PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

When the stars align: Astronomers find answers to mysterious action of ghost stars in our Galaxy

When the stars align: Astronomers find answers to mysterious action of ghost stars in our Galaxy
2023-07-13
(Press-News.org) A collaboration of scientists from The University of Manchester and the University of Hong Kong have found a source for the mysterious alignment of stars near the Galactic Centre.

The alignment of planetary nebulae was discovered ten years ago by a Manchester PhD student, Bryan Rees, but has remained unexplained.

New data obtained with the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope in Chile and the Hubble Space Telescope, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, has confirmed the alignment but also found a particular group of stars that is responsible, namely close binary stars.

Planetary nebulae are clouds of gas that are expelled by stars at the end of their lives - the Sun will also form one about five billion years from now. The ejected clouds are ‘ghosts’ of their dying stars and they form beautiful structures such as an hourglass or butterfly shape.

The team studied a group of so-called planetary nebulae found in the Galactic Bulge near the centre of our Milky Way. Each of these nebulae are unrelated and come from different stars, which were born at different times, and spend their lives in completely different places. However, the study found that many of their shapes line up in the sky in the same way and are aligned almost parallel to the Galactic plane (our Milky Way).

This is in the same direction as found by Bryan Rees a decade ago.

The new research, led by Shuyu Tan, a student at the University of Hong Kong, found that the alignment is present only in planetary nebulae which have a close stellar companion. The companion star orbits the main star at the centre of the planetary nebulae in an orbit closer than Mercury is to our own Sun.

The planetary nebulae that do not show close companions do not show the alignment, which suggests that the alignment is potentially linked to the initial separation of the binary components at the time of the star’s birth.

Albert Zijlstra, co-author and Professor in Astrophysics at The University of Manchester, said: “This finding pushes us closer to understanding the cause for this mysterious alignment.

“Planetary nebulae offer us a window into the heart of our galaxy and this insight deepens our understanding of the dynamics and evolution of the Milky Way’s bulge region.

“The formation of stars in the bulge of our galaxy is a complex process that involves various factors such as gravity, turbulence, and magnetic fields. Until now, we have had a lack of evidence for which of these mechanisms could be causing this process to happen and generating this alignment.

“The significance in this research lies in the fact that we now know that the alignment is observed in this very specific subset of planetary nebulae.”

The researchers investigated 136 confirmed planetary nebulae in the galaxy bulge – the thickest section of our Milky Way composed of stars, gas and dust - using the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope, which has a main mirror diameter of eight metres.

They also re-examined and re-measured 40 of these from the original study using images from the high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope.

Prof Quentin Parker, the corresponding author from the University of Hong Kong, suggests the nebulae may be shaped by the rapid orbital motion of the companion star, which may even end up orbiting inside the main star.

The alignment of the nebulae may mean that the close binary system preferentially forms with their orbits in the same plane.

Although further studies are needed to fully understand the mechanisms behind the alignment, the findings provide important evidence for the presence of a constant and controlled process that has influenced star formation over billions of years and vast distances.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
When the stars align: Astronomers find answers to mysterious action of ghost stars in our Galaxy When the stars align: Astronomers find answers to mysterious action of ghost stars in our Galaxy 2 When the stars align: Astronomers find answers to mysterious action of ghost stars in our Galaxy 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Skin lightening products can be dangerous, but users don’t know risks

2023-07-13
·  Colorism – system of inequality that views lighter skin as more beautiful and advantageous – motivates skin lightening ·  Users aren’t aware of adulterated ingredients in over-the-counter products such as mercury and steroids  ·  Products are purchased from chain grocery stores or online, used without medical advice   CHICAGO --- Skin lightening is prevalent in the U.S. among skin of color individuals – particularly women – but the people who use those products don’t know the risks, reports a new Northwestern ...

Small-winged and lighter colored butterflies likely to be at greatest threat from climate change

Small-winged and lighter colored butterflies likely to be at greatest threat from climate change
2023-07-13
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE EMBARGOED UNTIL 05:01 LONDON TIME (GMT) ON THURSDAY 13 JULY 2023 Images and paper available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18XRYP9dHcC1Z8lc3B86j3k6BzgIesqUS?usp=sharing Small-winged and lighter coloured butterflies likely to be at greatest threat from climate change The family, wing length and wing colour of tropical butterflies all influence their ability to withstand rising temperatures, say a team led by ecologists at the University of Cambridge. The researchers believe this could help identify species whose survival is under threat from climate change. Butterflies with smaller or lighter coloured wings are likely to ...

Unexpected coupling with leaky mode unveils new path for dense photonic integration

Unexpected coupling with leaky mode unveils new path for dense photonic integration
2023-07-13
Defying conventional wisdom, researchers have uncovered a novel coupling mechanism involving leaky mode, previously has been considered unsuitable for high-density integration in photonic circuits. This unexpected finding opens new possibilities for dense photonic integration, revolutionizing the scalability and application of photonic chips in optical computing, quantum communication, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), optical metrology, and biochemical sensing.   In a recent Light Science & Application publication, Sangsik Kim, associate professor of electrical engineering ...

Unemployment and underemployment significant drivers of suicide: Analysis

2023-07-13
A study examining unemployment and underemployment figures and suicide rates in Australia has found both were significant drivers of suicide mortality between 2004-2016. The researchers say the findings indicate that economic policies such as a Job Guarantee, which prioritise full employment, should be a core part of any comprehensive national suicide prevention strategy. Predictive modelling also revealed an estimated 9.5 percent of suicides reported during that time resulted directly from unemployment ...

Multisensory information detection by using multi-channel electrocorticography film that can place over a wide area of the cerebral cortex

Multisensory information detection by using multi-channel electrocorticography film that can place over a wide area of the cerebral cortex
2023-07-13
Overview Associate Professor Hiroto Sekiguchi (Department of Electrical and Electronic Information Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology) and Assistant Professor Susumu Setogawa and Associate Professor Noriaki Ohkawa (Comprehensive Research Facilities for Advanced Medical Science, Dokkyo Medical University; Assistant Professor Setogawa is currently a Specially Appointed Assistant Professor at University Public Corporation Osaka) have developed a flexible electrocorticography (Note 1) film for simultaneous detection of multisensory information (Note 2) from multiple regions of the cerebral cortex by placing neural ...

Fungi blaze a trail to fireproof cladding

Fungi blaze a trail to fireproof cladding
2023-07-13
Mycelium, an incredible network of fungal strands that can thrive on organic waste and in darkness, could be a basis for sustainable fireproofing. RMIT researchers are chemically manipulating its composition to harness its fire-retardant properties. Associate Professor Tien Huynh, an expert in biotechnology and mycology, said they’ve shown that mycelium can be grown from renewable organic waste. “Fungi are usually found in a composite form mixed with residual feed material, but we found a way to grow pure mycelium sheets that can be layered and engineered into different uses – from flat panels for the building industry to a leather-like material for ...

Investigating interactions at molecular junctions for novel electronic devices

Investigating interactions at molecular junctions for novel electronic devices
2023-07-13
The structure of a molecular junction with noncovalent interaction plays a key role in electron transport, reveals a recent study conducted by researchers at Tokyo Tech. Through simultaneous surface-enhanced Raman scattering and current–voltage measurements, they found that a single dimer junction of naphthalenethiol molecule shows three different bondings, namely π–π intermolecular and through-π and through-space molecule–electrode interactions. The π–π interaction is a type of noncovalent interaction that occurs when the electron clouds in the π orbitals ...

Researchers report advance in immune therapy against ALS

2023-07-13
New research suggests that targeting autoimmune inflammation associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) using two drugs, one of them already approved for multiple sclerosis, could be a promising approach for treatment. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It leads to the gradual loss of muscle control, eventually resulting in paralysis and difficulty with speech, swallowing, and breathing. The exact cause of ALS is not fully understood, and currently, there is no cure ...

Taylor & Francis reduces plastic by introducing paperwrap for UK mailed journals

2023-07-13
Taylor & Francis has taken a significant step in reducing unnecessary plastic use with the introduction of paperwrap for journal print copies mailed in the UK. Paperwrap, a relatively new packaging technology, has become more common in recent years, but is typically most suited to publications with very high print runs. Taylor & Francis’ Global Supplier Team spent several months investigating how it might be applied to journal print runs, which included rolling out live trial mailings to colleagues around the world to test how the journals could be packaged, and whether there was any impact on the speed ...

New talking therapy for depression could be more effective and cheaper than CBT

2023-07-13
A new talking therapy for depression has shown encouraging early signs of being more effective and cheaper to deliver than the current best practice of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).  A pilot trial from the University of Exeter, funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) and published in Lancet EClinical Medicine, has found Augmented Depression Therapy (ADepT) could be a significant advance in depression care.   A core feature of depression is anhedonia (reduced ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Transforming treatment outcomes for people with OCD

Damage from smoke and respiratory viruses mitigated in mice via a common signaling pathway

New software tool could help better understand childhood cancer

Healthy lifestyle linked to lower diverticulitis risk, irrespective of genetic susceptibility

Women 65+ still at heightened risk of cervical cancer caused by HPV

‘Inflammatory’ diet during pregnancy may raise child’s diabetes type 1 risk

Effective therapies needed to halt rise in eco-anxiety, says psychology professor

Nature-friendly farming boosts biodiversity and yields but may require new subsidies

Against the odds: Endometriosis linked to four times higher pregnancy rates than other causes of infertility, new study reveals

Microplastics discovered in human reproductive fluids, new study reveals

Family ties and firm performance: How cousin marriage traditions shape informal businesses in Africa

Novel flu vaccine adjuvant improves protection against influenza viruses, study finds

Manipulation of light at the nanoscale helps advance biosensing

New mechanism discovered in ovarian cancer peritoneal metastasis: YWHAB restriction drives stemness and chemoresistance

New study links blood metabolites and immune cells to increased risk of urolithiasis

Pyruvate identified as a promising therapeutic agent for ulcerative colitis by targeting cytosolic phospholipase A2

New insights into the clinical impact of IKBKG mutations: Understanding the mechanisms behind rare immunodeficiency syndromes

Displays, imaging and sensing: New blue fluorophore breaks efficiency records in both solids and solutions

Sugar, the hidden thermostat in plants

Personality can explain why some CEOs earn higher salaries

This puzzle game shows kids how they’re smarter than AI

Study suggests remembrances of dead played role in rise of architecture in Andean region

Brain stimulation can boost math learning in people with weaker neural connections

Inhibiting enzyme could halt cell death in Parkinson’s disease, study finds

Neurotechnology reverses biological disadvantage in maths learning

UNDER EMBARGO: Neurotechnology reverses biological disadvantage in maths learning

Scientists target ‘molecular machine’ in the war against antimicrobial resistance

Extending classical CNOP method for deep-learning atmospheric and oceanic forecasting

Aston University research: Parents should encourage structure and independence around food to support children’s healthy eating

Thunderstorms are a major driver of tree death in tropical forests

[Press-News.org] When the stars align: Astronomers find answers to mysterious action of ghost stars in our Galaxy