in the northern hemisphere. The groups have added a lightning mapping array, a broadband very high-speed interferometer, a fast antenna that measures the electric field change over the lightning flash, and most recently, multiple high-speed video cameras. 

“In one second, your eye sees a lightning flash—that’s it. These instruments measure the change in the electric field over the whole lightning flash that happens in the blink of an eye,” said Abbasi. “We’re interested in the science of the gamma ray initiation. What stage of the lightning produces the gamma ray? Why do gamma rays happen in correlation with some lightning flashes, but they don’t in others?” 

The efforts have paid off. The study analyzed one of these TGF events. They identified that the cloud-to-ground flash with the observed TGF was formed by lightning’s fast downward leader, followed by an intense return stroke. The TGF occurred while the downward leader was already branching well below the cloud base, even halfway in its propagation to the ground.

“This new finding is a consequence of collaborations between astroparticle physicists and lightning scientists,“ said Marcelo Saba, co-author at the INPE. “It is exciting to merge efforts together.”

What’s next?

Telescope Array’s massive footprint is large enough to detect particle showers as they rain down across a wide area of Earth’s surface. Its 500-plus surface detector stations cover 700 km2 (~270 miles2) outside of Delta, Utah, in the southwestern part of the state. It’s in the process of expanding to four times its original size. The researchers expect that the expansion, in addition to recently installed lightning sensors, will unlock new discoveries.

“For example, do downward-TGFs and upward-TGFs represent different manifestations of the same phenomenon and share a common origin? Is it possible to achieve simultaneous detection of upward and downward TGFs? Under what meteorological conditions do thunderstorms produce TGFs? What are the underlying physical mechanisms connecting multiple lightning stages to TGF initiation?” asked Abbasi. “We hope to detect more events to address these questions still left unanswered.”

Source: University of Utah

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

[unfoldingmoments]

How to Read and Why

We read not only because we cannot know enough people, but because friendship is so vulnerable, so likely to diminish or disappear, overcome by space, time, imperfect sympathies, and all the sorrows of familial and passional life. You can read merely to pass the time, or you can read with an overt urgency, but eventually you'll read against the clock. Bible readers, those who search the Bible for themselves, perhaps exemplify the urgency more plainly than readers of Shakespeare, yet the quest is the same. One of the uses of reading is to prepare ourselves for change, and the final change alas is universal. Read not ro contradict and confute, nor ro believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. - Sir Francis Bacon The pleasures of reading indeed are selfish rather than social. You cannot directly improve anyone else's life by reading better or more deeply. I remain skeptical of the traditional social hope that care for others may be stimulated by the growth of individual imagination, and I am wary of any arguments whatsoever that connect the pleasures of solitary reading to the public good. Interview: Unless you read deeply and in your own interest, Unless you explore what is the most profound in what has come before you then you will never get down to the recesses of your own self.

You never learned what Ralph Waldo Emerson rightly called self trust and self-reliance and most deeply you never will heal the self.

I think that in a culture which has all of the peculiar difficulties and complexities of the one currently developing around us, there is nothing more profoundly healing in the act of solitary reading provided that what is being read indeed permanent, deep, lasting work.

Work that calls for all of your faculties in response work that calls you out of your own deep as it were work that transform you that is to say Shakespeare, Dante, Dickens, Jane Austen. We knew who these authors are, we neglect them I think at our own potential debasement. --- Even some of the best, simply have not read enough. Reading is in the end even though one doesn't want to discourage reading groups which do good works. But reading is in the end of solitary activity. You're not really learning I believe how to speak to other people when you are deeply engaged in reading Shakespeare/ Dante/ Cervantes. You're fundamentally learning how to speak to yourself, you're learning how to listen to yourself, you're learning the discipline of yourself. You are indeed in the act of discovering yourself. Some kind of preparation needs to be made before you have a young individual with the incredible, the endless range of the Internet coming at them all at once. I mean they can't just as it were surf endlessly, None of us live forever. There's only so much time in the end to read. Our time is limited we read against the clock, we read ultimately in the shadow of mortality and I think it does matter immensely what you read and how you read it. I have moved by idealism and have some residual idealism in myself but I think there are enermous obstacle now I think that the tyranny of the visual is a frightening thing. The next idea is to defend the idea of individual genius itself and of potential genius. I think it's absurdly pushed aside. The public to some degree does the universities have long since abandoned it and explained it away on the basis of one historical factor or another. Ie. Saying that Shakespeare is the product of certain historical forces as it were this is not a very good explanation. Because then one wants to know why Thomas Middleton or some other contemporary of Shakespeare John Fletcher or Fisher the same kind of force was not equally historically benefited. To possess something by memory to really read a poem hundreds of time because it can sustain hundreds of readings to read a poem like the great anonymous poem the greatest anonymous poem in the language atomic bedlam song or which I mean to hold in your heart and your memory. ---

POEM:

A Shropshire Lad, XL A. E. Housman 1859 – 1936

Into my heart an air that kills From yon far country blows: What are those blue remembered hills, What spires, what farms are those? That is the land of lost content, I see it shining plain, The happy highways where I went And cannot come again.

-- Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Ulysses, published in 1842, has been called the first true dramatic monologue. After Ulysses, Tennyson's most famous efforts in this vein are Tithonus, The Lotos-Eaters, and St. Simon Stylites, all from the 1842 Poems; later monologues appear in other volumes, notably Idylls of the King.

It little profits that an idle king, By this still hearth, among these barren crags, Match’d with an aged wife, I mete and dole Unequal laws unto a savage race, That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.

I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy’d Greatly, have suffer’d greatly, both with those That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when Thro’ scudding drifts the rainy Hyades Vext the dim sea: I am become a name; For always roaming with a hungry heart Much have I seen and known; cities of men And manners, climates, councils, governments, Myself not least, but honour’d of them all; And drunk delight of battle with my peers, Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy. I am a part of all that I have met; Yet all experience is an arch wherethro’ Gleams that untravell’d world whose margin fades For ever and forever when I move. How dull it is to pause, to make an end, To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use! As tho’ to breathe were life! Life piled on life Were all too little, and of one to me Little remains: but every hour is saved From that eternal silence, something more, A bringer of new things; and vile it were For some three suns to store and hoard myself, And this gray spirit yearning in desire To follow knowledge like a sinking star, Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

   This is my son, mine own Telemachus, To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,— Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil This labour, by slow prudence to make mild A rugged people, and thro’ soft degrees Subdue them to the useful and the good. Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere Of common duties, decent not to fail In offices of tenderness, and pay Meet adoration to my household gods, When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.

There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail: There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners, Souls that have toil’d, and wrought, and thought with me— That ever with a frolic welcome took The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old; Old age hath yet his honour and his toil; Death closes all: but something ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done, Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods. The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks: The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends, ’Tis not too late to seek a newer world. Push off, and sitting well in order smite The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths Of all the western stars, until I die. It may be that the gulfs will wash us down: It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles, And see the great Achilles, whom we knew. Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’ We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

- Harold Bloom, "How to read and why" Youtube Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVWiwd0P0c0

[digitalkruti23]

Quartz Stone - The Timeless Elegance and Unearthly Origins

Quartz stone, a mineral of unparalleled beauty and fascinating origins, has captivated humanity for centuries. Its allure is deeply rooted in both its stunning aesthetic qualities and the remarkable geological processes responsible for its creation. In this article, we explore the wonders of quartz stone, its historical significance, and how it continues to enchant us in modern times.

1. Geological Genesis of Quartz Stone

Quartz stone's journey begins deep within the Earth's crust, where silicon and oxygen atoms combine to form the exquisite crystal that we admire. The natural formation of quartz is a lengthy process, involving immense heat and pressure, often found in the heart of igneous and metamorphic rocks. This incredible journey from minerals to masterpieces takes millions of years, creating the unique properties that define quartz stone.

2. Historical Significance of Quartz Stone

Throughout history, quartz stone has held a special place in various cultures and civilizations:

Ancient Civilizations and Quartz: In ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, quartz was believed to have mystical properties and was often used in talismans, jewelry, and religious artifacts.

Medieval Alchemy and the Quest for Quartz: During the Middle Ages, quartz was a central element in alchemical pursuits, associated with the philosopher's stone—a mythical substance believed to possess the power to turn base metals into gold.

Native American Beliefs and Quartz: Indigenous cultures in North America also revered quartz for its spiritual significance, incorporating it into their customs and traditions.

3. Aesthetic Versatility of Quartz Stone

Quartz stone is celebrated for its aesthetic versatility, a trait that has allowed it to adapt to the ever-evolving demands of design and architecture:

Quartz Countertops: Engineered quartz surfaces are prized in modern kitchens and bathrooms, elevating interior spaces with their durability and a wide range of colors and patterns.

Quartz in Art and Sculpture: Quartz's malleability has made it a favorite medium for artists and sculptors, who carve intricate designs and sculptures from this exceptional mineral.

Quartz in Horology: The use of quartz in timekeeping has become iconic, with quartz crystal oscillators driving the precision of countless watches and clocks worldwide.

4. Healing and Metaphysical Properties of Quartz Stone

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, quartz stone has long been associated with healing and metaphysical properties:

Crystal Healing with Quartz: Many believe that quartz crystals possess healing energies and are used in alternative healing practices to promote physical and emotional well-being.

Meditation and Spirituality with Quartz: Quartz is used in meditation to enhance spiritual awareness and connection, with clear quartz being particularly valued for this purpose.

5. Modern Sustainability and Quartz Stone

In today's world, the extraction and use of quartz stone are subject to increased scrutiny regarding sustainability and environmental responsibility. Efforts are underway to ensure responsible mining and reduce the ecological footprint of quartz stone production.

Conclusion

Quartz stone, with its timeless elegance, storied history, and contemporary versatility, is more than just a mineral—it's a symbol of enduring beauty and the endless wonders of our planet. Whether appreciated for its mesmerizing appearance or its purported metaphysical properties, quartz stone remains a source of inspiration and fascination for individuals across the globe. As we continue to explore the depths of its beauty, we must also uphold a commitment to sustainable practices to ensure that this remarkable mineral, quartz stone, continues to enchant generations to come.

[laocommunity]

Revolutionary Discovery: Scientists Use Radioactive Decay to Fine-Tune Nuclear Clocks

Revolutionary Discovery: Scientists Use Radioactive Decay to Fine-Tune Nuclear Clocks # Revolutionary Discovery: Scientists Use Radioactive Decay to Fine-Tune Nuclear Clocks # **Introduction** For many centuries, humans have been obsessed with time. Timekeeping methods have evolved from the earliest sundials to the sophisticated atomic clocks of today. One of the most accurate timekeeping devices ever invented is the nuclear clock, which uses the oscillation of atoms to keep time accurate to within a fraction of a second per year. Recently, a team of scientists has made a revolutionary discovery by using radioactive decay to fine-tune nuclear clocks, making them even more precise. # How Do Nuclear Clocks Work? # Nuclear clocks work by measuring the oscillation of atoms within a vacuum chamber. These oscillations are incredibly regular and predictable, thanks to the laws of quantum mechanics. By measuring the frequency of these oscillations, researchers can determine the precise time to within a fraction of a second. The most common type of atom used in nuclear clocks is cesium, which has been the standard since the 1960s. # What is Radioactive Decay? # Radioactive decay is the process by which unstable atoms release energy in the form of radiation. This process occurs naturally in some elements, such as uranium and plutonium. When an unstable atom decays, it releases particles such as alpha and beta particles, as well as gamma rays. These particles and rays can be measured to determine the rate of decay. # The Revolutionary Discovery # The research team, led by Professor Ekkehard Peik of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Germany, discovered that they could use the rate of radioactive decay to fine-tune nuclear clocks. By measuring the decay rate of thorium atoms alongside the oscillations of a cesium atom, the research team was able to improve the precision of the nuclear clock by a factor of ten. # How Does This Discovery Improve Nuclear Clocks? # The oscillation of cesium atoms is incredibly precise and predictable, but it can still be affected by external factors such as temperature and magnetic fields. By measuring the decay rate of thorium atoms, which is not affected by these external factors, the researchers were able to compensate for any changes to the cesium atom's oscillation and make extremely precise adjustments to the clock's frequency. # What Are the Possible Applications of This Discovery? # The improved accuracy of nuclear clocks could have many practical applications. One major area is in navigation, where precise timekeeping is essential for accurate location tracking. By improving the accuracy of atomic clocks, submarines and aircraft could navigate more accurately and with less risk of error. Other potential uses include in satellite navigation, deep space exploration, and even in the study of cosmology and the origins of the universe. # Conclusion # The revolutionary discovery that scientists can use radioactive decay to fine-tune nuclear clocks is a major breakthrough in timekeeping technology. By improving the accuracy of these clocks, researchers are opening up new possibilities in a range of fields, from navigation to space exploration. This discovery is a testament to the ingenuity of scientists and the power of human curiosity to push the limits of what is possible. # FAQs # **Q1. What are the benefits of using nuclear clocks instead of other timekeeping methods?** A1. Nuclear clocks are incredibly accurate and can keep time with a precision that other clocks cannot match. This accuracy makes them essential for navigation, space exploration, and other applications where precise timekeeping is critical. **Q2. How does radioactive decay work?** A2. Radioactive decay is the process by which unstable atoms release energy in the form of radiation. This process can be measured to determine the rate of decay. **Q3. How does measuring the decay rate of thorium atoms help to fine-tune nuclear clocks?** A3. By measuring the decay rate of thorium atoms, researchers can compensate for any changes to the oscillation of the cesium atom, improving the accuracy of the nuclear clock. **Q4. What other applications could benefit from more accurate timekeeping?** A4. Fields such as finance, telecommunications, and scientific research could all benefit from more accurate timekeeping. **Q5. What challenges did the research team face when making this discovery?** A5. The research team had to develop new techniques to measure the decay rate of thorium atoms with extreme precision, which required a significant amount of innovation and ingenuity. **Q6. Could this discovery lead to even more accurate timekeeping in the future?** A6. Yes, this discovery could lead to even more accurate timekeeping in the future, as researchers continue to explore the possibilities of using radioactive decay to fine-tune atomic clocks. # Related Hashtags: #nuclearclock #radioactivedecay #timekeeping #innovation #precision #TECH Read the full article

[sysceles]

@deep-space-atomic-clock

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