# All Questions

5answers
2k views

### What happens to light and mass in the center of a black hole?

I know that black holes are "black" because nothing can escape it due to the massive gravity, but I am wondering if there are any theories as to what happens to the light or mass that enters a black ...
2answers
594 views

### How is the mechanism of greenhouse gases interacting with IR radiation?

How does atmospheric CO2 and other Greenhousgases (GHG) affect the incoming (from sun) and outgoing (from earth) radiation. I understand that at certain wavenumbers (or areas of wavenumbers) in the ...
1answer
401 views

### Does magnetised material lose weight?

I've had argument on a forum about this. People think, that: if the same object is magnetised, it has less energy. so by $E = mc^2$ it weighs less than an object that is not magnetised (hence spin of ...
0answers
214 views

### Macroscopic superposition of humans and past thoughts? [closed]

Decoherence apparently only works if a lot of degrees in the environment are measured with infinitely many copies reaching to all eternity. If too few memories and records survive with infinitely many ...
2answers
162 views

### Advice sought on choosing a camera for a Meade LX10

I have a Meade LX10 and have never done any astrophotography (except with some computerised SBIG ST9s on my university's LX200s). I would like to get started at home, but could do with some advice on ...
1answer
191 views

### Argument for quantum theoretic conformality of $\cal{N}=2$ super-Chern-Simon's theory in $2+1$ dimensions

I am using the standard symbols of $V_\mu$ for the gauge field, $\lambda$ for its fermionic superpartner and $F$ and $D$ be scalar fields which make the whole thing a $\cal{N}=2$ vector/gauge ...
1answer
277 views

### The acceleration of a particle in uniform electro-magnetic field

A particle of charge $q$ and mass $m_0$ is subject to the action of a uniform electro-magnetic field $\vec{E}=(0,E,0), \vec{B}=(0,0,B)$ and at $t = 0$ moves with velocity $\vec{v}=(v_1,v_2,v_3)$. ...
2answers
1k views

### Function of electric water pump

What is the function of electric water pump, i.e does it push or pull water or both?
2answers
182 views

### Reference for solid state particle detector

I'm looking for a good introductory text on solid state devices for particle detection. Thanks a lot.
7answers
5k views

### Why is the observable universe so big?

The observable universe is approximately 13.7 billion years old. But yet it is 80 billion light years across. Isn't this a contradiction?
1answer
663 views

### Why is the universe map shaped like an oval?

I understand that the Mollweide projection is used to show the map of the universe. Although I understand how this projection can be interesting for Earth where most populated (and of interest) ...
2answers
689 views

### Finding Directions using moon

Is it possible to find directions just by looking at moon(not full bright)? I was curious to use the clue that if moon is half lit then the direction in which it is lit will it be east?
2answers
896 views

### Evaporation from a capillary tube

Consider a capillary tube (say from a liquid / capillary thermometer), that means a tube of small internal diameter which holds liquid by capillary action . The tube is fulfilled with water and closed ...
2answers
589 views

### A fan in a hot room at what point does it put in more energy that it dissipates

If a fan that is using 50 watts is moving 1 m³/min of air. Lets say the walls are the same temperature as the air so there’s no heat dissipation there. How do I know if the fan is putting in more ...
6answers
31k views

### How exactly does time slow down near a black hole?

How exactly does time slow down near a black hole? I have heard this as a possible way of time traveling, and I do understand that it is due in some way to the massive gravity around a black hole, but ...
2answers
231 views

### electron orbits

Is there an upper limit to the number of orbits an electron can have around say a proton? Arent there states that are unstable(for n!=1) with corresponding mean/half lives and therefore uncertainty in ...
1answer
295 views

### Artificial Gravity - Spinning Station Questions II

In an answer to Artificial Gravity - Spinning Station Questions Vintage wrote: A theoretical space station of radius 900 meters, doing a complete rotation every 60 seconds (in order to generate ...
2answers
387 views

### Example of a wavefunction that cannot be represented by a single Slater determinant

I know that in general, interacting fermions cannot necessarily be described by a single Slater determinant. Can anyone provide a simple example of a state that has no such representation?
2answers
1k views

### Free particle in magnetic field / Landau quantization

I have a question concerning a possible derivation of the Landau quantization. In our lecture notes (and some other places as well), the following ansatz is used:  \Psi(x,y,z) = ...
4answers
3k views

### How to find the Andromeda galaxy without using a go-to telescope?

In other words, what is the proper technique (star-hopping or other?) in order to find and properly point a telescope to this target? Would a star atlas or other tool/reference help? Can I use the ...
1answer
477 views

### Artificial Gravity - Spinning Station Questions

I've done a little research but I can't seem to find the answers to these questions in regards to a spinning space station simulating gravity. 1) If we imagine the space station as a hollow doughnut ...
2answers
2k views

### Ascent rate and size of balloon

I am part of a school project, Project Stratos to send a balloon to the edge of space (the closer side :P) and was wondering how you would work out the accent rate of a large balloon (roughly 1m^3 of ...
5answers
2k views

### How would you describe a black hole to a complete layman?

Non-astrophysicist visitors to Black Hole, will most likely barely make it past the introduction before getting lost in the technical details. Moreover, the Wikipedia article does not teach laypeople ...
6answers
2k views

### Double light speed

Let's say we have $2$ participles facing each other and traveling at speed of light Let's say I'm sitting on #$1$ participle so in my point of view #$2$ participle's speed is $c+c=2c$, double light ...
3answers
1k views

### If you throw dynamite into a pool of lava, will it explode or melt?

I was playing a table-top rpg with a friend. It was set... well it was pretty weird, so I won't get into it. Suffice it to say the bad guy had a stick of dynamite and we were on a volcano. I hit the ...
6answers
1k views

### Can one do the maths of physics without using $\sqrt{-1}$?

The use of imaginary and complex values comes up in many physics and engineering derivations. I have a question about that: Is the use of complex numbers simply to make the process of derivation ...
0answers
217 views

### Presence Of an Another Universe [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Experimental evidence for parallel universes Is there an universe similar to ours somewhere else, I mean I had heard from Einsteins theories that,actually when I am ...
2answers
579 views

### Is the entire Universe the same age?

Is all of the visible Universe exactly the same age everywhere? What about the Universe beyond what we can see?
1answer
30 views

### Lack of exoplanet missions in the decadal survey

In recent exoplanet meeting "The Next 40 Years of Exoplanets", there was much discussion of the inablity of the community to agree on whether to support coronagraph missions or interferometer ...
0answers
60 views

### Degenerated Anderson Model Simulation

I'm trying to simulate the degenerative Anderson model. So depending on an energy difference first orbital and afterwards spin magnetism occurs. First i try to solve an easier ansatz with a limitation ...
2answers
142 views

### Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) cancellation [closed]

NASA's SIM mission was recently cancelled despite \$600 million being spent already over the last ten years. Has this \$600m been completely wasted or has any new technology been developed that could ...
2answers
66 views

### Study of exoplanets reaching saturation point [closed]

In recent exoplanet meeting The Next 40 Years of Exoplanets, it was mentioned a few times that the field/topic is becoming saturated. In what ways is it becoming saturated, and can you see the effect ...
2answers
875 views

### Why is BTZ black hole asymptotically $AdS_3$?

The metric for the BTZ black hole is $ds^2=-N^2dt^2+N^{-2}dr^2+r^2(N^\phi dt +d\phi)^2$ where $N^2=-M+\frac{r^2}{l^2}+\frac{J^2}{4r^2}$ and $N^\phi=-\frac{J}{2r^2}$. It is often said that BTZ black ...
4answers
246 views

### Could dark energy be the effect of gravity at great distances?

This may be a silly question, but is it possible that dark energy and gravity are related to each other? Space-time is deformed everywhere in space by objects with mass. The more massive the object, ...
3answers
230 views

### What does a planet look like in the infrared?

I've been trying to find a good source for what the planets look like in the infrared, specifically if viewed as a point source. I've been working with a low resolution telescope that senses in the ...
3answers
621 views

### Electrons in CRT

In a CRT, where do the ejected electrons go after they cause fluorescence on the screen, have they lost most of their energy, or do they actually go through the glass?
2answers
1k views

### Why did my liquid soda freeze once I pulled it out of the fridge?

Can someone explain in both layman's terms and also technically why when I pulled my glass filled with liquid soda from the freezer, the liquid soda quickly froze? Doesn't this violate the 2nd law of ...
2answers
297 views

### Running: Determine how much more energy is needed per extra kilogram of weight

(I recently asked this on maths but was directed here) I have recently become a runner and having a keen interest in kinematics I'm very interested in the maths/physics of my running. Can someone ...
0answers
70 views

### Complementarity between the laws of physics? [closed]

Is this following proposal plausible, worth considering, or dismissable as lunatic fringe science? What if the universe isn't really what we think it is but some universal quantum computer where we ...
1answer
578 views

### How to simplify e to power of j.t [closed]

I have exam tommorow and cant get this figured out :( dont blame me but please answer this question. I Want to simplify this term: 3 times ((e topowerof 5jt) + (e topowerof -5jt)) Thanks.
2answers
184 views

### What is a “Trojan Moon”?

Today I read an article about Saturn's moon Helene, and it was described as a "Trojan Moon" but no further explanation was given. It was difficult to even get any context about the term from the ...
1answer
304 views

### How can I calculate how long to keep my beverage chilled?

The problem is simple, I suppose... I have a beverage at room temperature (let's say 23°C) in an aluminum can (it's a Barq's root beer.) I want to put it in a freezer (let's say it's at -17°C). How ...
3answers
385 views

### How to include random force in the simulation (Classical Molecular Dynamics)

I need to implement a random force in my code according to the fluctuation dissipation theorem. I have a Gaussian distribution function ready width average 0 and distribution 1 and I know I need to ...
1answer
156 views

### Non-Dimentionalization of equations

I am trying to understand a paper in which they mention; " We non-dimentionalize the problem hereafter by selecting mass, length and time units such that the fluid density $\rho\equiv1$ the ...
3answers
148 views

### Length of a curve in D dimensional euclidean space

In a book I am reading on special relativity, the infinitesimal line element is defined as $dl^2=\delta_{ij}dx^idx^j$ (Einstein summation convention) where $\delta_{ij}$ is the euclidean metric. Next, ...
2answers
76 views

### Color Variation in RR Lyrae

I've been doing some research on RR Lyrae stars and haven't been really able to find an answer to this question. RR Lyrae are well known for their periodic magnitude, and also are usually found in ...
3answers
192 views

### Constrained particles under distance dependent force

This question is from the 1975 Canadian Association of Physicists Exam. No solutions are posted and I am quite lost on how to proceed with it. A particle is constrained to move along the x-axis of a ...
2answers
1k views

### Has everything we see happened in the past?

Whatever we see is basically based on the light that hits our eyes, right? When we look at the Moon we are looking at the Moon as it was couple of seconds ago, as the light takes some seconds (~2 ...
2answers
309 views

### Small change in theta - polar coordinates

I'm reading (I'm trying to read) Schutz's "A first course in general relativity" (1985). On page 126 he mentions that a small change in angle theta in polar coordinates is given by: I can't see why ...
2answers
513 views

### Impact of gravity on bone structure [closed]

Some suggest that if a human was born and raised in a gravity-less environment their bone structure/strength would be different that for children born on earth. If this is the case do you think this ...

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