Earth & Climate
NOvA neutrino detector in Minnesota records first 3-D particle tracks in search to understand universe
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The NOvA detector, currently under construction in Ash River, Minn., stands about 50 feet tall and 50 feet wide. The completed detector will weigh 14,000 tons. (Credit: Fermilab)[/caption]What will soon be the most powerful neutrino detector in the United States has recorded its first three-dimensional images of particles.
Using the first completed section of the NOvA neutrino detector under construction in Minnesota, scientists have begun collecting data from cosmic rays—particles produced by a constant rain of atomic nuclei falling on the Earth’s atmosphere from space. Scientists’ goal for the completed detector is to use it to discover properties of mysterious fundamental particles called neutrinos. Continue reading
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UPI: Cosmic explosions give dark energy clues
The Asian news wire service Asian News International has covered the SMU Physics Department’s recent supernovae discoveries.
The article, “Exploding stars offer clues to dark energy,” was published Feb. 28. Light from two massive stars that exploded hundreds of millions of years ago recently reached Earth, and each event was identified as a supernova by SMU graduate students in the physics department. Continue reading
ANI News: Exploding stars offer clues to dark energy
The Asian news wire service Asian News International has covered the SMU Physics Department’s recent supernovae discoveries.
The article, “Exploding stars offer clues to dark energy,” was published Feb. 28. Light from two massive stars that exploded hundreds of millions of years ago recently reached Earth, and each event was identified as a supernova by SMU graduate students in the physics department.
Both supernovae were spotted with the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment‘s robotic telescope ROTSE3b, at the McDonald Observatory in West Texas. Continue reading
redOrbit: Astronomers Discover White Dwarf Supernovae
The news web site redOrbit has covered the SMU Physics Department’s recent supernovae discoveries. The article was published Feb. 27. Light from two massive stars that exploded hundreds of millions of years ago recently reached Earth, and each event was identified as a supernova. Both supernovae were spotted with the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment‘s robotic telescope ROTSE3b, which is now operated by SMU graduate students. Continue reading
White dwarf supernovae are discovered in Virgo Cluster galaxy and in sky area “anonymous”
Light from two massive stars that exploded hundreds of millions of years ago recently reached Earth, and each event was identified as a supernova by SMU researchers.
A supernova discovered Feb. 6 exploded about 450 million years ago, and a second supernova discovered Nov. 20 exploded about 230 million years ago. Continue reading
Dallas Morning News: Fort Worth coelacanth fossil is missing link among world’s oldest animal lineages
The coelacanth research of SMU paleontology doctoral student John Graf was covered by Dallas Morning News journalist Marc Ramirez.
Graf identified a new species of coelacanth from fossil fish bones discovered in Texas. Ramirez described the discovery and identification in a Feb. 1 article, “Fort Worth coelacanth fossil proves to be a missing link in one of the world’s oldest animal lineages.” Continue reading
The Daily Campus: SMU contributes fossils to Perot Museum of Nature and Science
The Daily Campus reporter Charlie Scott covered SMU’s contributions to the new Perot Museum of Nature and Science in downtown Dallas. Many fossils from SMU’s Shuler Museum of Paleontology are on loan to the new Perot Museum, including those of animals from an ancient sea that once covered Dallas.
The fossils represent a slice of SMU’s scientific collaboration with the Perot Museum and its predecessor, the Dallas Museum of Natural History. Continue reading
UPI: Study finds Jurassic ecosystems like today’s
News wire UPI covered the research of SMU paleontologist Timothy S. Myers for the news site’s science section.
Myers’ latest study found Jurassic ecosystems were similar to modern: Animals flourish among lush plants. The study set out to discover whether that same relationship held true 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Continue reading
Red Orbit: Climate And Biota Have Been Ecologically Connected For Millions Of Years
Journalist Raysehll Clapper for redOrbit.com covered the research of SMU paleontologist Timothy S. Myers for the news web site’s Science section.
Myers’ latest study found Jurassic ecosystems were similar to modern: Animals flourish among lush plants. The study set out to discover whether that same relationship held true 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Continue reading