Gravitational waves with precise measurements of rapidly rotating neutron étoile, star 

Astronomers closer to proving gravitational waves with precise measurements of rapidly rotating neutron star

When Albert Einstein proposed the existence of gravitational waves as part of his theory of relativity, he set in train a pursuit for knowledge that continues nearly a century later. These ripples in the space-time continuum exert a powerful appeal because it is believed they carry information that will allow us to look back into the very beginnings of the universe. But although the weight of evidence continues to build, undisputed confirmation of their existence still eludes scientists. Researchers have now provided another piece of the puzzle with their precise measurements of a rapidly rotating neutron star: one of the smallest, densest stars in the universe.

Black hole devouring a neutron star. Neutron stars, along with colliding black holes and the Big Bang, may all be sources of gravitational waves.

When Albert Einstein proposed the existence of gravitational waves as part of his theory of relativity, he set in train a pursuit for knowledge that continues nearly a century later.

These ripples in the space-time continuum exert a powerful appeal because it is believed they carry information that will allow us to look back into the very beginnings of the universe. But although the weight of evidence continues to build, undisputed confirmation of their existence still eludes scientists.

Researchers from University of Warwick and Monash University have provided another piece of the puzzle with their precise measurements of a rapidly rotating neutron star: one of the smallest, densest stars in the universe.

Neutron stars, along with colliding black holes and the Big Bang, may all be sources of gravitational waves.

, the Monash and Warwick scientists significantly improved the precision with which they could measure the orbit of Scorpius X-1, a double star system containing a neutron star that feeds off a nearby companion star. This interaction makes it the strongest source of X-rays in the sky apart from the sun.

Dr Duncan Galloway from the Monash Centre for Astrophysics said that the main difficulty in searching for gravitational waves emitted by Scorpius X-1 was the lack of precise knowledge about the neutron star\'s orbit.

"We have made a concerted effort to refine Scorpius X-1\'s orbit and other parameters, with the goal of significantly boosting the sensitivity of searches for gravitational waves," Dr Galloway said.

"Detecting gravitational waves will open a new window for observation and allow us to study objects in the universe in a way that can\'t be achieved using traditional astronomy techniques."

Monash PhD student Ms Shakya Premachandra spent three months at the University of Warwick learning specific techniques and methods to improve the team\'s measurements.

Under the guidance of Dr Danny Steeghs from Warwick\'s Astronomy and Astrophysics Group, Ms Premachandra worked on the research data and learnt a specific software program developed by Warwick astronomers.

Dr Steeghs said he first started researching gravitational waves with Monash in 2009 and seed funding from the Monash Warwick Alliance has supported these efforts.

"With help from the Monash Warwick Alliance, we quickly identified a genuine opportunity to make substantial research progress by combining our expertise, which also led to an ambitious plan for continued collaboration," Dr Steeghs said.

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Warwick.

Duncan K. Galloway, Sammanani Premachandra, Danny Steeghs, Tom Marsh, Jorge Casares, R�mon Cornelisse. PRECISION EPHEMERIDES FOR GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE SEARCHES. I. Sco X-1.

University of Warwick. "Astronomers closer to proving gravitational waves with precise measurements of rapidly rotating neutron star." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 June 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140627112714.htm>.

University of Warwick. (2014, June 27). Astronomers closer to proving gravitational waves with precise measurements of rapidly rotating neutron star. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 30, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140627112714.htm

University of Warwick. "Astronomers closer to proving gravitational waves with precise measurements of rapidly rotating neutron star." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140627112714.htm (accessed June 30, 2014).

Successful Test of Saucer-Shaped Vehicle for Future Mars Missions

June 30, 2014 � NASA has successfully conducted the first of three planned tests for the Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) project, developed to evaluate new landing technologies for future Mars missions. ...

NASA; Space Exploration; Aviation; Space Missions

June 27, 2014 � Researchers have given science a new and unprecedented 3-D view of one of the most important receptors in the brain -- a receptor that allows us to learn and remember, and whose dysfunction is ...

Parkinson\'s Research; Disorders and Syndromes; Schizophrenia; Cancer

\'Compressive Sensing\' Provides New Approach to Measuring a Quantum System

June 27, 2014 � In quantum physics, momentum and position are an example of conjugate variables. This means they are connected by Heisenberg\'s Uncertainty Principle, which says that both quantities cannot be ...

Physics; Quantum Computing; Optics; Medical Technology

Diamond Plates Create Nanostructures Through Pressure, Not Chemistry

June 27, 2014 � Mechanical force -- about the same that raises the numerals on credit cards -- proves to be a much more varied and ecological creator of nanostructures than the current method of choice, chemistry, ...

Nanotechnology; Chemistry; Inorganic Chemistry; Materials Science

Astronomers Closer to Proving Gravitational Waves With Precise Measurements of Rapidly Rotating Neutron Star

June 27, 2014 � When Albert Einstein proposed the existence of gravitational waves as part of his theory of relativity, he set in train a pursuit for knowledge that continues nearly a century later. These ripples in ...

Albert Einstein; Black Holes; Stars; Quantum Physics

June 27, 2014 � Pioneering work using touchless technology for vascular surgery is now being extended to neurosurgery. Following the successful pilot of the technology in vascular surgery procedures, a research team ...

Today\'s Healthcare; Medical Devices; Medical Education and Training; Medical Imaging

June 26, 2014 � A new record for a trapped field in a superconductor, beating a record that has stood for more than a decade, could herald the arrival of materials in a broad range of fields. Researchers managed to ...

Materials Science; Energy Technology; Engineering and Construction; Nature of Water

Notorious Pathogen Forms Slimy \'Streamers\' to Clog Up Medical Devices

June 26, 2014 � A research team has moved a step closer to preventing infections of the common hospital pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus, by revealing the mechanisms that allow the bacteria to rapidly clog up medical ...

Bacteria; Nature of Water; Extreme Survival; Infectious Diseases

June 26, 2014 � Students show Wallace & Gromit ‘Wrong Trousers’ are scientifically possible for a short period of time. In the classic 1993 Wallace & Gromit film The Wrong Trousers Gromit receives a pair of ...

Let There Be Light: Chemists Develop Magnetically Responsive Liquid Crystals for Writing Tablets, Billboards and More

June 26, 2014 � Chemists have constructed liquid crystals with optical properties that can be instantly and reversibly controlled by an external magnetic field. The research opens the door to display applications ...

Saucer for Future Mars Missions: Test a Success

Do Gravitational Waves Exist? Neutron Star Clues

from AP, Reuters, AFP, and other news services

Drones, Scanners and GPS All Part of \'precision Farming\' Arsenal

AFP (June 29, 2014) � Aerial drones, infrared scanning and cloud computing aren\'t the first things you\'d associate with farming, but they\'re all among the technologies being used on the cutting edge of US agriculture. Duration: 02:52 Video provided by AFP

US SciFi Authors Inspire Real-Life Tech Inventors

AFP (June 27, 2014) � Once science fiction portrayed the far-off future, today it increasingly describes the present. Duration: 01:48 Video provided by AFP

Safety Experts Urge Caution With Fireworks

AP (June 26, 2014) � With the July 4th weekend fast approaching, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is reporting an increase in fireworks-related deaths and injuries, and is urging consumers to exercise caution, especially around kids. (June 26) Video provided by AP

FDA Clears Robotic Legs That Help Paraplegics Walk

Newsy (June 26, 2014) � The agency approved ReWalk, a battery-powered exoskeleton that can sit, stand or walk, for sale to the general public. Video provided by Newsy

\'Bad\' Video Game Behavior Increases Morality?

Early Life Stress: Lasting Impacts on Brain

Monkeys Also Believe in Winning Streaks: Study

Researchers Detect Smallest Force Ever Measured

Feb. 20, 2012 � Pulsars, which already have produced two Nobel Prizes, are providing scientists with unique insights on topics from particle physics to General ...

New Hope of Detecting Gravitational Waves: Final Piece of Einstein\'s Jigsaw Puzzle

May 26, 2011 � Direct evidence of the existence of gravitational waves is something that has long eluded researchers. However, new research has suggested that adding just one of the proposed detectors in Japan, ...

Jan. 5, 2010 � A breakthrough in discovering new millisecond pulsars is providing astronomers a greatly improved capability to use those natural cosmic tools to make the first direct detections of gravitational ...

Black Holes in Star Clusters Stir Up Time and Space

Dec. 20, 2009 � Within a decade scientists could be able to detect the merger of tens of pairs of black holes every year, according astronomers. By modeling the behavior of stars in clusters, the team finds that ...

Double Nucleus Galaxies: Ravenous Black Holes And Ripples In Space-Time Continuum

Sep. 14, 2009 � It may sound like science fiction, but freakish galactic events such as ravenous black holes and ripples in the space-time continuum could be happening all around us, according to new research. ...

NASA to launch global warming satellite after loss

Mars \'flying saucer\' splashes down after NASA test

Mars \'flying saucer\' splashes back down after test

Mountain captured at Utah shopping center dies

Reassuring news on cancer risk from IVF drugs - study

Obama taps business exec to oversee troubled VA

India hails rocket \'cheaper than Hollywood film Gravity\'

Evacuation plans stir fresh doubts over Japan nuclear restarts

Crews making progress against Arizona wildfire

Emperor penguins waddling to extinction: climate study

Exclusive: Facebook scores record 1 billion interactions for World Cup

Sony confident TV business will swing to profit this year: executive

Philips to merge LED components, auto lighting into standalone business

Google, Detroit diverge on road map for self-driving cars

Get the latest science news with ScienceDaily\'s free email newsletters, updated daily and weekly. Or view hourly updated newsfeeds in your RSS reader:

Keep up to date with the latest news from ScienceDaily via social networks and mobile apps:

Tell us what you think of ScienceDaily -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. Have any problems using the site? Questions?

About ScienceDaily �|� Editorial Staff �|� Awards & Reviews �|� Contribute News �|� Advertise with Us �|� Privacy Policy �|� Terms of Use

Content on this website is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical or other professional advice.

Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its partners.

ScienceDaily features breaking news and videos about the latest discoveries in health, technology, the environment, and more -- from major news services and leading universities, scientific journals, and research organizations.

Read ScienceDaily\'s top medical sciences and health stories, or browse by topic:

Read ScienceDaily\'s top physical sciences and technology stories, or browse by topic:

Read ScienceDaily\'s top biological sciences and environment stories, or browse by topic:

Read ScienceDaily\'s strange and offbeat stories, or browse by topic:

Read ScienceDaily\'s top society and education stories, or browse by topic:

Latest Headlines Health & Medicine Mind & Brain Space & Time Matter & Energy Computers & Math Plants & Animals Earth & Climate Fossils & Ruins