SPACE
First of its kind detection made in striking new Webb image
NASA/GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
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IN THIS IMAGE OF THE SERPENS NEBULA FROM NASA’S JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE, ASTRONOMERS FOUND A GROUPING OF ALIGNED PROTOSTELLAR OUTFLOWS WITHIN ONE SMALL REGION (THE TOP LEFT CORNER). SERPENS IS A REFLECTION NEBULA, WHICH MEANS IT’S A CLOUD OF GAS AND DUST THAT DOES NOT CREATE ITS OWN LIGHT, BUT INSTEAD SHINES BY REFLECTING THE LIGHT FROM STARS CLOSE TO OR WITHIN THE NEBULA.
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CREDIT: NASA, ESA, CSA, K. PONTOPPIDAN (NASA’S JET PROPULSION LABORATORY) AND J. GREEN (SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE).
For the first time, a phenomenon astronomers have long hoped to directly image has been captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). In this stunning image of the Serpens Nebula, the discovery lies in the northern area (seen at the upper left) of this young, nearby star-forming region.
Astronomers found an intriguing group of protostellar outflows, formed when jets of gas spewing from newborn stars collide with nearby gas and dust at high speeds. Typically these objects have varied orientations within one region. Here, however, they are slanted in the same direction, to the same degree, like sleet pouring down during a storm.
The discovery of these aligned objects, made possible due to Webb’s exquisite spatial resolution and sensitivity in near-infrared wavelengths, is providing information into the fundamentals of how stars are born.
“Astronomers have long assumed that as clouds collapse to form stars, the stars will tend to spin in the same direction,” said principal investigator Klaus Pontoppidan, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “However, this has not been seen so directly before. These aligned, elongated structures are a historical record of the fundamental way that stars are born.”
So just how does the alignment of the stellar jets relate to the rotation of the star? As an interstellar gas cloud crashes in on itself to form a star, it spins more rapidly. The only way for the gas to continue moving inward is for some of the spin (known as angular momentum) to be removed. A disk of material forms around the young star to transport material down, like a whirlpool around a drain. The swirling magnetic fields in the inner disk launch some of the material into twin jets that shoot outward in opposite directions, perpendicular to the disk of material.
In the Webb image, these jets are signified by bright clumpy streaks that appear red, which are shockwaves from the jet hitting surrounding gas and dust. Here, the red color represents the presence of molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
“This area of the Serpens Nebula – Serpens North – only comes into clear view with Webb,” said lead author Joel Green of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. “We’re now able to catch these extremely young stars and their outflows, some of which previously appeared as just blobs or were completely invisible in optical wavelengths because of the thick dust surrounding them.”
Astronomers say there are a few forces that potentially can shift the direction of the outflows during this period of a young star’s life. One way is when binary stars spin around each other and wobble in orientation, twisting the direction of the outflows over time.
Stars of the Serpens
The Serpens Nebula, located 1,300 light-years from Earth, is only one or two million years old, which is very young in cosmic terms. It’s also home to a particularly dense cluster of newly forming stars (~100,000 years old), seen at the center of this image. Some of these stars will eventually grow to the mass of our Sun.
“Webb is a young stellar object-finding machine,” Green said. “In this field, we pick up sign posts of every single young star, down to the lowest mass stars.”
“It’s a very complete picture we’re seeing now,” added Pontoppidan.
So, throughout the region in this image, filaments and wisps of different hues represent reflected starlight from still-forming protostars within the cloud. In some areas, there is dust in front of that reflection, which appears here with an orange, diffuse shade.
This region has been home to other coincidental discoveries, including the flapping “Bat Shadow,” which earned its name when 2020 data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope revealed a star’s planet-forming disk to flap, or shift. This feature is visible at the center of the Webb image.
Future Studies
The new image, and serendipitous discovery of the aligned objects, is actually just the first step in this scientific program. The team will now use Webb’s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) to investigate the chemical make-up of the cloud.
The astronomers are interested in determining how volatile chemicals survive star and planet formation. Volatiles are compounds that sublimate, or transition from a solid directly to a gas, at a relatively low temperature – including water and carbon monoxide. They’ll then compare their findings to amounts found in protoplanetary disks of similar-type stars.
“At the most basic form, we are all made of matter that came from these volatiles. The majority of water here on Earth originated when the Sun was an infant protostar billions of years ago,” Pontoppidan said. “Looking at the abundance of these critical compounds in protostars just before their protoplanetary disks have formed could help us understand how unique the circumstances were when our own solar system formed.”
These observations were taken as part of General Observer program 1611. The team’s initial results have been accepted in the Astrophysical Journal.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
JOURNAL
The Astrophysical Journal
ARTICLE TITLE
Why are (almost) all the protostellar outflows aligned in Serpens Main?
Heart failure in space: scientists calculate potential health threats facing future space tourists in microgravity
Researchers used a model of the heart and lung system to simulate how microgravity could affect space tourists who might have underlying health issues such as heart conditions
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DR LEX VAN LOON COMBINES MATHEMATICAL MODELLING AND THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO CREATE MEDICAL DIGITAL TWINS. IMAGE: TRACEY NEARMY/ANU
view moreCREDIT: IMAGE: TRACEY NEARMY/ANU
[The following is a guest editorial written by Dr Lex van Loon, an assistant professor at the Australian National University and the University of Twente in the Netherlands. He is co-author of a new Frontiers in Physiology article.]
Space exploration has always captivated our imagination, offering the promise of discovering new worlds and pushing the boundaries of human capability. As commercial space travel becomes more accessible, individuals with various underlying health conditions—including heart failure—may soon be among those venturing beyond Earth’s atmosphere. This raises critical questions about the impact of space travel on humans with potential underlying health problems. My recent research, ‘Computational modeling of heart failure in microgravity transitions,’ delves into this issue, offering insights that could shape the future of space travel.
Why study heart failure in space?
The demographic of commercial space travelers is shifting, increasingly including older, wealthy individuals who may not be in optimal health. Unlike professional astronauts, these space tourists typically do not undergo rigorous health screenings or physical training. This shift necessitates a broader consideration of health conditions, such as heart failure, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses, in space mission planning.
Heart failure alone affects over 100 million people globally. Traditionally, space medicine has focused on the effects of microgravity on healthy astronauts. However, the inclusion of non-professional astronauts with preexisting health conditions demands a deeper understanding of how microgravity impacts these individuals. The unique cardiovascular challenges posed by space travel could significantly affect heart failure patients, making this an essential area of study.
Furthermore, heart failure is not a uniform condition and can be broadly categorized into two types. One type involves a weakened heart that cannot pump blood effectively, while the other is characterized by the heart’s inability to relax and fill properly. These differences mean that each type of heart failure presents unique challenges and must be studied separately to understand the specific risks and required countermeasures in a microgravity environment.
The challenges of microgravity
In the microgravity environment of space, the human body undergoes significant changes. One of the most notable effects is the redistribution of bodily fluids, causing what is commonly known as ‘puffy face bird leg’ syndrome. Imagine a person with a swollen, puffy face paired with skinny, almost comically thin legs—like a bird, what’s in the name. This fluid shift results in reduced venous pooling in the legs and increased venous pressure in the upper body. For healthy individuals, the cardiovascular system can adapt to these changes, but for heart failure patients, the risks are substantially higher.
Using computational models to simulate space conditions
Given the lack of real-world data on heart failure patients in space, we turned to computational modeling to simulate the effects of microgravity. We used our previously published 21-compartment mathematical model of the cardiovascular system. By tuning the parameters of this model, we were able to predict how heart failure patients might respond during space travel with a high degree of accuracy.
Our simulations revealed that entry into microgravity increases cardiac output in all individuals. However, for heart failure patients, this increase in cardiac output is accompanied by a dangerous rise in left atrial pressure, which can lead to pulmonary edema—a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe.
The path forward
Our research underscores the need for comprehensive health screenings and personalized medical plans for space tourists with underlying health conditions. As commercial space travel becomes more accessible, ensuring the safety of all passengers, especially those with chronic health conditions like heart failure, is paramount.
Moreover, our findings highlight the importance of further research into the long-term effects of space travel on cardiovascular health. Future studies should focus on the prolonged exposure to microgravity and the cumulative impact of comorbidities in heart failure patients.
The role of human digital twins
One promising avenue for future research and safety in space travel is the development of human digital twins. A human digital twin is a highly detailed virtual model of an individual's physiological systems. By creating these digital replicas, we can simulate various scenarios and predict how different conditions, such as microgravity, might affect an individual's health. This approach allows for personalized risk assessments and tailored countermeasures.
For heart failure patients, a digital twin could simulate how their specific heart condition would respond to the stresses of space travel. This personalized model could help identify the most effective pre-flight preparations and in-flight interventions, thereby enhancing the safety and well-being of space tourists with heart conditions.
The dream of space travel is closer than ever, but with it comes the responsibility to understand and mitigate the health risks associated with this new frontier. Our computational modeling provides a critical step toward ensuring that space travel is safe for everyone, including those with heart failure. As we continue to push the boundaries of exploration, integrating advanced technologies like human digital twins will be crucial in protecting the health and well-being of all who venture into the final frontier.
JOURNAL
Frontiers in Physiology
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Computational simulation/modeling
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
People
ARTICLE TITLE
Computational modeling of heart failure in microgravity transitions
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
21-Jun-2024
Dense, swirling winds help supermassive black holes grow
Newly uncovered process is similar to how stars and planets are born
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A SPIRALING WIND HELPS THE SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE IN GALAXY ESO320-G030 TO GROW, ASSISTED BY MAGNETIC FIELDS. IN THIS ILLUSTRATION, THE CORE OF THE GALAXY IS DOMINATED BY A ROTATING WIND OF DENSE GAS LEADING OUTWARDS FROM THE (HIDDEN) SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE AT THE GALAXY’S VERY CENTRE. COLORED LINES WITH ARROWS SHOW THE MOTIONS OF THE GAS TRACED BY LIGHT FROM MOLECULES OF HYDROGEN CYANIDE AND SEEN WITH THE ALMA TELESCOPE (BLUE INDICATED MOTION TOWARDS US AND RED AWAY).
view moreCREDIT: M.D. GORSKI/AARON GELLER/NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY/CIERA
By studying nearby galaxy ESO320-G030, a Northwestern University-led team of international astronomers has discovered extremely powerful rotating, magnetic winds help the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole grow.
The process is strikingly similar to the birth of new stars and planets, which are fed by swirls of gas and dust. The new discovery provides a previously unknown clue to solving the long-standing mystery of how supermassive black holes grow to weigh as much as millions or billions of stars.
“It is well-established that stars in the first stages of their evolution grow with the help of rotating winds – accelerated by magnetic fields, just like the wind in this galaxy,” said Northwestern’s Mark Gorski, who led the study. “Our observations show that supermassive black holes and tiny stars can grow by similar processes, but on very different scales.”
The study was published this spring in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
An expert on the evolution of galaxies, Gorski is a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern’s Center for Interdisciplinary and Exploratory Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). When the research began, Gorski was a postdoctoral researcher at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.
Spying on the Milky Way’s neighbor
Most galaxies, including our own Milky Way, have a supermassive black hole at their centers. How these mind-bogglingly massive objects grow into super sizes has remained an unsolved mystery.
In the search for clues, Gorski and his collaborators looked to relatively nearby galaxy ESO320-G030, located just 120 million light years from Earth. ESO320-G030 is a highly active galaxy, forming stars 10 times faster than the Milky Way. The astronomers examined the galaxy using telescopes at the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Observatory in Chile.
“Since this galaxy is very luminous in the infrared, telescopes can resolve striking details in its center,” said study co-author Susanne Aalto, a professor of radio astronomy at Chalmers University of Technology. “We wanted to measure light from molecules carried by winds from the galaxy’s core, hoping to trace how the winds are launched by a growing — or soon to be growing — supermassive black hole. By using ALMA, we were able to study light from behind thick layers of dust and gas.”
‘Clear evidence of a rotating wind’
To examine the dense gas that closely hovers around ESO320-G030’s central black hole, the scientists studied light from hydrogen cyanide molecules. Using Doppler effect technology, the researchers imaged fine details and trace movements in the gas, which revealed patterns suggesting the presence of a magnetized, rotating wind.
While other winds and jets typically push material away from a galaxy’s central supermassive black hole, the newly discovered wind adds another process, which instead feeds the black hole and helps it grow.
The researchers liken the matter traveling around a black hole to water circling a drain. As matter approaches the black hole, it first collects in a chaotic, spinning disk. There, magnetic fields develop and grow stronger. The magnetic fields help lift matter away from the galaxy, creating a vortex of wind. As matter is lost to the wind, the spinning disk slows, which turns the slow trickle of matter into a stream — meaning that matter flows more easily into the black hole.
“We can see how the winds form a spiraling structure, billowing out from the galaxy’s center,” Aalto said. “When we measured the rotation, mass and velocity of the material flowing outwards, we were surprised to find that we could rule out many explanations for the power of the wind, including star formation for example. Instead, the flow outwards may be powered by the inflow of gas and seems to be held together by magnetic fields.”
What’s next?
Next, the researchers plan to study the centers of other galaxies, searching for hidden spiraling outflows.
“In our observations we see clear evidence of a rotating wind that helps regulate the growth of the galaxy’s central black hole,” Gorski said. “Now that we know what to look for, the next step is to find out how common a phenomenon this is. And if this is a stage which all galaxies with supermassive black holes go through, what happens to them next? Far from all questions about this process are answered.”
The study, “A spectacular galactic scale magnetohydrodynamic powered wind in ESO320-G030,” was supported by the Swedish Research Council (grant number 621-2011-4143), the European Research Council and the Nordic ALMA Regional Center node based at Onsala Space Observatory.
About ALMA
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of ESO, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) in Taiwan and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).
ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.
Spiraling wind illustration
A spiraling wind helps the supermassive black hole in galaxy ESO320-G030 to grow, assisted by magnetic fields. In this illustration, the core of the galaxy is dominated by a rotating wind of dense gas leading outwards from the (hidden) supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s very center. The motions of the gas, traced by light from molecules of hydrogen cyanide have been measured with the ALMA telescope.
CREDIT
M.D. Gorski/Aaron Geller/Northwestern University/CIERA
JOURNAL
Astronomy and Astrophysics
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Observational study
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
Not applicable
ARTICLE TITLE
A spectacular galactic scale magnetohydrodynamic powered wind in ESO 320-G030
Laying the foundation for lunar base construction; elucidating lunar soil-microwave interactions
Anticipating key resource for enhancing microwave heating efficiency
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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ILMENITE HAS A GREATER ABILITY TO ABSORB MICROWAVE AND CONVERT IT TO HEAT ENERGY THAN KLS-1.
view moreCREDIT: KOREA INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND BUILDING TECHNOLOGY(KICT)
The United States’ NASA aims to construct a lunar base through the Artemis program, a manned lunar exploration initiative. However, the practical reality of what general public envision for the space base differs somewhat from well-known science fiction movies. To build a base on the Moon using abundant and diverse construction materials, significant transportation costs are involved. All these materials must be launched from Earth using rockets.
Because transporting construction materials from Earth to the Moon is costly and time-consuming, local materials must be utilized in order to establish a lunar base. One promising method for lunar base construction using local materials is microwave sintering, which solidifies lunar regolith (soil) below its melting point. Research on sintering lunar soil using lasers, solar energy, and microwaves is actively underway worldwide. Among these techniques, microwave sintering is a notable technology being developed by various institutions, including NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Kim Byung-suk).
The research team(Dr. Jangguen, Lee, Dr. Young-Jae, Kim, Dr. Hyunwoo, Jin) led by Dr. Hyu-Soung, Shin at the Future & Smart Construction Research Division of the KICT is currently conducting a study on microwave-sintered lunar regolith simulant bricks. This research applies sintering techniques similar to firing ceramics, raising the temperature to create solid bricks. The bricks made from lunar regolith simulant have a strength of over 20 MPa, which is comparable to concrete. Microwave heating depends on the dielectric properties of the material, so a detailed study of the dielectric characteristics of lunar regolith is necessary. Currently, there is insufficient research on how lunar regolith interacts with microwave heating at varying temperatures.
As part of microwave sintering research, the research team investigated the dielectric properties of Korean Lunar Simulant (KLS-1) and ilmenite (iron titanate) at different temperatures. Ilmenite is a mineral abundant on the lunar surface and is known to enhance the efficiency of microwave heating. However, detailed studies on the dielectric properties of ilmenite and its behavior during microwave heating have not been conducted.
The research findings indicate that lunar regolith simulant has the microwave transparent property; making it challenging to heat. However, ilmenite (iron titanate) interacts strongly with microwaves due to its unique crystal structure, allowing rapid heating to high temperatures. Additionally, the analysis of the crystal structures of lunar regolith simulant and ilmenite successfully revealed key factors contributing to the increase in mineral-microwave interactions.
Utilizing a local resource, ilmenite, as a heating element in lunar base construction by using microwave sintering means efficient and rapid production of construction materials. Dr. Young-Jae, Kim from the KICT expressed that this research is expected to be a crucial foundation for the development of microwave technology for future lunar exploration and lunar base construction.
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The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, a government-funded research institute with 41 years of extensive research experience, is at the forefront of solving national issues that are directly related to the quality of the people’s life.
This study was conducted under the KICT Research Program (project no. 20230081-001, Development of environmental simulator and advanced construction technologies over TRL6 in extreme conditions; project no. 20230144-001, Space Architecture: Development of Core Technology for the Construction of Lunar Habitation) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
JOURNAL
Construction and Building Materials
ARTICLE TITLE
Construction and Building Materials
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