Astronomers peer inside stars, finding giant magnets

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Astronomers have for the first time probed the magnetic fields in the mysterious inner regions of stars. Using a technique called asteroseismology, which uses sound waves generated by turbulence on the surface of stars to determine their inner properties, the scientists found that the fusion-powered cores of red giants, stars that are evolved versions of our sun, are strongly magnetized. The findings will help astronomers better understand the evolution of stars.
via Science Daily
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Hubble spies Big Bang frontiers

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Observations have taken advantage of gravitational lensing to reveal the largest sample of the faintest and earliest known galaxies in the Universe. Some of these galaxies formed just 600 million years after the Big Bang and are fainter than any other galaxy yet uncovered by Hubble. The team has determined, for the first time with some confidence, that these small galaxies were vital to creating the Universe that we see today.
via Science Daily
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Star Factory Messier 17

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Sculpted by stellar winds and radiation, the star factory known as Messier 17 lies some 5,500 light-years away in the nebula-rich constellation Sagittarius. At that distance, this 1/3 degree wide field of view spans over 30 light-years. The sharp composite, color image, highlights faint details of the region's gas and dust clouds against a backdrop of central Milky Way stars. Stellar winds and energetic light from hot, massive stars formed from M17 stock of cosmic gas and dust have slowly carved away at the remaining interstellar material producing the cavernous appearance and undulating shapes. M17 is also known as the Omega Nebula or the Swan Nebula.

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New CERN programme to develop network between SESAME schools

Harriet Jarlett

Students and teachers participate in lectures about CERN science at the first ever SESAME teacher and students school [Image: Sophia Bennett/CERN]

In September CERN welcomed 28 visitors from the Middle East for the first ever student and teacher school for SESAME.

SESAME is a third-generation synchrotron light source nearing completion in Jordan that will allow researchers from the region to investigate questions from a broad range of subjects, including the natural sciences, archeology and the arts.

SESAME is a unique joint venture that brings together scientists from its members: Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey. 

The week-long programme gave students and teachers from the region the opportunity to see international collaboration in science in practice at CERN.

The visit was set up to help stimulate networking between schools from SESAME members.

 This means for many of the participants this is not only their first time abroad but their first time encountering people from neighbouring states. The goal of the school is to inspire collaboration and relationships at personal, as well as educational and scientific, levels.

“We want the schools from all of these different places to form a network, and to promote dialogue across this region (where dialogue between states isn’t all that common). All of the students and teachers are very open and happy to do that,” says Rolf Landua, CERN’s Head of CERN Education group and the project’s lead organiser.

In turn, the students and teachers are asked that, now they have returned home, they will continue to network with each other and share their knowledge of SESAME more widely, promoting the idea of science for peace with other schools in their region.

“A main goal when CERN was founded was to promote international collaboration. Looking at the Middle-East region today this is more needed than ever,” Landua says. “Today there are parallels to be drawn, with SESAME  -- everyone wants to see it come to life, and promote collaboration across the region.”

“Coming from the Middle East there are lots of opportunities for theoretical physics, but not many for experimental physics. SESAME is our ticket to do that here, at home” says one of the students on the programme who attends school in Jordan.

The students and teachers spent the week touring CERN, in lectures about CERN science and SESAME’s origin and goals, and also participating in social activities -- including a treasure hunt around Geneva. They also had the chance to video conference with people working at SESAME, and had presentations about the importance of diversity at CERN and social media in collaboration.

 While the primary aim is to foster relations between schools, it’s also hoped that the visit will inspire the teachers to bring modern physics to the classroom and the students to continue to study science. 

via CERN: Updates for the general public
http://home.cern/about/updates/2015/10/new-cern-programme-develop-network-between-sesame-schools

Graphene Canada 2015 launches series of events

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Montreal (Canada) hosted the 1st edition of Graphene Canada, a graphene & 2D materials conference and exhibition. The 3-day event took place last week, gathering key players of the graphene community and related industrial sectors.

 

Graphenea participated with an invited talk by CEO Jesus de la Fuente, entitled “The road to commercialization of graphene nano materials”. Jesus' talk was part of the Industrial Forum that took place on the second day of the conference. Jesus spoke in the session “Production & Standardization”, which was held in parallel to the “Energy”, “Applications”, and “Worldwide Initiatives & Priorities” sessions. In addition, Graphenea was featured at the “Graphene in Spain” stand.

 

Picture: “Graphene in Spain” represented with a stand at Graphene Canada 2015.

 

Graphene Canada was launched as the first large graphene conference in Canada, with the aim to become an annual event that attracts global participants intent on sharing, exchanging and exploring new avenues of graphene-related scientific and commercial developments.

 

The Industrial Forum was conceived as a platform to present the most recent advances in technology developments and business opportunities in graphene commercialization. Representatives of graphene companies shared their market vision and business opportunities, while selected talks from industrial exhibitors presented commercial trends in current end-markets of graphene products.

 

In addition to the Industrial Forum, the event hosted workshops on cutting edge scientific research on “Materials and Device Characterization”, “Chemistry, Biosensors, and Energy”, and “Electronic Devices”. There were also numerous contributed oral presentations and student posters, as well as a brokerage event (“B2B Meetings”).

 

Picture: Full auditorium at Graphene Canada 2015.

 

This event in Canada joins a series of worldwide graphene events that increasingly contain strong industrial components, in addition to groundbreaking science. Such conferences aid the transfer of graphene research results into commercial products, offering a natural activity space for Graphenea, a company that has very close relations with both fundamental researchers and end-user markets.

 

via Graphenea

Ammonia leak locator heads to International Space Station

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The International Space Station (ISS) is in some ways like most homes -- over time, it occasionally requires repairs. When the ammonia cooling system on the exterior of the ISS springs a leak, however, tracking down its location is by no means an easy task. So researchers and engineers from SRS, a manufacturer of test instruments, and NASA's Johnson Space Center and Goddard Space Flight Center teamed up to create an "Ammonia Leak Locator."
via Science Daily
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