Latest news with #OSIRIS
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Physicists prove long-held theory light can be made from nothingness of vacuum
Scientists have demonstrated after decades of theorising how light interacts with vacuum, recreating a bizarre phenomenon predicted by quantum physics. Oxford University physicists ran simulations to test how intense laser beams alter vacuum, a state once thought to be empty but predicted by quantum physics to be full of fleeting, temporary particle pairs. Classical physics predicts that light beams pass through each other undisturbed. But quantum mechanics holds that even what we know as vacuum is always brimming with fleeting particles, which pop in and out of existence, causing light to be scattered. The latest simulations, detailed in a study published in Communications Physics, recreated a strange phenomenon predicted by quantum physics. The theory predicts that the combined effect of three focused laser pulses can alter virtual particles in vacuum, generating a fourth laser beam in a 'light from darkness' process. 'This is not just an academic curiosity,' study co-author Peter Norreys said. 'It is a major step towards experimental confirmation of quantum effects that until now have been mostly theoretical.' Physicists used a simulation software package called OSIRIS to model interactions between laser beams and matter, giving them a peek into vacuum-light interactions that were previously out of reach. The simulations revealed that intense laser beams could agitate virtual particles and cause light particles to scatter off one another like billiard balls. They also showed how real-world factors such as imperfect beam alignment could influence the result. 'By applying our model to a three-beam scattering experiment, we were able to capture the full range of quantum signatures, along with detailed insights into the interaction region and key time scales,' said Zixin Zhang, another author of the new study. Physicists now hope to conduct real-world laser experiments to confirm the bizarre quantum phenomenon. The simulation experiment could also pave the way for more in-depth study of a range of theorised quantum effects in vacuum in other laser setups. They believe the latest simulation experiment can act as a basic framework to search for hypothetical particles such as axions and millicharged particles, which are potential candidates for dark matter.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Physicists prove long-held theory light can be made from nothingness of vacuum
Scientists have demonstrated after decades of theorising how light interacts with vacuum, recreating a bizarre phenomenon predicted by quantum physics. Oxford University physicists ran simulations to test how intense laser beams alter vacuum, a state once thought to be empty but predicted by quantum physics to be full of fleeting, temporary particle pairs. Classical physics predicts that light beams pass through each other undisturbed. But quantum mechanics holds that even what we know as vacuum is always brimming with fleeting particles, which pop in and out of existence, causing light to be scattered. The latest simulations, detailed in a study published in Communications Physics, recreated a strange phenomenon predicted by quantum physics. The theory predicts that the combined effect of three focused laser pulses can alter virtual particles in vacuum, generating a fourth laser beam in a 'light from darkness' process. 'This is not just an academic curiosity,' study co-author Peter Norreys said. 'It is a major step towards experimental confirmation of quantum effects that until now have been mostly theoretical.' Physicists used a simulation software package called OSIRIS to model interactions between laser beams and matter, giving them a peek into vacuum-light interactions that were previously out of reach. The simulations revealed that intense laser beams could agitate virtual particles and cause light particles to scatter off one another like billiard balls. They also showed how real-world factors such as imperfect beam alignment could influence the result. 'By applying our model to a three-beam scattering experiment, we were able to capture the full range of quantum signatures, along with detailed insights into the interaction region and key time scales,' said Zixin Zhang, another author of the new study. Physicists now hope to conduct real-world laser experiments to confirm the bizarre quantum phenomenon. The simulation experiment could also pave the way for more in-depth study of a range of theorised quantum effects in vacuum in other laser setups.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
An Asteroid Will Fly By Earth in 4 Years
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The asteroid 99942 Apophis is headed for a close flyby with Earth on April 13, 2029, and space agencies are coordinating efforts to study the object during this the once-in-a-lifetime experience. NASA's extended asteroid mission, now called OSIRIS-APEX, will reach the asteroid after its flyby. ESA's complementary RAMSES mission will study the asteroid with a different suite of instruments before and during Apophis' approach. Earlier this month, JAXA also detailed efforts for its DESTINY+ mission to possibly swing by Apophis on its way to 3200 Phaethon (another asteroid). Science is a collaborative process, and for evidence of this fact, look no further than 99942, the doomsday-asteroid-turned-scientific-opportunity, Apophis. Named for the Egyptian serpent god, Apophis will make a rendezvous with Earth on April 13, 2029. It will pass even closer to Earth than some geosynchronous satellites, and space agencies around the world are gearing up to visit the object as it passes by. NASA's mission, in a way, is already in progress. The agency's OSIRIS-REx mission—having successfully visited the asteroid Bennu in 2020 and returning a sample three years later—has now evolved into OSIRIS-APEX (Apophis Explorer) as it gears up for a visit with Apophis in June of 2029. Simultaneously, the European Space Agency's Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (RAMSES…nice acronym work there) will complement NASA's mission. Set for launch in April of 2028, RAMSES will contain a suite of distinct scientific tools—including a low-frequency radar, gravimeter, and lander—and will actually arrive at Apophis before and during its buzz by Earth. OSIRIS-APEX, on the other hand, will be one hour behind Apophis on April 13th. It will officially reach its target in June, and will study the asteroid for 18 months. ESA and NASA aren't the only ones interested in this flyby event. As New Scientist reports, the Japanese space agency JAXA is planning its Demonstration of Space Technology for Interplanetary Voyage with Phaethon Flyby Dust Science (DESTINY+...this acronym is more tortured) also has plans for Apophis. As its name suggests, DESTINY+'s primary mission is the 3200 Phaethon, but on the spacecraft's journey toward this asteroid, it'll make a flyby of Apophis in 2029 as well. This trio of space missions arrives as space agencies have gotten serious about investigating planetary defense strategies—just in case one of the thousands of near-Earth objects comes within a threatening range. NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) was a major success on this front, altering the path of Dimorphos, which is a minor planet-moon of the asteroid Didymos. This work was further complimented by OSIRIS-REx, which gave scientists an unprecedented glimpse of an asteroid's composition. Interestingly, the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) is also developing methods for planetary salvation. Although not visiting Apophis directly, China plans to swing by another asteroid—2015 XF261, which stretches some 30 meters wide—and will perform a 'kinetic impactor' approach similar to the DART mission. According to Space News, Li Mingtaon (director of the space science system engineering at the CNSA) said that 2029 will be the year of 'asteroid awareness and planetary defense.' Science is getting serious about protecting Earth from one of its largest celestial dangers, and it'll take worldwide cooperation to protect the planet we love. You Might Also Like
