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French to Spanish - Rates: 0.07 - 0.13 EUR per word / 20 - 30 EUR per hour English to Spanish - Rates: 0.07 - 0.13 EUR per word / 20 - 30 EUR per hour Spanish to English - Rates: 0.07 - 0.13 EUR per word / 20 - 35 EUR per hour
Spanish to English: Astronomy made in Spain General field: Science Detailed field: Astronomy & Space
Source text - Spanish ¿Cuál era el problema al que te enfrentaste?
Las galaxias espirales giran “demasiado deprisa” y la rotación no decae con la distancia como ocurre con los planetas. Para explicar esta anómala “curva de rotación” se recurre a la hipótesis consistente en decir que la galaxia tiene un halo de materia oscura, que ni se ve ni puede verse. Esta materia oscura debe ser unas diez veces más masiva y extenderse unas diez veces más que la materia visible y no se conoce su naturaleza. Según está hipótesis, la más ortodoxa, ni sabemos la masa de una galaxia, ni cómo es de grande ni de qué está hecha.
¿Cuál fue la solución a ese problema y la contribución que ese artículo hizo al campo de trabajo en el que se enmarca?
La rotación de las galaxias espirales a grandes distancias del centro se observa en el gas (medida en ondas de radio). El gas está muy ionizado. Como en un plasma de laboratorio, el movimiento de este gas ionizado modifica el campo magnético y el campo magnético modifica el movimiento.
Se creaba una fuerza magnética centrípeta que podía explicar la rotación. Se recurría a una explicación magnetohidrodinámica clásica en lugar de las más exóticas basadas en la materia oscura. No se negaba la existencia de materia oscura, sino que no estaba en las galaxias; más bien las galaxias estaban en la materia oscura.
Desde que ese artículo se publicó, ha habido avances significativos en esa área específica?
Las reacciones fueron furiosas. Habíamos puesto en duda una de las hipótesis más brillantes de la cosmología moderna. Respondimos a las críticas en un artículo más extenso en otra revista, hicimos un extenso artículo de revisión en otra y cerramos el tema, dedicándonos a otras investigaciones.
Desde entonces ha habido importantes avances. Se ha medido con precisión el campo magnético de la Vía Láctea y de otras galaxias. Su distribución es la que entonces supusimos para explicar la rotación. Lo acabamos de resaltar en un artículo reciente.
A pesar de confirmarse una predicción hecha diez años antes, se sigue manteniendo la hipótesis de la materia oscura. Se admite, sin embargo, que para explicar la curva de rotación no se puede ignorar el campo magnético.
¿Cuáles son los problemas fundamentales en la actualidad en ese campo de la Astrofsica y qué descubrimientos se esperan realizar en los próximos años?
Los modelos establecidos de materia oscura jerarquizada explican notoriamente bien muchas cosas, aunque no adecuadamente la curva de rotación de las galaxias espirales, precisamente. El campo magnético de la galaxia va a quedar muy bien determinado con dos experimentos futuros: Planck (misión espacial para medir el fondo cósmico de microondas) y el SKM (Square Kilometer Array, un radiotelescopio de un kilómetro cuadrado de antena).
¿Ha tenido alguna influencia sobre tu carrera profesional?, ¿has continuado en esa línea y te ha abierto nuevos campos o posteriormente te dedicaste a otros temas?
Como he dicho, me he dedicado a otros temas. Fue mejor esperar. Me he dedicado a temas siempre relacionados con el magnetismo en los medios inter-, extra- y pre-galácticos. A la vista de las nuevas medidas hemos resucitado recientemente el tema.
¿Tienes alguna anécdota relacionada con la gestación y publicación de este artículo y que consideres adecuado contar?
El artículo de Nature estaba firmado por Battaner, Garrido, Membrado y Florido. Pero Garrido, Membrado y Florido eran los nombres de los coautores; no se piense que eran inmerecidos epítetos a mi persona.
Magnetic fields as an alternative explanation for the rotation curves of spiral galaxies
E. Battaner, J.L. Garrido, M. Membrado y E. Florido
1992, Nature, 360, 652
Figura 1. Predicciones de un modelo sobre el campo magnético galáctico, según la tesis de Beatriz Ruiz, dirigida por J.A. Rubiño y por el autor.
Figura 2. Imagen del observatorio Planck, misión de la Agencia Espacial Europea que permitirá, entre otros objetivos, profundizar en el conocimiento del campo magnético de nuestra Galaxia. Se lanzará en 2009.
Translation - English What was the problem you had to face?
Spiral galaxies rotate “too fast” and the rotation does not fall off with distance as occurs with planets. In order to explain this “rotation curve” we resort to the hypothesis that a galaxy has a dark matter halo, which cannot be seen. Dark matter must be some ten times more massive and extend about ten times further than visible matter and its nature is unknown. According to this hypothesis, the most orthodox, we do not know either the mass of the galaxy, or its size or composition.
What was the solution to this problem and the contribution this article made to the area of expertise in which it is framed?
The rotation of spiral galaxies at large distances from the centre can be derived from kinematic measurements of the galaxy’s gas (measured in radio wavelengths). The gas is very ionized. As in laboratory plasma, the movement of this ionized gas modifies the magnetic field and the magnetic field modifies the movement.
We determined that a centripetal magnetic force could explain the rotation. A classical magnetohydrodynamic explanation was used instead of the more exotic ones based on dark matter. The existence of dark matter was not denied, but it was not in the galaxies; rather the galaxies were in the dark matter.
Since the article was published, have there been significant advances in this specific area?
Reactions to this article were fierce. We had questioned one of the most brilliant hypotheses of modern cosmology. We answered the critics in a more extended paper in a different journal; we wrote an extensive review paper in another one and settled the issue, turning our attention to other research topics.
Since then, there have been important advances. The magnetic field of the Milky Way and other galaxies has been precisely measured. Its distribution is the one that we assumed to explain the rotation. We have just highlighted this in a recent paper.
Despite confirming a prediction made 10 years ago, the dark matter hypothesis still prevails. However, it is acknowledged that the magnetic field cannot be ignored in explanations of the rotation curve of spiral galaxies.
Which are the main problems in this area of Astrophysics and what are the expected discoveries in the coming years?
The established hierarchical dark matter models explain many things notably well, but they do not adequately explain the rotation curves of spiral galaxies precisely. The Galaxy’s magnetic field is going to be very well determined with two future experiments: Planck (space mission to measure the Cosmic Microwave Background) and the SKA (Square Kilometer Array, a one square kilometre array of radio antennas).
How did it influence your professional career? Have you continued in that line of work? Has it opened new perspectives or later did you dedicate yourself to other topics?
As I have already mentioned, I dedicated my attention to other topics. I felt it was better to wait. I have worked in subjects related to magnetism in intergalactic, extragalactic and pre-galactic media. In view of the new measurements of the magnetic field of the Milky Way, we have revisited this area of research recently.
Do you have any anecdote related to this article’s gestation and publication that you think is worth telling?
The article published in Nature was signed by Battaner, Garrido, Membrado and Florido. But Garrido, Membrado and Florido were the names of the co-authors; don’t think these are undeserved epithets to my person! (Translator’s note: Play on words, in Spanish Garrido, Membrado and Florido are surnames but also mean “handsome”, “shrewd” and “the elite”.)
Magnetic fields as an alternative explanation for the rotation curves of spiral galaxies
E. Battaner, J.L. Garrido, M. Membrado and E. Florido
1992, Nature, 360, 652
Figure 1. Predictions of a galactic magnetic field model from Beatriz Ruiz’s thesis, directed by J.A. Rubiño and the author.
Figure 2. Image of the Planck observatory, a European Space Agency mission that will enable, among other objectives, a deeper knowledge of the magnetic field of our Galaxy. Its launch is planned for April 2009.
- 15 years as a professional translator (since 2003)
- Professional member of ASETRAD (Spanish Association of Translators, Copy-editors and Interpreters), number 1547
- M.Sc. in Physics, majored in Astrophysics (University of La Laguna, Spain / Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, U.K.)
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Book translated into English:
-“Astronomy made in Spain”, a project of the Spanish Astronomical Society (SEA) to commemorate the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, 2011
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