Phys.org news

Phys.org / How tiny voids could make fusion targets more stable under powerful shockwaves

Picture two materials sandwiched together. The boundary between them may appear flat, but, in reality, it is full of tiny bumps and dents. Suddenly, the materials are hit with a shockwave. If that wave hits a bump in the ...

7 minutes ago
Phys.org / These blazing blue explosions may be born when a compact dead star slams into a Wolf-Rayet star

Luminous fast blue optical transients (LFBOTs) are among the universe's brightest and fastest explosions but their origin is not completely understood. A new study takes a closer look at the galaxies they occur in, offering ...

1 hour ago
Phys.org / Hollow-sphere catalyst enables greener production of 99% pure propane at room temperature

The world's appetite for propene (propylene) is growing faster than the chemical industry can keep up. This petrochemical product powers the production of acrylonitrile, propylene oxide, high-velocity fuels, and, most importantly, ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Theoretical models of supernova chemistry overhauled after X-ray data from Perseus Cluster reveal key discrepancies

The Perseus Cluster is a massive galaxy cluster located in the constellation Perseus. It is one of the largest structures in the observable universe, comprising more than a thousand galaxies—equivalent to roughly a thousand ...

2 hours ago
Phys.org / Atlantic current shows two-decade decline across four deep-ocean monitoring sites

A paper published in the journal Science Advances is adding to the growing body of research showing that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is weakening. In this new study, instead of relying mainly on ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / Quantum model explains how single electrons cause damage inside silicon chips

Researchers in the UC Santa Barbara Materials Department have uncovered the elusive quantum mechanism by which energetic electrons break chemical bonds inside microelectronic devices—a detrimental process that slowly degrades ...

5 hours ago
Phys.org / There's a range of magic angles to study superconductivity in a twisted 2D semiconductor

Last year, tungsten diselenide (WSe2) had its magic moment. Two independent research groups discovered "magic angles" at which two atom-thin layers of the unique semiconductor, when twisted relative to one another into what's ...

6 hours ago
Phys.org / Blue Origin reuses New Glenn booster for the first time in Florida launch

Blue Origin, the U.S. space company of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, successfully reused and recovered a booster for its New Glenn rocket on Sunday, confirming its mastery of a technical feat that could boost its launch cadence ...

3 hours ago
Phys.org / This protein-engineering breakthrough generates over 10M data points and turbocharges AI in just three days

Protein engineering is a field primed for artificial intelligence research. Each protein is made up of amino acids; to optimize a protein function, researchers modify proteins by switching out one of 20 different amino acids ...

4 hours ago
Phys.org / DESI completes planned 3D map of the universe and continues exploring

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has successfully completed the largest high-resolution 3D map of the universe ever made, a major milestone in understanding the force driving cosmic expansion. The milestone ...

22 hours ago
Phys.org / Raven personalities shape survival as human pressure grows at the Dead Sea

Along the stark and shimmering coastline of the Dead Sea, where desert cliffs meet one of the world's most extreme environments, a quiet drama is unfolding in the skies above. Fan-tailed ravens, intelligent, adaptable, and ...

23 hours ago
Phys.org / Prenatal opioid exposure in babies doesn't predict future classroom performance, study finds

Every 25 minutes in the United States, a baby is diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a condition that occurs in newborns who have been exposed to opioids in the womb and develop withdrawal after birth, according ...

21 hours ago