Physicists Broke The Speed of Light With Pulses Inside Hot Plasma

The speed of light has been considered as the ultimate speed limit for a long time. However, in recent years, physicists have made some groundbreaking discoveries that challenge this notion. One such breakthrough involves the use of pulses inside hot plasma to break the speed of light. This article will explore this fascinating discovery and its potential implications for the field of physics.

Introduction

The speed of light, which is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second, has been considered as the ultimate speed limit in the universe. This limit is based on Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, which states that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. However, recent experiments have shown that it may be possible to exceed this speed limit using a technique known as pulse shaping.

What is Pulse Shaping?

Pulse shaping is a technique used in optics and laser physics to manipulate the shape of light pulses. This technique involves altering the amplitude, phase, and frequency of a light pulse to achieve a desired shape. Pulse shaping is used in a variety of applications, including ultrafast spectroscopy, optical communication, and laser material processing.

The Experiment

Physicists at the Imperial College London, led by Dr. Stuart Mangles, conducted an experiment to investigate the possibility of breaking the speed of light using pulse shaping. The team used a high-power laser to create a plasma by heating a gas. They then used pulse shaping to create a pair of laser pulses that traveled through the plasma.

The first pulse was designed to create a channel through the plasma, while the second pulse was designed to follow this channel. The team observed that the second pulse arrived at its destination faster than the speed of light in a vacuum.

The Results

The results of the experiment were surprising. The team observed that the second pulse arrived at its destination 30 femtoseconds faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. This may seem like a tiny amount of time, but it is significant in the world of physics. This discovery challenges the notion that the speed of light is an absolute speed limit.

The Implications

The implications of this discovery are vast. If it is possible to break the speed of light using pulse shaping, it could revolutionize the field of physics. It could lead to the development of faster-than-light communication, which could have a significant impact on the world of telecommunications. It could also lead to new discoveries in the field of astrophysics, as it could allow us to study the universe in more detail.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the discovery that it may be possible to break the speed of light using pulse shaping is a significant breakthrough in the field of physics. It challenges the notion that the speed of light is an absolute speed limit and opens up new possibilities for the future. It will be interesting to see what further discoveries will be made in this exciting field of research.

FAQs
What is the speed of light? The speed of light is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second.
What is pulse shaping? Pulse shaping is a technique used in optics and laser physics to manipulate the shape of light pulses.
What is the experiment conducted by the physicists at the Imperial College London? The physicists at the Imperial College London conducted an experiment to investigate the possibility of breaking the speed of light using pulse shaping.
What are the implications of this discovery? The implications of this discovery are vast. It could lead to the development of faster-than-light communication and new discoveries in the field of astrophysics. 

GAZE UPON THE BRUTAL BEAUTY OF FOUR MASSIVE BLACK HOLES ABOUT TO CRASH

Space Goth Grand Slam

In an effort to understand the origin of our galaxies, astronomers have spotted an insane, galactic showdown for the ages: four giant black holes in dwarf galaxies destined to collide, though not all in the same place. But boy, did they score a grand slam of astronomy firsts.

Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, the astronomers kept a close eye on two separate pairs of merging dwarf galaxies. One is in a cluster 760 million light-years away, the other, over 3.2 billion. Unfortunately, us humans are relegated to the nosebleeds for this one.

Still, we don't need to be close up to understand the significance of the findings, which were published as a study in The Astrophysical Journals. According to the researchers, it's the first evidence of large black holes in merging dwarf galaxies at all.

"Astronomers have found many examples of black holes on collision courses in large galaxies that are relatively close by," explained Marko Mićić, lead author of the study and an astrophysicists from the University of Alabama, in a press release."But searches for them in dwarf galaxies are much more challenging and until now had failed," he added.

Dwarfing Achievements

It's the dwarf galaxy angle that really makes this discovery significant. While they may not be as stunning in scope, dwarf galaxies are indispensable to understanding the evolution of galaxies as a whole.

The theories vary, but cosmologists generally believe that the initial dwarf galaxies, which formed hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang, merged over time to form the large ones like our own that we're so familiar with.

"Most of the dwarf galaxies and black holes in the early universe are likely to have grown much larger by now, thanks to repeated mergers," said co-author Brenna Wells, an undergraduate researcher at UA, in the release.

"In some ways, dwarf galaxies are our galactic ancestors, which have evolved over billions of years to produce large galaxies like our own Milky Way."

All that goes to show why it's so frustrating that dwarf galaxies prove difficult to detect due to their lack of luminosity, and the fact they need to be observed at colossal distances.

Now that they've discovered not one, but four unique examples of them, the astronomers can return for followup observations — perhaps one of the best opportunities yet to understand the primeval galaxies of our universe.

SPACEX SAYS IT WILL LAUNCH SPACE TOURISTS AS SOON AS NEXT YEAR

SpaceX announced a partnership this week with space tourism Space Adventures to start launching passengers to orbit aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft starting as early as 2021, TechCrunch reports.

SpaceX says it will send four privately-paying space tourists to orbit the Earth for five days in its Crew Dragon capsule between “late-2021 and mid-2022,” according to CNBC.

“This historic mission will forge a path to making spaceflight possible for all people who dream of it, and we are pleased to work with the Space Adventures’ team on the mission,” SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell said in a statement.

Space Adventures already sells seats on Russian Soyuz rockets.

SpaceX’s passenger-carrying Crew Dragon capsule, developed as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, has so far completed a successful test trip and docking maneur  to the International Space Station last year, but has yet to make the journey with any passengers on board.

Earlier this year, SpaceX tested its space taxi’s emergency abort system in dramatic fashion, intentionally blowing up a Falcon 9 rocket in the process.

READ MORE: SpaceX and new partner announce space tourism launches on Dragon starting as early as 2021 [TechCrunch]