Phys.org news

Phys.org / Black hole eats star: Student helps chart gamma-ray burst that lasted for days

A team of astronomers including George Washington University physics Ph.D. student Eliza Neights recorded an extraordinary cosmic outburst this July which likely heralds a new kind of stellar explosion. With a flood of data ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Study suggests Earth's inner core may have onion-like layered structure

An international research team may have found an explanation for seismic anomalies, the noticeable deviations in the behavior of earthquake waves, in Earth's inner core.

Dec 10, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / ALICE solves mystery of light-nuclei survival

Observations of the formation of light-nuclei from high-energy collisions may help in the hunt for dark matter.

Dec 10, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / An old jeweler's trick could unlock next-generation nuclear clocks

In 2008, a team of UCLA-led scientists proposed a scheme to use a laser to excite the nucleus of thorium atoms to realize extremely accurate, portable clocks. Last year, they realized this longstanding goal by bombarding ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Slow changes in radio scintillation can nudge pulsar timing by billionths of a second

For 10 months, a SETI Institute-led team watched pulsar PSR J0332+5434 (also called B0329+54) to study how its radio signal "twinkles" as it passes through gas between the star and Earth. The team used the Allen Telescope ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Using soccer balls to refine computational fluid dynamics research methods

If you're a soccer fan, you're familiar with this common sight: A penalty kick is in place, with a "wall" of defenders lined up in front of the goal, ready to leap to try to block the ball if it sails overhead.

Dec 10, 2025 in Physics
Phys.org / Painting galaxy clusters by numbers (and physics)

Galaxy clusters are the most massive objects in the universe held together by gravity, containing up to several thousand individual galaxies and huge reservoirs of superheated, X-ray-emitting gas. The mass of this hot gas ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Astronomy & Space
Phys.org / Spending less can deliver more climate-friendly nutrition

Eating healthily can save money and also cause less greenhouse gas emissions than most people's current food choices, according to a new global study that examined food costs, nutrition, and climate impact around the world.

Dec 10, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / A new reference brain could make the clonal raider ant a go-to model species for neuroscience

Every clonal raider ant lives a nearly identical life. Each new generation of these blind, queenless ants is born at the same time, eats the same things, lives in the same environment, and—as an asexually reproducing species—has ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Biology
Phys.org / Reddit field experiment examines what distinguishes lurkers from power users

Online discussions are often dominated by a small group of active users, while the majority remain silent. This imbalance can distort perceptions of public opinion and fuel polarization.

Dec 10, 2025 in Other Sciences
Phys.org / Global warming amplifies extreme day-to-day temperature swings, study shows

A new study has revealed that rapid, large-scale day-to-day temperature fluctuations have intensified amid global warming, representing a distinct climate hazard with impacts on human health. This growing volatility creates ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Earth
Phys.org / Magnetic ordering induces Jahn-Teller effect in spinel-type compounds

The Jahn-Teller effect, proposed by Jahn and Teller in 1937, describes how molecules or crystals with degenerate electronic orbitals can lower their total energy by distorting their structure. This distortion lifts the degeneracy, ...

Dec 10, 2025 in Physics