News
School of Physics and Astronomy
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September 13, 2019
RIT researcher publishes paper explaining the atomic-scale structure of misfit dislocations
A paper was recently published in Advanced Theory and Simulations by Pratik Dholabhai, Assistant Professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at RIT.
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September 12, 2019
Scientists developing single photon detector to help search for habitable exoplanets
NASA is awarding a team of researchers from RIT and Dartmouth College a grant to develop a detector capable of sensing and counting single photons that could be crucial to future NASA astrophysics missions. The extremely sensitive detector would allow scientists to see the faintest observable objects in space, such as Earth-like planets around other stars.
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September 3, 2019
RIT Observatory hosts open house to commemorate Apollo 11’s 50th anniversary
The RIT Observatory is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first steps on the moon by holding an open house. Members of the Rochester community are invited to visit and explore the moon through the observatory’s telescopes.
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August 27, 2019
A practical method to measure quantum entanglement
Tech Explorist reports on a new technique by RIT researchers for quantifying entanglement that has major implications for developing the next generation of technology in computing, simulation, secure communication and other fields.
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August 23, 2019
RIT researchers help develop practical new method for measuring quantum entanglement
Researchers have helped develop a new technique for quantifying entanglement that has major implications for developing the next generation of technology in computing, simulation, secure communication and other fields. The researchers outlined their new method for measuring entanglement in a recent Nature Communications article.
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July 1, 2019
RIT alumnus to serve as futures analyst for U.S. Agency for International Development
The fellowship program provides opportunities to outstanding scientists and engineers to learn first-hand about policymaking and contribute their knowledge and analytical skills in the policy realm. Brennan Ireland ’18 Ph.D. (astrophysical sciences and technology) will use his analytical skills to quantitatively evaluate countries to get a better picture of what their futures look like.
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June 19, 2019
Did a Dwarf Galaxy Crash into the Milky Way?
Sky & Telescope reports that a recent study by RIT suggests the dwarf galaxy Antlia 2 had a long-ago run-in with our galaxy, rippling and warping its disk. But not everyone agrees with that scenario.
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June 19, 2019
The Milky Way Has Battle Scars from Colliding With a Ghostly Galaxy
Discover magazine features Sukanya Chakrabarti, associate professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy, and her research on the recently-discovered dwarf galaxy Antlia 2.
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June 18, 2019
A 'Ghost Galaxy' May Have Given the Milky Way Its Signature Swirl
Though direct observational evidence of Antlia 2 was not obtained until last year, one scientist has had a decade-long hunch that it was there. Sukanya Chakrabarti, an astrophysicist at RIT predicted in 2009 that an object packed with dark matter was causing tidal effects at the edge of the Milky Way.
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June 18, 2019
Milky Way Collided with Dark-Matter Dominated Galaxy Less Than Billion Years Ago
Sci-News features new research, led by RIT, that shows the collision of the recently-discovered dwarf galaxy Antlia 2 with the Milky Way Galaxy hundreds of millions of years ago is responsible for ripples in the Milky Way’s outer gas disk.
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June 14, 2019
Scientists detected signs of our Milky Way colliding with another 'ghost' galaxy
Antlia 2, the "ghost of a galaxy" orbiting the Milky Way, is a dark horse in more ways than one. Not only is it so faint it was only just discovered last year, it may now be responsible for curious ripples in the hydrogen gas that makes up the Milky Way's outer disc.
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June 12, 2019
New evidence shows crash with Antlia 2 gave the Milky Way the ripples in its outer disc
The newly-discovered dark dwarf galaxy Antlia 2’s collision with the Milky Way may be responsible for our galaxy’s characteristic ripples in its outer disc, according to a study led by Assistant Professor Sukanya Chakrabarti. The Antlia 2 dwarf galaxy was discovered from the second data release of the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission, which aims to chart a three-dimensional map of our galaxy.