Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Rocket Propulsion In Empty Space - II01:12

Rocket Propulsion In Empty Space - II

3.0K
The motion of a rocket is governed by the conservation of momentum principle. A rocket's momentum changes by the same amount (with the opposite sign) as the ejected gases. As time goes by, the rocket's mass (which includes the mass of the remaining fuel) continuously decreases, and its velocity increases. Therefore, the principle of conservation of momentum is used to explain the dynamics of a rocket's motion. The ideal rocket equation gives the change in velocity that a rocket...
3.0K
Momentum And Radiation Pressure01:20

Momentum And Radiation Pressure

2.1K
An object absorbing an electromagnetic wave would experience a force in the direction of propagation of the wave. This force occurs because electromagnetic waves contain and transport momentum. The force accounts for the wave's radiation pressure exerted on the object. Maxwell's prediction was confirmed in 1903 by Nichols and Hull by precisely measuring radiation pressures with a torsion balance. The measuring instrument had mirrors suspended from a fiber kept inside a glass container.
2.1K
Radiation Pressure: Problem Solving01:09

Radiation Pressure: Problem Solving

439
The radiation pressure applied by an electromagnetic wave on a perfectly absorbing surface equals the energy density of the wave. The wave's momentum also gets transferred to the surface when an electromagnetic wave is entirely absorbed by it. The rate at which momentum is transmitted to an absorbing surface perpendicular to the propagation direction equals the force on the surface.
The average value of the rate of momentum transfer divided by the absorbing area represents the average force...
439
Schwarzschild Radius and Event Horizon01:21

Schwarzschild Radius and Event Horizon

2.1K
No object with a finite mass can travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. This fact has an interesting consequence in the domain of extremely high gravitational fields.
The minimum speed required to launch a projectile from the surface of an object to which it is gravitationally bound so that it eventually escapes the object’s gravitational field is called the escape velocity. The escape velocity is independent of the mass of the object. Merging the idea of escape...
2.1K
Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - I01:20

Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - I

2.9K
Rockets range in size from small fireworks that ordinary people use to the enormous Saturn V that once propelled massive payloads toward the Moon. The propulsion of all rockets, jet engines, deflating balloons, and even squids and octopuses are explained by the same physical principle: Newton's third law of motion. The matter is forcefully ejected from a system, producing an equal and opposite reaction on what remains.
The motion of a rocket in space changes its velocity (and hence its...
2.9K
Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - II01:03

Rocket Propulsion in Gravitational Field - II

2.4K
A rocket's velocity in the presence of a gravitational field is decreased by the amount of force exerted by Earth's gravitational field, which opposes the motion of the rocket. If we consider thrust, that is, the force exerted on a rocket by the exhaust gases, then a rocket's thrust is greater in outer space than in the atmosphere or on a launch pad. In fact, gases are easier to expel in a vacuum.
A rocket's acceleration depends on three major factors, consistent with the...
2.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Recent observational studies on carbon-chain species with current facilities and future prospects with ALMA & JWST.

Life sciences in space research·2026
Same author

Illuminating the lantern: coherent, spectro-polarimetric characterization of a multimode converter.

Optics express·2026
Same author

Disappearance of a massive star in the Andromeda Galaxy due to formation of a black hole.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

JWST interferometric imaging reveals the dusty torus obscuring the supermassive black hole of Circinus galaxy.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

An infrared transient from a star engulfing a planet.

Nature·2023
Same author

Thermal imaging of dust hiding the black hole in NGC 1068.

Nature·2022

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas
07:54

Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas

Published on: April 3, 2018

8.3K

Radiation-driven acceleration in the expanding WR140 dust shell.

Yinuo Han1,2, Peter G Tuthill3, Ryan M Lau4,5

  • 1Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. yinuo.han@ast.cam.ac.uk.

Nature
|October 12, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars like WR140 produce dust in colliding stellar winds. New imagery reveals dust acceleration, challenging uniform outflow models and showing complex conditions in these binary systems.

More Related Videos

Conducting Elevated Temperature Normal and Combined Pressure-Shear Plate Impact Experiments Via a Breech-end Sabot Heater System
10:52

Conducting Elevated Temperature Normal and Combined Pressure-Shear Plate Impact Experiments Via a Breech-end Sabot Heater System

Published on: August 7, 2018

8.6K
A Method for Studying the Temperature Dependence of Dynamic Fracture and Fragmentation
09:12

A Method for Studying the Temperature Dependence of Dynamic Fracture and Fragmentation

Published on: June 28, 2015

8.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas
07:54

Experimental Methods of Dust Charging and Mobilization on Surfaces with Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation or Plasmas

Published on: April 3, 2018

8.3K
Conducting Elevated Temperature Normal and Combined Pressure-Shear Plate Impact Experiments Via a Breech-end Sabot Heater System
10:52

Conducting Elevated Temperature Normal and Combined Pressure-Shear Plate Impact Experiments Via a Breech-end Sabot Heater System

Published on: August 7, 2018

8.6K
A Method for Studying the Temperature Dependence of Dynamic Fracture and Fragmentation
09:12

A Method for Studying the Temperature Dependence of Dynamic Fracture and Fragmentation

Published on: June 28, 2015

8.7K

Area of Science:

  • Astronomy
  • Astrophysics
  • Stellar Evolution

Background:

  • Wolf-Rayet (WR) binary systems, such as WR140, are known for episodic dust production.
  • Dust formation occurs in colliding stellar winds, shaped by orbital motion into large-scale arcs.
  • Optimal dust production conditions in WR140 are primarily observed near periastron.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present multiepoch imagery of the circumstellar dust shell around WR140.
  • To analyze the expansion and structure of the dust plume.
  • To investigate the physical conditions and dynamics of dust formation in colliding-wind binaries.

Main Methods:

  • Acquisition of multiepoch imagery of WR140's dust shell.
  • Construction of geometric models to trace dust plume expansion.
  • Kinematic analysis of dust motion, including acceleration.

Main Results:

  • Geometric models accurately trace the expansion of the complex dust plume.
  • The dust plume's expansion is not uniform and shows acceleration.
  • Complex orbital modulation effects may create a 'Goldilocks zone' for dust production.

Conclusions:

  • The observed dust acceleration provides direct kinematic evidence of radiation pressure effects.
  • Simple uniform-speed outflow models are insufficient to explain the observed dust dynamics.
  • Colliding-wind binaries like WR140 exhibit complex physical conditions influencing dust formation and evolution.