-All what you need to know about science and tech
1
INDEX 3 Contrubitors to Astrophysics 4 Fun facts in
astrophysics 4-5 Words related to astrophysics
6-7 What is Astrophysics and Physical Cosmology?
7 Summary from an article about hidden stars 8 Engineering
the future 8 A “Did you know?” column
Hey, listen up you readers! In this magazine, we will feature cosmology, astrophysics and astronautical engineering. This issue will approach space and all its wonders. Space is a definite favourite subject of ours. It has so many secrets we still have yet to discover, not to mention all of its beauty, like for instance supernovas. Furthermore, we only understand so little of the universe. But so far, what we understand today is exceptionally interesting. On the other hand, in order to be able to fully experience these cosmological wonders, we are going to need many new technological advancements. And that is exactly the job engineers strive towards. To make it possible for all of humanity to experience space in all its glory. But now, dear readers, delve into the wonders of the Universe and space-tech! Dagbjartur Sebastian Østerby and Axel Bergmann Sigurðsson Editors in Chief
about space assets
9-10 Profiles in Astronautical Engineering
9 Common words in Astronautical Engineering
2
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was born in Ulm in Germany.
He was not good at school and just made it into ETH Zurich. He spent most of his time thinking about physics. However, alongside with his limited theory of relativity he published the mass-energy equivalence (E=mc2). In 1915, he published the theory of relativity, which is one of the most remarkable theories humanity has made. From this, he apprehended that his equations predicted the universe to be either contracting or expanding, but all the other scientists thought the universe were consistent. Therefore, he included the cosmological constant to allow the universe to be consistent. Nevertheless, he called it his biggest mistake ever, because in 1929 Hubble found out the Universe were expanding and Einstein could have predicted it before it was discovered. This theory is almost used with everything that applies the universe. Einstein also played a big role in other branches of theoretical physics like quantum physics. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Edwin Powell Hubble (1889-1953) was born in Missouri, USA.
He studied at the University of Chicago and the University of Oxford. Hubble was one of the most important observational cosmologists of the 20th century. He is most known for the “Hubble’s law”, which is one of the biggest discoveries of astronomy. He based his theories on researches with his 100-inch telescope on Mt. Wilson. However, his law says that the further away galaxies are; the faster are they travelling from us. In other words, redshift increases with distance. This meant that the universe was expanding. He was first and lastly an astronomer.
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910-1995) was born in
Lahore and was an Indian-American astrophysicist. He studied at Presidency College, Madras and later at University of Cambridge. Chandrasekhar spent most of his career at the University of Chicago. In 1983 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. He is most famous for his work about the maximum weight white dwarfs can have, the Chandrasekhar limit. The limit is 1.44 solar-masses. A white dwarf cannot have a higher mass than the limit. Otherwise, it will be unstable and explode. It is said that he calculated this on his way to England in the ship he was on. - D.S.Ø. 3
Fun facts in astrophysics 1)
Ca. 5% of the entire Universe’s mass is only “proper” matter, i.e. normal matter. Furthermore, we can only see 0.50% of it; that is all photons, stars, gas clusters, and galaxies. Dark matter, which is invisible, is ca. 23% and dark energy ca. 73% 2) The Universe is expanding out into the future, not into some kind of space, because beyond the Universe’s borders there is nothing. 3) Neutron stars are almost like large atomic nucleuses because its electrons have collapsed into the core making it so dense that for example a neutron star 30 km in diameter would have a density of at least 4 x 1017 kg/m3. This is equals that if a sugar cube would be made of this matter it would weight 400 billion tons! Moreover, they spin incredibly fast around themselves, up to 500 rotations per second. 4) Every galaxy have at least one supermassive black hole in its centre that makes the whole galaxy rotate and keeping them together. Otherwise, life would probably not exist. 5) The heaviest black hole known has a mass of 18 billion solar-masses. It is although 3.5 billion lightyears away. 6) Nothing can escape black holes, even not light due to its gravity. Furthermore, black holes are infinitely small, forming a singularity. 7) The number of stars in the Universe is 1024, which is an unimaginably high number. 8) The Milky Way will have a gigantic collision with Andromeda in far future. Andromeda is heading towards us with a speed of 300 km/s. 9) The further into space one looks, the further back in time one looks. For instance, when one looks at Andromeda, which is 2.5 million lightyears away, one is looking at how the galaxy were 2.5 million years ago. Therefore, when one looks far enough into space, one actually can see the light from the beginning of the Universe, the Big Bang. However, this light is not visible to the naked eye because on its long way towards us it has turned into microwaves, i.e. the cosmic microwave background. 10) Space is actually not complete vacuum because there are approximately 3 atoms per cubic meter of space. - D.S.Ø.
Words related to astrophysics Big Bang: the Big Bang is the beginning of the Universe where it all started with a little hot chunk that suddenly began to expand superfast. Black hole: is a tract in space, often round, where the gravitational pull from black hole is that strong that even light cannot escape from it. Only supernovas with an original mass of over 25-30 solar-masses can possibly form a black hole when it explodes.
Quasar: A quasar is an active galaxy. It sends out an immense amount of energy and light; visible light, X-rays and gamma rays. In fact, this is black holes “eating”. Its luminosity is often more than the luminosity of all the stars in the galaxy. Quantum fluctuations: is the lumps that were in the Universe in the beginning. These lumps/ fluctuations later formed our stars, planets, galaxies etc.
4
The Ring Nebula (M-57) with a white dwarf in its centre. The ”Ring” is the outer layers, which is gases and dust, of an exploded star which it has thrown away. Our Sun will have a similar fate.
Galaxy: A galaxy is a collection of many stars. The dark matter is the mass that holds all the stars together with its gravity, otherwise there wouldn’t be so much of a galaxy. The combined mass and size differ and can be from one million solar-masses up to more than a billion solar-masses for the largest galaxies. The combined mass of the stars is though only 10% of the total mass of the galaxy. White dwarf: is a star that has burnt out. They often have a mass of 0.6 solar-masses and forms from stars with an original mass
of up to 8 solar-masses. Supernova: is a supermassive star’s explosion. The outer layers fly into space whereas the inner core stays, often forming a neutron star or a black hole when it collapses into itself due to gravity. Absolute zero: is zero kelvin (0 K = -273.16° C). Lightyear: is the distance light can travel in one year. To be precise 9460 billion km. - D.S.Ø.
5
been able to observe approximately one percent of the Universe. Consequently, this makes these studies enormously exiting and interesting. Nonetheless, the model of the Universe as it is today is that it has a beginning in time and space. (1) It started as an immensely hot and dense chunk that suddenly started to expand faster than the multiplied speed of light (cosmological inflation) from 10-35 to 10-32 sec. after the birth of the Universe, and if it weren’t for that, the universe would have been much smaller today. (2) The cosmic microwave background is the light from the Big Bang. The calculations and Albert Einstein looking through the telescope on Mt. Wilson with Edwin measuring of the Universe are so Hubble on his first right hand. accurate that it is possible to estimate its age as accurate as physics in stars, planets, black 13.7 billion years. (3) Dark holes and galaxies; essentially matter is 23% of all the about the physics of the Universe. It is about studying the Universe’s mass and affects how formation and evolution of these galaxies forms. (4) Dark energy is 73% of all the Universe’s mass objects. Physical cosmology on and generates the Universe’s the other hand, is particularly expansion, which will grow faster strophysics is a very broad about, only to mention a few and faster. The temperature of scientific subject that examines subjects, the cosmic microwave the Universe is now 2.75 K but it and researches for example background, the birth (Big about the characteristics of Bang), evolution and end of the will decline as the Universe will astronomical objects, interstellar Universe, and the dark matter & grow larger. In the end, the Universe will be a dark and dead medium and the cosmic dark energy. Cosmology is the microwave background, but the study of the Universe as a whole, world. cosmic microwave background is it searches theoretical framework actually more of a subject that to understand the observed “belongs” to physical cosmology. universe, its origin and future. Hence the subject of astrophysics The questions cosmology asks is so wide, astrophysicists have to are often profound and apply many disciplines of physics difficult, and occasionally the like mechanics, answers to them happen to be thermodynamics, fluid unimaginable. dynamics, the theory of Modern cosmology started relativity, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, nuclear and in 1915 when Albert Einstein published the theory of particle physics, and lastly relativity, which deals with atomic, molecular and optical physics. Therefore, the author of gravity and curvature of space this article would like to narrow and the speed of light in vacuum, and when better it down to a few subjects in instruments were invented to astrophysics and cosmology, observe galactic objects. Since Penzias and Wilson with their radio telescope, which is one of the branches in then, and especially in the last which they discovered the Cosmic Microwave astronomy. One can in fact say Background with. that cosmology and astrophysics few years, there have been so much progress in astrophysics unifies the physics with the largest structures in the Universe and cosmology that many scientists are calling the recent and the smallest. work a “Golden Age” for Astrophysicists studies for cosmology. Still, there is much to instance mostly about the discover yet. So far, we have only
What is Astrophysics and Physical Cosmology?
A
6
It is possible to study astrophysics at a numerous universities, often at all levels, i.e. at bachelors, masters and Ph.D. It is either offered at physics or astronomy departments at the universities. There is no special education in cosmology except for courses and the like. Thus, to specialize in this it would be optimal to write one’s thesis in this. The most common careers with this education is lecturers and professors at universities, mediators and doing observations and researches at universities. Moreover, astrophysicists and cosmologists can solve all kinds of engineering tasks. - D.S.Ø.
The evolution of the Universe since its beginning.
A summary from the article “Radio Telescopes Could Spot Stars Hidden in the Galactic Center“
Astrophysicists have now spotted a new way to be able look into the centre of our galaxy. So far, it has been difficult to look into the centre due to immense amounts of dust between planet Earth and the centre. Therefore only one photon out of trillions come through and reach the telescopes. Thus, researchers want to discover and observe “new” stars there. They want to use this new technique to learn new things about the centre. Normal observations with radio waves is not good enough here, but if a star travels faster than the speed of sound it can make a process called synchrotron radiation; electrons accelerated by a shock wave produce radio emission that scientists could potentially detect. -D:S.Ø
More can be read on this webpage: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/2015 -19
Heat differences in the Cosmic Microwave Background. 7
Did you know..? Did you know that the United States are more dependant on space assets than any other nation? Space assets include satellites and any other device that directly supports space activity. Space assets can also be equipment that is used in space or can be put into space. - ABS
Engineering The future Space is often considered the final frontier. And when the first ever astronaut „set foot“ into space on May 5, 1961, it finally seemed possible. A lot of technological advancements were made in order to get humanity into space, and some of that technology is availabe as commercial wares for the public. But our current tech isn‘t nearly enough for the big dreams we humans have about exploring outer space. At least not effectively, and thats where engineers come in. In fact, engineers and inventors have gone hand in hand for as long as technological advancements have been made, and the current best astronautical engineers are said to believe that fission power is the next step and will make our future explorations much easier.
But what exactly is engineering, and systems and designing reusable space how does it help? Engineering is, in vehicles like f.ex the STS-1, which short, applying the engineers launched on April 12, 1981. knowledge to the invention of new tech- ABS nology or improvement of the current tech. Engineering has been around since the ancient times, and has been a part of the invention of the wheel, pulley and the lever. Engineering today can be split up into different categories fitting to the field theyre applied to, such as astronautical engineering is for space technologies. Astronautics is the development, design and production of spacecraft and other space, making astronautical engineers apply their own understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena to the designing and operation of space vehicles. Engineers who choose to specialize in astronautical engineering are often the ones designing power systems for satellites, developing communications 8
A number of words are used in this field, such as : Astronautical : is the design, development, analysis, testing, and production of rockets, spacecraft, and global space/international systems. Neil Armstrong---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Neil Alden Armstrong (Born August 5, 1930 and died August 25, 2012), became known world wide as the first man to ever set foot on the moon when his crew landed appolo 11 on the moon in 1969. He was also an aerospace engineer and a university professor. Armstrong has been awarded medals such as the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Congressional Gold Medal.
Cosmological : the philosophical study of the origin and nature of the universe. the branch of astronomy concerned with the evolution and structure of the universe.
-ABS Orbit : an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space Spacecraft : a vehicle used for travelling in space Rocket propulsion : Most of a Rocket Is propellant. A rocket needs lots of propellant, which consists of fuel and the oxidizer needed to burn the fuel. Since it is flying around in airless space, it must carry its own oxidizer, which weighs more than the fuel itself probes : A space probe is a robotic spacecraft that leaves Earth orbit and explores space. -ABS
9
Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -----------
Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev (Born April 1 and died August 22, 1989) was a Soviet Aeronautical engineer and the the main party b ing of the Yakovlev Design Bureu. He was also the one who designed the Yakovlev military aircraft and was a part of the Communist Union.
Henry Ziegler-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Henri Ziegler (Born 18 November 1906 in Limoges and died 24 July 1998 in Paris) was one of the founders of Airbus and was also its fi was a Polytechnic engineer and graduate of the national aerospace engineering school Sup'AĂŠro. -ABS