_Serious_ bass!

[Oscar]

Intro text from Slashdot:

Astronomers have used the Chandra X-ray Observatory to observe the deepest, lowest-frequency sound waves ever observed. By my calculations, the 'B-Flat 57 octaves below middle-C' has a period of 9.8 million years. Despite arguments that explosions in space movies should be silent, it is legitimate to call these sound waves because at that frequency, particles of space dust can 'see' each other through gravity. These notes are 'over a million billion times deeper than the limits of human hearing', so to call it infra-sound would be a bit of an understatement.

Read the article at the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

We're talking serious bass here...

 

[kelticwizard]

Serious bass indeed!

My question is, though, can an explosion in outer space be called "sound"? Doesn't sound need a solid or fluid medium to go through, like air, water, or steel?

 

[Oscar]

My question is, though, can an explosion in outer space be called "sound"? Doesn't sound need a solid or fluid medium to go through, like air, water, or steel?

Yes, there is always that one. We all know the explosions in the space movies should be quiet. However, in this case it is sound.

Remember, space isn't a perfect vacuum. There is stuff floating around, only rather far apart. I read this morning that at these frequencies the gravity of the junk floating around makes the wave propagate. I can't find it now though, so that may have been wrong. There is this quote however from a Space.com article:

The Perseus cluster is the brightest known in X-rays, making it a good target for study. It has two large, bubble-shaped cavities that extend away from a central black hole. The cavities are formed by jets of material ejected from the black hole's surroundings, and the jets have been suspected of heating the outlying gas. But scientists couldn't see how.

A special image-processing technique was used to bring out subtle changes in brightness that revealed the presence of ripples -- the sound waves.

Fabian and Allen figure the sound waves, observed spreading out from the cavities, heat the gas. The amount of energy involved is staggering, equal to what would be produced if 100 million stars exploded.

And to quote the Slashdot commenter whom I ruthlessly stole that quote from:

They're not saying that infra-radiation is sound--they used the telescope to see ripples in the gas. That's the sound.

 

[Romy]

Oskar,

The ultra-ultra-ultra-ultra-low frequency waves behave in VERY different fashion then the LF waves and do not obey the “propagation by the particles” (move faster the speed or light…). Therefore vacuum, as it perceived in the quantum physics, is not the real vacuum for the UUUUULF waves. Perhaps this is why “The Absolute Vacuum” (do not confuse with an Absolute Vacuum) is so deadly thing…. for us…

Rgs,
Romy the Cat

 

[tom1356]

Romy
Long time no read.
The asylum is not the same now without you.
Good to see you have a new home.
Regards

 

[Romy]

Romy
Long time no read.
The asylum is not the same now without you.
Good to see you have a new home.
Regards

Tom, who said that the people, who “do” audio, should have any “home” anywhere within those Internet jungles? The purpose and the “definition of the “Audio success” is too self-sufficient and autonomous in order to be depended from any external mass-people-groups or ideas. The only all those agenda-loaded audio-shepherds are trying to convince us that we need grouping, alliancing and federating …but it happens only because THEY DO NOT KNOW the REAL MECHANISMS that bring the success in audio and they are not really familiar with a really civilized and thoughtful audio community. I personally do not fell myself as a person who belongs to any “home”: I equally disregard any institution with any of their artificial hierarchal conventions (not to mention the ugliness), also, I do not particularly interesting in DIY movement (perhaps quite opposite)…

Rgs,
Romy the Cat

 

[tom1356]

Romy
Ahhh... that's the stuff I miss so much.
Movements are for social causes not tinkering with audio.
DIY is where the limits are being pushed.
If you rely solely on companies to make you happy then you miss out on a lot and spend far to much.
How's your system sounding these days?
Anything new?
Regards

 

[Romy]

DIY is where the limits are being pushed.
If you rely solely on companies to make you happy then you miss out on a lot and spend far to much.

We obviously have the very different visions what DIY is all about.

The caT