New model of cosmic stickiness favors “Big Rip” demise of universe

The universe can be a very sticky place, but just how sticky is a matter of debate.

Illustration of the Big Rip scenario (Jeremy Teaford / Vanderbilt)

Hypervelocity stars kicked out of the Galaxy

It’s very difficult to kick a star out of the galaxy.

This artist's concept depicts a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy. The blue color here represents radiation pouring out from material very close to the black hole. The grayish structure surrounding the black hole, called a torus, is made up of gas and dust. Beyond the torus, only the old red-colored stars that make up the galaxy can be seen. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech