Current Affairs 10th June 2024 for UPSC Prelims Exam

Table of Contents

Baltimore

Context: Recently, a container ship crashed into the Baltimore Bridge, resulting in multiple sections breaking off and plummeting into the Patapsco River.

Fact

This bridge is named in honour of Francis Scott Key, who wrote the American national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The Patapsco River connects the Port of Baltimore to the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

About Baltimore

Location: Baltimore is located in the northeastern part of the United States along the shores of the vast Chesapeake Bay.
State:
It is the biggest vehicle-handling port in the country.

Hydrogen Line

Context: The hydrogen line plays a crucial role in modern astronomy, enabling scientists to study a wide range of phenomena from distant stars to the potential existence of extraterrestrial life.

About Hydrogen Line

Hydrogen atoms consist of one proton and one electron, each possessing a characteristic known as spin.
Spins can be aligned (both up or down) or anti-aligned (opposite directions).
Anti-aligned spins result in higher energy states compared to aligned spins.
When the electron in a hydrogen atom flips from an anti-aligned to an aligned spin, it emits electromagnetic radiation.
- This radiation has a specific wavelength of 21 cm.
This emission appears as a characteristic line in some detectors, known as the ‘hydrogen line’.
It was first discovered in 1951, marking a pivotal moment in radio astronomy.
Applications in Astronomy: The hydrogen line allows for the detection of cold, neutral hydrogen gas in interstellar space.
- It enabled the creation of the first map of the Milky Way galaxy and the identification of its spiral arms.
Modern Uses: Astronomers use the 21 cm line to investigate the early galaxies of the universe and their first light emissions.
- It is considered a potential method for transmitting information through space, possibly reaching extraterrestrial civilizations.

Examples, Case Studies and Data

Use Technology To Mitigate Global Warming (GS 3): Carbon dioxide (CO2) contributes to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Despite its low concentration (419ppm or 0.04% as of 2023), it significantly impacts Earth’s temperature.

Capturing atmospheric CO2 through Direct Air Capture (DAC) requires pushing vast amounts of air (5,000 tons for every ton of CO2) through chemical reactants, a process that is energy-intensive and costly.
Around 60 startups worldwide, including Berkeley-based AirMyne, are developing DAC technologies..