Waters of Mars

Summary: As you have no doubt heard, NASA announced yesterday that there is now concrete evidence of flowing water on the surface of Mars. Amazing isn't it? I'll put a link to the press release but first let me highlight a few items. 

1. This was first noticed by am undergraduate student who was studying photos of the surface of Mars. They noticed that there were dark patterns on the surface, resembling river beds, that would appear in June and grow before shrinking again to nothing in September. They would then appear at the same time next year although never in the exact same spot. 

2. Not only was this proof of flowing liquid, but scientists were able to detect hydrated salt crystals. Proof that this liquid is definitely water. 

3. And because it is such a regular pattern, it is safe to assume that it has been occurring for much longer than five years. 

All this gives me greater hope for future exploration of Mars. Maybe this will provide enough public support that the space programs of the world can start collaborations more effectively. 

Of course the Whovian in me is also screaming that we shouldn't trust the water, but that's for another episode to address. 

NASA

Symmetry of Nuclei

Summary: Finally, some news about antimatter! Scientists at the LHC who are working on ALICE, have been able to more precisely measure the nuclei of particles and their antiparticles. Happily they discovered that there is fundamental symmetry with their charge, parity, and time.

The ALICE experiment smashes particles together that create nuclei and antinuclei at the same rate which allow the scientists to study them easier.


Quarks to Quasars
Nature

Another Nail in the Coffin for the Standard Model?

Summary: Data from the LHC's last run is still being analysed and with this comes possible new data to suggest faults in the standard model. Researchers at University of Maryland are studying leptons, subatomic particles that help to make up our universe. While studying the decay rate, they observed that not all particles decayed at the same rate as they should. Something was influencing the process.

What this mysterious force is, we do not know, but it is not predicted to exist in the standard model. This experiment is building on another experiment of their that also seemed to contradict the standard model. So it is not an instrumental error. Whatever it is, I am excited to find out.


RT
University of Maryland