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The optical counterpart to γ-ray burst GRB970228 observed using the Hubble Space Telescope
Livio, Mario; Kouveliotou, Chryssa; Sahu, Kailash C. +7 more
Although more than 2,000 astronomical γ-ray bursts (GRBs) have been detected, and numerous models proposed to explain their occurrence1, they have remained enigmatic owing to the lack of an obvious counterpart at other wavelengths2-5. The recent ground-based detection6,7 of a transient optical source in the vicinit…
A high deuterium abundance at redshift z = 0.7
Ferlet, R.; Vidal-Madjar, A.; Lemoine, M. +4 more
Of the light elements, the primordial abundance of deuterium relative to hydrogen, (D/H)p, provides the most sensitive diagnostic for the cosmological mass density parameter, ΩB. Recent high-redshift D/H measurements are highly discrepant, although this may reflect observational uncertainties,. The larger primordial D/H value…
Detection of ozone on Saturn's satellites RHEA and Dione
Johnson, R. E.; Cruikshank, D. P.; Pendleton, Y. J. +2 more
The satellites Rhea and Dione orbit within the magnetosphere of Saturn, where they are exposed to particle irradiation from trapped ions. A similar situation applies to the galilean moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, which reside within Jupiter's radiation belts. All of these satellites have surfaces rich in water ice. Laboratory studies of the …
The optical counterpart of the isolated neutron star RX J185635-3754
Walter, Frederick M.; Matthews, Lynn D.
The extreme densities of neutron stars make them an ideal system in which to investigate the equation of state of nuclear matter; accurate determinations of neutron star masses and radii are crucial for this. Current observations of neutron stars in binary systems yield masses that are generally consistent with theory. But measurements of radii ar…
A massive black hole at the centre of the quiescent galaxy M32
van der Marel, Roeland P.; Rix, Hans-Walter; de Zeeuw, P. Tim +1 more
Massive black holes are thought to reside at the centres of many galaxies1,2, where they power quasars and active galactic nuclei. But most galaxies are quiescent, indicating that any central massive black hole present will be starved of fuel and therefore detectable only through its gravitational influence on the motions of the surroun…