Quantum Physicists teleport photon over 15 miles

Professor Nicolas Gisin and his team have successfully teleported a photon over 15 miles in its quantum state.

The Swiss team of scientists aimed to transport the photon into a crystal without the two touching, and they did just that.

Nicolas Gisin

The same team were able to accomplish this in 2003, but they were only able to teleport the light a little less than four miles.

The reporting of the accomplishment can be found in the latest issue of Nature Photonics.

In May of 2012, a team of scientists was able to teleport a photon between two Canary islands, at a distance of roughly 88 miles.

In both situations optical fibre was used to carry the light particle.

"The next step is satellite-based quantum teleportation, which should enable quantum communication on a global scale."

"We have now taken a major step in this direction and will use our know-how in an international cooperation, which involves our colleagues at the Chinese Academy of Sciences."

Anton Zeilinger

"The goal is to launch a 'quantum satellite mission'," physicist Anton Zeilinger said at the time. Dr. Anton Zeilinger is Prof of Physics at Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Vienna.

Forbes claims a satellite-based quantum teleportation could result in highly advanced quantum internet devices.

More Information:
"Quantum teleportation from a telecom-wavelength photon to a solid-state quantum memory" Félix Bussières, Christoph Clausen, Alexey Tiranov, Boris Korzh, Varun B. Verma, Sae Woo Nam, Francesco Marsili, Alban Ferrier, Philippe Goldner, Harald Herrmann, Christine Silberhorn, Wolfgang Sohler, Mikael Afzelius & Nicolas Gisin author Nature Photonics (2014) doi:10.1038/nphoton.2014.215

NASA Cassini Tracks Clouds Developing Over a Titan Sea

This animated sequence of Cassini images shows methane clouds moving above the large methane sea on Saturn's moon Titan known as Ligeia Mare.

Image Credit: NASA /JPL-Caltech /Space Science Institute

As NASA's Cassini spacecraft sped away from Titan following a relatively close flyby, its cameras monitored the moon's northern polar region, capturing signs of renewed cloud activity.

Image Credit: NASA /JPL-Caltech /Space Science Institute

NASA's Cassini spacecraft recently captured images of clouds moving across the northern hydrocarbon seas of Saturn's moon Titan.

This renewed weather activity, considered overdue by researchers, could finally signal the onset of summer storms that atmospheric models have long predicted.

The Cassini spacecraft obtained the new views in late July, as it receded from Titan after a close flyby. Cassini tracked the system of clouds developing and dissipating over the large methane sea known as Ligeia Mare for more than two days.

Measurements of cloud motions indicate wind speeds of around 7 to 10 mph (3 to 4.5 meters per second).

For several years after Cassini's 2004 arrival in the Saturn system, scientists frequently observed cloud activity near Titan's south pole, which was experiencing late summer at the time.

Clouds continued to be observed as spring came to Titan's northern hemisphere. But since a huge storm swept across the icy moon's low latitudes in late 2010, only a few small clouds have been observed anywhere on the icy moon.

The lack of cloud activity has surprised researchers, as computer simulations of Titan's atmospheric circulation predicted that clouds would increase in the north as summer approached, bringing increasingly warm temperatures to the atmosphere there.

"We're eager to find out if the clouds' appearance signals the beginning of summer weather patterns, or if it is an isolated occurrence," said Elizabeth Turtle, a Cassini imaging team associate at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland.

"Also, how are the clouds related to the seas? Did Cassini just happen catch them over the seas, or do they form there preferentially?"

A year on Titan lasts about 30 Earth years, with each season lasting about seven years. Observing seasonal changes on Titan will continue to be a major goal for the Cassini mission as summer comes to Titan's north and the southern latitudes fall into winter darkness.

UK Holiday jet in near miss with UFO over London

Thomas Cook A320, with the registration G-KKAZ involved in UFO report over London. 

Credit: Telegraph

The captain of a Thomas Cook airliner flying tourists back from the Spanish holiday island to the north of England reported a "near miss" with a "rugby ball"-shaped UFO, which passed within feet of his jet.

The encounter, over Reading, Berks, was reported to the aviation authorities, who launched an investigation. But no earthly identity for the object could be established.

The encounter was disclosed earlier this month by the Telegraph, following the publication of a report into the inquiry. The document did not identify the aircraft involved.

However, following an analysis of flight data recorded on the internet, it was established that the jet was a Thomas Cook leased Boeing A320, with the flight number TCX24HX and the registration G-KKAZ, which was made in 2003.

The jet was flying to Manchester International airport, from Ibiza, on July 19th 2013. For years, the island has enjoyed a hedonistic reputation, attracting thousands of tourists each summer, many attracted to its vibrant nightlife.

The aircraft was flying at 516mph, at an altitude of 34,000ft, when it was passed by the UFO.

The encounter occurred in daylight, at around 6.35pm. It only emerged following publication of the report, which concluded it was “not possible to trace the object or determine the likely cause of the sighting”.

The captain said he spotted the object travelling towards the jet out of a left hand side, cockpit window, apparently heading directly for it. He said there was no time to for the aircrew to take evasive action.

He told investigators he was certain the object was going to crash into his aircraft and ducked as it headed towards him.

Weather Balloon

The incident was investigated by the UK Airprox Board, which studies “near misses” involving aircraft in British airspace.

The report states: “(The captain) was under the apprehension that they were on collision course with no time to react.

His immediate reaction was to duck to the right and reach over to alert the FO (First Officer); there was no time to talk to alert him.”

It adds: “The Captain was fully expecting to experience some kind of impact with a conflicting aircraft.”

He told investigators he believes the object passes “within a few feet” above the jet.

He described it as being “cigar/rugby ball like” in shape, bright silver and apparently “metallic” in construction.

Once it had passed, the captain checked the aircraft’s instruments and contacted air traffic controllers to report the incident. However, there was no sign of the mystery craft.

As part of the inquiry, data recordings were checked to establish what other aircraft were in the area at the time. However, all were eliminated.

Experimental Weather Balloon

The investigation also ruled out meteorological balloons, after checking none were released in the vicinity.

Toy balloons were also discounted, as they are not large enough to reach such heights. Military radar operators were contacted but were unable to trace the reported object.

The presence of other nations flying stealth aircraft missions over the UK and Europe is not uncommon but, as it was not possible to positively identify the object, the country of origin, and its intention, remain a mystery.

A spokesman for Thomas Cook Airlines said, “All our pilots are trained and required to report any unexpected events that occur during the flight to the aviation authorities.”

The UK Ministry of Defence closed its UFO desk in December 2009, along with its hotline for reporting such sightings.

Following that change, the UK Civil Aviation Authority took the decision that it would continue to look into such reports, from aircrew and air traffic controllers, because they could have implications for “flight safety”.

In 2012, the head of the UK National Air Traffic Control Services admitted staff detected around one unexplained flying object every month.

Moon rises over the city hall of Östersund, Sweden

The moon rises over the city hall of Östersund, Sweden in this image taken by Göran Strand. Strand on Oct. 28, 2013. 

Credit: Göran Strand

ESA Mars Express: Seasonal Ozone Layer Over The Martian South Pole

Ozone production over Mars southern winter pole.
Credit: ESA/ATG medialab.

For the past decade, ESA's Mars Express orbiter has been observing atmospheric structure on the Red Planet.

Among its discoveries is the presence of three separate ozone layers, each with its own characteristics.

A new comparison of spacecraft data with computer models explains how global atmospheric circulation creates a layer of ozone above the planet's southern winter pole.

Ozone (O3) is a form of oxygen gas which contains three atoms, rather than two.

On Earth, ozone is a pollutant at ground level, but at higher altitudes it provides an essential protective layer against harmful solar ultraviolet (UV) light.

However, ozone molecules are easily destroyed by solar ultraviolet light and by chemical reactions with hydrogen radicals, which are released by photolysis (splitting) of water molecules.

The role of pollution in its destruction has been a major focus of attention since the mid-1980s, when a hole in the ozone layer was discovered above Antarctica.

Until the early 1970s, no one could be sure whether ozone existed on any of the other planets. Ozone was then detected on Mars and it has since been discovered on Venus by ESA's Venus Express mission.

ESA's Mars Express orbiter

On Mars, the ozone concentration is typically 300 times thinner than on Earth, although it varies greatly with location and time.

In recent years, the SPICAM UV spectrometer on board Mars Express has shown the presence of two distinct ozone layers at low-to-mid latitudes.

These comprise a persistent, near-surface layer below an altitude of 30 km, and a separate layer, which is only present in northern spring and summer, and whose altitude varies from 30 to 60 km.

In recent years, SPICAM has also provided evidence for the existence of a third ozone layer which exists 40-60 km above the southern winter pole, with no counterpart above the North Pole.

In a paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, Franck Montmessin and Franck Lefevre, two scientists from LATMOS in Guyancourt, France, have analysed approximately 3000 occultation sequences and vertical ozone profiles collected by SPICAM on the night side of Mars.

Storm Clouds Over the Atlantic Ocean Near Brazil

One of the Expedition 36 crew members aboard the International Space Station used a 50mm lens to record this image of a large mass of storm clouds over the Atlantic Ocean near Brazil and the Equator on July 4, 2013. 

A Russian spacecraft, docked to the orbiting outpost, partially covers a small patch of sunglint on the ocean waters in a break in the clouds. 

Image Credit: NASA

Moon over Temple of Poseidon - Greece

Solstice Full Moon Rising at Sounion, 6 June 2010. The rising full moon against the Temple of Poseidon (450-440 BC) in southern Greece.

Clouds and Stars over Cotopaxi Volcano in Ecuador

Explanation: What's happening above the Cotopaxi volcano in Ecuador? Quite a bit, from the looks of the above one-night, time-lapse movie, taken earlier this month. The majestic volcano is first seen through breaks in fast moving clouds as the movie begins.

Soon the clouds have dissipated and a sky filled with stars seems to rotate about the snow-peaked volcano's peak. The band of our Milky Way Galaxy, the dark Coal Sack nebula, and the Southern Cross can all be seen overhead.

Satellites steak by from several directions. Soon thin clouds roll by and seem to make the brightest stars sparkle. On the volcano (starting at about 1:13 of the movie), the lights of climbers flash.

Near the end of the movie, a bright airplane passes over the peak with a residual trail seen drifting away.

A Solar Eclipse over the Marshall Islands

A photo montage captured during a solar eclipse over the Marshall Islands in July 2009. The beautiful image shows the solar corona that makes up the sun's atmosphere in amazing detail as the sun passes behind the moon.



The whorls and loops of the corona extend millions of miles into space, are nearly 200 times hotter than the visible surface of the sun, and yet aren't nearly as bright and hence can only be seen during eclipses