Astronomy

By Rania Ali-Svedsäter '26 In modern astronomy, quantum communications systems have proven to ascertain numerous benefits for increased telescopic efficiency. Modern prototypes pair standard interferometry with various quantum communication networks, which accumulate to operate a “quantum telescope.” Generally, quantum communications systems can aid information processing between telescopes, increasing the overall scalability of the telescope. The scalability refers to the telescope’s ability to extract more light than made possible from standard interferometry, enabling telescopes to produce high-resolution images from greater distances. Enhanced scalability contributes to the overall efficiency of a telescope, indicating crucial development for higher resolution imagery within modern ...

By Cyrus Law '27 Despite only orbiting the sun for 2 years, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a plethora of high-quality images that the previous Hubble Telescope failed to. In December of 2022, the JWST identified four galaxies (JADES-GS-z10-0, JADES-GS-z11-0, JADES-GS-z12-0, and JADES-GS-z13-0) high in redshift, indicating that these galaxies are extremely distant and therefore old. However, a closer look suggests that the latter 3 of these 4 galaxies may be supermassive versions of the theoretical dark stars. The concept of dark stars was first proposed by a team of university professors from New York and Texas in 2007. These dark stars are thought to have existed early in the universe and are possibly the first stars created. Even though both dark stars and regul...

Astronomy

Assessing Quantum Interferometry to Enhance Telescopic Efficiency: A PHY440 (Astronomy) Research Project

Dark Stars: Keys to Unlocking the Secrets of the Universe?