Phys.org news

Phys.org / Deep-sea crust uncovers steady plutonium rain from ancient kilonova debris

Debris is still raining down on Earth more than 100 million years after the giant cosmic explosion that created it. A study published this week in Nature Astronomy by an international team reached this conclusion using measurements ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Abstract algebra unlocks distinguishable states for quantum systems

Researchers around the world are racing to develop new quantum-based systems for sensing, communication, computing and control that have the promise of outperforming traditional systems. Creating stable, measurable, distinguishable ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Most precise measurement of the force that binds nuclear matter achieved

Trinity's Prof. Stefan Sint, along with collaborators from Germany, Spain and Italy, has published the most precise determination to date of the strong coupling constant. This parameter governs the interactions between quarks ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Thermochemical mantle plume identified as the likely origin of Earth's largest oceanic plateau

The Ontong Java Plateau in the western Pacific Ocean is the largest oceanic plateau on Earth, and its formation mechanism has not been well understood.

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Lithium spike reveals sun-like star likely swallowed its planet

A team of astronomers, led by Brooke Kotten of the University of Michigan, has shown that TOI-5882—a sunlike star located some 1,300 light-years away—has likely eaten one of its planets.

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Atomic-level simulations predict transistor scaling limits

As the global semiconductor industry enters the so-called 2-nanometer process era, the actual size of transistors—the core components of semiconductor chips—still remains above 10 nm. How much smaller, then, can transistors ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Newfound rice gene shifts flowering by 1.5 hours to dodge heat damage

With El Niño-driven heat and prolonged dry spells threatening rice production, scientists from Japan's National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), other Japanese research institutions and the International ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Benzene reaction may explain how DNA and RNA building blocks formed on early Earth

Caltech researchers have identified a novel chemical reaction that could explain the formation of the building blocks of DNA and RNA, the molecules that encode all of life's functions. The work is an important step toward ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Bacteria reveal 'glue' protein that fastens antibiotic-resistant outer membrane to cell wall

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame and collaborators have discovered a key process in how the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria attaches to the cell wall, advancing the understanding of how these bacteria ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Chandra reveals flickering supernova remnants in M83 over 14 years

The aftermath of a supernova, a stellar explosion, is usually a slowly fading cloud of hot gas. So when astronomers pointed NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory at the nearby galaxy Messier 83 (M83), they did not expect to find ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / A handful of teeth may rewrite the story of marsupial evolution

Researchers have found evidence of a previously unknown branch of the marsupial family tree, a discovery that could reshape our understanding of how Australia's unique mammals evolved. Published in the Journal of Paleontology, ...

Jun 15, 2026
Phys.org / Deep Earth model traces 270 million years of seamount formation across oceans

Over 40,000 seamounts—undersea mountains that don't breach the ocean's surface—are scattered across the ocean floor. Some form linear chains, while others occur as dispersed, isolated features that are not part of well-defined ...

Jun 15, 2026