Phys.org news
Phys.org / Webb redefines the dividing line between planets and stars
Planets, like those in our solar system, form in a bottom-up process where small bits of rock and ice clump together and grow larger over time. But the heftier the planet, the harder it is to explain its formation that way.
Phys.org / Saltwater is closing in on coastal groundwater, putting billions and food supplies at risk
Coastal groundwater is a key source of drinking water in many regions of the world. However, it is threatened by overabstraction and the potential for salinization. Rising sea levels are further exacerbating the situation. ...
Phys.org / Super magma reservoirs discovered beneath Tuscany
How can magma buried 5, 10, or even 15 km underground be detected without any surface indicators? The answer lies in ambient noise tomography, a technique that analyzes natural ground vibrations with high precision. A team ...
Phys.org / Ph.D. student solves persistent problem in high-entropy alloys
The University of Wyoming's Lauren Kim has solved a persistent problem in the cutting-edge field of high-entropy alloys, a class of materials with great potential in modern engineering, electronics and energy applications—such ...
Phys.org / Glaciers may flow into the ocean more quickly than we think
Models of glacial flow and retreat rely on estimates of glacial ice viscosity, the measure of the ice's resistance to flow. Ice viscosity is dependent on the stress applied to the glacier. Most ice sheet models use a standard ...
Phys.org / Droplet impacts reveal surprising physics in shear-thickening fluids
From ketchup to quicksand, non-Newtonian fluids have long fascinated and puzzled scientists. Unlike ordinary fluids, their flow properties change depending on how much force is applied, but the precise mechanics governing ...
Phys.org / Using computed tomography to study DNA from ancient humans without destroying samples
Research on ancient DNA is surging, but how can scientists ensure that human remains of irreplaceable significance are preserved? This is the question investigated by an international research team led by the University of ...
Phys.org / Virtual sunspots help AI find rare magnetic matches in vast solar archives
Research led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has integrated three types of machine learning models to generate solar magnetic patches with physical properties and used those as a query to find matching patches in real ...
Phys.org / Catching distant gamma-ray explosions with precisely aligned X-ray optics
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) rank among the most powerful explosions in the universe, releasing immense energy in intense flashes of gamma rays. The most distant GRBs originate from the era when the first stars and galaxies formed. ...
Phys.org / Simple rules guide how proteins assemble and evolve, study finds
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have identified simple rules that explain how complex protein structures assemble correctly and remain functional over time, despite having many theoretically possible configurations. ...
Phys.org / Smart cable sharing gives quantum computers a big boost
A major obstacle in the development of powerful quantum computers is the growing number of cables required to control a computer as the number of qubits increases. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden ...
Phys.org / Shredded stars reveal how black holes ignite trillion-sun flares
Supermassive black holes are among the most enigmatic objects in the universe. They typically weigh millions or even billions of times the mass of the sun and sit at the centers of most large galaxies. At the heart of the ...
