The National Science Foundation's giant Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) has given astronomers a powerful new tool for mapping large cosmic structures and offering clues about the nature of "dark energy." With its 110-meter diameter dish, the GBT is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope (see the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's site at http://www.gb.nrao.edu/gbt/).
Some scientists believe that nearly three-fourths of the mass and energy of the Universe is dark energy, and that it is this energy that is causing the Universe to expand at an accelerating rate. While the acceleration was discovered in 1998, its cause remains unknown.
Exploring the nature an origins of the Universe will call for a new breed of scientists who know how to use ever changing technological breakthroughs that go far beyond mere optics. For example, sound waves in the extremely early Universe may have left detectable imprints on the large-scale distribution of galaxies in the Universe. Researchers can now measure such imprints by observing the radio emission of hydrogen gas using a technique known as intensity mapping. Scientists can map expansive quadrants of the Universe in three dimensions and test competing theories of dark energy.
Astronomers have traditionally traced the expansion of the Universe by observing galaxies. Intensity mapping lets scientists leapfrog over the galaxy-detection step and gather radio emissions from a thousand galaxies at a time.
I've always been a huge fan of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and was once invited to visit the VLA (Very Large Array) in Socorro, New Mexico for a book I was writing on extraterrestrial contact.
Job seekers interested in uncovering the "dark" secrets of the Universe might want to apply to the Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University. It's offering tenure-track faculty positions at the junior or senior levels. The Department has built up a theoretical and observational cosmology group, much of whose research is related to uncovering the nature of the dark part of the universe. For more information on this job opportunity, check out http://www.cmu.edu/physics/employment/cosmology-faculty-2009.html
For more information on scientific careers, visit ScienceCareersite.com
Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for nati
Some scientists believe that nearly three-fourths of the mass and energy of the Universe is dark energy, and that it is this energy that is causing the Universe to expand at an accelerating rate. While the acceleration was discovered in 1998, its cause remains unknown.
Exploring the nature an origins of the Universe will call for a new breed of scientists who know how to use ever changing technological breakthroughs that go far beyond mere optics. For example, sound waves in the extremely early Universe may have left detectable imprints on the large-scale distribution of galaxies in the Universe. Researchers can now measure such imprints by observing the radio emission of hydrogen gas using a technique known as intensity mapping. Scientists can map expansive quadrants of the Universe in three dimensions and test competing theories of dark energy.
Astronomers have traditionally traced the expansion of the Universe by observing galaxies. Intensity mapping lets scientists leapfrog over the galaxy-detection step and gather radio emissions from a thousand galaxies at a time.
I've always been a huge fan of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and was once invited to visit the VLA (Very Large Array) in Socorro, New Mexico for a book I was writing on extraterrestrial contact.
Job seekers interested in uncovering the "dark" secrets of the Universe might want to apply to the Department of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University. It's offering tenure-track faculty positions at the junior or senior levels. The Department has built up a theoretical and observational cosmology group, much of whose research is related to uncovering the nature of the dark part of the universe. For more information on this job opportunity, check out http://www.cmu.edu/physics/employment/cosmology-faculty-2009.html
For more information on scientific careers, visit ScienceCareersite.com
Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for nati
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