Stellar Songs, Mysterious Light Pulses, and Jupiter’s Dazzling Auroras

WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:02.310
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source


00:00:02.320 --> 00:00:04.630
for all the latest news from the cosmos.


00:00:04.640 --> 00:00:07.269
I'm your host, Anna, and today we're


00:00:07.279 --> 00:00:08.950
exploring an eclectic mix of


00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:10.470
astronomical discoveries and


00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:12.629
breakthroughs that are expanding our


00:00:12.639 --> 00:00:15.030
understanding of the universe around us.


00:00:15.040 --> 00:00:16.790
From scientists who have managed to


00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:19.029
listen to the music of stars to the


00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:21.029
James Webb Space Telescope capturing


00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:22.950
Jupiter's auroras glowing hundreds of


00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:24.710
times brighter than anything we see on


00:00:24.720 --> 00:00:27.109
Earth, we've got fascinating stories to


00:00:27.119 --> 00:00:28.550
share.


00:00:28.560 --> 00:00:30.230
We'll also dive into mysterious


00:00:30.240 --> 00:00:32.470
unexplained light pulses detected in a


00:00:32.480 --> 00:00:35.030
SETI survey, examine this week's busy


00:00:35.040 --> 00:00:37.590
launch schedule across three continents,


00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:39.750
and explore a revolutionary new theory


00:00:39.760 --> 00:00:41.670
that might finally bridge Einstein's


00:00:41.680 --> 00:00:43.590
gravity with quantum physics,


00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:45.190
potentially solving one of science's


00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:48.229
greatest puzzles. So, sit back and join


00:00:48.239 --> 00:00:49.990
me as we journey through the latest


00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.549
developments from the depths of space to


00:00:52.559 --> 00:00:54.950
the cutting edge of theoretical physics.


00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:58.389
Get comfortable and we'll get started.


00:00:58.399 --> 00:00:59.750
Astronomers have achieved something


00:00:59.760 --> 00:01:01.590
truly remarkable. They've managed to


00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:03.590
peer inside a nearby star by listening


00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:05.990
to its resonance. Using the same


00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:07.510
principle that helps geologists


00:01:07.520 --> 00:01:09.670
understand Earth's interior layers,


00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:11.190
scientists are now applying this


00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:13.670
technique to stars. A groundbreaking


00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:15.350
study published in the Astrophysical


00:01:15.360 --> 00:01:17.510
Journal reveals how researchers at the


00:01:17.520 --> 00:01:20.230
KEK Observatory in Hawaii trained their


00:01:20.240 --> 00:01:23.630
instruments on HD


00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:26.870
219,134, a cool orange star just 21


00:01:26.880 --> 00:01:29.030
light years from our solar system,


00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:31.429
practically our stellar neighbor. The


00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:33.510
vibrations of a star are like its unique


00:01:33.520 --> 00:01:35.749
song, explains lead author Yagwang Lee


00:01:35.759 --> 00:01:38.950
from the University of Hawaii at Monoa.


00:01:38.960 --> 00:01:40.789
By listening to those oscillations, we


00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:42.630
can precisely determine how massive a


00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:45.230
star is, how large it is, and how old it


00:01:45.240 --> 00:01:47.590
is. While stellar songs have been


00:01:47.600 --> 00:01:50.149
detected before using astroismology,


00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:51.990
they've typically only been recorded for


00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:54.950
very hot stars. Scientists previously


00:01:54.960 --> 00:01:56.789
thought the oscillations of smaller,


00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:58.630
cooler stars would be too subtle to


00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:01.190
detect until now.


00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:03.429
The KEK Planet Finder, an instrument


00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:05.830
usually employed to discover exoplanets,


00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:07.350
proved sensitive enough to measure the


00:02:07.360 --> 00:02:10.510
slight motions of HD


00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:14.070
219,134 surface. Over four consecutive


00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:16.470
nights, researchers collected more than


00:02:16.480 --> 00:02:18.949
2,000 precise velocity measurements from


00:02:18.959 --> 00:02:21.309
the star. What they discovered was


00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:24.350
astonishing. HD


00:02:24.360 --> 00:02:27.270
219,134 is approximately 10.2 billion


00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:29.190
years old, more than twice the age of


00:02:29.200 --> 00:02:31.430
our sun. This makes it one of the oldest


00:02:31.440 --> 00:02:34.110
stars ever aged using


00:02:34.120 --> 00:02:36.150
astrocismology. This breakthrough is


00:02:36.160 --> 00:02:37.670
particularly significant because


00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:39.350
traditional techniques for determining


00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:41.670
stellar ages don't work well as stars


00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:44.309
get older. One common method relies on


00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:46.869
measuring stellar spin as younger stars


00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:49.509
rotate faster. However, this slowdown


00:02:49.519 --> 00:02:51.750
becomes less pronounced over time,


00:02:51.760 --> 00:02:53.589
making it increasingly difficult to date


00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:56.150
elderly stars. The team also found that


00:02:56.160 --> 00:02:58.350
HD


00:02:58.360 --> 00:03:01.270
219,134 is about 4% smaller than


00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:02.670
previous measurements


00:03:02.680 --> 00:03:04.790
suggested. This discrepancy might


00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:06.869
indicate that cooler stars don't fit the


00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:08.710
same models used to estimate the size of


00:03:08.720 --> 00:03:11.430
hotter stars. This stellar music


00:03:11.440 --> 00:03:13.270
technique opens a new window into


00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:15.509
understanding the life cycles of stars


00:03:15.519 --> 00:03:17.110
and will help astronomers better


00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:19.670
characterize the at least five planets


00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:21.670
including two rocky worlds larger than


00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:25.630
Earth that orbit HD


00:03:25.640 --> 00:03:28.630
219,134. As researcher Lee puts it, this


00:03:28.640 --> 00:03:30.550
is like finding a longlost tuning fork


00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:32.550
for stellar clocks. It gives us a


00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:34.470
reference point to calibrate how stars


00:03:34.480 --> 00:03:37.830
spin down over billions of years.


00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:39.589
Let's take a look at this week's launch


00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:41.910
schedule with a very special event for


00:03:41.920 --> 00:03:43.949
our listeners down under on the


00:03:43.959 --> 00:03:46.309
schedule. Space launch activity is


00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:48.710
ramping up dramatically this week with


00:03:48.720 --> 00:03:50.869
rockets lifting off from five countries


00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:53.110
across three continents in what's


00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:55.110
shaping up to be an extraordinarily busy


00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:57.670
period for space exploration.


00:03:57.680 --> 00:03:59.429
Australia is preparing to make history


00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:02.149
with Gilmore Space, readying its Aerys


00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:04.309
orbital rocket for the country's first


00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:06.910
sovereign orbital launch from Bowen,


00:04:06.920 --> 00:04:10.309
Queensland. The 25 m tall Aerys vehicle


00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:12.869
uses hybrid propulsion technology and


00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:14.630
could make Australia just the latest


00:04:14.640 --> 00:04:17.110
member of the exclusive Club of Nations


00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:19.150
with indigenous orbital launch


00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:21.430
capabilities. It is hoped this inaugural


00:04:21.440 --> 00:04:23.350
launch will take place on Thursday, May


00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:26.870
15th, morning local time. Meanwhile,


00:04:26.880 --> 00:04:28.950
SpaceX continues its relentless cadence


00:04:28.960 --> 00:04:31.430
of Starlink deployments. The company has


00:04:31.440 --> 00:04:33.350
already conducted multiple Falcon 9


00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:35.350
launches this month with more planned


00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:37.430
from both Vandenberg in California and


00:04:37.440 --> 00:04:39.830
its Florida launch sites. One recent


00:04:39.840 --> 00:04:41.670
mission marked the 28th flight for a


00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:44.230
single booster. A remarkable achievement


00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:46.230
showcasing the company's reusability


00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:48.629
prowess as it pushes toward breaking its


00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:51.670
own record of 132 launches set just last


00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:55.189
year. In Asia, India's space research


00:04:55.199 --> 00:04:57.749
organization is preparing its PSLVXL


00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:00.070
rocket to launch the EOS9 Earth


00:05:00.080 --> 00:05:02.070
observation satellite from the SATS


00:05:02.080 --> 00:05:04.629
Dawan Space Center. This C-band


00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:06.950
synthetic aperture radar satellite, also


00:05:06.960 --> 00:05:09.830
known as RESAT 1B, will join India's


00:05:09.840 --> 00:05:11.270
growing constellation of Earth


00:05:11.280 --> 00:05:13.670
monitoring spacecraft. Not to be


00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:15.749
outdone, China has scheduled multiple


00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:17.590
missions from the Jukan satellite launch


00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:19.430
center, including a launch of their


00:05:19.440 --> 00:05:22.230
innovative Juk 2e rocket. This vehicle


00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:23.830
is particularly noteworthy as it's


00:05:23.840 --> 00:05:25.550
powered by liquid methane and liquid


00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:27.749
oxygen, making it among the first


00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:29.510
methane fueled launch vehicles to


00:05:29.520 --> 00:05:31.909
successfully reach orbit. Across the


00:05:31.919 --> 00:05:34.550
Tasmin Sea from Australia, Rocket Lab is


00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:36.150
readying an electron rocket at their


00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:38.350
private spaceport on New Zealand's Mahia


00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:40.870
Peninsula. Their mission, whimsically


00:05:40.880 --> 00:05:43.430
named the Sea God Seas, will deploy a


00:05:43.440 --> 00:05:45.510
synthetic aperture radar satellite for


00:05:45.520 --> 00:05:49.270
Japanese Earth imagery provider IQPS.


00:05:49.280 --> 00:05:51.510
This global surge in launch activity


00:05:51.520 --> 00:05:53.510
reflects the increasingly democratized


00:05:53.520 --> 00:05:55.830
access to space with both established


00:05:55.840 --> 00:05:57.590
space powers and emerging players


00:05:57.600 --> 00:05:59.749
contributing to a diverse ecosystem of


00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:02.469
launch vehicles and capabilities. From


00:06:02.479 --> 00:06:04.870
SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 to


00:06:04.880 --> 00:06:07.270
Australia's debut Aerys vehicle, the


00:06:07.280 --> 00:06:08.790
variety of rockets taking flight


00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:10.710
demonstrates how Space Access continues


00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:12.790
to evolve beyond the exclusive domain of


00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:15.270
just a few nations.


00:06:15.280 --> 00:06:16.870
Next up today, let's return to a


00:06:16.880 --> 00:06:18.469
favorite subject here on Astronomy


00:06:18.479 --> 00:06:20.950
Daily. In the vast expanse of our


00:06:20.960 --> 00:06:22.629
universe, the search for


00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:24.950
extraterrestrial intelligence continues


00:06:24.960 --> 00:06:27.590
to yield fascinating results, though not


00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:29.990
always the kind we expect. A recent


00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:31.990
multi-year survey has detected something


00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:33.909
truly puzzling that has astronomers


00:06:33.919 --> 00:06:36.629
scratching their heads. NASA veteran


00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:38.390
Richard Stanton has been conducting an


00:06:38.400 --> 00:06:40.629
optical SETI survey using a 30-in


00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:42.710
telescope at the Shea Meadow Observatory


00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:45.110
in Big Bear, California. Unlike


00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:47.110
traditional SETI efforts that focus on


00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:49.590
radio signals, Stanton's approach looks


00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:51.909
for unusual pulses of light that might


00:06:51.919 --> 00:06:53.909
indicate technological activity around


00:06:53.919 --> 00:06:57.469
distant stars. After observing more than


00:06:57.479 --> 00:07:00.870
1,300 sunlike stars over several years,


00:07:00.880 --> 00:07:02.150
Stanton detected something


00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:05.189
extraordinary. two fast identical pulses


00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:07.790
of light from HD


00:07:07.800 --> 00:07:11.350
89,389, an F-type star located about 100


00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:13.430
lighty years from Earth. What makes


00:07:13.440 --> 00:07:15.350
these pulses so intriguing is their


00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:17.830
peculiar pattern and timing. They were


00:07:17.840 --> 00:07:20.710
separated by exactly 4.4 seconds and


00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:22.870
showed nearly identical fine structure


00:07:22.880 --> 00:07:25.189
patterns within each pulse. The stars


00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:27.029
light briefly brightened, dimmed,


00:07:27.039 --> 00:07:28.710
brightened again, and then returned to


00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:30.950
normal. All within about 2/10 of a


00:07:30.960 --> 00:07:33.270
second. This pattern is far too strong


00:07:33.280 --> 00:07:35.189
and structured to be explained by random


00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:37.589
noise or atmospheric turbulence. As


00:07:37.599 --> 00:07:40.150
Stanton noted, how do you make a star


00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:42.710
over 1 million km across partially


00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:45.670
disappear in a tenth of a second? Even


00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:47.350
more compelling, when Stanton reviewed


00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:49.430
historical data, he discovered that


00:07:49.440 --> 00:07:51.510
similar paired pulses had been detected


00:07:51.520 --> 00:07:53.950
around HD


00:07:53.960 --> 00:07:57.029
217,014, better known as 51 Pegasai,


00:07:57.039 --> 00:08:01.029
back in 2021. This G-type star located


00:08:01.039 --> 00:08:03.510
about 50 lighty years away is notably


00:08:03.520 --> 00:08:06.309
the first sunlike star found to have an


00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:08.790
exoplanet orbiting it. Stanton has


00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:10.830
meticulously ruled out all the usual


00:08:10.840 --> 00:08:12.950
suspects. These signals don't match


00:08:12.960 --> 00:08:14.550
known patterns from satellites,


00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:16.550
airplanes, meteors, birds, or other


00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:19.430
common sources of false positives. No


00:08:19.440 --> 00:08:21.029
movement was detected near the stars


00:08:21.039 --> 00:08:23.270
during simultaneous photography. and


00:08:23.280 --> 00:08:25.029
background sensors designed to catch


00:08:25.039 --> 00:08:27.430
satellites moving close to target stars


00:08:27.440 --> 00:08:28.670
detected nothing


00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:31.110
unusual. Various natural explanations


00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:33.269
have been considered from atmospheric


00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:35.190
defraction caused by shock waves to


00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:37.829
partial eclipses by distant asteroids.


00:08:37.839 --> 00:08:39.589
Even more exotic possibilities like


00:08:39.599 --> 00:08:42.070
gravity waves have been examined. None


00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:43.909
provide a satisfactory explanation for


00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:45.990
the precise repeating nature of these


00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:48.949
pulses. This leaves open a tantalizing,


00:08:48.959 --> 00:08:51.110
if remote, possibility that these


00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:52.550
signals might have an intelligent


00:08:52.560 --> 00:08:55.430
origin. If so, Stanton suggests whatever


00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:57.269
modulated these stars light would need


00:08:57.279 --> 00:08:59.269
to be relatively close to Earth,


00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:01.750
implying potential ETI activity within


00:09:01.760 --> 00:09:03.990
our own solar system. But Stanton


00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:05.550
remains appropriately


00:09:05.560 --> 00:09:08.070
cautious. None of these explanations are


00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:10.150
really satisfying at this point. We


00:09:10.160 --> 00:09:11.509
don't know what kind of object could


00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:13.910
produce these pulses or how far away it


00:09:13.920 --> 00:09:16.710
is. Until we learn more, we can't even


00:09:16.720 --> 00:09:19.550
say whether or not extraterrestrials are


00:09:19.560 --> 00:09:21.829
involved. To further investigate this


00:09:21.839 --> 00:09:24.310
mystery, Stanton recommends using arrays


00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:26.230
of synchronized optical telescopes to


00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:28.630
gather more data. If an object is moving


00:09:28.640 --> 00:09:30.710
between us and these stars, this


00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:32.870
approach could reveal its speed, size,


00:09:32.880 --> 00:09:35.110
and distance. Observations from


00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:37.430
telescopes separated by hundreds of km


00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:39.030
might also help determine if the light


00:09:39.040 --> 00:09:40.829
variations originate from the stars


00:09:40.839 --> 00:09:43.190
themselves or from something closer to


00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:45.750
home. For now, these unexplained pulses


00:09:45.760 --> 00:09:47.829
join the growing list of astronomical


00:09:47.839 --> 00:09:49.829
curiosities that remind us how much we


00:09:49.839 --> 00:09:52.350
still have to learn about our cosmic


00:09:52.360 --> 00:09:54.470
neighborhood. The James Web Space


00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:56.230
Telescope has given us a Christmas gift


00:09:56.240 --> 00:09:58.350
that has astronomers absolutely


00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:00.630
mesmerized. Unprecedented views of


00:10:00.640 --> 00:10:02.710
Jupiter's auroras that make Earth's


00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:04.150
northern lights look like a dim


00:10:04.160 --> 00:10:06.630
flashlight by comparison. On Christmas


00:10:06.640 --> 00:10:07.710
Day


00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:11.030
2023, web captured glowing auroras


00:10:11.040 --> 00:10:13.350
adorning Jupiter's north pole that are


00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:15.190
hundreds of times brighter than anything


00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:18.350
we see on our home planet. What stunned


00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:21.030
scientists wasn't just the intensity,


00:10:21.040 --> 00:10:22.710
but the dynamic nature of these


00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:25.110
celestial light shows. Jonathan Nichols


00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:26.630
from the University of Leicester, who


00:10:26.640 --> 00:10:28.470
led the study, was completely takenback


00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:30.550
by what they observed. We wanted to see


00:10:30.560 --> 00:10:32.310
how quickly the auroras change,


00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:34.310
expecting them to fade in and out


00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:36.870
ponderously over 15 minutes or so.


00:10:36.880 --> 00:10:39.269
Instead, we observe the whole auroral


00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:41.590
region fizzing and popping with light,


00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:44.230
sometimes varying by the second.


00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:46.550
Jupiter's auroras form through processes


00:10:46.560 --> 00:10:49.350
both familiar and unique. Like Earth,


00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:51.110
charged particles from the sun's solar


00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:52.949
wind get funneled toward the poles by


00:10:52.959 --> 00:10:55.350
the planet's magnetic field. But Jupiter


00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:57.350
has an additional aurora factory.


00:10:57.360 --> 00:10:59.430
Particles ejected from volcanoes on its


00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:01.750
hellish moon Io undergo the same


00:11:01.760 --> 00:11:03.750
process, adding to the spectacular


00:11:03.760 --> 00:11:06.389
display. To capture these details,


00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:07.910
scientists used a double-barreled


00:11:07.920 --> 00:11:10.150
approach, combining web's near infrared


00:11:10.160 --> 00:11:12.509
camera with Hubble's ultraviolet


00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:15.190
sensors. This dual observation revealed


00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:17.430
something especially puzzling. As


00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:19.990
Nichols explained, bizarrely, the


00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:22.389
brightest light observed by web had no


00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:24.790
real counterpart in Hubble's pictures.


00:11:24.800 --> 00:11:27.430
This has left us scratching our heads.


00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:29.110
This discrepancy points to something


00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:31.190
previously thought impossible. A


00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:32.949
combination of high quantities of very


00:11:32.959 --> 00:11:35.110
low energy particles somehow reaching


00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:36.870
Jupiter's atmosphere in ways current


00:11:36.880 --> 00:11:39.590
models can't explain. The phenomenon is


00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:41.509
forcing scientists to reconsider our


00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.350
understanding of how particles interact


00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:46.150
with planetary atmospheres. The research


00:11:46.160 --> 00:11:47.829
team plans to continue studying


00:11:47.839 --> 00:11:50.150
Jupiter's auroras with both telescopes


00:11:50.160 --> 00:11:51.670
to better understand the mysterious


00:11:51.680 --> 00:11:53.910
particle combination reaching Jupiter's


00:11:53.920 --> 00:11:56.230
atmosphere. Their findings could reveal


00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:58.269
entirely new details about Jupiter's


00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:00.630
magnetosphere, the vast region of space


00:12:00.640 --> 00:12:02.389
around the planet influenced by its


00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:05.590
magnetic field. For now, Jupiter's


00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:07.350
dazzling light show represents yet


00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:09.430
another cosmic mystery waiting to be


00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:11.750
unraveled, showing that even within our


00:12:11.760 --> 00:12:13.990
own solar system, nature still has


00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:15.990
plenty of spectacular surprises that


00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:18.190
challenge our scientific


00:12:18.200 --> 00:12:20.389
understanding. Some exciting science


00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:22.629
news is next. I'll see if I can explain


00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:25.350
it so it makes some sort of sense. For


00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:27.269
decades, physicists have been searching


00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:30.069
for the holy grail of modern science, a


00:12:30.079 --> 00:12:32.310
unified theory that can bring together


00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:34.069
Einstein's theory of gravity with


00:12:34.079 --> 00:12:36.710
quantum mechanics. These two pillars of


00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:38.389
physics have stubbornly refused to


00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:40.629
reconcile, creating what many consider


00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:42.790
the most significant unsolved problem in


00:12:42.800 --> 00:12:45.190
theoretical physics. Now, researchers


00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:47.190
from Finland's Alto University may have


00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:49.670
made a crucial breakthrough. Miko


00:12:49.680 --> 00:12:51.750
Partanan and Yuca Tulki have developed


00:12:51.760 --> 00:12:54.230
what they call unified gravity, a


00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:55.670
groundbreaking approach that could


00:12:55.680 --> 00:12:58.470
finally bridge this theoretical divide.


00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:00.230
Their work, recently published in


00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:02.710
reports on progress in physics, takes a


00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:05.430
novel approach to a century old problem.


00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:07.190
The fundamental challenge has always


00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:09.829
been one of mathematical language. The


00:13:09.839 --> 00:13:12.150
standard model of particle physics which


00:13:12.160 --> 00:13:14.949
describes the electromagnetic weak and


00:13:14.959 --> 00:13:17.829
strong forces uses a framework called


00:13:17.839 --> 00:13:20.710
quantum field theory. Gravity on the


00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:22.870
other hand is described by Einstein's


00:13:22.880 --> 00:13:24.710
general relativity which views gravity


00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:27.269
as the curvature of spaceime itself.


00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:28.790
This clash between the internal


00:13:28.800 --> 00:13:30.629
symmetries of quantum fields and the


00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:32.629
external symmetries of spaceime has made


00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:35.110
gravity extremely difficult to fit into


00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:37.710
the quantum framework. As partan


00:13:37.720 --> 00:13:40.069
explains, their innovative solution


00:13:40.079 --> 00:13:42.790
introduces an 8 component spinorial


00:13:42.800 --> 00:13:45.269
representation of quantum fields and a


00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:47.430
space-time dimension field that allows


00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:48.790
them to extract familiar


00:13:48.800 --> 00:13:50.949
four-dimensional space-time quantities


00:13:50.959 --> 00:13:53.750
from an eight-dimensional spinor space.


00:13:53.760 --> 00:13:55.670
This mathematical slight of hand enables


00:13:55.680 --> 00:13:58.470
them to treat gravity using compact


00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:01.110
finite dimensional unitary symmetries,


00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:02.949
the same kind used in the standard


00:14:02.959 --> 00:14:05.189
model. What makes this approach


00:14:05.199 --> 00:14:07.350
particularly promising is that it allows


00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:09.430
gravity to be represented in flat


00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:12.470
spaceime using the manowski metric


00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:14.790
without requiring the curved spaceime of


00:14:14.800 --> 00:14:15.949
general


00:14:15.959 --> 00:14:18.150
relativity. This makes it possible to


00:14:18.160 --> 00:14:20.069
write gravity in the same mathematical


00:14:20.079 --> 00:14:26.910
form as the other fundamental forces.


00:14:26.920 --> 00:14:29.189
Partiners have gone beyond just


00:14:29.199 --> 00:14:31.350
theoretical formulations. They've


00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:33.269
derived Fineman rules for unified


00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.509
gravity, essentially the mathematical


00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:37.750
instructions used to calculate how


00:14:37.760 --> 00:14:39.550
particles interact in quantum field


00:14:39.560 --> 00:14:42.790
theory. Their analysis suggests that all


00:14:42.800 --> 00:14:44.550
infinities in the equations could be


00:14:44.560 --> 00:14:46.150
absorbed into a small number of


00:14:46.160 --> 00:14:48.629
redefined parameters, suggesting the


00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:49.870
theory could be


00:14:49.880 --> 00:14:52.150
reormalizable, a critical feature that


00:14:52.160 --> 00:14:53.990
previous quantum gravity theories have


00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:56.949
struggled to achieve. If proven correct,


00:14:56.959 --> 00:14:58.790
unified gravity would have profound


00:14:58.800 --> 00:15:01.670
implications. It could provide tools to


00:15:01.680 --> 00:15:03.590
explore the universe's most extreme


00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:05.829
environments where both quantum effects


00:15:05.839 --> 00:15:08.069
and gravity matter, the interiors of


00:15:08.079 --> 00:15:10.470
black holes, and the moment of the big


00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:11.389
bang


00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:13.590
itself. Without a quantum theory of


00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:15.590
gravity, we can't fully describe what


00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:17.430
happens at high energies, where space


00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:19.590
and time behave very differently, says


00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:22.150
Partanan. Their theory might eventually


00:15:22.160 --> 00:15:23.990
answer fundamental questions about why


00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:25.990
there's more matter than antimatter in


00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:28.550
the universe or how spacetime behaved in


00:15:28.560 --> 00:15:31.189
the earliest moments of existence. While


00:15:31.199 --> 00:15:33.030
the theory still needs to be proven at


00:15:33.040 --> 00:15:35.509
higher orders of quantum correction, the


00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:37.590
researchers are optimistic that unified


00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:39.910
gravity could do for 21st century


00:15:39.920 --> 00:15:41.990
physics, what Einstein's general


00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.790
relativity did a century ago, open


00:15:44.800 --> 00:15:46.949
entirely new frontiers of understanding


00:15:46.959 --> 00:15:49.670
and technological possibility.


00:15:49.680 --> 00:15:51.269
Phew, how'd I go? Hopefully that all


00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:54.069
made sense. On that note, then we'll


00:15:54.079 --> 00:15:56.110
wrap up today's journey through the


00:15:56.120 --> 00:15:58.550
cosmos. From listening to the music of


00:15:58.560 --> 00:16:00.470
stars and tracking this week's busy


00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:03.189
launch schedule to unexplained pulses of


00:16:03.199 --> 00:16:04.870
light that have SETI researchers


00:16:04.880 --> 00:16:08.150
puzzled, Jupiter's spectacular auroras,


00:16:08.160 --> 00:16:10.069
and a potential breakthrough in unifying


00:16:10.079 --> 00:16:12.389
physics greatest theories. We've covered


00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:14.230
quite a bit of ground among the stars.


00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.069
I'm Anna. Thanks for joining me on


00:16:16.079 --> 00:16:17.910
Astronomy Daily. If you'd like to stay


00:16:17.920 --> 00:16:20.069
updated on these stories and more, visit


00:16:20.079 --> 00:16:21.629
our website at


00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:23.509
astronomydaily.io where you can sign up


00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:25.509
for our free daily newsletter and catch


00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:27.509
up on all the latest space and astronomy


00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:29.430
news with our constantly updating news


00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:31.670
feed. And don't forget to follow us on


00:16:31.680 --> 00:16:33.590
social media. Just search for Astro


00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:35.829
Daily Pod on Facebook X, YouTube,


00:16:35.839 --> 00:16:37.829
YouTube Music, Instagram, Tumblr, and


00:16:37.839 --> 00:16:39.990
Tik Tok. We'd love to continue the


00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:41.670
conversation about today's fascinating


00:16:41.680 --> 00:16:44.150
topics with you there. Until next time,


00:16:44.160 --> 00:16:47.150
keep looking up.


00:16:47.160 --> 00:16:51.959
day. Stories we told.