29 June 2010
Exhibit offers insight into stars through sound
A researcher from the University of Sheffield, who is using sound to see into the cores of stars and understand the workings of the Sun and other stars in the sky, will be showcasing her research at a Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London this week (until 4 July 2010).
Dr Rekha Jain from the University´s School of Mathematics and Statistics (SoMaS), along with researchers from six other UK Universities, will be showcasing her research at the Songs of the stars: the real music of the spheres exhibition being held in London´s Royal Festival Hall.
Over 30,000 people including school pupils from around the country are expected to visit the star exhibition, which focuses on scientists looking deeper into the Sun and other stars using sound waves.
The experts have been able to measure certain features of stars, such as their masses and chemical compositions, by observing their luminosities, spectra and motions through space.
Previously, there has been no way to actually test conditions within a star, however researchers have now developed a technique called asteroseismology to do this. The technique is similar to echo-location by bats and dolphins to `see´ objects and has enabled scientists to see stars in detail down to their cores, as well as detect planets orbiting the stars.
Seismology of the Sun will also enable scientists to see around the Sun to track solar storms on its far side, which is not visible from the Earth.
The exhibition will demonstrate solar and other stellar oscillations, which can be caused by turbulent convective motions in the gases inside the stars. Convection makes noises that eventually form the standing sound waves that vibrate the star. Dr Jain´s research work concentrates mainly on these waves and oscillations in the Sun with a particular focus on how magnetic fields influence the waves and affect space weather.
The exhibition is a joint effort from the University of Sheffield, the University of Central Lancaster, the University of Birmingham, Queen Mary, University of London, the University of Cambridge and Sheffield Hallam University.
Dr Rekha Jain from the University of Sheffield´s School of Mathematics and Statistics, said: "These are exciting times for the solar and stellar scientists as we are starting to see even deeper and further in space using very high quality data from recently launched space missions like Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and Kepler.
"Understanding the fundamental physical processes of the space environment from the Sun to Earth is crucial for scientists to answer questions like how does the Sun affect the Earth? What events generate such dramatic features as flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs)? Can we keep an eye on these solar storms? Helioseismology plays an important role in all these by telling us how processes in the interior of the Sun propagate to the solar surface and atmosphere."
The event follows the launch of a unique University of Sheffield venture entitled Project Sunshine, led by the Faculty of Science. The Project aims to unite scientists across the traditional boundaries in both the pure and applied sciences to harness the power of the sun and tackle the biggest challenge facing the world today: meeting the increasing food and energy needs of the world´s population in the context of an uncertain climate and global environment change. It is hoped that Project Sunshine will change the way scientists think and work and become the inspiration for a new generation of scientists focused on solving the world´s problems.
The Royal Society´s Summer Science Exhibition forms the heart of a unique ten-day festival entitled See Further: The Festival of Science and Arts, which brings visitors face-to-face with the UK´s finest science and the leading scientists and engineers behind it. The festival is being held in partnership with the Southbank Centre to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Royal Society, the UK´s leading academy of sciences and the world´s oldest continuous science academy.
Notes for Editors: The Royal Society is the national academy of science in the UK and the Commonwealth and is at the cutting edge of scientific progress. It supports many top young scientists, engineers and technologists, influences science policy and debates scientific issues with the public. The Royal Society is an independent, charitable body which derives its authoritative status from over 1400 Fellows and Foreign Members. To find out more about the Royal Society, visit the link below.
To find out more about the Songs of the stars: the real music of the spheres exhibition, visit the link below.
For further information please contact: Shemina Davis, Media Relations Officer, on 0114 2225339 or email shemina.davis@sheffield.ac.uk
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