Andrew Yee[_1_]
June 20th 08, 01:44 PM
Media and Communications Unit
Swinburne University of Technology
Hawthorn, Australia
Media Contact:
Crystal Ladiges (03) 9214 5064 or 0416 174 880
20.06.2008
Earth's laws still apply in distant Universe
The laws of nature are the same in the distant Universe as they are here on
Earth, according to new research conducted by an international team of
astronomers.
The research, published today in Science, found that one of the most
important numbers in physics theory, the proton-electron mass ratio, is
almost exactly the same in a galaxy 6 billion light years away as it is in
Earth's laboratories -- approximately 1836.15.
According to Swinburne astrophysicist and lead author of the study, Dr
Michael Murphy, it is an important finding, as many scientists debate
whether the laws of nature may change at different times and in different
places in the Universe.
"We have been able to show that the laws of physics are the same in this
galaxy half way across the visible Universe as they are here on Earth," he
said.
The astronomers determined this by effectively looking back in time at a
distant quasar. The quasar's light, which took 7.5 billion years to reach
us, was partially absorbed by ammonia gas in an intervening galaxy.
"Not only is ammonia useful in most bathroom cleaning products, it is also
an ideal molecule to test our understanding of physics in the distant
Universe. The wavelengths at which ammonia absorbs radio energy from the
quasar are sensitive to this special nuclear physics number, the
proton-electron mass ratio.
"By comparing the ammonia absorption with that of other molecules, we were
able to determine the value of the proton-electron mass ratio in this
galaxy, and confirm that it is the same as it is on Earth," said Murphy.
The astronomers' aim is to continue testing the laws of nature in as many
different places and times in the Universe as possible.
"We want to see how well the laws of nature stand up in untested situations,
by looking well beyond our little portion of space and time."
In order to do this, the astronomers will need to locate more absorbing
galaxies. "The galaxy we studied is the only known one of its kind in the
Universe. We know there must be many more out there; we just don't have the
technology to find them."
According to Murphy, this problem could be overcome with the proposed Square
Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope project. "The SKA is the largest, most
ambitious international telescope project ever conceived. When completed it
will have an enormous collecting area, and will allow us to search for more
absorbing galaxies."
The location of the SKA, which has been short-listed to Western Australia
and South Africa, will be announced within the next two years.
By continuing their research into the forces of nature, the astronomers also
hope to find a window into the extra dimensions of space that many
theoretical physicists think may exist.
Researchers: Dr Michael Murphy, Swinburne University of Technology,
Australia; Prof. Victor Flambaum, University of New South Wales, Australia;
Dr Sastien Muller, Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics,
Taiwan; Dr Christian Henkel, Max Planck Institute for Radio astronomy,
Germany.
Images of the research can be found at:
http://www.astronomy.swin.edu.au/ammonia
Swinburne University of Technology
Hawthorn, Australia
Media Contact:
Crystal Ladiges (03) 9214 5064 or 0416 174 880
20.06.2008
Earth's laws still apply in distant Universe
The laws of nature are the same in the distant Universe as they are here on
Earth, according to new research conducted by an international team of
astronomers.
The research, published today in Science, found that one of the most
important numbers in physics theory, the proton-electron mass ratio, is
almost exactly the same in a galaxy 6 billion light years away as it is in
Earth's laboratories -- approximately 1836.15.
According to Swinburne astrophysicist and lead author of the study, Dr
Michael Murphy, it is an important finding, as many scientists debate
whether the laws of nature may change at different times and in different
places in the Universe.
"We have been able to show that the laws of physics are the same in this
galaxy half way across the visible Universe as they are here on Earth," he
said.
The astronomers determined this by effectively looking back in time at a
distant quasar. The quasar's light, which took 7.5 billion years to reach
us, was partially absorbed by ammonia gas in an intervening galaxy.
"Not only is ammonia useful in most bathroom cleaning products, it is also
an ideal molecule to test our understanding of physics in the distant
Universe. The wavelengths at which ammonia absorbs radio energy from the
quasar are sensitive to this special nuclear physics number, the
proton-electron mass ratio.
"By comparing the ammonia absorption with that of other molecules, we were
able to determine the value of the proton-electron mass ratio in this
galaxy, and confirm that it is the same as it is on Earth," said Murphy.
The astronomers' aim is to continue testing the laws of nature in as many
different places and times in the Universe as possible.
"We want to see how well the laws of nature stand up in untested situations,
by looking well beyond our little portion of space and time."
In order to do this, the astronomers will need to locate more absorbing
galaxies. "The galaxy we studied is the only known one of its kind in the
Universe. We know there must be many more out there; we just don't have the
technology to find them."
According to Murphy, this problem could be overcome with the proposed Square
Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope project. "The SKA is the largest, most
ambitious international telescope project ever conceived. When completed it
will have an enormous collecting area, and will allow us to search for more
absorbing galaxies."
The location of the SKA, which has been short-listed to Western Australia
and South Africa, will be announced within the next two years.
By continuing their research into the forces of nature, the astronomers also
hope to find a window into the extra dimensions of space that many
theoretical physicists think may exist.
Researchers: Dr Michael Murphy, Swinburne University of Technology,
Australia; Prof. Victor Flambaum, University of New South Wales, Australia;
Dr Sastien Muller, Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics,
Taiwan; Dr Christian Henkel, Max Planck Institute for Radio astronomy,
Germany.
Images of the research can be found at:
http://www.astronomy.swin.edu.au/ammonia