Jamie S. Farnes (born 1984) is a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
cosmologist
Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', and in 1731 taken up in Latin by German philosopher ...
,
astrophysicist, and
radio astronomer
Radio astronomy is a subfield of astronomy that studies celestial objects at radio frequencies. The first detection of radio waves from an astronomical object was in 1933, when Karl Jansky at Bell Telephone Laboratories reported radiation coming f ...
based at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
. He studies
dark energy
In physical cosmology and astronomy, dark energy is an unknown form of energy that affects the universe on the largest scales. The first observational evidence for its existence came from measurements of supernovas, which showed that the univer ...
,
dark matter
Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not ab ...
,
cosmic magnetic fields, and the
large-scale structure of the universe
The observable universe is a ball-shaped region of the universe comprising all matter that can be observed from Earth or its space-based telescopes and exploratory probes at the present time, because the electromagnetic radiation from these obj ...
. In 2018, it was announced by Oxford that Farnes may have simultaneously solved both the dark energy and dark matter problems, using a new
negative mass
In theoretical physics, negative mass is a type of exotic matter whose mass is of opposite sign to the mass of normal matter, e.g. −1 kg. Such matter would violate one or more energy conditions and show some strange properties such as the ...
dark fluid
In astronomy and cosmology, dark fluid theories attempt to explain dark matter and dark energy in a single framework. The theory proposes that dark matter and dark energy are not separate physical phenomena, nor do they have separate origins, but ...
toy model that "brings balance to the universe".
In 2019, the
Farnes Universe was listed as one of the top 10 dark matter candidates.
Education
Farnes was born in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
,
UK. He attended
Saltash Community School, studied at
Royal Holloway
Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public research university and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It has six schools, 21 academic departm ...
graduating with a
BSc
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
with
first class honours
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied (sometimes with significant variati ...
in
theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experim ...
(2008), followed by a
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
in
astrophysics
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...
from the
Cavendish Laboratory
The Cavendish Laboratory is the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge, and is part of the School of Physical Sciences. The laboratory was opened in 1874 on the New Museums Site as a laboratory for experimental physics and is named ...
at the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
(2012). Farnes was also a member of the
Kavli Institute for Cosmology
The Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge (KICC) is a research establishment set up through collaboration of the University of Cambridge and the Kavli Foundation. It is operated by two of the University's astronomy groups: the Institute of A ...
and studied at
Trinity Hall College where
Stephen Hawking had previously completed his PhD.
Career
From 2012 to 2015, Farnes was an
Associate Lecturer
Academic ranks in the United Kingdom are the titles, relative seniority and responsibility of employees in universities. In general the country has three academic career pathways: one focused on research, one on teaching, and one that combines th ...
at the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
and within the
ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics
ARC Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics (or CAASTRO) was a collaboration of international astronomers dedicated to wide field astronomy. It was formally launched on 12 September 2011, at Sydney Observatory and ceased in 2018.
Aims
CAAS ...
. In 2015 he briefly moved to the
Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory, before he took up an appointment as an
Excellence Fellow at
Radboud University Nijmegen
Radboud University (abbreviated as RU, nl, Radboud Universiteit , formerly ''Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen'') is a public research university located in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The university bears the name of Saint Radboud, a 9th century D ...
.
In 2017, he moved back to the UK as a
Research Associate
Research associates are researchers (scholars and professionals) that usually have an advanced degree beyond a Master's degree.
In some universities/research institutes, such as Harvard/Harvard Medical School/Harvard School of Public Health, the ...
at the
Oxford e-Research Centre within the
Department of Engineering Science at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
.
In 2019, it was reported that Farnes has since moved on to Faculty, a leading
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
company.
Farnes' current work is on the development of science pipelines for the
Square Kilometre Array
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is an intergovernmental international radio telescope project being built in Australia (low-frequency) and South Africa (mid-frequency). The combining infrastructure, the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKA ...
, a next-generation
radio telescope
A radio telescope is a specialized antenna and radio receiver used to detect radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky. Radio telescopes are the main observing instrument used in radio astronomy, which studies the radio frequency ...
that will generate 5 zettabytes (5 million petabytes) of data each year – a data rate equivalent to 5 times the estimated global internet traffic in 2015. Farnes is a member of two SKA Science Working Groups.
Farnes is also a member of the Executive Committee for the POSSUM survey with the
Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder
The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) is a radio telescope array located at Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO) in the Mid West region of Western Australia.
The facility began as a technology demonstrator for the int ...
, on the Board of the
Very Large Array
The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory located in central New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil, ~ west of Socorro. The VLA comprises twen ...
Survey Science Group and co-chair of the Extragalactic Working Group to map the radio
universe
The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...
, and a core member of the LOFAR telescope based in the Netherlands He is engaged in public engagement and has written articles for ''
The Conversation
''The Conversation'' is a 1974 American mystery thriller film written, produced, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Harrison Ford, Teri Garr, and Rober ...
'', communicated his work in interviews over the
Periscope
A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position.
In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with ...
platform, and previously run the CAASTRO in the Classroom program funded by the
Australian Research Council
The Australian Research Council (ARC) is the primary non-medical research funding agency of the Australian Government, distributing more than in grants each year. The Council was established by the ''Australian Research Council Act 2001'', ...
.
Research
In 2014, Farnes created a "rainbow of radio data" to solve a problem about whether magnetic fields in space are intrinsic to radio-wave emitting
galaxies
A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...
or
quasars
A quasar is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN). It is pronounced , and sometimes known as a quasi-stellar object, abbreviated QSO. This emission from a galaxy nucleus is powered by a supermassive black hole with a mass ranging ...
, or whether they are much closer to Earth—in intervening gas clouds. Farnes and his colleagues were able to show that the magnetic field is usually related to the galaxy or quasar itself and were able to discern the different effects of the core of the galaxy or quasar, and of its radio-emitting 'lobes'.
In 2015, he and
Bryan Gaensler
Bryan Malcolm Gaensler (born 1973) is an Australian astronomer based at the University of Toronto. He studies magnetars, supernova remnants, and magnetic fields. In 2014, he was appointed as Director of the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astro ...
calculated that the cosmic magnetic fields in ancient galaxies are much stronger than was previously believed, requiring "magnetic fields to be the same strength 7 billion years ago as they are today" In 2017, the
American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society (AAS, sometimes spoken as "double-A-S") is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC. The primary objective of the AAS is to promote the adv ...
announced that Farnes had used the
Very Large Array
The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory located in central New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil, ~ west of Socorro. The VLA comprises twen ...
to make the first detailed study of the evolution of
protogalaxies in the
early universe
The chronology of the universe describes the history and future of the universe according to Big Bang cosmology.
Research published in 2015 estimates the earliest stages of the universe's existence as taking place 13.8 billion years ago, wit ...
and came up with a creative alternative which suggests that a more exotic
dynamo theory
In physics, the dynamo theory proposes a mechanism by which a celestial body such as Earth or a star generates a magnetic field. The dynamo theory describes the process through which a rotating, convecting, and electrically conducting fluid can ...
must be at play throughout the cosmos.
In 2018, it was reported across international media that Farnes may have solved the mystery of
dark energy
In physical cosmology and astronomy, dark energy is an unknown form of energy that affects the universe on the largest scales. The first observational evidence for its existence came from measurements of supernovas, which showed that the univer ...
and
dark matter
Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter thought to account for approximately 85% of the matter in the universe. Dark matter is called "dark" because it does not appear to interact with the electromagnetic field, which means it does not ab ...
by unifying them into a
dark fluid
In astronomy and cosmology, dark fluid theories attempt to explain dark matter and dark energy in a single framework. The theory proposes that dark matter and dark energy are not separate physical phenomena, nor do they have separate origins, but ...
with
negative mass
In theoretical physics, negative mass is a type of exotic matter whose mass is of opposite sign to the mass of normal matter, e.g. −1 kg. Such matter would violate one or more energy conditions and show some strange properties such as the ...
. This work reinvoked the
creation tensor previously suggested by
Fred Hoyle
Sir Fred Hoyle FRS (24 June 1915 – 20 August 2001) was an English astronomer who formulated the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and was one of the authors of the influential B2FH paper. He also held controversial stances on other sci ...
, but only for negative masses.
Cosmological model
Farnes published a peer-reviewed scientific paper in the journal ''
Astronomy & Astrophysics
''Astronomy & Astrophysics'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering theoretical, observational, and instrumental astronomy and astrophysics. The journal is run by a Board of Directors representing 27 sponsoring countries plus a re ...
'' that makes use of theory, simulations, and observations to study continuously-created negative masses. The paper suggests that "the compelling puzzle of the dark Universe may have been due to a simple sign error" and leads to a
cyclic universe with a time-variable
Hubble parameter
Hubble's law, also known as the Hubble–Lemaître law, is the observation in physical cosmology that galaxies are moving away from Earth at speeds proportional to their distance. In other words, the farther they are, the faster they are moving a ...
, potentially providing compatibility with the current tension that is emerging in cosmological measurements. The paper states that it was motivated based upon a statement by
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...
, who had written that the
cosmological constant
In cosmology, the cosmological constant (usually denoted by the Greek capital letter lambda: ), alternatively called Einstein's cosmological constant,
is the constant coefficient of a term that Albert Einstein temporarily added to his field equ ...
required that "empty space takes the role of gravitating
negative mass
In theoretical physics, negative mass is a type of exotic matter whose mass is of opposite sign to the mass of normal matter, e.g. −1 kg. Such matter would violate one or more energy conditions and show some strange properties such as the ...
es which are distributed all over the interstellar space".
Farnes' theory has created much debate within the scientific community.
Krzysztof Bolejko, physicist at the
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College, one of the university's residential colleges, first pro ...
in Australia, says "Farnes' maths is fine", and that his hunch is that: "Inside cosmic voids the signal will be clearer and so it will be easier to distinguish between processes caused by dark energy and those caused by a constantly created matter with negative mass". Alex Murphy, Professor of Nuclear & Particle Astrophysics at the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
, said the findings were interesting and elegant: "It’s one of many efforts trying to provide answers to deeply troubling issues with our understanding of the contents of the universe. It’s just possible that an idea like this might provide the breakthrough that’s needed".
Geraint Lewis
Geraint Lewis (born 12 January 1974) is a former Wales international rugby union player.
A back row forward, he played club rugby for Pontypridd RFC, Rotherham Titans, Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authorit ...
, Professor of Astrophysics at the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
, said: "On the face of it, it comes up with some of the features of our universe, but the question is now: Can it explain the other observations we have of the universe. There's a whole bunch of tests we have to do first before we can say this is equivalent to our current understanding, and then we need to find out what predictions this model makes that the current cosmological model would fail at. We've always got to be pushing the frontier of fundamental physics because every time we open up a new area – at first it seems esoteric and weird, but eventually it flows into our everyday lives".
However, others were more critical with
Sabine Hossenfelder
Sabine Hossenfelder (born 1976) is a German theoretical physicist, author, musician and YouTuber. She is currently employed as a research fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies. She is the author of ''Lost in Math: How Beauty Le ...
saying that: "negative masses have not revolutionized cosmology", "Farnes in his paper instead wants negative gravitational masses to mutually repel each other. But general relativity won’t let you do this", and "A creation term is basically a magic fix by which you can explain everything and anything". This was contested by Farnes who submitted a comment that "Your disagreement appears to be with the work of Bondi, who showed that these negative masses are compatible with
GR." and that "A creation term is also not 'a magic fix by which you can explain everything and anything'. That is incredibly misleading. It provides very exact and specific well-defined physical properties." ''
Wired magazine
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online magazine, online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquar ...
'' were also critical about the work, with their Business Editor stating that "his theory isn’t the issue. It’s how Oxford University and Farnes himself communicated it to the wider public." Later the same month, ''Wired'' published a second article stating: "Farnes is careful to point out that his ideas are speculative, and it is still unclear whether they are consistent with prior telescope observations and dark matter experiments". ''
The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' then published an article about a "radical new model of the universe" and claimed "it’s good to remember that the ideas of Einstein and many others were controversial when first published".
Farnes claims that definitive proof of this theory will come from measurements of the distribution of galaxies throughout the history of the universe using the
Square Kilometre Array
The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is an intergovernmental international radio telescope project being built in Australia (low-frequency) and South Africa (mid-frequency). The combining infrastructure, the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKA ...
telescope, which will come online in 2030.
References
External links
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*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farnes, Jamie
1984 births
Living people
21st-century British astronomers
People from Cornwall
Alumni of the University of Cambridge
Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Alumni of Royal Holloway, University of London