Volume 62 Issue 07

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FOR THE WEEK OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2013

Highlander University

Volume 62

of

C a l i f o r n i a , R ive r s i d e

Issue 07

Serving the UCR community since 1954

highlandernews.org

@UCRHighlander

UCR Highlander Newspaper

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UCR astronomers find most distant galaxy U

Devin Deshane CONTRIBUTING WRITER

C Riverside professors Dr. Naveen Reddy and Dr. Bahram Mobasher, in collaboration with astronomers from three other institutions, have found what is not only the most distant galaxy in the universe but also the oldest known to date. Part of the success of finding the galaxy, z8-GND-5296, came from utilizing the new multi-object infrared instrument MOSFIRE at the KECK Observatory in Hawaii. Due to the efficiency and sensitivity of the Hubble Space Telescope, they found the galaxy early on in the search, at a distance of 13.1 billion light-years away from Earth. It formed only 750 million years after the Big Bang, which is believed to have marked the start of the universe. While today, the galaxy grows and continues to move further away from Earth due to the nature of our expanding universe, pictures from the telescope show the discovered galaxy as it

was in its infantile formation; the expansion rate determines the age of the universe in light-years. According to Mobasher, light takes an extremely long time to travel, at an approximate rate of 186,000 miles per second. “The idea is to do these observations over the next three years, and through this to investigate physical properties of galaxies,” Naveen Reddy said about UCR’s goals in pursuing the project. The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the researchers — including Brian Siana, assistant professor of the physics and astronomy department — a three-year grant of $975,000 and a 44-day stay at the observatory to study high redshift galaxies using the method of spectroscopy. The interaction of matter and radiated energy allows people to study light properties, particularly wavelength and frequency. If an object is moving away at a given velocity, the wavelength increases and

produces the titular redshift in the visible light spectrum. The recording of the redshift for this galaxy was unusually high at 7.5, which confirmed that, by being a large number, the galaxy is the furthest to date. By studying such galaxies and comparing them with others, researchers can begin to construct a chronological evolution of galaxy formation. Finding extremely old galaxies like this one provides information about the formation of the universe. Many scientists believe they know what happened right after the Big Bang and understand the general mechanisms the universe had gone through, but only recently have the details of this period, called the Era of Re-Ionization, have been made clearer. “Big Bang started with neutral hydrogen,” said Reddy, “The temperature made it impossible for a proton to form with a neutron

Senators support undocumented students resolution S a n dy V a n SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Winnie Jeng

ASUCR CONT’D ON PAGE 6

INSIDE: Lowering the legal blood alcohol content limit will save lives and money. OPINIONS

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Marking the fourth meeting of the fall quarter, the ASUCR senate approved the passage of two resolutions: one to create a “sanctuary” for undocumented UC students and another to revise UCR policies on the assembly of 25 or more individuals on campus. Senators support greater freedom of expression on campus Young Americans for Liberty President Ben Roden authored a resolution entitled, “Resolution to Revise Policies Limiting Student Speech and Assembly,” which called for the UCR administration to revise its current policies for holding large events on campus. The resolution first cites an instance on Sept. 17 at Modesto Junior College (MJC), where students were barred from passing out copies of the U.S. Constitution in celebration of Constitution Day. MJC campus officials stated that the students needed prior permission from the university before passing out literature and were required to stay within a designated “free speech zone.”

GALAXY CONT’D ON PAGE 4

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Check out the University Village’s hottest new addition with the review of Oven 450. FEATURES

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At the Barn, Elephant Revival brought the crowd to their feet for a night of high energy and solid folk. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Men’s soccer keeps hopes alive in hunt for the Big West postseason. PAGE 19

SPORTS

V i n c e n t T a /HIGHLANDER CHASS Senator Ranjit Nair listens as President Pro Tempore Aaron Johnson reads a resolution pertaining to free speech on campus.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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STAFF

PAGE 7 PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING


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