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CBC
8 hours ago
- CBC
Manitoba researchers part of team working to unravel mystery of largest black hole merger ever detected
A group of Manitoba researchers were involved behind the scenes of an international effort that this week revealed how two massive black holes careened into one — happily, billions of light years from Earth. University of Manitoba astrophysicist Samar Safi-Harb, the Canada Research Chair in Extreme Astrophysics, and her team are collaborators on the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA program, which on Monday published evidence of what Safi-Harb says is "the most massive binary black hole detected to date." Another surprise from the detection, originally made in November 2023, was the breakneck speed at which each black hole was spinning at the time they crashed together — "close to the maximum possible [speed] allowed by theory," said Safi-Harb, who is also a professor of physics and astronomy at the Winnipeg-based U of M. "So not just they are massive, they're spinning like crazy — 400,000 times the Earth's rotation speed." Her team wasn't directly involved in this detection, but they're part of the community of thousands of researchers globally involved in LIGO — the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, which operates detectors in Washington state and Louisiana. The team includes U of M postdoctoral fellow Nathan Steinle, who specializes in gravitational wave astrophysics and modelling the collision of black holes, while postdoc Labani Mallick works on electromagnetic observations of black holes. Safi-Harb's PhD student, Neil Doerksen, is focused on improving the sensitivity of detectors used in gravitational wave detection technology, and PhD student Lucas da Conceição works on detection of neutron star gravitational waves. Studying wild extremes All five research wild extremes — extreme temperatures, extreme gravity, extreme magnetic fields exhibited by astrophysical systems. Those just happen to be associated with the deaths of stars — which Safi-Harb is fascinated by because of what they can tell us about where everything comes from. Stellar explosions lead to the creation of some of the heaviest elements in the universe: the calcium in your bones. That gold engagement ring your grandmother left you. The platinum in the catalytic converter stolen from your buddy's sedan. It all came from a beautiful kaboom in the vacuum of space. The more commonly understood way black holes are born is the collapse when a massive star reaches the end of its life. Its stellar corpse morphs into this mysterious, incredibly dense pack of matter, with gravity so intense not even light can escape. That basically makes black holes invisible to conventional light-based telescopes, which is why traditional studies have homed in on the indirect effects black holes have on their surroundings. X-ray telescopes allow scientists to, for example, infer the presence of a black hole by studying the gravitational effects they exert on nearby stars, or by finding materials like gas and dust that forms in disks around black holes. But when it comes to hunting for black hole collisions, different tools are needed. LIGO is designed to look for gravitational wave signatures first predicted to exist by Albert Einstein over a century ago. Einstein's general theory of relativity postulated that these waves rippling through space-time are produced by the motion of accelerating objects. Big, big ones. "If you throw a rock or a stone into a lake, you observe those ripples," said Safi-Harb. "When you have a black hole, it is so dense that it causes these ripples in space-time." If two black holes orbit one another and get closer and closer, they accelerate, "and that leads to really strong gravitational waves," she said. Einstein's prediction remained rooted in the theoretical realm until a decade ago, when scientists managed to observe gravitational waves for the first time through LIGO. Scientists now know of 300 black hole collisions, said Safi-Harb. The latest, dubbed GW231123, is the most massive yet. Scientists detect gravitational waves for 1st time 9 years ago Einstein theory proven more than 100 years later The original pair of black holes had masses 100 and 140 times greater than our sun, and the end product of the merge is in the range of 225 solar masses. That sounds massive, and it is, but on the spectrum of black holes it may fall somewhere in the middle. There are three classes of black holes, including those in our cosmic backyard, known as stellar mass black holes. They can be in the order of 10 to 60 times the mass of our sun. Then there are the supermassive black holes. They reside at the centres of galaxies and can be millions to billions of times more massive than our sun. Some even have names — the dark heart of our Milky Way galaxy is known as Sagittarius A. And evidence has emerged in recent years of the third class — intermediate mass black holes — that may fall between hundreds to thousands of solar masses, like GW231123 and the parent black holes that made it. The fact the parents, and GW231123, all fall into the in-between-zone is exciting — but also a bit of a head-scratcher. "These masses are believed to be 'forbidden,' or not expected to happen, because standard stellar evolution does not predict such black hole formation," said Safi-Harb. It may be that each of those parent black holes were born from mergers of even smaller black holes, said Safi-Harb. "What this discovery is teaching us is that we know that some smaller black holes can make bigger black holes, and maybe bigger black holes collide to make even bigger black holes, and if these are in dense environments, they can make things like our galaxy," she said.
CTV News
10 hours ago
- CTV News
Canada will feel the impact ‘severely' if NASA cuts funding: expert
York University's Paul Delaney breaks down how $6-billion in cuts to NASA's funding may pave the way for China to dominate the space race. As NASA faces the threat of US$6 billion in cuts under U.S. President Donald Trump's budget request, one astronomy expert says Canada will certainly feel the impact if the drastic financial reductions go through. Paul Delaney, former director of the Allan I. Carswell Astronomical Observatory, told CTV Your Morning on Thursday the budget cuts will severely impact every single program in NASA, making it the largest financial assault on the space agency in history. In turn, it could position other countries, namely China, to take the lead in space exploration. China is swiftly pushing forward in space exploration, with plans to put humans on the moon by early 2030. 'There is little doubt that…(NASA) will take second place,' Delaney said. He also expects that the financial threat to the space agency will lead to more privatization in the sector. Delaney said the cuts to NASA's budget will directly impact not just the Canadian Space Agency, but all researchers that are involved in space science. One item that Delaney says may be on the chopping block is the latest version of the Canada Arm, or Canadarm3, which is the country's contribution to the U.S.-led Gateway project, a space station in lunar orbit. 'The impact on Canada, in terms of both hardware generation, as well as research, could be extremely significant, forcing us of course to go elsewhere to lend our expertise,' he said. Delaney adds that the fall out from the budget cuts will run deeper than putting 'boots on Mars'. 'Your cellphone technology has been powered in very large measure by the types of activities we've developed going into space,' he said. 'The spin-offs are almost incalculable.' CNN reported on Thursday that more than 2,000 agency employees are set to voluntarily leave NASA in the coming months under the Trump administration's 'deferred resignation' program, introduced by former Trump ally Elon Musk, who is CEO of NASA's largest contractor, SpaceX.
CBC
11 hours ago
- CBC
Dutch elm disease detected in north Edmonton as city battles deadly tree fungus
Social Sharing A devastating and highly contagious tree fungus has been detected in north Edmonton, the latest case of a deadly disease that puts Edmonton's vast canopy of urban elms under threat. In a statement this week, city officials confirmed that a new case of Dutch elm disease has been detected in Edmonton. The infected tree in the north Edmonton neighbourhood of Alberta Avenue, as well as any elms within a 20-metre radius, will be removed as part of ongoing efforts to contain the spread. The infected tree was recently spotted by city crews along the boulevard. A positive result was received from a provincial lab on Wednesday, marking the sixth confirmed case of the disease since it was first detected in Edmonton last August. The contagious fungal infection — spread by elm bark beetles and spores from infected wood — pose a major risk to other elm in the vicinity, the city said. Extensive additional testing in the area is underway. City officials have been monitoring the infection in partnership with federal officials since it was first detected in the city last summer with case numbers expected to rise. According to a statement Friday, a total of 369 elms have been removed in the city to date as part of ongoing containment efforts. The total includes two destroyed so far in Alberta Avenue. "This additional confirmed case does not change our approach as we continue assessments, removals and testing in co-ordination with the province and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency," said Mark Beare, Edmonton's director of infrastructure operations, in a statement. "While any positive test is disappointing, we remain confident that this collaborative approach is helping to limit the spread of the disease." Urban forests under threat Dutch elm disease poses a threat to all species of elm in Alberta. The fungus, caused by microfungi that infiltrate a tree and clogs its water-conducting systems, has killed millions of elms in North America over the past century and has begun to proliferate across Prairie cities. In Edmonton, the potential losses are particularly acute. The capital region is home to more than 90,000 city-owned elms, accounting for more than 22 per cent of Edmonton's urban forest canopy. The city has been bracing for years for the potential arrival of the destructive fungus as it crept west across the country, devastating urban forest canopies. An action plan, now being implemented to limit the damage, was first developed in 2020. In an effort to slow the spread, crews have been conducting routine inspections along Edmonton's tree-lined streets and boulevards, watching for signs of infection. More than 55,000 trees citywide have been assessed for signs of infection. Any elms that appear sickly – with telltale wilting yellow leaves – are tested, and trees believed to be infected are immediately destroyed. An ongoing program to remove deadwood in elms is also necessary to reduce the habitat of the beetles, which may spread the fungus, the city said. "City arborists, urban foresters and the pest management team remain vigilant as we continue implementing the established Dutch elm disease management plan, including intensified surveillance of elm trees," Beare said. The infection has to date been detected in northeast Edmonton in the Killarney and Yellowhead Corridor East neighbourhoods. Enhanced monitoring and assessments of trees within a one-kilometre radius of the infected trees remain in place, the city said. Edmontonians are encouraged to report any signs of infestation to 311. Infected trees may have dead branches or browning leaves. Their trunks may have holes or sawdust on the bark from burrowing beetles. The city is also reminding Edmontonians not to bring firewood from elsewhere, to properly prune elms during the colder seasons and properly dispose of any deadwood or clippings at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre.
