Phys.org news

Phys.org / First direct view tracks planet-forming disk spinning around AB Aurigae

The rotation of a protoplanetary disk (a disk where planets are being formed) has been observed directly for the very first time by mapping the emissions from the dust grains within it. The disk in question surrounds the ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Student astronomer discovers 'Rosetta Stone' for mysterious cosmic signals

An international team led by astronomers at the University of Sydney has uncovered the clearest evidence yet for the origin of an unusual class of cosmic signals. In doing so, they have identified a rare stellar system that ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / One of our planets may be missing, and it could explain why the solar system looks the way it does

Our solar system has two ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, but there may have been a third. According to a new study published in the journal Icarus, this extra world might have triggered a violent planetary shuffling billions ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Mathematician solves origami donut efficiency challenge with fewest folds

Most people wouldn't think that it would take rigorous mathematical proof to show how many folds it takes to make a donut shape out of paper. Yet, no one could quite figure it out until recently.

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / A giant star may have destroyed itself in one of the universe's rarest explosions

Astronomers may have discovered one of the clearest examples yet of a rare "pair-instability" supernova. It is a catastrophic explosion thought to completely destroy some of the most massive stars in the universe, leaving ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Tiny-armed alvarezsauroid dinosaurs might have been insect eaters, fossil scans suggest

Dinosaurs are estimated to have roamed Earth for over 165 million years, gradually evolving over time to survive in changing environments. Among the many fascinating groups of dinosaurs known to have lived on our planet are ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Nanoengineered materials can store and release hydrogen at room temperature

Energy engineers worldwide are working on various new technologies that could help to limit greenhouse gas emissions on Earth and address climate change. One proposed alternative to polluting fossil fuels, such as petrol, ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Atlantic 'cold blob' may be reshaping Indian monsoon, steering rain northwest

The Indian monsoon has shifted over the past quarter century. Northwest India now receives substantially more rain than it once did, while a lack of rain sends the Indo-Gangetic Plain toward drought.

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / The Y chromosome is home to surprising jumping genes

The humble Y chromosome may be the smallest chromosome in the mammalian genome (and getting even smaller), but it is mighty: Genes on the Y chromosome are critical for fertility in males. In a new study in the journal Current ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Textile wastewater treatment generates alarmingly high levels of toxic compounds, study reveals

Textile wastewater treatment practices inadvertently produce toxic byproducts—including chloroform and bromoform—at alarming levels that pose a clear occupational health hazard and lead to unknown environmental effects downstream, ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Matter may entangle with light far more easily near quantum critical points

Quantum entanglement is a state in which particles are entwined with each other. In this entwined state, the properties of one particle influence the other, even when they aren't physically close to each other. This phenomenon ...

Jun 1, 2026
Phys.org / Magnetic field during catalyst synthesis triples ammonia yield

Applying an external magnetic field during the synthesis of CoFe2O4 electrocatalysts triples the ammonia yield during electrocatalytic conversion. The magnetic field alters the surface states of the spinel oxide thin films, ...

Jun 1, 2026