Phys.org news

Phys.org / A new class of molten planet stores abundant sulfur in a perpetual magma ocean

A study led by the University of Oxford has identified a new type of planet beyond our solar system—one that stores large amounts of sulfur deep within a permanent ocean of magma. The findings have been published in Nature ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / A clear roadmap for engineering combs of light

Optical frequency combs—laser sources that emit evenly spaced colors of light—are foundational, ubiquitous tools for precision measurement, found in optical clocks, gas-sensing spectrometers, and instruments that detect ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Ocean bacteria team up to break down biodegradable plastic

Biodegradable plastics could help alleviate the plastic waste crisis that is polluting the environment and harming our health. But how long plastics take to degrade and how environmental bacteria work together to break them ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Cannibalism takes major bite out of young blue crabs, but the shallows offer a refuge

The Chesapeake Bay's most popular crustacean has a dark streak. Cannibalism is the No. 1 killer of juvenile blue crabs in mid-salinity waters where they are known to congregate, according to a new study from the Smithsonian ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Photonics and nanotech could spot cancer signals 5 to 8 years earlier

Timing is critical in diagnosing diseases such as cancer. Researchers within The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign used a historically underappreciated tiny powerhouse to detect ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Planning Titan entry? New lab tests flag nitrogen-driven heat shield debris risks

Heat shields are designed to protect the surface and cargo of a spacecraft as it enters an atmosphere. Aerospace engineers in The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign recently observed ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Laser-assisted electron scattering seen with circularly polarized light for the first time

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have succeeded in detecting laser-assisted electron scattering (LAES) using circularly polarized light for the first time. The use of circularly polarized light promises valuable ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Molecular chains with bite: Customized carbon nanoribbons open a cleaner path to molecular electronics

The longest chains of the conductive polymer poly(p-phenylene; PPP) produced to date are just under one micrometer (thousandth of a millimeter) long—almost an order of magnitude longer than previously possible. A research ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Why sugar breakdown matters beyond energy—new insights into how it makes cells move

It has long been known that our bodies derive energy from sugar. Researchers at RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau have now discovered that sugar breakdown produces an intermediate product that is also crucial for the ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Milk-derived nanoparticles may enable physicians to target aggressive bile duct cancer

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a promising new way to deliver treatment directly to cholangiocarcinoma tumors, a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer with limited treatment options, using milk-derived nanoparticles ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Q&A: Reevaluating reaction rates to better understand the stars

Thermonuclear reaction rates power the models that explain how stars live, explode and create the elements. A new study co-authored by NC State faculty member Richard Longland provides a comprehensive, statistically grounded ...

Mar 16, 2026
Phys.org / Origin of lowest density super-puff planet remains a hazy mystery

A thick layer of haze around the ultra-low-density planet Kepler-51d likely obscures not only the strange planet's composition, but also its origin, according to a new study. A team led by Penn State researchers used NASA's ...

Mar 16, 2026