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With the help of ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array), scientists have observed the "Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Survey Field" in the direction of the constellation Cetus, and succeeded in identifying 15 extremely dark galaxies which had been previously unknown.
In addition, they also successfully measured the number density of galaxies with 10 times less luminosity than ones previously observed with the conventional millimeter instruments.
Based on the observations with ALMA telescope, the research team led by Bunyo Hatsukade, a postdoc researcher, and Kouji Ohta, a professor, both from the Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, have revealed that approximately 80 percent of the unidentifiable millimeter wave signals from the universe are actually emitted from galaxies.
ALMA telescope finds 15 extremely dark galaxies unidentified until now
Their densities well match the prediction by theories of galaxy formation. Therefore, the researchers consider that they managed to capture more like "normal" galaxies, which had been impossible to detect up to now, than extremely bright "submillimeter-luminous galaxies".
Using ALMA and the Subaru Telescope , the research team is now seeking to uncover the overall picture of galaxy formation and evolution while conducting observations of much darker galaxies.
Conventional research on distant galaxies has been carried out mainly with visible light and near infrared light. However, it is possible that many galaxies in the universe have been overlooked as much of that radiation is largely absorbed by cosmic dust. That is why millimeter and submillimeter wave observations are important.
ALMA telescope finds 15 extremely dark galaxies unidentified until now
Stellar light absorbed by dust is reradiated from the dust as millimeter/submillimeter waves. Therefore galaxies, even those that it has not been possible to observe with optical telescopes, can be detected using these wavebands. Furthermore, millimeter/submillimeter waves are suitable for observation of distant galaxies. This is because the more distant the galaxy is, the more luminous part of light we can see due to the shift of wavelength of light by the expansion of the universe.
This effect is called "negative K correction" and it compensates the source dimming in the distant universe.
In past observations, gigantic galaxies deeply covered in dust, where several hundreds to thousands of stars are actively forming per year, have been detected with millimeter/submillimeter waves. To capture the overall picture of galaxies in the universe, it is important to observe "general galaxies" which have moderate star-formation activities. However, it has not been possible to detect faint galaxies due to the low sensitivity of existing observation instruments.
The research team observed a field named "Subaru/XMM-Newtown Deep Survey Field," located in the direction of the constellation Cetus, with the ALMA telescope. As a result, they succeeded in finding 15 extremely dark galaxies that were unidentified until now.
"It is thanks to the high performance of ALMA, which is proudly said to be the best in the world, that observations like this have been made possible," said Hatsukade.
With the ALMA observations the team successfully measured the number density of galaxies approximately 10 times darker than the millimeter wave research results up to now.
The new results agree well with the prediction by the theories of galaxy formation. That means, the galaxies detected in this research are the faint but dust-rich galaxies and they are most likely to be similar in type to normal galaxies not detected before.
In regards to this, Professor Ohta commented, "This is a big step towards getting the big picture of galaxy evolution as the objects connecting especially bright galaxies in millimeter/submillimeter waves and normal galaxies were detected with ALMA."
Furthermore, the team concluded that approximately 80 percent of the sources of the cosmic background radiation within the millimeter/submillimeter wavebands are more "normal galaxies" like those detected by ALMA this time.
Superhydrophobic Paper
Taking inspiration from the water repelling qualities of lotus leaves researchers Lester Li, Victor Breedveld and Dennis Hess of Georgia Institute of Technology have come up with a superhydrophobic paper that has been proven to repel most liquids and oils. The paper is made from standard softwood and hardwood fibers. The fibers then undergo the standard manufacturing process where the cellulose in them in broken down into smaller parts by mechanical grinding. In the conventional way the paper is pressed in presence of water, but while making this paper the water is removed and butanol is added instead. Butanol inhibits the hydrogen bonding that normally takes place between cellulose allowing better control of their spacing.
In the next step, the researchers used an oxygen plasma etching process to remove the layer of ‘fluffy’ cellulose layer to expose the ‘rougher’ layer of crystalline cellulose nanofibrils on which a thin coating of a fluoropolymer is applied to give it the liquid repelling capability. During the testing process the paper was able to repel water, motor oil, ethylene glycol and n-hexadecane solvent. Researchers have also managed to print patterns on the paper using a hydrophobic ink and a desktop printer. The liquid droplets adhered to the ink pattern and were repelled by the rest of the paper. The team hopes to see that their invention could lead to the development of inexpensive biomedical diagnostic tests where a droplet of liquid containing antigens can be rolled on to printed surface where it would be in contact with diagnostic chemicals and depending upon the reagents they would help identify the disease.
You might have already read about the Superomniphobic Layer developed by the University of Michigan but the difference between both is flexibility. The paper version is very flexible and to some extent cheaper than its predecessor.
For more details of the project, head over to Georgia Tech.
Marsrocks
With NASA trying really hard from quite a few years to find water on the surface of Mars, they have been collecting real good proof over the years. To add another evidence to the lot, Curiosity, the Rover sent by NASA on Mars, came across pebbles near the Gale Crater. Pebbles are usually formed when they are eroded by wind or water, and these pebbles seemed pretty close to the ones formed due to water, the same way as on Earth. Pebbles roll and bump onto other pebbles and settle at places, eventually forming their well rounded edges. Wind couldn't be the reason behind them since these pebbles seemed too big, about 1.5 inches in diameter. These kind of pebbles have not only been found near the Gale Crater but also on other parts of the Red Planet.
Many rock formations and landscapes on Mars have been found to look similar to the ones carved out of rivers and streams on our planet, still adding to the possibility that water once flowed over the barren planet. The parts where these pebbles were found are reported to have had ankle deep water and sometimes have been waist deep. The pebbles have also been analysed and found to have not travelled a distance more than nine miles.
Mars has always been in the news frequently, with Curiosity finding something interesting almost every month. This planet is supposed to be the closest to the conditions seen on Earth, but with time Mars might have died away. The people at NASA are determined to find water on the dusty planet and are really hoping in to bump into extra-terrestrial life up there soon. And while Curiosity keeps on looking for more, we anticipate some great discoveries to be unveiled.
1. Lock screen slideshow
"As people started using Windows 8, we found that people were using their Lock screens to show pictures of their families," Leblond says. So in Windows 8.1, you can turn your PC or tablet into a picture frame by making your Lock screen a slide show of your pictures - either locally on the device or photos from Microsoft SkyDrive. "We also added the ability to take pictures with the built-in camera right from the Lock screen without having to log in."
2. More backgrounds
Windows 8.1 offers more colours and backgrounds for the Start screen - including some with motion. You can also choose your desktop background as your Start screen background.
3. Different tile sizes
As in Windows Phone 8, the Windows 8.1 Start screen features a variety of tile sizes including a new large and new small tile. It's also even easier to name groups and rearrange tiles, says Leblond: "We found people were accidentally moving tiles on their Start screen so in Windows 8.1, you press and hold (or right click) to move things around." You can now select multiple apps all at once, resize them, uninstall them, or rearrange them: "View all apps just by swiping from the bottom to view all apps, and we've added the ability to filter your apps by name, date installed, most used, or by category. You want the Start screen to be about all the things you love. So when you install a new app from the Windows Store, we no longer put that app on your Start screen. Instead, you'll find these apps under apps view as mentioned above and marked as 'new' where you can choose to pin the apps you want to your Start screen."
4. Aggregated search
Instead of having to select an app and then search when you go to the Search charm, Bing now powers an aggregated search system from the web, your files, SkyDrive and elsewhere. Leblond says: "We think this will really change the way you interact with the Web and with Windows making it quicker and easier to get things done. It is the modern version of the command line! Results from local files, apps, and settings are easily accessed in the same convenient view by scrolling to the left."
5. Enhanced apps
New app enhancements are also promised to all the built-in apps. According to Leblond: "The Photos app now has some new editing features that let you quickly edit or adjust photos when you view them in the Photos app or open them from other places like the Mail, SkyDrive, and Camera apps. And our Music app has been completely redesigned to help pick and play music from your collection. We plan to talk more about updates to the built in apps in Windows 8.1 and some brand new apps we will be introducing in [the] future. We're also making improvements for using multiple apps at once in Windows 8.1."
6. More snap views
If, like us, you use Windows 8 a lot, you'll have been frustrated by the lack of 50:50 split snap views. This is the game-changer for Windows 8 apps. "You will have more ways to see multiple apps on the screen at the same time," says Leblond. "You can resize apps to any size you want, share the screen between two apps, or have up to three apps on each screen if you have a multiple displays connected, you can have different Windows Store apps running on all the displays at the same time and the Start Screen can stay open on one monitor (yes!). This makes multi-tasking even easier. Also in Windows 8.1, you can have multiple windows of the same app snapped together - such as two Internet Explorer windows." We're really looking forward to that.
7. An enhanced Windows Store
App updates will now install automatically in the background as they come through the Store. And search is available in the upper right hand corner for finding the apps you want. Leblond elaborates: "The improved Windows Store is designed to show more info than before in Windows 8 with detailed lists of top free apps, new releases, and picks for you on the homepage. The app listing is more descriptive and informative and includes an area for related apps to help with app discovery."
8. Save direct to SkyDrive, plus offline files
In Windows 8.1 your files can be saved directly to SkyDrive. The SkyDrive app will also get a new update so that files are available even when offline - as in the desktop version.
9. You no longer need the desktop Control Panel
The updated PC Settings in Windows 8.1 gives you access to all your settings on your device without having to go to the Control Panel on the desktop. "You can do things like change your display resolution, set power options, see the make and model of my PC, change the product key, let me do Windows Update, and even join a domain – all from PC Settings," says Leblond. You can also manage SkyDrive from PC Settings as well.
10. A new Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer 11 will ship with Windows 8.1. "IE11 will offer even better touch performance, faster page load times and several other new features we think you will enjoy," says Leblond. "For example, you can now adjust the appearance of modern IE11 to always show the address bar and you can have as many open tabs as you like. And you can access your open tabs in sync across your other Windows 8.1 devices."
11. Better with a mouse and keyboard
For devices without touch, Windows 8.1 features a number of improvements for easier navigation using a mouse and keyboard. "PCs today are evolving for a world of mobile computing where people interact with their devices through touch, and we designed Windows 8 for this," explains Leblond. "But we also recognize there are many non-touch devices in use today - especially in the commercial setting."
12. A change to the Start 'tip'
You've already heard about this one, right? Leblond adds that there are also options to change what the corners do, and options to boot into alternate screens: "For example, if you prefer to see the Apps view versus all the tiles, you can choose to have the Start screen go directly to Apps view."
Microsoft says it will be releasing more Windows 8.1 details "in the coming weeks. As you've heard us talk about before, Windows 8.1 will be available later this year as a free update."
Microsoft also says that it will also be sharing more about Windows Embedded at Build. Embedded will be
"updated in the same timeframe as Windows 8.1. We're aligning the platforms even more to bring Windows to form factors of all types, including not only tablets and PCs, but also the growing category of devices such as ATMs, point of service (POS) terminals, and kiosks."
Microsoft let many cats out of myriad bags in its whopping 1,817-word reveal of Windows 8.1 yesterday, but it's what the company didn't talk about that's almost more intriguing. Mixed in among all the chatter was a curious screenshot of the Windows 8.1 Start screen, and tucked away in amongst its Live Tiles were four eye-opening squares.
Folks, I think we just got our first look at modern-style Office apps. Or at least their Live Tiles.
Modern Office apps
Check out the image above, from Microsoft’s own Windows 8.1 blog post. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote all make an appearance, positioned there next to the SkyDrive app.
So what, you ask? Microsoft owns Office! Indeed it does—but Microsoft does not offer modern UI versions of its core Office programs. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are only offered as desktop programs as of today. And pinning those desktop productivity programs to the Windows 8 Start screen creates tiles with the same light blue background as any other desktop app—and not the colorful squares shown in Microsoft's blog post.
Microsoft does offer a modern app for its Lync communications software, though, and its Start screen tile bears a striking resemblance to the Office app tiles in the Windows 8.1 blog post, from the simple colors to the "open book"-style design.
In the screenshot to the right, you’ll see tiles of Microsoft’s modern Lync app alongside tiles for the core Office desktop programs, all from my Windows 8 Start screen. See what I mean?
Now, the appearance of colored Office tiles in Microsoft's blog post could just mean that we’ll have the ability to choose background color for tiles derived from desktop programs, which would be pretty cool in and of itself. (Update: And apparently the case, according to Foley's Tweet. Microsoft's blog post and the subsequent coverage said nothing about customizable tile colors, so hey, the appearance of those tiles nonetheless brought something new to light. -Brad)
But consider that no other desktop program was shown in any of Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 screenshots... and the four tiles' close resemblence to the Lync app's tile, and the Start screen tiles for Microsoft's other preinstalled such as Video, Music, and Maps... and that those intriguing modern-style Office “Gemini” rumors have been floating around.
Suddenly, the Office tiles in the Windows 8.1 screenshots start to look like a lot more than mere squares. We may know for sure soon. If the Gemini rumors hold true, modern-style Office apps may just land on Start screens around the globe later this year
15:44
ram
