open search form

News tagged with 'astronomy & physics' RSS Icon Subscribe via RSS

Astronomers Discover a Quasar Trio
01/08/2007

Astronomers Discover a Quasar Trio

Robert Tindol

Astronomers at the California Institute of Technology and Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland are announcing today the discovery of the first known triplet of quasars. The discovery of the trio, about 10.5 billion light-years from Earth, is based in part on observations at the W.M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

placeholder
New 3-D Map of Dark Matter Reveals Cosmic Scaffolding
01/07/2007

New 3-D Map of Dark Matter Reveals Cosmic Scaffolding

Robert Tindol

An international team of astronomers has created a comprehensive three-dimensional map that offers a first look at the weblike large-scale distribution of dark matter in the universe. Dark matter is an invisible form of matter that accounts for most of the universe's mass, but that so far has eluded direct detection, or even a definitive explanation for its makeup.

placeholder
New Type of Black-Hole Explosion Has Astrophysicists Wondering About Its Origin
12/20/2006

New Type of Black-Hole Explosion Has Astrophysicists Wondering About Its Origin

Robert Tindol
Scientists are announcing this week their detection of a June 14 gamma-ray burst that probably signals a hitherto undetected type of cosmic explosion. The hybrid gamma-ray burst probably created a new black hole, but the details of how the explosion occurred are unclear.
placeholder
Physicists Set New Record for Network Data Transfer
12/12/2006

Physicists Set New Record for Network Data Transfer

Robert Tindol

An international team of physicists, computer scientists, and network engineers led by the California Institute of Technology, CERN, and the University of Michigan and partners at the University of Florida and Vanderbilt, as well as participants from Brazil (Rio de Janeiro State University, UERJ, and the State Universities of São Paulo, USP and UNESP) and Korea (Kyungpook National University, KISTI) joined forces to set new records for sustained data transfer between storage systems during the SuperComputing 2006 (SC06) Bandwidth Challenge (BWC).

placeholder
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Awards $24 Million to Caltech for Three Projects
10/20/2006

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Awards $24 Million to Caltech for Three Projects

Robert Tindol
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded three grants totaling $24 million to the California Institute of Technology for projects in cosmology, experimental economics, and neurobiology.
placeholder
Engineers Devise New Method of Chemical Vapor Deposition for Smaller Nanostructures
10/17/2006

Engineers Devise New Method of Chemical Vapor Deposition for Smaller Nanostructures

Robert Tindol
Engineers at the California Institute of Technology have invented an ingenious new method for depositing tiny amounts of materials on surfaces. The researchers say that the technique, known as plasmon-assisted chemical vapor deposition, will add a powerful new tool to the existing battery of techniques used to construct microdevices.
placeholder
Caltech Professor Receives German Award for Laser Innovations
10/05/2006

Caltech Professor Receives German Award for Laser Innovations

Deborah Williams-Hedges
H. Jeff Kimble, Valentine Professor and professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology, has been chosen by the German foundation Berthold Leibinger Stiftung as the initial recipient of its new Berthold Leibinger Zukunftspreis ("Future Prize").
placeholder
New All-Optical Modulator Paves the Way to Ultrafast Communications and Computing
10/04/2006

New All-Optical Modulator Paves the Way to Ultrafast Communications and Computing

Kathy Svitil
In the 1950s, a revolution began when glass and metal vacuum tubes were replaced with tiny and cheap transistors. Today, for the cost of a single vacuum tube, you can buy a computer chip with literally millions of transistors.
placeholder
New Window of Universe Opens at Griffith; Unprecedented Image from Palomar
10/03/2006

New Window of Universe Opens at Griffith; Unprecedented Image from Palomar

Jill Perry
Caltech scientists have produced the largest astronomical image ever in order to inspire the public with the wonders of space exploration. The image has been reproduced as a giant mural in the new exhibit hall of the landmark Griffith Observatory, which will reopen Nov. 3 after several years of renovation.
placeholder
Caltech Physicist Goes Postal with Four Images of Snowflakes for Commemorative Stamps
10/03/2006

Caltech Physicist Goes Postal with Four Images of Snowflakes for Commemorative Stamps

Robert Tindol
Anyone looking for a seasonal postage stamp whose beauty just can't be licked should check out Ken Libbrecht's new Holiday Snowflakes stamps.
placeholder