Charm of the Universe

Probably there will be no person who hates the universe and, probably, there will be no person who do not get interested in space called the universe. On this blog until now, I have talked about famous and minor stories of the universe. Today, I think that I will write about the fun of the universe, a wonder of the universe and the wonderful powers which universe have.

The universe is too far, very mysterious, and is not the world where we are able to imagine easily. Simultaneously, thanks to the universe, all of the human beings exist and it is an indispensable existence. However, although the universe is an important existence for us, we hardly know about the universe. Research of the universe is done all over the world now. We still do not know. It is the proof that the universe is too widely. However, much research will be done in the future from now on. The thing in the universe is very interesting and shows various figures by the method of the approach research. The universe has various expressions. And the universe is a size of an unfathomable and is continuing spreading. A lot of people all over the world are interested in the universe. Probably they have been charmed by the figure of such the universe. I am also the one person.

The universe is very grandeur and there are a lot of dreams. I think that people from a small child to an old person get interested the universe equally wholly and they have hope in the universe. Furthermore, in a star, no matter how rich you are and no matter how poor you are, everyone can see a lot of stars if you look up at a night sky. A lot of beautiful stars can be equally seen wholly. So I think that the universe is what sets the world to one.

Moreover, probably there are people who try to forget a disagreeable thing and sad feeling when they see very beautiful night sky. Or probably, there are also people who share a delightful feeling with someone, looking at a night sky. There are various wonderful powers in the universe.

However, although there are　a lot of people who are interested in the universe, I often feel that most of their people think that "astronomy" is the far learning from them which it is difficult and cannot be absolutely studied by themselves. Astronomy is really difficult learning but the human beings do not exist without the universe so I want to think Astronomy is the most familiar learning.

        In 2010, a asteroid probe “Hayabusa” got the result. From that, a space boom comes and, in addition, the boom still continues today. I want the space boom to continue. And I come to want that people as many as possible come to look up at a night sky and want to study astronomy. By looking up at a beautiful night sky, I pray the hearts of people to become calm, to set the world to one and I pray that all the places in the world become peaceful.

My research

I was doing some researches from the　high school student. Then, I think that I will explain a few because I am often asked why I come to research.

I participated in the research training camp of in the summer of a first‐year student in high school. All began from this time.

I studied the planetary nebula at this training camp. A planetary nebula is the final stage of evolution of the fixed star of from small mass to medium mass. When the star of from small mass to medium mass evolves, it will become a red giant star and it will expand. Then, since an outer layer part has the weak gravity from a central star, it shakes the gravity off and flows into space. Although a central star carries out a nuclear fusion reaction, it becomes impossible to continue the reaction if surrounding gas flowed and it run out. Then, the star contract and becomes the white dwarf. And the gas which flowed into becomes a planetary nebula. I calculated the mass of a planetary nebula called the Cat's Eye Nebula, and investigated what the sun will be in the future by comparing it with solar mass. The junior session of Astronomical Society of Japan announced this result of research.

From this time, I began to get interested in the universe rapidly. Furthermore, I got to know the pleasure which tells many persons what I studied. From it, I wanted to know more various things and I wanted to research about various. Therefore, I have participated some research training camp and researched after it. For example, a comet, a supernova, etc. Moreover, I did a little unusual research. It is research of planning construction of a moon's surface astronomical observatory. That is, it is making missions.

Thus, taking advantage of experience of various researches, after going into a university, research is continued. Although I took about one year to study various researches when I was the high school student, I think that I will take a longer time to advance research from a university.

          Now, I am studying the planetary nebula. However, the details of research are different from what I did at the time of a high school student. A fixed star becomes a thing which is called a protoplanetary nebula before　it become a planetary nebula. There is little what has a spherical form of the protoplanet-like nebula, and it is almost the shape of dipole. But the planetary nebula which is a subsequent figure has much more nearly spherical form. That is, between a protoplanetary nebula and a planetary nebula, the ratio existing a spherical form and the shape of dipole is clearly different. Probably, when becoming a planetary nebula from a protoplanetary nebula, the form has changed. This is a very wonderful thing and this mystery has not actually been solved yet.　Moreover, although the mechanism of formation of a spherical planetary nebula is solved, the mechanism of formation of a planetary nebula shape of dipole is not solved. I am researching this mysteries because I want to know.

The extraterrestrial life object

I think that human beings have talked about the extraterrestrial life object taken up in topic since human beings were born and it began to have intelligence. First of all, what is an extraterrestrial life object? The answer is

it is a life which lives out of an earth's atmosphere. The way of speaking which we say well is an "alien." But the extraterrestrial life object doesn’t need to be a "person." Any lives will do.

The present human beings have big concern in the extraterrestrial life object. I want you to remember that there are the large numbers of movies dealing with it and news of such as extraterrestrial life object discovery all over the world. Then, probably, you can be convinced. If it is the movies, for example, there are “E.T.”, "predator" and so on. VTRs which photographed the image of UFO are often contributed to television in foreign countries.

Does an extraterrestrial life object actually exist?

First of all, I will talk about the possibility in the solar system.

It has been surmised in the past whether the life existed in other planets in the solar system from atmospheric composition, temperature, etc. However, we thought that any intelligent lives except an earthman cannot exist in the solar system as detailed observation progressed. But the conclusion is not reached about whether the primitive life occurred except the earth. Especially about Mars, because it was thought that it had water of a liquid and atmosphere once, the life may have occurred.

Mars explorer Viking 1 and 2 which NASA sent in the 1970s extracted the sample of Mars topsoil, and did the examination which checks whether the signs of a life activity are seen there. However, the result didn’t affirm existence of a life. Although Beagle 2 which Britain sent to Mars in 2003 was a lander aiming at the first search for life since a Viking, communication stopped after the atmosphere entry and this ended in failure.

Except Mars, Europa and Ganymede which are the satellites of Jupiter and Enceladus which is the satellite of Saturn, etc. attract attention. Although these heavenly bodies are mainly made of ice and rock, it is thought that the layer of the water of a liquid will exist underground. bacteria may be underwater. Moreover, Satellite Titan of Saturn is also mentioned to the candidate of the heavenly body in which a life exists because it has the thick atmosphere and hydrocarbon of a liquid exists in the surface.

The next is outside the solar system. I want you to know that the domain which is suitable environment for birth of life in the universe called a habitable zone exists in the universe. That is, in the planet which exists in this habitable zone, life objects may exist. Many planets are actually found in the habitable zone. For example, they are Gliese 581g, Gliese 581c, etc.

Finally I will express my opinion. I think that an extraterrestrial life object exists. I don’t think that an alien which surely comes out on a movie exists. But if it is bacteria, a microbe, etc., I think that existence is not amusing because the universe is very very grand and we don’t know most of the universe. The earth is below the point of the universe. It is next to impossible that earthman who lives on such the earth investigates whether an extraterrestrial life object exists in the universe. Supposing it is found, the life object will exist very near the earth. I think that an extraterrestrial life object exists in somewhere in universes, and want to exist.

space boom

On June 13, 2010, Hayabusa asteroid probe returned from the long and steep trip to the earth, and gave impression all over Japan. Although I was now a space maniac, I was not interested in the satellites until it saw the capsule of Hayabusa.

I think that I will talk proudly for a while. It was the Sagamihara campus of JAXA that the capsule of Hayabusa was carried to Japan and exhibited first. Then, I was just staying at the Sagamihara campus in the midst of the research training camp of JAXA. So I was No.1 in the person who looked at capsule except the Hayabusa team and reporters.

I got interested in Hayabusa and I wanted to get to know other the satellites from that time. That is, I am also one of the persons who were influenced by Hayabusa. There must be a large number of people who got interested in the universe from this time all over Japan like me. The return of Hayabusa had very big influence.

Although I think there are some person who already know, I will write about Hayabusa.

Hayabusa was launched with the M-V rocket of No. 5 in Uchinoura on May 9, 2003. It accelerated with the ion engine carried and conducted the swing-by with earth in May, 2004. This is the first in the world.

In September, 2005, Hayabusa photoed the asteroid "Itokawa" and sent the picture to the earth.

Although Hayabusa tried to land at Itokawa in November, it failed. Hayabusa received the damage by this landing, but the Hayabusa team decided to land once again through much talks. A result was successful. However, because a bullet was not discharged when it landed, we got no choice but to expect that the sample of Itokawa went into the capsule with the shock of landing.In practice, about 1500 particles were collected in the capsule returned.

Communication with Hayabusa haved stopped on November 28. However, we were able to receive the electric wave from Hayabusa on January 23, 2006. And Hayabusa continued flying aiming at the return to the earth.

And at last, Hayabusa rushed in the atmosphere on June 13, 2010, and the capsule landed in the Woomera desert in south Australia. Although the main part of Hayabusa has been burned out at the time of an atmosphere entry, the figure impressed people in the world.

Hayabusa returned three years later than the schedule through such many troubles. The Sample Return Project from an asteroid was internationally unparalleled. This result became what is accepted globally.

Although I wrote about Hayabusa for a long time, the space boom started all over Japan taking advantage of the return of this Hayabusa. Moreover, after the return of Hayabusa, there were many remarkable astronomical events. I will give some examples.

・The total eclipse of the moon was seen in many areas of Japan on December 10, 2011.

・The annular solar eclipse was seen in some areas of the Pacific coast at the early morning of May 21, 2012.

・Transit of Venus was seen in many areas focusing on western part of Japan from the morning to afternoon of June 6, 2012.

Thus, probably, the space boom came to Japan, since many interesting astronomical events overlapped. And I can think that space boom still continues.

Higgs boson

On the morning of July 4, 2012, Mr. Rolf Heuer, the head of European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN),said in Switzerland and Geneva, "Although we think that it was found, how is it?"

Two research teams which are experimenting with the large hadron collider (LHC) which CERN manages discovered the Higgs boson called "the particles of God" by 99% or more of certainty.

 

By the way, what is a Higgs boson? It is the elementary particle the Peter Ware Higgs of the Edinburgh university predicted existence to be in 1964, and existence was not proved for a long time. The Higgs boson has achieved the duty which gives mass. If this doesn’t exist, all things fly at speed of light and are also called "the particles of God."

"We discovered. The new particles believed to be Higgs bosons were observed.” Mr. Hoyer described. Peter Higgs who is an advocate of theory was wiping the tear, hearing an announcement. Although this experimental result is still preliminary, the level of the probability shows 5 sigma. 5 sigma means that accidental probability which the research team observed is one-millionth or less.

Now, I will talk about the equipment which discovered the Higgs boson. One of the experimental devices which were useful for discovery of a Higgs boson is a large-sized particle detector "ATLAS." This is 22 meters in height, 44 meters in full length, and 7000t in weight, and serves as the largest experimental device in LHC. ATLAS was made to measure the particles which occur by the collision at the center of a detector that two proton beams accelerated by LHC.

 Search of the Higgs boson was one of the primary aims of LHC construction. However, the use of this large-scale proton collision equipment was not necessarily lost just because the Higgs boson was discovered. In order to solve the question which still remains, we need to apply for many years from now on, and need to perform follow up study.

Moreover, although it tends to be forgotten, Mr. Evance says that two more big experiments in LHC are conducted in addition to ATLAS and CMS. They are LHCb and ALICE which Mr. Evance participates. In these experiments, mysteries of physics different from a Higgs boson, such as a reason with little anti-matter in the universe, are followed.

"If compared to the Olympic Games, discovery of a Higgs boson is winning one gold medal. There is no country which is satisfied only with one piece not much. CERN will winning much more gold medals from now." Mr. Evance said.

 

       I was shocked when I heard this news. While I am alive, and while I was interested in the universe, discovery which remains in such history was carried out. However, I have thought that it is simultaneous. Probably, most persons that consider becoming a researcher of the present elementary particle thought that they wanted to find this Higgs boson. Possibly they felt surely strength drained away with excitement.

Do I think in this way because I also　aim at a researcher?