CALET, a telescope equipped to detect extremely high-energy cosmic rays, has detected electrons arriving near Earth with more energy than ever detected before. The results suggest the electrons came from a local, young source, such as the aftermath of a supernova, and bolster current understanding of cosmic ray production. Continue Reading Study finds strongest evidence yet for local sources of cosmic ray electrons
UMBC researchers are partnering on STAR-X, a nine-month mission concept study investigating black holes, galaxy clusters, and often-elusive transient cosmic events like supernova explosions. STAR-X is one of two Explorer missions to receive $3 million from NASA for this concept phase, before NASA selects one in 2024 to proceed with implementation, targeted for launch in 2028. Continue Reading UMBC partners on STAR-X, a $3M NASA mission concept study through the CRESST II research consortium
“All of that heavier stuff we see here on Earth and throughout the cosmos, like gold, and platinum, and lead—where did it come from, and how did it get distributed?” asks Nicholas Cannady. He serves as operations lead on TIGERISS, a new mission recently funded for up to $20 million over five years, that aims to help answer that question. Continue Reading UMBC partners in NASA-funded TIGERISS mission to determine source of heavy elements on Earth
To trace the Moon’s poles over time, the research team examined the combined effects of more than 5,000 craters on the Moon’s surface. “All this cratering is like a record” of the Moon’s history, Vishnu Viswanathan says. The team found relatively stable poles over time, which would have created favorable conditions for accumulation of resources like water near the poles. Continue Reading UMBC’s Viswanathan uses the Moon’s craters to track its shifting poles over 4.25 billion years
New research shows that certain elements arrive at Earth from distant parts of the galaxy in different ways. Learning more about how these elements move through the galaxy helps address a fundamental, lingering question in astrophysics: How is matter generated and distributed across the universe? Continue Reading UMBC’s Krizmanic, Cannady contribute to research that adds new wrinkle to understanding the origins of matter in the Milky Way
NASA has committed $178 million to extend support for the Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science & Technology II (CRESST II), a five-institution research consortium, through 2027. The consortium leverages resources at each institution to develop a diverse talent pipeline in space science and answer big questions about the universe. Continue Reading UMBC to receive over $63 million in NASA renewal of CRESST II space science consortium
“Studying this planet, and hopefully others like it, can give us insight into how our own solar system formed,” says Tom Barclay. Continue Reading UMBC’s Tom Barclay and NASA team discover Neptune-sized planet orbiting young, nearby star
The research was made possible by “a clever reengineering in flight of how to operate the spacecraft and the instrument,” Mehdi Benna says. “And by doing both—the spacecraft doing something it was not designed to do, and the instrument doing something it was not designed to do—we made the wind measurements possible.” Continue Reading Team led by UMBC’s Mehdi Benna is the first to map a planet’s global wind patterns, and they weren’t Earth’s
Sander Goossens and his team used their new analysis “to see if there was anything we could say about the planet’s deep interior that people hadn’t been able to say before.” There was: The team discovered the percentage of the planet’s core that was solid versus molten, which provides clues to the evolution process for Mercury and other planets. Continue Reading UMBC’s Sander Goossens determines structure of Mercury’s core as part of NASA team
“We’ve never seen anything exactly like the Cow,” Amy Lien says, “which is very exciting.” Her team at NASA’s Swift Observatory hypothesizes that a black hole tearing apart a white dwarf star caused the blast. Continue Reading UMBC’s Amy Lien helps NASA unravel the mystery of an unusual blast from across the universe
Producing cosmic rays, which also happens following a supernova, requires that particles be accelerated nearly to the speed of light. “We found that the accelerated particles are really energetic, which is much more than we expected from this star,” says Kenji Hamaguchi, the lead author on the study. Continue Reading UMBC astronomer Kenji Hamaguchi confirms binary star system produces cosmic rays
To address such big ideas, “You need the solar system as your laboratory,” says Sander Goossens. NASA’s MESSENGER satellite collected data during its years orbiting Mercury that enabled the research team to answer questions about the Sun’s interior processes and our fundamental understanding of gravity. Continue Reading UMBC space scientist further confirms Einstein’s theory through new solar research
