When asked about the origin of proton spin, and of how much of it is attributed to its quarks, the answers vary greatly.

From anywhere between zero and one hundred percent, depending on whom you ask.

The percentage, known by the greek letter sigma is considered incalculable. A proton’s composition is clear-cut enough, two UP quarks and one DOWN held together by gluons. Experiments conducted at CERN [the European labratory for particle physics] and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center [SLAC] came up with two widely varying measurements [ten percent and fifty five percent respectfully]. But with an error ratio of + / - ten percent or more, the actual value may be long in coming.

Astronomy by Satelite

Observations by an

Orbital telescope

By:

Cmdr. D. L. Wey

With the orbital space telescope repaired, observations of galaxies [such as M-100 (some fifty million light years from earth) and other galactic phenomenon have been taken to new heights.

With the corrections and adjustments made to the primary mirror and its related subsystems, its view of the cosmos is estimated at more than one hundred ten percent that of even the largest planetary telescope. With the ability to observe a volume of space one thousand times larger.

With the unit operating at its present level, it may one day be possible to determine the true value of the Hubble Constant [a key cosmological parameter], or the number that relates the velosity of an object to its distance.

It is believed that observations made of Cepheids [variable stars] will enable astronomers to more accurately calculate the age of the universe. Which is one of the many tasks for which the space telescope was designed.

Seismic phenomenon

In Stellar bodies

a report by:

Comm. R. M. & Cmdr. D.L. Wey

Research into an area of astronomy known as Asteroseismology has been conducted in the hopes of solving some of the cosmos' most elusive secrets, among them, the birth date of the universe.

With Stellar bodies, waiting for a quake is not necessary, as many are in constant vibration and thus sending out compression waves throughout their interiors to the outer layers.

Until the study of asteroseismology it was assumed that white dwarfs [stellar bodies with surface temperatures of 10,000 degrees kelvin] were of uniform composition [from surface to core] however, it is now accepted that such stellar phenomenon may be layered, just as other stellar bodies are.

It has, for a very long time, been taken for granted that red giants end their lives as white dwarfs. Having spent all of their nuclear fuel and blowing off their outer layers, eventually cooling off. But observations of such stellar objects as PG- 1159-035 have shown this not to be quite correct. And it is a quandary that makes for research.

In an effort to correlate data to determine the age of the universe itself, temperature readings have been taken of white dwarfs within the disc of the Milky Way. A concensus of those temperatures is made to determine their approximate ages. As white dwarfs represent the end of the scale in stellar evolution, the coldest of these should prove to be the oldest.

Measurements are being taken of white dwarfs in the galactic halo so as to compare with those in the disc. If they correspond to those in the disc, the universe could be as young as ten to eleven billion years. If not, then the fifteen to sixteen billion year estimate may be more accurate.

Further research into this area will be needed to facilitate an accurate finding.

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