SLAC Physicists Develop Test For String Theory

*Under Certain ConditionsString theory solves many of the questions wracking the minds of physicists, but it has one major flaw — there are currently no known methods to test it. SLAC scientists have found a way to test a particular version of this revolutionary theory. The test applies to a class of critical string theories which posit that there are 10 or 11 dimensions in our universe — no more, no less.
This past December, Joanne Hewett, Thomas Rizzo and student Ben Lillie published an article in Physical Review Letters which shows theoretically how to measure the number of dimensions that comprise the universe. By determining how many dimensions exist, Hewett, Lillie and Rizzo hope to either confirm or repudiate critical string theory under specific conditions.The first three dimensions, length, height and width, are familiar to all of us. The fourth dimension is time. But what are the extra dimensions? "Imagine a tightrope stretched between skyscrapers," says Hewett. "If you are watching an acrobat walk across it — the tightrope looks like a line. But if you are watching an ant walk on the tightrope, you can see that the tightrope is thick and round." The extra dimensions postulated in string theory are like the tightrope with an ant on it; they are too small to see unless you get really, really close.Hewett, Lillie and Rizzo found that if so called micro-black holes, which are smaller than the nucleus of an atom, exist, they can be used to determine the number of extra dimensions. If scientists were to smash two high energy protons together they could theoretically make such a micro-black hole. Such a collision could happen at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which will become operational next year. Once created, the micro-black hole decays quickly and emits over a dozen different kinds of particles such as electrons, neutrinos and photons, which are easy to detect. Using the predicted decay properties of the black hole into neutrinos, Hewett, Lillie and Rizzo solved complex equations to determine if our universe has 10, 11, or more dimensions — perhaps too many dimensions to be explained by critical string theory. More technically, the analysis applies to models of extra dimensions where micro-black holes can be formed with a size smaller than the curvature of the additional dimensions and where the fundamental particles which make up our universe do not reside in the extra dimensions. These micro-black holes must also exist at an energy scale which can be probed at the LHC. Under those very specific conditions, the test holds. These conditions are possible within string theory, but need not be present.",1


This past December, Joanne Hewett, Thomas Rizzo and student Ben Lillie published an article in Physical Review Letters which shows theoretically how to measure the number of dimensions that comprise the universe. By determining how many dimensions exist, Hewett, Lillie and Rizzo hope to either confirm or repudiate critical string theory under specific conditions.The first three dimensions, length, height and width, are familiar to all of us. The fourth dimension is time. But what are the extra dimensions? "Imagine a tightrope stretched between skyscrapers," says Hewett. "If you are watching an acrobat walk across it — the tightrope looks like a line. But if you are watching an ant walk on the tightrope, you can see that the tightrope is thick and round." The extra dimensions postulated in string theory are like the tightrope with an ant on it; they are too small to see unless you get really, really close.Hewett, Lillie and Rizzo found that if so called micro-black holes, which are smaller than the nucleus of an atom, exist, they can be used to determine the number of extra dimensions. If scientists were to smash two high energy protons together they could theoretically make such a micro-black hole. Such a collision could happen at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which will become operational next year. Once created, the micro-black hole decays quickly and emits over a dozen different kinds of particles such as electrons, neutrinos and photons, which are easy to detect. Using the predicted decay properties of the black hole into neutrinos, Hewett, Lillie and Rizzo solved complex equations to determine if our universe has 10, 11, or more dimensions — perhaps too many dimensions to be explained by critical string theory. More technically, the analysis applies to models of extra dimensions where micro-black holes can be formed with a size smaller than the curvature of the additional dimensions and where the fundamental particles which make up our universe do not reside in the extra dimensions. These micro-black holes must also exist at an energy scale which can be probed at the LHC. Under those very specific conditions, the test holds. These conditions are possible within string theory, but need not be present.
"The computations were so massive, we had to make extreme use of the Babar UNIX farm," said Rizzo.Of course, string theory hasn\'t been tested yet — experimental evidence is necessary. Additionally, Hewett, Lillie and Rizzo’s analysis can only disprove critical string theory; it cannot prove it."If they see black holes at the LHC, they’ll definitely do this analysis," says Hewett. "This would tell us about the fundamental nature of the universe."Note: This article has been revised to contain more technical information.

Hubble Snaps Images of a Pinwheel-Shaped Galaxy

Stunning details of the face-on spiral galaxy, catalogued as NGC 1309, are captured in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope color image. NGC 1309 was home to supernova SN 2002fk, whose light reached Earth in September 2002. NGC 1309 resides 100 million light-years (30 Megaparsecs) from Earth. It is one of about 200 galaxies that make up the Eridanus group of galaxies. The Hubble Advanced Camera for Surveys images were taken in August and September 2005. (NASA, ESA, The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) and A. Riess (STScI))

Looking like a child\'s pinwheel ready to be set a spinning by a gentle breeze, this dramatic spiral galaxy is one of the latest viewed by NASA\'s Hubble Space Telescope. Stunning details of the face-on spiral galaxy, cataloged as NGC 1309, are captured in this color image. Recent observations of the galaxy taken in visible and infrared light come together in a colorful depiction of many of the galaxy\'s features. Bright blue areas of star formation pepper the spiral arms, while ruddy dust lanes follow the spiral structure into a yellowish central nucleus of older-population stars. The image is complemented by myriad far-off background galaxies.However, this galaxy image is more than just a pretty picture. It is helping astronomers to more accurately measure the expansion rate of the universe. NGC 1309 was home to supernova SN 2002fk, whose light reached Earth in September 2002. This supernova event, known as a Type Ia, resulted from a white dwarf star accreting matter from its companion in a binary star system. When the white dwarf collected enough mass and was no longer able to support itself, the star detonated, becoming the brightest object in the galaxy for several weeks.Nearby type Ia supernovae like SN 2002fk in NGC 1309 are used by astronomers to calibrate distance measures in the universe. By comparing nearby type Ia supernovae to more distant ones, they can determine not only that the universeis expanding, but that this expansion is accelerating. However, this method only works if the distance to the host galaxies is known extremely well. That\'s where the Hubble Telescope comes into play. Since NGC 1309 is relatively close to us, the high resolution of Hubble\'s Advanced Camera for Surveys can help accurately determine the distance to the galaxy by looking at the light output of a particular type of variable star called a Cepheid variable. Cepheids are well studied in our own galaxy, and vary regularly in brightness at a rate that is directly related to their total intrinsic brightness. By comparing their variation rate with how bright they appear, astronomers can deduce their distance. In this way, the Cepheids in NGC 1309 allow astronomers to accurately measure the distance to NGC 1309, and thus to SN 2002fk. The expansion of the universe was discovered by Edwin Hubble, the Hubble Space Telescope\'s namesake, nearly a century ago, but the accelerating expansion is a recent discovery which has interesting consequences for cosmological models.",1]
Looking like a child's pinwheel ready to be set a spinning by a gentle breeze, this dramatic spiral galaxy is one of the latest viewed by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Stunning details of the face-on spiral galaxy, cataloged as NGC 1309, are captured in this color image. Recent observations of the galaxy taken in visible and infrared light come together in a colorful depiction of many of the galaxy's features. Bright blue areas of star formation pepper the spiral arms, while ruddy dust lanes follow the spiral structure into a yellowish central nucleus of older-population stars. The image is complemented by myriad far-off background galaxies.However, this galaxy image is more than just a pretty picture. It is helping astronomers to more accurately measure the expansion rate of the universe. NGC 1309 was home to supernova SN 2002fk, whose light reached Earth in September 2002. This supernova event, known as a Type Ia, resulted from a white dwarf star accreting matter from its companion in a binary star system. When the white dwarf collected enough mass and was no longer able to support itself, the star detonated, becoming the brightest object in the galaxy for several weeks.Nearby type Ia supernovae like SN 2002fk in NGC 1309 are used by astronomers to calibrate distance measures in the universe. By comparing nearby type Ia supernovae to more distant ones, they can determine not only that the universeis expanding, but that this expansion is accelerating. However, this method only works if the distance to the host galaxies is known extremely well. That's where the Hubble Telescope comes into play. Since NGC 1309 is relatively close to us, the high resolution of Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys can help accurately determine the distance to the galaxy by looking at the light output of a particular type of variable star called a Cepheid variable. Cepheids are well studied in our own galaxy, and vary regularly in brightness at a rate that is directly related to their total intrinsic brightness. By comparing their variation rate with how bright they appear, astronomers can deduce their distance. In this way, the Cepheids in NGC 1309 allow astronomers to accurately measure the distance to NGC 1309, and thus to SN 2002fk. The expansion of the universe was discovered by Edwin Hubble, the Hubble Space Telescope's namesake, nearly a century ago, but the accelerating expansion is a recent discovery which has interesting consequences for cosmological models.

These Hubble images were taken in August and September 2005. NGC 1309 resides 100 million light-years (30 Megaparsecs) from Earth. It is one of about 200 galaxies that make up the Eridanus group of galaxies. .

Former Canadian Minister Of Defense Asks Canadian Parliament To Hold Hearings

A former Canadian Minister of Defence has joined forces with three Non-governmental organizations to ask the Parliament of Canada to hold public hearings on with Alien "ET" Civilizations. Paul Hellyer, Canada's Defence Minister from 1963-67 under Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prime Minister Lester Pearson, publicly stated: "UFOs, are as real as the airplanes that fly over your head." Hellyer warned, "The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning. Mr. Hellyer went on to say, "I'm so concerned about what the consequences might be of starting an intergalactic war, that I just think I had to say something." "Time is on the side of open disclosure that there are ethical Extraterrestrial civilizations visiting Earth," a spokesperson for the Non-Governmental Organizations stated. "Our Canadian government needs to openly address these important issues of the possible deployment of weapons in outer war plans against ethical Extraterrestrial societies."OTTAWA, CANADA (PRWEB) November 24, 2005 -- A former Canadian Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister under Pierre Trudeau has joined forces with three Non-governmental organizations to ask the Parliament of Canada to hold public hearings on Exopolitics --relations with "ETs."By "ETs," Mr. Hellyer and these organizations mean ethical, advanced extraterrestrial civilizations that may now be visiting Earth.On September 25, 2005, in a startling speech at the University of Toronto that caught the attention of mainstream newspapers and magazines, Paul Hellyer, Canada's Defence Minister from 1963-67 under Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prime Minister Lester Pearson, publicly stated: "UFOs, are as real as the airplanes that fly over your head."Mr. Hellyer went on to say, "I'm so concerned about what the consequences might be of starting an intergalactic war, that I just think I had to say something."Hellyer revealed, "The secrecy involved in all matters pertaining to the Roswell incident was unparalled. The classification was, from the outset, above top secret, so the vast majority of U.S. officials and politicians, let alone a mere allied minister of defence, were never in-the-loop."Hellyer warned, "The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning. He stated, "The Bush administration has finally agreed to let the military build a forward base on the moon, which will put them in a better position to keep track of the goings and comings of the visitors from space, and to shoot at them, if they so decide."Hellyer's speech ended with a standing ovation. He said, "The time has come to lift the veil of secrecy, and let the truth emerge, so there can be a real and informed debate, about one of the most important problems facing our planet today."Three Non-governmental organizations took Hellyer's words to heart, and approached Canada's Parliament in Ottawa, Canada's capital, to hold public hearings on a possible ET presence, and what Canada should do. The Canadian Senate, which is an appointed body, has held objective, well-regarded hearings and issued reports on controversial issues such as same-sex marriage and medical marijuana,On October 20, 2005, the Institute for Cooperation in Space requested Canadian Senator Colin Kenny, Senator, Chair of The Senate Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence, "schedule public hearings on the Canadian Exopolitics Initiative, so that witnesses such as the Hon. Paul Hellyer, and Canadian-connected high level military-intelligence, NORAD-connected, scientific, and governmental witnesses facilitated by the Disclosure Project and by the Toronto Exopolitics Symposium can present compelling evidence, testimony, and Public Policy recommendations."The Non-governmental organizations seeking Parliament hearings include Canada-based Toronto Exopolitics Symposium, which organized the University of Toronto Symposium at which Mr. Hellyer spoke.The Disclosure Project, a U.S.­ based organization that has assembled high level military-intelligence witnesses of a possible ET presence, is also one of the organizations seeking Canadian Parliament hearings.Vancouver-based Institute for Cooperation in Space (ICIS), whose International Director headed a proposed 1977 Extraterrestrial Communication Study for the White House of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who himself has publicly reported a 1969 Close Encounter of the First Kind with a UFO, filed the original request for Canadian Parliament hearings.The Canadian Exopolitics Initiative, presented by the organizations to a Senate Committee panel hearing in Winnipeg, Canada, on March 10, 2005, proposes that the Government of Canada undertake a Decade of Contact.The proposed Decade of Contact is "a 10-year process of formal, funded public education, scientific research, educational curricula development and implementation, strategic planning, community activity, and public outreach concerning our terrestrial society's full cultural, political, social, legal, and governmental communication and public interest diplomacy with advanced, ethical Off-Planet cultures now visiting Earth."Canada has a long history of opposing the basing of weapons in Outer Space. On September 22, 2004 Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin declared to the U.N. General Assembly," "Space is our final frontier. It has always captured our imagination. What a tragedy it would be if space became one big weapons arsenal and the scene of a new arms race.

China-daily

Authorities in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province, announced Mondaythat they had received 160 million yuan (US$20 million) from aTaiwan-based company to construct a UFO research base.Some people in the city's Baiyun District believe they were visited byaliens in 1994, and with this new research base, they hope toreproduce the mysterious moment, through photos and historicaldocumentation.On November 30, 1994, more than 27 hectares of masson pines in aforest farm in the district mysteriously fell down. However, nearbyplastic shelters stood intact.An adjacent truck factory reported similar enigmas: steel pipes werestrangely broken; a huge truck was found more than 20 metres away fromits original place; an employee on the night shift said he had beenpulled up in the air by an "unknown" force.While some thought it was UFOs that did all these strange things,scientists said after a field trip that thunder, lightning andtornados were the probable causes.Wang Fangchen, a biologist who visited the site right after the event,said the city's plan to build a UFO research base is "ridiculous.""Where do they recruit scientists for the research?" he asked, beforeadding: "I won't oppose it if they just want to promote local tourismthrough the programme."Li Jing, a senior astronomer with the National AstronomicalObservatories, echoed the view.Li said China does not have an official UFO research institute because"it needs scientists of various disciplines.""It can be an atmospheric phenomenon, or a biological issue, or aphysical reaction," Li said."People often mistake planes, clouds and insects, as well as strangeshadows on photographs, as being UFOs," said Zhou Xiaoqiang,secretary-general with the Beijing UFO Research Association."If aliens really came, they would more likely appear before our eyespolitely than hide themselves."