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Astrophysics/Questions Answered by Expert Steve Nelson

SubjectDate Asked
speed of light2/9/2012
  Q: Some of the kids in my calculus class that are also in physics asked the whole class a seemingly ...
  A: You're invoking impossibility, traveling at the speed of light when you have mass and that would ...
deep-space exploration12/7/2011
  Q: I wonder why they continue to launch deep space missions from the earth's surface when the vehicle ...
  A: You should be concerned about energy expenditures, they're the primary consideration in spaceflight. ...
deep-space exploration12/6/2011
  Q: I wonder why they continue to launch deep space missions from the earth's surface when the vehicle ...
  A: You still have to get the materials up to orbit to build the vehicle out of. That takes more energy ...
orbital bodies12/4/2011
  Q: Steve, I hope you can help me get a grasp on something rather basic. I know that bodies with ...
  A: You'll be at higher speed if you do it instantaneously you'll enter an elliptical orbit which will ...
black holes11/28/2011
  Q: i was wondering if it was possible to see into a black hole.lets say we had the worlds most powerful ...
  A: No, it's not possible. Wireless cameras broacast via light (radio waves are light) and light can't ...
microgravity11/26/2011
  Q: Sir,what do you mean by microgravity please explain? & sir what type of experiments can be performed ...
  A: I didn't coin the term, so it's kind of improper to ask me what *I* mean by it. Experiments in ...
matter/dark matter ratio11/23/2011
  Q: I am just wondering; do we know whether the ratio between matter and dark matter is constant? Does ...
  A: I'll say it this way: 1) People in physics are ABSOLUTELY obsessed with dark matter and come up ...
Polar Lights9/30/2011
  Q: I'm not sure if you're the right person to ask, but I didn't see anyone who seemed like a definite ...
  A: I somehow answered this and it never got posted. In a nutshell, there are no specific frequency ...
waves9/6/2011
  Q: sir please tell me the difference and similarities between radio signals(waves) and light waves
  A: Radio waves are a form of electromagnetic waves, just like light waves. By light waves, I'll assume ...
Alien spacecraft5/17/2011
  Q: Can astrophysics explain the possibility of their existence utilizing cold plasma, electromagnetism ...
  A: "Astro"physics is just a subspecializition of physics. Physics Today (the professional magazine we ...
average mass per particle4/12/2011
  Q: This is a follow up question - when calculating the Jeans mass to determine when a cloud will ...
  A: I don't answer homework question, and this isn't a follow-up to any question I've been asked before, ...
density terminology4/11/2011
  Q: In re "The possibility of recollapse of the universe..." I was doing okay until undefined p's and ...
  A: If you look at the units the author of the answer to your original question gave you, the answers ...
density terminology4/11/2011
  Q: In re "The possibility of recollapse of the universe..." I was doing okay until undefined p's and ...
  A: No, your question is absolutely too short and without detail to mean anything at all. What do the ...
Beloved In Christ2/19/2011
  Q: Beloved In Christ, Greetings in name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am a new Christian convert, ...
  A: I wanted to answer this one to ask how stupid you think I am. I mean, you sought out an expert in ...
Quark-Gluon Plasma1/31/2011
  Q: If the Big Bang initially resulted initially in a quark-gluon plasma, when and how did electrons ...
  A: I'm more of a low-energy nuclear astrophysics guy, I mean that your answer is in the subfields of ...
Gravity wave experiment12/13/2010
  Q: I am the inventor of the Solar plasma meter pat# 6,234,013 a mechanical radiation detector. If you ...
  A: I'm not carrying out an experiment for you, especially one so utterly ridiculous. There's no ...
Illuminance in outer space12/7/2010
  Q: How much light is there available in great distance from any star, outside any galaxy? If I would be ...
  A: You see more than stars when you look up, or you'd only see a thin band of stars in the Milky Way. ...
Energy Released by Stars11/29/2010
  Q: Is there a way to find energy released by stars such as Alpha Centuari and Proxima Centuari? Or a ...
  A: You assume that all the energy created in a star by fusion is radiated, the star is in equilibrium. ...
The Speed of a Gamma-ray Burst11/20/2010
  Q: My question is concerning the nature of a Gamma Ray Burst and the speed at which it moves relative ...
  A: No, actually, the difference in the speed of light based on frequency has strict limits placed on it ...
Big bang11/5/2010
  Q: I am having trouble understanding the big bang. How was it the beginning of time? If their was no ...
  A: You really need a whole brief course on cosmology, hopefully with a lot of physics to back it up. ...
The big bang9/18/2010
  Q: Was visible light produced by the big bang or was the universe dark until stars were formed?
  A: Light is produced all the time. Visible light was indeed produced by the big bang, along with ...
dark energy, rate of expansion9/5/2010
  Q: I was reading a New Scientist article ...
  A: OK, this isn't directly my field of expertise, but I'll give you my quick opinion (you should ask a ...
Just a physics question8/29/2010
  Q: Sorry my question isn't isn't related to anything nuclear. Just sending this message because physics ...
  A: No, time is a dimension. Causality is the concept that cause precedes effect. Since the big bang ...
Shape of the Universe8/26/2010
  Q: I am not sure if my question, is in your area of speciality, but I wanted to know what the shape of ...
  A: The shape of the universe is unknown and may have no conventional meaning according to some ...
Light8/3/2010
  Q: Why light bend when it goes from one medium to another medium? What is meant by spin of particle
  A: Light changes direction because the parts of the wave which reach the medium first slow down. If ...
Proper symbol for Entropy?7/29/2010
  Q: .. I was wondering what the proper symbol for entropy would be regarding the tendency of the ...
  A: There's no such thing as a "proper" symbol in physics. There's just a chosen symbol. If you were ...
Physics7/25/2010
  Q: Steve, Hello, i have a few questions regarding Physics. I am looking for something to begin ...
  A: Pay for physicists varies radically. I know one who left physics to make money on Wall Street and ...
confused7/24/2010
  Q: That’s a good explanation. Coming from England i’m not used to seeing rockets unless they’re on the ...
  A: Rockets quickly execute a turning maneuver in order to thrust parallel to the ground instead of ...
confused7/24/2010
  Q: Many thanks for considering the Berwyn event in your thoughts to my last questions: ...
  A: The conspiracy theories of earthquake weapons are, of course, ridiculous on the grounds of energy ...
Confused...7/18/2010
  Q: Its been a while since my last question but you might remember me, i’m the person who said he saw ...
  A: It's entirely possible for Earthquakes to produce odd lights in the sky and very odd effects. At ...
light speed7/10/2010
  Q: I love physics and the science that goes along with it especially when it comes to outer space. ...
  A: Firstnothing would happen, light basically governs time. Study relativity, the question is far more ...
Laser Nuclear fusion7/9/2010
  Q: I am quite intrigued at this concept. Could you fill me in about the theory and machine behind laser ...
  A: While that is waaaay beyond the scope of this forum for a detailed reply, there is a whole gold mine ...
is time can stand on its own?7/9/2010
  Q: Matter needs space, but space does not need matter. Space needs Time, but time does not need space. ...
  A: Update from well over a century ago at the university I attended for my undergraduate education: ...
gas follow up question6/12/2010
  Q: Steven; All matter has mass density.The mass (0.071 g/l) of Hydrogen however is to small (light)to ...
  A: Wow, you're back! Fantastic! I had a talk with scientists at Air Liquide (it has an e at the end ...
gas follow up question5/31/2010
  Q: Steven; All matter has mass density.The mass (0.071 g/l) of Hydrogen however is to small (light)to ...
  A: No, if you measure the Earth's atmosphere in a mass spectrometer it does not contain 00.0000% ...
gas follow up question5/25/2010
  Q: Astronomers teach gravity has an effect over gas, is it true? We were taught gas is a substance ...
  A: I notice that you never said who taught you what you believe, or where. Having gone to Case and ...
gas5/24/2010
  Q: Astronomers teach gravity has an effect over gas, is it true? We were taught gas is a substance ...
  A: That's...all ridiculous. Entirely, gravity is completely the reason why our atmosphere is held in, ...
20125/2/2010
  Q: Will we be doomed in 2012? Please provide a thorough explanation and back up all of your statements ...
  A: I almost put this under "explain to questioner why you can't answer this question," but I have an ...
"confused?"4/23/2010
  Q: Many thanks for attempting my last question, I can well appreciate that you may have struggled ...
  A: The Earth's magnetic field, even during a geomagnetic storm, isn't strongly fluctuating enough to ...
"Confused?"3/27/2010
  Q: I'm confused! Many years ago I saw some very interesting objects that I’m convinced were plasma. ...
  A: I had trouble digging an actual question out until the end, it appears you're most concerned with ...
Doppler shift vs. expansion3/27/2010
  Q: The best way I can think to ask my question is to start with a thought experiment. Imagine you are ...
  A: Let me stop you at the word "recording." You're traveling through time, not space, yes? Then ...
Origin of elements heavier than iron2/22/2010
  Q: I'm a high school student working on a video about the origin of the elements that cannot be created ...
  A: The heavier elements than iron have a maximum binding energy per nucleon (a nucleon is a general ...
Origin of elements heavier than iron2/21/2010
  Q: I'm a high school student working on a video about the origin of the elements that cannot be created ...
  A: These processes may lower the *average* binding energy per nucleon, but the *total* binding energy ...
gravitational force nature2/17/2010
  Q: 2 particles attract each other.Why?The general theory of relativity says "the curve of space-time is ...
  A: It's not easily understood, that's the problem. You can understand it as curvature of spacetime ...
collision1/15/2010
  Q: My question is about a collosion of a (high energy) proton with a standing Li nucleus (7/3). Then 2 ...
  A: Conserve energy and momentum in two dimensions, accounting for the energy it takes to break up the ...
LIMIT OF SPACE12/5/2009
  Q: If the universe is expanding, what is the limit(or definition) of that quantity(space or anything ...
  A: That is currently one of the unknowns in science, the limit to which space can expand. However, ...
Electragnetic fields10/23/2009
  Q: I was wondering whether the electragnetic fields around people and animals have been proven to emit ...
  A: You mean electromagnetic. Electromagnetic fields around people are 1) extremely weak and 2) ...
Tokamak10/21/2009
  Q: I am deeply interested in nuclear fusion. I have read, that in Tokamak systems the D-T plasma fuel ...
  A: Tokamak systems are huge. The sheer level of x-rays you're talking about would require ridiculously ...
Science Fair10/6/2009
  Q: Im sorry to admit this - even to myself - but that science fair project you gave me before was just ...
  A: Well it's going to have to be drastically simplified at this point, because my other project was ...
eddington limit9/5/2009
  Q: here is my question. If you can help me I will really appreciate... I am confuse about how can I ...
  A: This really sounds like your astrophysics homework, so I'm going to only give you my opinion on how ...
Gravity, escape velocity7/21/2009
  Q: Sir, I'm just an old guy (69) browsing and came across your answer to this question regarding ...
  A: Due to people who would rate a question badly just because they didn't want the truth or who would ...
Gravity, escape velocity7/21/2009
  Q: Sir, I'm just an old guy (69) browsing and came across your answer to this question regarding ...
  A: A jet does indeed have the massive specific impulse one needs to reach orbit, with a couple of big ...
solar flares7/19/2009
  Q: I have seen images of solar flares sending ripples across the surface of the sun (sunquakes). Is ...
  A: Well, there are certainly waves inside the Sun, but you don't get ejection in there because there's ...
Einstein7/19/2009
  Q: Did Albert Einstein graduate from elementary school (or the equivalent)? Did he graduate from high ...
  A: Yes, he earned all his degrees and his life is accurately chronicled in his wikipedia entry: ...
The supposed "Alignment" of 20127/1/2009
  Q: I read an article stating that the alignment of the earth, moon and sun on the 2012 solstice and the ...
  A: Alignment of arbitrary orbit planes? We actually came closer to "alignment" in 1998 than we will in ...
Big Bang6/16/2009
  Q: Steve, My (amateur) understanding is that the theory of "inflation" was developed to explain the ...
  A: But there's non-uniformity that we observe with WMAP and so on. We need inflation to explain baryon ...
measure of movement in space6/10/2009
  Q: I watch a lot of nasa channel and I was wondering this....Speed of orbiting craft are giving quite a ...
  A: No, we travel through space relative to the Sun and center of the Galaxy at much higher velocities ...
dark matter6/9/2009
  Q: Steve, Will the new model, which doubles existing estimates for the size of super massive black ...
  A: No, actually. We knew galaxies had massive centers, it's the increase in speed of rotation ...
Cat's Eye Nebula5/22/2009
  Q: I recently saw an amazing photo of the Cat's Eye Nebula and read that it is considered to be one of ...
  A: First, keep in mind that I'm not an astronomer. The physics of what's going on inside is part of my ...
Optics5/19/2009
  Q: 1-Why is light bent by a gravitational field?And how? 2-What is the theoretical backing behind the ...
  A: Light isn't actually bent, light travels in a straight line. It's space that's bent, meaning a ...
Atom formation5/13/2009
  Q: I was browsing through the WMAP website and found this time line of our universe. ...
  A: Well, you have a small misunderstanding. The "Dark Ages" didn't mean that the universe was empty of ...
Nanotechnology5/9/2009
  Q: What do you think/know about nanotechnology? what does it mean to you? Also, What is your ...
  A: The specific things you're asking about aren't really nanotechnology that a physicist would know ...
The first second of the big bang5/6/2009
  Q: I watched a documentary recently which explained the reason why we see background radiation ...
  A: Be careful with the word "fact." It's misleading, and generally misused when dealing with physics ...
Nanotechnology5/5/2009
  Q: What do you think/know about nanotechnology? what does it mean to you? Also, What is your ...
  A: I know a good bit about nanotechnology, it's an incredibly general term. It usually refers to ...
astrophysics4/29/2009
  Q: I have a question about projectile motion in outer space. Since space is virtually a perfect ...
  A: Yes, because of the orbital motion, they would radiate away ridiculously tiny amounts of energy. ...
astrophysics4/29/2009
  Q: I have a question about projectile motion in outer space. Since space is virtually a perfect ...
  A: No, once you set it and its gravitational field in motion you're done accelerating the object and ...
A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION4/28/2009
  Q: Q 1: How the universe would like from the point of view of a photon? Q 2: Special theory of ...
  A: 1) It's moving at the speed of light, so the universe would be totally static as it would appear ...
Energy in physics4/23/2009
  Q: I was wondering if you could clarify something for me. I know that in physics energy means the ...
  A: The problem here is that you've latched onto a somewhat simplistic definition of energy. Energy is ...
relativity4/19/2009
  Q: Steve, As I understand, brane theory includes an explanation for the big bang and "time" before. If ...
  A: A cesium clock measures time by the oscillation of quantum states of a cesium atom interacting with ...
relativity4/17/2009
  Q: Steve, As I understand, brane theory includes an explanation for the big bang and "time" before. If ...
  A: There are many theories which are currently untestable which will lead us to surprises in science. ...
special relativity4/16/2009
  Q: I have a few questions on special relativity. Are you able to answer questions regarding this topic? ...
  A: This question could use some rephrasing. Outside his "time frame?" What does that mean? It's not ...
Relativity4/2/2009
  Q: Respected sir I am Mukul of class 11, please explain in as short as possible How does general ...
  A: Relativity says that the presence of matter warps the geometry of space itself. That destroys ...
work3/19/2009
  Q: why when we calculated the work we multiplied force * distance not F/D i.e division what is the ...
  A: It's just the definition of work. It's actually a specific definition for a constant force in a ...
Solar System Model3/18/2009
  Q: I'm interested in creating a mathematical model of the solar system via a computer program. But I'd ...
  A: I don't mean to rain on your parade here, but I'm not the bearer of good news for this hobby of ...
about the relation between plannets and stars3/10/2009
  Q: sir..why mostly all the plannets in solar system revolve eleptically around the sun but not ...
  A: To move in a perfectly circular orbit a planet would have to form with exactly the right velocity ...
How are neutrinos detectected if they are ghost?3/9/2009
  Q: I recently watched a supernova documentary and it was stated that during the collapse of stars to ...
  A: On average, yes, they do. But the sheer number is staggering (trillions pass through your body each ...
Big band and Space-time2/18/2009
  Q: I've just read the question asked about the Big bang and it being the same in all directions. ...
  A: No, the Earth is not the center of the universe. Since the Big Bang defines all of space, it will ...
looking 14 billion years towards the big bang2/10/2009
  Q: I've been interested in the universe and the way it works since i was a boy (now 37!). There is ...
  A: The big bang did happen in every direction you look. All the matter you see was inside it, no ...
(Extremely) Theoretical Physics12/19/2008
  Q: I'm not sure if you'll be able to answer this, if not could you please point me to someone that ...
  A: It's not extremely theoretical. Like the photon, the graviton would be its own antiparticle, ...
Regarding Iron12/2/2008
  Q: I read that Iron is an extra-terrestial element. Is that true? Are there other elements in earth ...
  A: A very few of the lightest elements were created during the big bang, but all of the heavier ones ...
Infinity12/1/2008
  Q: All my life I have read or heard that space/time is infinite. Since I can't fathom the idea, I just ...
  A: This is an unanswered question in science, depending greatly on the curvature of spacetime itself ...
Relativity11/23/2008
  Q: How does Einstein's theory of relativity apply in space?
  A: You'll need to be more specific. How does it not apply in space? Relativity applies to the ...
light11/21/2008
  Q: sir plz tell me that which gasses are filled in flourescent tube light.also give the energy level ...
  A: It's generally mercury. Look below for a table, as far as a diagram you'll have to find a proper ...
please help me10/28/2008
  Q: Mr. nelson, Can you please give me the answer to this question if I got it wrong and could you ...
  A: Perhaps the question is poorly posed. Did they mean arc ACB instead of ABC? If it asked arc ACB I ...
Hawking's Concession9/26/2008
  Q: As a layman, Stephen Hawking's concession regarding the black hole information loss problem was ...
  A: Alternate universes are purely speculative. There's no experimental evidence to support them and ...
MS9/25/2008
  Q: Sir, I have done my B-tech in mining eng. and i have a great interest in astrophysics.I would like ...
  A: Astrophysics is an easy subject to read a lot of popular literature about but a very, very difficult ...
Logical Answer9/4/2008
  Q: While doing a physics problem dealing with the centripetal acceleration of a pulsar, I calculated ...
  A: Well, the minimum pulsar radius is about 10 km (circumference about 31 km) and the maximum pulse ...
photon energy of a blackbody spectrum8/27/2008
  Q: The approximate mean photon energy of a blackbody spectrum which is emitted by an object at a ...
  A: There are two different things here. The average energy of a blackbody photon is 2.7 kT where T is ...
speed of light7/31/2008
  Q: I was wondering, did Einstein say NOTHING could go faster than the speed of light (particles etc. ...
  A: Neither. Relativity determines that nothing with mass can accelerate to the speed of light because ...
magnetic poles7/16/2008
  Q: How can you find out which is the north-seeking and the south-seeking pole of a magnet? I know that ...
  A: Yes and no. In that you don't need an external magnetic field to move the magnet, you can use the ...
termo7/10/2008
  Q: The differance in the temperature of the metales leads to the differance in electerical charge. can ...
  A: Yes we can, and some devices and spacecraft are powered this way already. However, the efficiency ...
White holes -- my favorite astronomical object7/3/2008
  Q: What about white holes makes their existence impossible? A white hole is the opposite of a black ...
  A: White holes are a mathematical solution to Einstein's field equations involving no matter, hence ...
White holes -- my favorite astronomical object7/2/2008
  Q: What about white holes makes their existence impossible? A white hole is the opposite of a black ...
  A: It's nice to give it a name that sounds opposite, and ask why it can't exist, but you have to come ...
egg drop w/ restrictions6/20/2008
  Q: I am a high school librarian taking a design course at a local college. Our final assignment is to ...
  A: Energy must be dissipatedBy crumbling toothpicks. It doesn't matter how smashed your design looks ...
Gravity, escape velocity6/5/2008
  Q: Steve! I promise my question won't be as esoteric as "quantum gravity", haha. I've been reading a ...
  A: When I said it would fall and burn up, I didn't assume you meant an impossible rocket that could ...
Gravity, escape velocity6/4/2008
  Q: Steve! I promise my question won't be as esoteric as "quantum gravity", haha. I've been reading a ...
  A: You don't seem to have calculated the scale of the distance you're talking about. Use this handy ...
"escape velocity"6/3/2008
  Q: Steve! I promise my question won't be as esoteric as "quantum gravity", haha. I've been reading a ...
  A: If you design an F-16 to fly without the need for oxygen, it would be a rocket. Technically, you ...
Gravity5/13/2008
  Q: What is the smallest scale at which the force of gravity has been measured or detected, in terms of ...
  A: That is basically what I mean, yes. Also, the lack of observation of the graviton is indeed one ...
Gravity5/13/2008
  Q: What is the smallest scale at which the force of gravity has been measured or detected, in terms of ...
  A: Wow...the scope of the questions.... The smallest scale at which the force of gravity has been ...
the sun4/17/2008
  Q: A fireman friend asked me this question yesterday and it has been driving me mad, so hopefully you ...
  A: The sun doesn't burn oxygen like a flame to create energy with a chemical reaction like an ...
time dilation at relitvistic speeds (badly spelt)2/9/2008
  Q: i had an argument with my physics teacher when doing a level physics in the 90's i failed and gave ...
  A: Basically, as you accelerate to high speeds you change your inertial reference frame and thereby ...
galactic movement2/9/2008
  Q: just a silly question from a man whose interested.. if the universe is expanding and the galaxies ...
  A: Galaxies are still subject to local gravitation within their cluster and do move in different ...
jupiter's mass2/7/2008
  Q: My question is considering Jupiter size and though it's distance from the sun it has been shown that ...
  A: Not likely, compared to the massive forces inside the Sun and the effect of its own magnetic fields ...
Star supernova1/28/2008
  Q: A star that suddenly explodes is called a supernova. Looking at the events of supernovas in the past ...
  A: It's possible, supernovae that we see from very far away are transmitting light billions of years ...
Possible Earth re-entry1/18/2008
  Q: Would it be possible to slowly lower a very long cable down to earth from the Thermosphere? Would it ...
  A: Short answer: you're talking about a space elevator, which is technically possible, but the ...
atomics particles1/16/2008
  Q: What are the diffrences of a neutron and an antineutron ?
  A: And anti-neutron is made of anti-quarks instead of quarks. It has an opposite magnetic moment. ...
Vacuum in Space1/4/2008
  Q: What is the extent of the vacuum in space, to what degree has it generally been measured? I ...
  A: The vacuum of space varies greatly. It goes down to about 4 particles per cubic meter in ...
Planet X12/30/2007
  Q: I read where NASA discovered Planet X in Dec. 1983 with the IRAS telescope. The story was published ...
  A: This is too easy: No cover-up. Why? I know you can figure this out for yourself, but for ...
Comet Holmes12/20/2007
  Q: It seems that many are questioning the brightening of Comet Holmes. I find it hard to figure how the ...
  A: According to astronomer estimates, it only lost about 1% of its mass: ...

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Steve Nelson

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Expertise

Fusion, solar flares, cosmic rays, radiation in space, and stellar physics questions. Generally, nuclear-related astrophysics, but I can usually point you in the right direction if it's not nuclear-related or if it's nuclear but not astrophysics.

Experience

Currently a physics professor at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Doctoral dissertation was on a reaction in CNO-cycle fusion, worked in gamma-ray astronomy in the space science division of the naval research laboratory in the high-energy space environment branch.

Organizations
Physics professor at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Education/Credentials
Ph.D. in physics, research was on nuclear fusion reactions important in stellar fusion.

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