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The Microwave SQUID Multiplexer (μ MUX) is the device of choice for the readout of a large number of low-temperature detectors in a wide variety of experiments within the fields of astronomy and particle physics. While it offers large multiplexing factors, the system noise performance is highly dependent on the cold- and warm-readout electronic systems used to read it out, as well as the demodulation domain and parameters chosen. In order to understand the impact of the readout systems in the overall detection system noise performance, first, we extended the available μ MUX simulation frameworks, including additive and multiplicative noise sources in the probing tones (i.e., phase and amplitude noise), along with the capability of demodulating the scientific data, either in the resonator's phase or the scattering amplitude. Then, considering the additive noise as a dominant noise source, the optimum readout parameters to achieve minimum system noise were found for both open-loop and flux-ramp demodulation schemes in the aforementioned domains. Later, we evaluated the system noise sensitivity to multiplicative noise sources under the optimum readout parameters. Finally, as a case study, we evaluated the optimal demodulation domain and the expected system noise level for a typical software-defined radio readout system. This work leads to an improved system performance prediction and noise engineering based on the available readout electronics and the selected demodulation domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the connection between the Quranic verses and modern scientific discoveries. The Quran describes various scientific facts at various places. The aim of this study is to know how the Quran harmonizes with the principles of modern scientific facts and what impact does it have on the preaching of Islam . The Quran, the divine word of Allah, offers comprehensive guidance on various aspects of life, including moral, spiritual, and intellectual matters. Its verses talk about deep understanding of the natural world, in line with modern scientific knowledge in fields such as astronomy, biology, and physics etc. This study will analyze the timeless relevance of the Quran in understanding the universe . I have adopted a qualitative comparative approach. Key Quranic verses related to scientific facts are analyzed in the light of modern scientific discoveries. Peer-reviewed scientific articles, books, and Quranic exegeses (Tafsir) were used as sources of knowledge to compare the Quranic descriptions with scientific knowledge. This methodology will allow a systematic examination of the comparison between the Quran's teachings and contemporary scientific facts and its impact on the mission of Dawah. The findings suggest that the Quranic wisdom is both timeless and relevant to the advancements of modern science and hence the scientific tafser of Quran should be used in Dawah. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The terahertz (THz) band is of immense interest in astronomy as it encompasses significant energy generated following the Big Bang, offering critical insight into processes invisible in other bands, such as the earliest stages of planet, star, and galaxy formation. Kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) have emerged as a formidable contender in the field of THz astronomy, attributed to their exceptional sensitivity and scalability. In this study, we introduce a kind of KIDs incorporating a lumped element (LE) resonator design, with inductors fabricated on β-Ta film and capacitors on α-Ta film. We characterize the noise of the hybrid α-Ta/β-Ta LEKIDs, achieving an optical noise equivalent power of 8.3 ± 5.7 × 10−19 W/Hz1/2, demonstrating high sensitivity. Additionally, the LEKIDs exhibited stability across multiple thermal cycles. The combination of high sensitivity and stability makes the hybrid LEKIDs promising for the stringent demands of THz astronomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Astrogeodetic deflections of the vertical (DoVs) are close indicators of the slope of the geoid. Thus, DoVs observed along horizontal profiles may be integrated to create geoid undulation profiles. In this study, we collected DoV data in the Eastern Swiss Alps using a Swiss Digital Zenith Camera, the COmpact DIgital Astrometric Camera (CODIAC), and two total station-based QDaedalus systems. In the mountainous terrain of the Eastern Swiss Alps, the geoid profile was established at 15 benchmarks over a two-week period in June 2021. The elevation along the profile ranges from 1185 to 1800 m, with benchmark spacing ranging from 0.55 km to 2.10 km. The DoV, gravity, GNSS, and levelling measurements were conducted on these 15 benchmarks. The collected gravity data were primarily used for corrections of the DoV-based geoid profiles, accounting for variations in station height and the geoid-quasigeoid separation. The GNSS/levelling and DoV data were both used to compute geoid heights. These geoid heights are compared with the Swiss Geoid Model 2004 (CHGeo2004) and two global gravity field models (EGM2008 and XGM2019e). Our study demonstrates that absolute geoid heights derived from GNSS/leveling data achieve centimeter-level accuracy, underscoring the precision of this method. Comparisons with CHGeo2004 predictions reveal a strong correlation, closely aligning with both GNSS/leveling and DoV-derived results. Additionally, the differential geoid height analysis highlights localized variations in the geoid surface, further validating the robustness of CHGeo2004 in capturing fine-scale geoid heights. These findings confirm the reliability of both absolute and differential geoid height calculations for precise geoid modeling in complex mountainous terrains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate time series analysis is essential for studying variable astronomical sources, where detecting periodicities and characterizing power spectral density (PSD) are crucial. The Lomb–Scargle periodogram, commonly used in astronomy for analyzing unevenly sampled time series data, often suffers from noise introduced by irregular sampling. This paper presents a new high-pass filter (HPF) periodogram, a novel implementation designed to mitigate this sampling-induced noise. By applying a frequency-dependent HPF before computing the periodogram, the HPF method enhances the precision of PSD estimates and periodicity detection across a wide range of signal characteristics. Simulations and comparisons with the Lomb–Scargle periodogram demonstrate that the HPF periodogram improves accuracy and reliability under challenging sampling conditions, making it a valuable complementary tool for more robust time series analysis in astronomy and other fields dealing with unevenly sampled data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores, in detail, how library and information service provision to the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) evolved in the context of the historical development of astronomy in South Africa. It is based on empirical research that collected data through the examination of literature, SAAO archival material as well as via semi-structured interviews with a purposefully selected sample of individuals who are experts in the field of astrophysics or astronomy libraries. The study collected information on the role of library and information services in astronomy and documented the historical significance of the library in the context of astronomical research at the SAAO. This paper aims to contribute toward the existing literature covering the history of the SAAO, close the gap in the literature covering the history of its library and information service, as well as to contribute towards the international history of astronomy. The paper suggests a future library and information service that remains closely tied to exciting developments in astronomical research within an electronically connected research landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Iraqi Journal of Physics is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper surveys the presentation of astronomical knowledge in two encyclopedic writings of Isidore of Seville, Etymologies and On the Nature of Things, as a transformative episode in the history of early medieval astronomy. In the section De Astronomia in Etymologies, Book III, Isidore provides a (re)formulation of the field of astronomy as follows: (1) he narrows and defines its scope under a Christian framework, demarcating it from astrology labelled 'superstitious' from the view of faith; and (2) he applies a characteristic etymological approach instead of mathematical calculations and geometrical models, changing the study of astronomy from an investigative enterprise into a text-based, hermeneutic learning. Sometimes this is at the expense of mathematical knowledge left available to him by earlier Latin authors. In the treatment of the seven planets in On the Nature of Things, Isidore more evidently imposes Christian themes on the basis of an Aristotelian--Ptolemaic cosmology, declaring the authority of scriptural assertions over 'pagan' natural philosophy on the structure of the heavens, and demonstrating the orderliness of the world as divine creation by a schema of concentric spheres. Through the works of Isidore, what took place was not simply the loss and decline of Greek and Hellenistic astronomy, but rather a conscious and methodological transformation of this area of knowledge, which was to become typical for medieval Latin encyclopedias, subsuming late Antique legacies of learning under the newly formed Christian world-picture and social realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science (CS) projects have started to utilize Machine Learning (ML) to sort through large datasets generated in fields like astronomy, ecology and biodiversity, biology, and neuroimaging. Human–machine systems have been created to take advantage of the complementary strengths of humans and machines and have been optimized for efficiency and speed. We conducted qualitative content analysis on meta-summaries of documents reporting the results of 12 citizen science projects that used machine learning to optimize classification tasks. We examined the distribution of tasks between citizen scientists, experts, and algorithms, and how epistemic agency was enacted in terms of whose knowledge shapes the distribution of tasks, who decides what knowledge is relevant to the classification, and who validates it. In our descriptive results, we found that experts, who include professional scientists and algorithm developers, are involved in every aspect of a project, from annotating or labelling data to giving data to algorithms to train them to make decisions from predictions. Experts also test and validate models to improve their accuracy by scoring their outputs when algorithms fail to make correct decisions. Experts are mostly the humans involved in a loop, but when algorithms encounter problems, citizens are also involved at several stages. In this paper, we present three main examples of citizens-in-the-loop: (a) when algorithms provide incorrect suggestions; (b) when algorithms fail to know how to perform classification; and (c) when algorithms pose queries. We consider the implications of the emphasis on optimization on the ideal of science and the role of citizen scientists from a perspective informed by Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Information Systems (IS). Based on our findings, we conclude that ML in CS classification projects, far from being deterministic in its nature and effects, may be open to question. There is no guarantee that these technologies can replace citizen scientists, nor any guarantee that they can provide citizens with opportunities for more interesting tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the surge in astronomical data volume, modern astronomical research faces significant challenges in data storage, processing, and access. The I/O bottleneck issue in astronomical data processing is particularly prominent, limiting the efficiency of data processing. To address this issue, this paper proposes a tiered storage algorithm based on the access characteristics of astronomical data. The C4.5 decision tree algorithm is employed as the foundation to implement an astronomical data access correlation algorithm. Additionally, a data copy migration strategy is designed based on tiered storage technology to achieve efficient data access. Preprocessing tests were conducted on 418GB NSRT (Nanshan Radio Telescope) formaldehyde spectral line data, showcasing that tiered storage can potentially reduce data processing time by up to 38.15%. Similarly, utilizing 802.2 GB data from FAST (Five- hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope) observations for pulsar search data processing tests, the tiered storage approach demonstrated a maximum reduction of 29.00% in data processing time. In concurrent testing of data processing workflows, the proposed astronomical data heat correlation algorithm in this paper achieved an average reduction of 17.78% in data processing time compared to centralized storage. Furthermore, in comparison to traditional heat algorithms, it reduced data processing time by 5.15%. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is positively correlated with the associativity between the algorithm and the processed data. The tiered storage algorithm based on the characteristics of astronomical data proposed in this paper is poised to provide algorithmic references for large-scale data processing in the field of astronomy in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although astrobiology is a relatively new field of science, the questions it seeks to answer (e.g., "What is life?" "What does life require?") have been investigated for millennia. In recent decades, formal programs dedicated specifically to the science of astrobiology have been organized at academic, governmental, and institutional scales. Constructing educational programs around this emerging science relies on input from broad expertise and backgrounds. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this field, career pathways in astrobiology often begin in more specific fields such as astronomy, geology, or biology, and unlike many other sciences, typically involve substantial training outside one's primary discipline. The recent origin of astrobiology as a field of science has led to strong collaborations with education research in the development of astrobiology courses and offers a unique instructional laboratory for further pedagogical studies. This chapter is intended to support students, educators, and early career scientists by connecting them to materials and opportunities that the authors and colleagues have found advantageous. Annotated lists of relevant programs and resources are included as a series of appendices in the supplementary material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a book review of "Astrophysics, Astronomy and Space Sciences in the History of the Max Planck Society," which covers the history of astronomy and related fields within the Max Planck Society from 1946 to 2000. The authors, Luisa Bonolis and Juan-Andres Leon, are professional historians of science associated with the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science. The book provides an overview of the society's history, scientific developments, and the influence of the people involved. It is divided into five main parts, covering topics such as the nuclear age, the space age, growth and reorganization of the society, internationalization, and global leadership in emerging fields. The book also discusses the role of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society as the predecessor to the Max Planck Society and the impact of World War II on research in Germany. Overall, the book offers a comprehensive narrative of the Max Planck Society's history in the field of astrophysics, astronomy, and space sciences. [Extracted from the article]

Scientific-grade cameras are frequently employed in industries such as spectral imaging technology, aircraft, medical detection, and astronomy, and are characterized by high precision, high quality, fast speed, and high sensitivity. Especially in the field of astronomy, obtaining information about faint light often requires long exposure with high-resolution cameras, which means that any external factors can cause the camera to become unstable and result in increased errors in the detection results. This paper aims to investigate the effect of displacement introduced by various vibration factors on the imaging of an astronomical camera during long exposure. The sources of vibration are divided into external vibration and internal vibration. External vibration mainly includes environmental vibration and resonance effects, while internal vibration mainly refers to the vibration caused by the force generated by the refrigeration module inside the camera during the working process of the camera. The cooling module is divided into water-cooled and air-cooled modes. Through the displacement and vibration experiments conducted on the camera, it is proven that the air-cooled mode will cause the camera to produce greater displacement changes relative to the water-cooled mode, leading to blurring of the imaging results and lowering the accuracy of astronomical detection. This paper compares the effects of displacement produced by two methods, fan cooling and water-circulation cooling, and proposes improvements to minimize the displacement variations in the camera and improve the imaging quality. This study provides a reference basis for the design of astronomical detection instruments and for determining the vibration source of cameras, which helps to promote the further development of astronomical detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large-format mid-infrared single-photon imager with very low dark count rates would enable a broad range of applications in fields like astronomy and chemistry. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are a mature photon-counting technology as demonstrated by their figures of merit such as high detection efficiencies and very low dark count rates. However, scaling SNSPDs to large array sizes for mid-infrared applications requires sophisticated readout architectures in addition to superconducting materials development. In this work, an SNSPD array design that combines a thermally coupled row-column multiplexing architecture with a thermally coupled time-of-flight transmission line was developed for mid-infrared applications. The design requires only six cables and can be scaled to larger array sizes. The demonstration of a 64-pixel array shows promising results for wavelengths between 3.4 μm and 10 μm, which will enable the use of this single-photon detector technology for a broad range of new applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Historiae Scientiarum is the property of Jagiellonian University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Gwansanggam Jejo (觀象監提調) were in charge of Gwansanggam (The office for Observation of Natural Phenomenon) along with Yeongsa (領事). King Jeongjo appointed Gwansanggam Jejo in the hodae (互對) manner during the first half of his rule, but in the second half, he appointed them in the sanghwan (相換) method of changing the positions of ministers or in the teukji (特旨) method of appointment, specifically considering their expertise. At this time, Jejo were appointed when more than half were senior rank two (正二品) officials, and more than 90% were from Hanseong (漢城) and its suburbs, and were from the former Yeongsa and Jejo families. In the field of astronomy, Gwansanggam Jejo led the publication of various calendars, such as Cheonseryeok (千歲歷) and Imja year (壬子年, 1792) Supplementary Calendar, which also increased the supply of calendars. Gwansanggam Jejo Seo Ho-su (徐浩修) selected Kim Yeong (金泳), and instructed him to build astronomical instruments to calculate the accurate time, to write related books, and publish Gukjoyeoksanggo (國朝曆象考). In the fields of Geumlu (禁漏) and Myeonggwahak (命課學), talented Gwansanggam Jejo also participated in systematizing the two organizations. In particular, they placed Myeonggwahak on the level of an astronomical organization. In addition, some Gwansanggam Jejo displayed excellent ability in Gwansanggam’s regulatory enactment and financial management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the scientific works of Robert Grosseteste, focusing on his treatise "On The Sphere" and its significance in medieval astronomy. The book provides a new analysis of Grosseteste's work within the context of early thirteenth-century astronomy, highlighting his contributions to the field. The editors emphasize Grosseteste's unique approach to explaining the spherical nature of the heavens and the Earth, positioning his work within an Aristotelian framework. The article also mentions some limitations of the book, such as outdated references and a lack of discussion on planetary motion in Grosseteste's text. [Extracted from the article]

Double white dwarf (WD) merger process and their post-merger evolution are important in many fields of astronomy, such as supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, gravitational waves, and so on. The evolutionary outcomes of double ultra-massive WD merger remnants are still a subject of debate, though the general consensus is that the merger remnant will collapse to form a neutron star (NS). In this work, we investigate the evolution of a |$2.20\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$| merger remnant stemmed from the coalescence of double |$1.10\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$| ONe WDs. We find that the remnant ignites off-centre neon burning at the position near the surface of primary WD soon after the merger, resulting in the stable inwardly propagating oxygen/neon (O/Ne) flame. The final outcomes of the merger remnant are sensitive to the effect of convective boundary mixing. If the mixing cannot stall the O/Ne flame, the flame will reach the centre within 20 yr, leading to the formation of super Chandrasekhar mass silicon core, and its final fate probably be NS through iron-core-collapse supernova. In contrast, if the convective mixing is effective enough to prevent the O/Ne flame from reaching the centre, the merger remnant will undergo electron capture supernova to form an ONeFe WD. Meanwhile, we find that the wind mass loss process may hardly alter the final fate of the remnant due to its fast evolution. Our results imply that the coalescence of double ONe WDs can form short lived giant like object, but the final outcomes (NS or ONeFe WD) are influenced by the uncertain convective mixing in O/Ne flame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-precision prediction of polar motion (PM) plays an important role in fields such as astronomy, geodesy, navigation and aerospace. Incorporating information on the effective angular momentum (EAM) of the geophysical fluid is an effective way to improve the precision of PM prediction. Based on the EOP_20_C04 data set and the EAM function, this study applies complex segmented least-squares (CSLS) + the long short term memory (LSTM) neural network and CSLS + autoregression (AR) models to predict PM. For the 6-d PM prediction, the mean absolute errors (MAEs) achieved by CSLS+AR are 1.03 and 0.8 mas in the X- and Y -directions, respectively, corresponding to reductions of 45.80 and 31.97 per cent when compared to predictions reported routinely in Bulletin A of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS). For the 365-d PM prediction, the MAEs gained by CSLS+LSTM model are 14.58 and 10.59 mas in the X- and Y -directions, respectively, corresponding to reductions of 28.17 and 51.09 per cent compared to predictions of the Bulletin A, and the prediction accuracy attained by CSLS+LSTM is higher than other prediction schemes. The experimental results show that, when considering EAM information, the CSLS+AR model can achieve better prediction accuracy for short-term PM prediction, however, the CSLS+LSTM model is more effective for medium- and long-term PM prediction owning to the excellent nonlinear fitting capability of the LSTM deep learning algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This introduction summarises the nature of the strong intellectual links existing between the French philosopher Pierre Gassendi (1592–1655) and the Low Countries. It retraces the main steps of his trip to the Spanish Low Countries and the Dutch Republic in 1629, and the importance of this trip for the development of his philosophy, as well as the epistolary network with his correspondents from that area, especially in the field of astronomy. Scholars in the Low Countries were receptive to atomistic theories, empiricism, and anti-dogmatism, all of which are central to Gassendi's philosophy. Gassendi's philosophy also provided arguments against Descartes's metaphysics, and helped disseminate Galileo's mechanics in the Low Countries. Gassendi's influence in the Low Countries lasted beyond his death, as can be seen in the philosophy of Spinoza and Bayle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overlap coefficient (OVL) measures the common area between two or more density functions. It has been used for measuring the similarity between distributions in different research fields including astronomy, economy or sociology, among others. Recently, different authors have studied the use of the OVL coefficient in the binary classification problem. They argue that, in particular settings, it could provide better accuracy measure than other stablished indices. We prove here that the OVL coefficient does not provide additional information to the Youden index and that, the potential advantages previously reported are based on the assumption that the classification rules underlying any classification process always assign more probability of being positive to the larger values of the marker. Particularly, we prove that, for a fixed continuous marker, the OVL coefficient is equivalent to the Youden index associated with the optimal classification rules based on this marker. We illustrate the problem studying the capacity of the white blood cells count to identify the type of disease in patients having either acute viral meningitis or acute bacterial meningitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the initial finding of exoplanets, planet detection has gained prominence as a field of research in astronomy. Using a variety of techniques, including gravitational microlensing, direct imaging, astrometry, and the radial velocity approach, more than 5,000 exoplanets have been found. The majority of confirmed exoplanet discoveries, have been made using the transit method. The machine learning (ML) models used in earlier approaches for prediction of exoplanets involve usage of large datasets and complex architectures, which takes a lot of time for training and hence detection of exoplanets. This work has presented a novel exoplanet detection approach based on the Object Detection algorithm- You only look once (YOLO). The data was collected for 221 confirmed exoplanets detected by Telescope and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and light curves were downloaded for the same. The annotations were generated around the brightness dips in the light curves, followed by YOLO-object detection. The presented work not only predicts the dips in brightness in the light curve accurately but also takes less time to train the proposed model. The work has achieved a mAP 0.5 of 0.82, a precision of 0.85, and a recall of 0.81. Additionally, a comparison of YOLO, MobileNet-SSDv2, and EfficientDet Lite is presented. The EfficientDet Lite D2 scores mAP0.5 0.66 and Average Recall 0.56, which is very satisfactory considering it is running on low computing power devices such as mobile phones, Raspberry Pi and other microcomputers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-Earth Asteroids represent potential threats to human life because their trajectories may bring them in the proximity of the Earth. Monitoring these objects could help predict future impact events, but such efforts are hindered by the large numbers of objects that pass in the Earth's vicinity. Additionally, there is also the problem of distinguishing asteroids from other objects in the night sky, which implies sifting through large sets of telescope image data. Within this context, we believe that employing machine learning techniques could greatly improve the detection process by sorting out the most likely asteroid candidates to be reviewed by human experts. At the moment, the use of machine learning techniques is still limited in the field of astronomy and the main goal of the present paper is to study the effectiveness of deep convolutional neural networks for the classification of astronomical objects, asteroids in this particular case, by comparing some of the well-known deep convolutional neural networks, including InceptionV3, Xception, InceptionResNetV2 and ResNet152V2. We applied transfer learning and fine-tuning on these pre-existing deep convolutional networks, and from the results that we obtained, the potential of using deep convolutional neural networks in the process of asteroid classification can be seen. The InceptionV3 model has the best results in the asteroid class, meaning that by using it, we lose the least number of valid asteroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salih Zeki Bey, one of the important researchers in the field of the history of science in our history, has worked on this subject for a long time and left important works and articles. Salih Zeki Bey especially researched the historical development of Mathematics, as a result of his studies, he determined that Muslim scholars had an important role in this matter and aimed to reveal this. In this study, the first of the series of articles titled "History of Mathematical Sciences in Islam" published by Sâlih Zeki Bey, a mathematician, a physicist as well as a versatile Darülfünun teacher who has an information in Astronomy and various fields, in the 54th issue of Ebuzziya Magazine will be researched. In addition, before going into the mentioned article, Salih Zeki Bey's life, works, History of Science and her aims in carrying out her studies on this subject will be mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is difference of opinions among Muslim scholars regarding whether Allah (S.W.T) has created one earth or seven separate earths or many earths. The specific focus of this study was on the interpretation of Surat At-Talaq, 65:12; by analyzing the kawniyyat verses related to creation of heavens and earth, to show which opinion among the three is likely to be correct. Thematic and synoptic approaches were used to analyse the kawniyyat verses related to the creation of heavens and earth; in relation to the signs in the field of astronomy and geology. Qur'anic and ahadith data were collected from the tafsir of the Qur'an and ahadith books. Astronomical and geological data were screened from online databases. The findings show that Allah (S.W.T) has created one earth with seven concentric layers inside it. These findings may rekindle the interest of other scholars to mount further research in this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to investigate the rational arguments presented by Abū al-Muʿīn al-Nasafī for justifying prophecy as a significant phenomenon in human history. The study begins by analysing al-Nasafī's definition of prophecy, followed by examining its linguistic, philosophical, and theological implications. The possibility and necessity of prophethood are explored from two distinct perspectives: natural reason and divine wisdom. In terms of natural reason (ʿaql), prophethood falls under the category of possibilities (mumkināt), which implies that its existence is not impossible according to reason. When it comes to the divine wisdom of God, prophethood is considered a necessity (wājib), as it would be inconceivable for God to abandon humanity without guidance in the realm of existence. The author presents numerous arguments supporting both categories. For instance, several factors justify the rationale behind the institution of prophecy, such as the limitations of the human mind in acquiring knowledge, the need to express religious knowledge with clarity and precision, and the significance of preserving this knowledge for future generations. Al-Nasafī argues that prophetic reality provides the most plausible explanation for our body of knowledge in various fields such as astronomy, more precisely "science or knowledge of the stars" (al-ʿilm bi al-nujūm), and medical science held by humanity. Moreover, essential skills and crafts passed down from generation to generation, such as farming and dressmaking, that are essential for human survival, can only be attributed to prophetic reality. Al-Nasafī also maintains that the institution of prophecy is the exclusive factor that can adequately explain the presence of various languages throughout the world. According to him, the first human language was taught by a prophet, and all subsequent languages are derived from this original language. The second part of the paper centres on al-Nasafī's criteria for validating the authenticity of a prophetic assertion. In al-Nasafī's view, miracles constitute the most critical means by which an individual claiming prophethood can demonstrate their claim. Following, the paper highlights al-Nasafī's differentiation between magic tricks or illusions executed by skilled magicians and miracles performed by prophets. Although magicians can manipulate and fool their audience using sleight of hand, the allure and mystique surrounding their illusions start to fade away once the causes or mechanics of those illusions become apparent. Conversely, as miracles are investigated and pondered over, they become increasingly precise and powerful. Lastly, as per al-Nasafī, merely having an intellectual understanding or belief in God alone is inadequate to achieve the happiness promised by the religion. Only through the institution of prophethood, one can comprehend the meaning (ḥikma) of our existence or life on Earth and acquire the benefits that pertain to both this world and the afterlife. By offering a thorough analysis of the concept of prophecy and al-Nasafī's rational arguments in support of it, this paper aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the notion of prophecy and its rational justifications in Islamic thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Góndola, Enseñanza y Aprendizaje de las Ciencias is the property of Gondola, Ensenanza y Aprendizaje de las Ciencias and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Nowadays, zenith telescope-based digital zenith cameras (DZC), such as the COmpact DIgital Astrometric Camera (CODIAC) and VErtical by STArs (VESTA), are used to determine highly precise astrogeodetic deflections of the vertical (DoVs). The CODIAC and VESTA were developed by Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich and University of Latvia, respectively, and only two CODIACs and four VESTAs were produced. The CODIAC has an established accuracy higher than 0.05″, while the accuracy of VESTA is ~0.1″. These two DZCs, which are the most used DZCs of the last decade, were used effectively over many survey campaigns. In this study, we used both the CODIAC and VESTA to conduct simultaneous observations at the School of Management and Engineering Vaud (HEIG-VD) in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, over five nights in August 2021. Our DZC measurements with CODIAC and VESTA mark the second time that simultaneous parallel observations were made with two different DZCs. Additionally, the VESTA was never tested against another DZC through comparative simultaneous measurements. These comparative measurements between the VESTA and CODIAC allowed for VESTA precision validation and checking the agreement between the two DZCs. The results of repeated, comparative DoV observations over five nights at HEIG-VD revealed a DoV measurement precision of VESTA around 0.13–0.16″ for 15 min long observation session and 0.10–0.13″ for 50 min long observation session. Mean DoV differences between CODIAC and VESTA at HEIG-VD were 0.08″ and −0.06″ for the North–South and East–West components, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the orientation of galaxies is one of the most widely used tools in the fields of extragalactic astronomy and cosmology, enabling the verification of structure formation scenarios in the universe. It is based on the statistical analysis of the distribution of angles, giving the spatial orientation of galaxies in space. In order to obtain the correct analysis results, one is obliged to take into account the Holmberg effect and the fact that galaxies are oblate spheroids, with the real axis ratio depending on the morphological type. However, most of the astronomical data available today do not contain information about the morphological types of galaxies. The analysis of sufficiently numerous observational data allows one to calculate the estimated frequency of the occurrence of given morphological types used in the proposed method. As a part of this, on the basis of these frequencies, simulations were performed, which enabled us to recognize new angle distributions used in orientation studies. These distributions already contain information on the frequency of the appearance of galaxies of particular morphological types in clusters, allowing for more accurate results of the statistical tests carried out during the analysis. The method is an extension of results developed in in our previous investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though many astronomers date their interest from childhood, my involvement began only in my student years. I started out as a physicist with an interest in cosmic rays that eventually led me towards astrophysics in general. As a graduate student I began with Solar Wind studies but afterwards moved into the nascent field of X-ray astronomy. During this time I also got involved with stellar interferometry and this ultimately led me to infrared photometry which became the main theme of my career. Some of my main invesigations are outlined in this autobiographical fragment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravitational lensing is a topic of great application value in the field of astronomy. The properties and research methods of gravitational lensing are closely related to the geometric and relativistic characteristics of the background universe. This review focuses on the theoretical research and application of strong lenses and weak lenses. We first introduce the basic principles of gravitational lensing, focusing on the geometric basis of geometric lensing, the representation of deflection angles, and the curvature relationship in different geometric spaces. In addition, we summarize the wide range of applications of gravitational lensing, including the application of strong gravitational lensing in Schwarzschild black holes, time delay, the cosmic shearing based on weak lensing, the applications in signal extraction, dark matter, and dark energy. In astronomy, through the use of advanced astronomical instruments and computers, analyzing gravitational lensing effects to understand the structure of galaxies in the universe is an important topic at present. It is foreseeable that gravitational lensing will continue to play an important role in the study of cosmology and will enrich our understanding of the universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, fast radio bursts (FRBs) have become a thriving field in astronomy and cosmology. Due to their extragalactic and cosmological origin, they are useful to study the cosmic expansion and the intergalactic medium (IGM). In the literature, the dispersion measure (DM) of FRB has been considered extensively. It could be used as an indirect proxy of the luminosity distance d L of FRB. The observed DM contains the contributions from the Milky Way (MW), the MW halo, IGM, and the host galaxy. Unfortunately, IGM and the host galaxy of FRB are poorly known to date, and hence the large uncertainties of D M IGM and D M host in DM plague the FRB cosmology. Could we avoid DM in studying cosmology? Could we instead consider the luminosity distance d L directly in the FRB cosmology? We are interested to find a way out for this problem in the present work. From the lessons of calibrating type Ia supernovae (SNIa) or long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as standard candles, we consider a universal subclassification scheme for FRBs, and there are some empirical relations for them. In the present work, we propose to calibrate type Ib FRBs as standard candles by using a tight empirical relation without DM. The calibrated type Ib FRBs at high redshifts can be used like SNIa to constrain the cosmological models. We also test the key factors affecting the calibration and the cosmological constraints. Notice that the results are speculative, since they are based on simulations for the future (instead of now). We stress that the point in the present work is just to propose a viable method and a workable pipeline using type Ib FRBs as standard candles for cosmology in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-ray astrophysics in the MeV band is an exciting field in astronomy due to its potential for multi-messenger astrophysics. It has, however, remained under-explored when compared to other wavelengths. One reason for this observational gap is the difficulties with measuring these high-energy photons and the requirement of large amounts of detection material. In this work, we investigate the usage of large-volume GAGG scintillators for use as a calorimeter in future MeV telescopes. We developed a 5 × 5 array calorimeter utilizing 1 × 1 × 6 cm3 GAGG crystals with onsemi C-series SiPM readout. We tested the calorimeter at the High Intensity Gamma-ray Facility (HIGS) with monoenergetic beams ranging from 2–25 MeV. Finally, we also investigate larger 1 × 1 × 8 cm3 crystals and characterize their response across their depth when their surface treatment is either polished or frosted. • Developed a 5 × 5 array calorimeter using 1 × 1 × 5 cm3 GAGG crystals and the IDE AS ROSSPAD. • Demonstrated the 5 × 5 array calorimeter with monoenergetic gamma rays ranging up to 25 MeV. • Demonstrated the depth sensitivity and response of a frosted 1 × 1 × 8 cm3 GAGG crystal. • GAGG is prospective for use as a calorimeter in a MeV gamma-ray astrophysics mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravitational waves (GW) from eccentric binaries have intricate signals encoding important features about the location, creation and evolution of the sources. Eccentricity shortens the merger time, making the emitted GW statistically predominant in the observed data once detectors will reach the required sensitivity. We present a novel implementation of fully analytical GW templates from eccentric binary black hole (BBH) mergers within the Wolfram Mathematica software. We increase the accuracy by identifying and minimizing the possible source of errors. We start with an overview of the physics involved in eccentric mergers, then assemble the strain for the inspiral by employing up to six post-Newtonian (PN) corrections. We complete the eccentric inspiral with the quasi-circular Backwards one Body (BOB) merger model in frequency, amplitude and phase, then we build the hybrid GW strain for the whole evolution of the binary. For low eccentricity, we reach coincidence in the overlap, with no ambiguity in the time interval, a remarkable improvement from the usual matching techniques. For high-eccentricity, we compensate for the implicit quasi-circular assumption of the BOB approach, by introducing a small rescaling in amplitude. Our streamlined implementation is relevant for the new field of GW astronomy and is straightforward to understand, use and extend, offering researchers in the field a valuable open resource tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D virtual reality spaces, whether running on desktop environments or on immersive displays, have been noted to support a radically new and highly stimulating way of working with digital content in a variety of application domains. At the same time, research in recent decades has produced a number of experimental results showing that the use of 3D, as opposed to 2D interfaces, can lead to performance improvements from a wide range of aspects, including the ability to comprehend and retain knowledge, ability to work collaboratively in more creative and effective ways, and ability to carry out workflows integrating numerous sources of information in less time. In this paper, we first review the relevant literature; then, we describe an exploratory study that we carried out with test subjects, both in a 3D desktop virtual environment and in a 2D web-based environment, while collecting eye tracking data. In the study, subjects were presented with a set of multimedia content on a range of topics within the field of astronomy, based on which they were subsequently asked to fill out a set of questionnaires. By comparing the 2D and 3D cases in terms of correctness of answers, time taken to perform the task, pupil dilation measurements, subjects' self-reported difficulty assessments, as well as various kinds of high-level interaction patterns employed during the task (in 3D), we were able to identify a set of descriptive markers which may be relevant to the prediction of users' effectiveness in virtual reality workspaces. In a weaker sense, the results also seem to support previous research works claiming improved effectiveness in 3D spaces compared to 2D web-based interfaces, although further work is needed to more clearly identify the constraints within which such benefits can be guaranteed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exoplanetary science is a very active field of astronomy nowadays, with questions still opened such as how planetary systems form and evolve (occurrence, process), why such a diversity of exoplanets is observed (mass, radius, orbital parameters, temperature, composition), and what are the interactions between planets, circumstellar disk and their host star. Several complementary methods are used for the detection of exoplanets. Among these, imaging aims at the direct detection of the light reflected, scattered or emitted by exoplanets and circumstellar disks. This allows their spectral and polarimetric characterization. Such imaging remains challenging because of the large luminosity ratio (104-1010) and the small angular separation (fraction of an arcsecond) between the star and its environment. Over the past two decades, numerous techniques, including coronagraphy, have been developed to make exoplanet imaging a reality. This paper gives a broad overview of the subsystems that make up a coronagraphic instrument for imaging exoplanetary systems. It is especially intended for non-specialists or newcomers in the field. We explain the principle of coronagraphy and propose a formalism to understand their behavior. We discuss the impact of wavefront aberrations on the performance of coronagraphs and how they induce stellar speckles in the scientific image. Finally, we present instrumental and signal processing techniques used for on-sky minimization or a posteriori calibration of these speckles in order to improve the performance of coronagraphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observation and theoretical study of massive magnetized white dwarfs is one of the most important topics in the field of astronomy. This paper aims to obtain a coupled magneto‐thermal evolution model of magnetized white dwarfs (B‐WDs). As a fiducial model, we choose a non‐magnetized WD with a baryonic mass M0 = 1.37 M⊙ (M⊙ is the solar mass) for comparison with the magnetized cases. Firstly, we give an overview of the WD cooling, then study the equation of the state of a B‐WD. We find that the WD mass increases with magnetic field strength B, while its radius decreases with B, and the minimum of B required to reach the Chandrasecka limit is about 3.2 × 1014 G. Finally, by introducing the magnetic‐to‐thermal conversion coefficient ξ, and taking the temperature effect on the stellar radius into consideration, we calculate the luminosities of thermal photons Lph and surface effective temperature, Teff due to Ohmic dissipation for B‐WDs. According to our calculations, magnetic field decay can definitely maintain a long‐term thermal evolution for massive B‐WDs. This study will be useful for the study of internal thermal evolution and internal stability of B‐WDs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Open Skies: The National Radio Astronomy Observatory and Its Impact on US Radio Astronomy" is a comprehensive study of the establishment, history, and influence of the United States' National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). The book explores the development of radio astronomy in the US, the politics involved in creating a national facility, and the open access policy that has shaped the field. The authors, with their extensive experience in radio astronomy and deep involvement with the NRAO, provide a well-rounded view of the observatory's contributions, including both successes and setbacks. This book is a valuable resource for those interested in the history and development of radio astronomy. [Extracted from the article]

Symmetric trace-free tensors are used in many areas of physics, including electromagnetism, relativistic celestial mechanics and geodesy, as well as in the study of gravitational radiation and gravitational lensing. Their use allows integration of the relevant wave propagation equations to arbitrary order. We present an improved iterative method for the trace-free decomposition of symmetric tensors of arbitrary rank. The method can be used both in coordinate-free symbolic derivations using a computer algebra system and in numerical modeling. We obtain a closed-form representation of the trace-free decomposition in arbitrary dimensions. To demonstrate the results, we compute the coordinate combinations representing the symmetric trace-free (STF) mass multipole moments for rank 5 through 8, not readily available in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans could not traverse to every point on the surface, yet they still require information about such locations, such as in the fields of astronomy, geology, the military, etc. As a result, researchers have designed cutting-edge technologies have enabled data gathering from locations where humans are unable to travel. Our research is one of these technologies, and it is extremely useful in a variety of applications, including remote sensing and evacuation. A quadruped robot bio inspired from the spider structure with 3 Degree of Freedom for each leg is fabricated. Structure is so chosen that offers a good manoeuvrability on uneven surfaces thus offering it a biological resemblance of a spider. searching for survivors in war zones, examining precarious structures after natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, or volcanic eruptions, taking pictures of dangerous wildlife like lions and tigers, etc. are all examples of exploring risky locations for humans for which the proposed model offers a solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, originally printed 50 years ago, was the first to provide a detailed discussion of the possible design of an interferometric gravitational-wave detector. In particular, unlike any previous paper based on a similar idea, it provides a detailed analysis of the noise sources and their mitigation. Since the work eventually led to opening up the whole field of gravitational-wave astronomy, as described in the accompanying editorial note, with many exciting results already, and brought the author a share in a Nobel Prize, it is one of the most significant papers in the Golden Oldies series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma‐ray glows associated with thunderclouds have been observed since the 1980s, however it remains unclear how, and at which thunderstorms gamma‐ray glows are generated in dense atmospheres. In this study, we report the first Compton camera imaging of a gamma‐ray glow from a winter thundercloud. On 14 January 2022, using two identical Bi4Ge3O12 scintillators in energy range of 0.05–5 MeV, we detected two gamma‐ray glows lasting ∼4 min in a mountain area 25 km from the Japan Sea and 410 m above sea level. The same events were also observed by the Compton camera, where the first glow we observed suggested statistically significant (4.0 and 5.9 σ level) signals of two enhanced concentrations in gamma‐ray photon images in a range of 0.15–1.5 MeV. These concentrations were most clearly observed in a time window of Δt = 50 s around the peak intensity of the gamma‐ray glow. Plain Language Summary: Observations of gamma rays from thunderclouds started in 1980s, leading to intensive studies in the last 40 years. However, the question of where and how such gamma rays are produced in thunderclouds remains unclear, as no gamma‐ray images have been obtained to date. This paper presents the first successful gamma‐ray imaging of a thundercloud in a winter of Japan. In particular, we installed a Compton camera of 10 × 10 cm2 in size, that is a compact but high sensitivity camera originally developed in the field of astronomy to observe gamma‐ray sky. At the peak of a gamma‐ray emission, we detected significant enhancements in the gamma‐ray photon image. The image provides the source position and beam pattern of the gamma‐ray emission, thus may be connected to highly electrified region and electron acceleration inside thunderclouds. Key Points: Gamma‐ray glows were observed in a mountainous area 25 km from the Japan Sea and 410 m above sea level on 14 January 2022, during winterOne of the glows suggested two enhanced concentrations in gamma‐ray images, which was taken for the first time with a Compton cameraThe first successful gamma‐ray imaging provides a new means of investigating radiation beam pattern of gamma‐ray glows in thunderclouds [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐light‐level photodetections are highly desired in the fields of astronomy and quantum information. However, the existing techniques suffer from high operation voltages and complexity of fabrication, which reduces its compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) based read‐out circuit and prevent the use of imaging. Here, a low‐light‐level phototransistor that employs a photo‐induced ferroelectric reversal mechanism in a ferroelectric semiconductor channel: α‐In2Se3 is demonstrated. It shows a record‐low noise‐equivalent power of 7.9 × 10−22 W Hz−1/2, a record‐high specific detectivity of 6.34 × 1017 Jones, and sensitivity approaching 20 photons in a photon‐counting mode, and fast time response of 260 µs/50 ns in the rise/decay period. It also works as an optoelectronic memory with an on/off ratio of 2.9 × 105, retention of longer than 10 years, and endurance of more than 106 cycles. Due to its high performance, simple architecture, and small operation voltage, the phototransistor provides a feasible platform for new‐generation low‐light‐level image sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the fields of astronomy and astrophysics have experienced significant growth at observational and computational levels, leading to the acquisition of increasingly huge volumes of data. In order to process this vast quantity of information, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques are being combined with data mining to detect patterns with the aim of modeling, classifying or predicting the behavior of certain astronomical phenomena or objects. Parallel to the exponential development of the aforementioned techniques, the scientific output related to the application of AI and machine learning (ML) in astronomy and astrophysics has also experienced considerable growth in recent years. Therefore, the increasingly abundant articles make it difficult to monitor this field in terms of which research topics are the most prolific or novel, or which countries or authors are leading them. In this article, a text‐mining‐based scientometric analysis of scientific documents published over the last three decades on the application of AI and ML in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics is presented. The VOSviewer software and data from the Web of Science (WoS) are used to elucidate the evolution of publications in this research field, their distribution by country (including co‐authorship), the most relevant topics addressed, and the most cited elements and most significant co‐citations according to publication source and authorship. The obtained results demonstrate how application of AI/ML to the fields of astronomy/astrophysics represents an established and rapidly growing field of research that is crucial to obtaining scientific understanding of the universe. This article is categorized under:Algorithmic Development > Text MiningTechnologies > Machine LearningApplication Areas > Science and Technology [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article presents the history of the Visual Survey Group (VSG)â€"a Professional-Amateur (Pro-Am) collaboration within the field of astronomy working on data from several space missions (Kepler, K2 and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). This paper covers the formation of the VSG, its survey-methods including the most common tools used and its discoveries made over the past decade. So far, the group has visually surveyed nearly 10 million light curves and authored 69 peer-reviewed papers which mainly focus on exoplanets and discoveries involving multistellar systems. The preferred manual search-method carried out by the VSG has revealed its strength by detecting numerous objects which were overlooked or discarded by automated search programs, uncovering some of the most rare stars in our galaxy, and leading to several serendipitous discoveries of unprecedented astrophysical phenomena. The main purpose of the VSG is to assist in the exploration of our local universe, and we therefore advocate continued crowd-sourced examination of time-domain data sets, and invite other research teams to reach out in order to establish collaborating projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen intensity mapping is a new field in astronomy that promises to make three-dimensional maps of the matter distribution of the Universe using the redshifted |$21\, \textrm {cm}$| line of neutral hydrogen gas (HI). Several ongoing and upcoming radio interferometers, such as Tianlai, CHIME, HERA, HIRAX, etc. are using this technique. These instruments are designed to map large swaths of the sky by drift scanning over periods of many months. One of the challenges of the observations is that the daytime data are contaminated by strong radio signals from the Sun. In the case of Tianlai, this results in almost half of the measured data being unusable. We try to address this issue by developing an algorithm for solar contamination removal (AlgoSCR) from the radio data. The algorithm is based on an eigenvalue analysis of the visibility matrix and hence is applicable only to interferometers. We apply AlgoSCR to simulated visibilities, as well as real daytime data from the Tianlai dish array. The algorithm can reduce strong solar contamination by about 95 per cent without seriously affecting other weaker sky signals and thus makes the data usable for certain applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]