The Galactic Times http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/654242main_p1220b3k.jpg

The Galactic Times

Lecka, LiamJones, Conrad

1Table of Contents

1.) The Galactic Times2.) Table of Contents3.) Nuclear Fusion Rocket Could Reach Mars in 30 Days4.) What is Nuclear Fusion?5.) Nuclear Fusion Video!6.) Whats so special about Mars?7.) To Conclude8.) First Biological Evidence of a Supernova9.) What are isotopes?10.) What is a supernova?11.) Magnetotactic Bacteria12.) In Conclusion13.) Bibliography 14.)Bibliography (continued)

2Nuclear Fusion Rocket Could Reach Mars in 30 Days

Manned-travel to Mars could be possible in the near future. A group consisting of scientists at the University of Washington and MSNW, a space-propulsion company, are developing a way to decrease the time, money, and health risks associated with a possible trip to Mars.This plan would fuel the rocket through nuclear fusion. The team is attempting to create nuclear fusion with a special type of plasma by compressing it to an extremely high pressure within a magnetic field. This creates the material needed, and a single sand-grain piece of it would house more energy than current rocket fuel.Basically, for the rocket to be propelled, the magnetic field would cause metal rings to collapse around the plasma, compressing it to a fusion state for an instant. These quick reactions would heat up and ionize the metal, which would shoot out of the nozzle and propel the rocket.With this new-found energy, a rocket could get to Mars in 30-90 days!

What is Nuclear Fusion?Nuclear fusion is the process in which a large nucleus is created from two smaller nuclei combining.For this process to occur, extremely high temperatures are needed, as plasma can only exist in them.Plasma is a state of matter where atoms are stripped of their electrons.In this process, as shown below, energy and a neutron are released. It releases a large amount of energy, and fusion fuels the sun.If its energy can be harnessed, fusion could power the future.

Nuclear Fusion Video!

Whats so special about Mars?Mars is the most Earthlike of all planets. It could have contained life before, as well as water before (landscape shape).It also has distinct seasons.However, it has a very thin atmosphere, so temperatures vary greatly, from -140 to 20C.In addition, not much else is known about the planet, and since it housed life before, researchers would like to send astronauts to explore the red planet.

To ConcludeResearchers are designing a way to get to Mars in 30 days through nuclear fusion.To make nuclear fusion for propulsion possible, the scientists need to combine the isolated tests theyve preformed and move on to the actual fusion process.As one researcher states, We hope we can interest the world with the fact that fusion isn't always 40 years away and doesn't always cost $2 billion(Slough).

First Biological Evidence of a SupernovaScientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Technical University of Munich, or TUM), discovered Fe-60, an extremely old radioactive iron isotope, that came from a supernova nearby in space.This discovery marks the first time scientists have ever found evidence of a supernova hitting Earth.This supernova occurred about 2.2 million years ago.Fe-60 is only found as a result of a supernova.Researchers hypothesized that Fe-60 could be found in magnetofossils, which are created from undersea bacteria that make microscopic crystals of iron.

What are isotopes?Isotopes are atoms of the same element with amounts of neutrons, which in turn, creates different mass numbers.If you look at a periodic table, all of the isotopes that exist for an element are weighted and averaged, causing the mass numbers to never be whole numbers.Iron has an atomic number 26, therefore, Fe-60 contains 26 protons and 36 neutrons.

What is a supernova?

Magnetotactic Bacteria Magnetotactic Bacteria, or mtb, are a type of undersea bacteria that live in ocean sediments.They migrate on magnetic field lines underwater in the sediment.Mtb contain magnetic mineral crystals called magnetosomes inside a membrane. They are arranged in a chain structure.These crystals are oriented to act as a compass needle to guide the mtb along the magnetic field lines.To get iron for the crystals, mtb absorb it from dust drifting in the ocean. Thats how the fossils contained Fe-60.

In ConclusionThe discovery of Fe-60 in magnetofossils aged between 1.7 and 3.3 million years reveals that the first supernova to contact Earth occurred about 2.2 billion years ago.The research team from TUM are now going to analyze another sediment drill core. This core has more than 10 times amount of sediment of the first core.If the Fe-60 signal is found, the team will take the shape of the signal and map it as a function of time.This graph depicts an overlay of the gamma-ray signal of Fe-60 in the galaxy

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13Bibliography (continued)Memmott, Mark. "10-Year-Old Supernova Sleuth: 'I Didn't Want To Get My Hopes Too High'" NPR. NPR, 4 Jan. 2011. Web. 15 May 2013. . Miles, Kathy. "The Great Martian Traffic Jam." The Great Martian Traffic Jam. 2008. Web. 15 May 2013. . "NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration." NASA. Ed. Robert Garner. NASA, 31 May 2012. Web. 9 May 2013. . "Nuclear Fusion Rocket Could Reach Mars in 30 Days." Space.com. TechMediaNetwork.com, 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 9 May 2013. . PBSNewsHour. "Harvard Astrophysicist Answers: What Is a Supernova?" YouTube. YouTube, 12 Nov. 2010. Web. 12 May 2013. . Wysession, Michael, David V. Frank, and Sophia Yancopoulos. Prentice Hall physical science: concepts in action with earth and space science. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006. Print."Radioactive Iron, a Window to the Stars." MPE. Max-Planck-Institut Fr Extraterrestrische Physik, 26 June 2007. Web. 14 May 2013. . ScaredCrows. "Supernova Explosion Simulation." YouTube. YouTube, 26 May 2007. Web. 14 May 2013. . "Supernova Explosion." Free Wallpapers. Web. 12 May 2013. .

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