Phys.org news
Phys.org / Atoms tell different stories when light hits a molecule in trillionths of a second
Researchers have captured how a molecule redistributes energy after absorbing light, differentiating the roles of individual atoms in the process. They used X-ray flashes from the European XFEL to show that different atoms ...
Phys.org / Dead stars in our cosmic backyard: Astronomers spot four white dwarfs hiding under our noses
Researchers at the University of Warwick and the University of Colorado Boulder have directly observed, for the first time, four white dwarfs in binary star systems in our nearby region of space. These stellar binaries are ...
Phys.org / Hidden fifth dimension could tune dark matter resonance, new theory proposes
The mysterious substance that binds galaxies together could naturally be "in tune" with a hidden fifth dimension, according to a new University of Sheffield theory aiming to shed light on one of science's biggest enigmas: ...
Phys.org / Hidden in Maya wall writings: A named astronomer emerges from 1,200-year-old calculations
Researchers have reconstructed and transcribed a mathematical formula from the site of Xultun, Guatemala, revealing the name of a Maya astronomer for the first time. During the Classic period (250–900 CE), mathematics and ...
Phys.org / Hubble discovers first of star cluster's missing black holes
The massive globular star cluster Omega Centauri has puzzled astronomers for decades. It should be filled with black holes left behind by exploding stars, yet evidence for them is scarce. Now, astronomers using archival data ...
Phys.org / The US just approved a giant space mirror to test 'sunlight on demand.' Low Earth orbit is getting weird
A giant mirror to create "sunlight on demand" was just approved by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), despite opposition from astronomers and the public, and real safety concerns.
Phys.org / 'Silly sprinklers' put in reverse to further unravel decades-old physics puzzle
Each summer, lawns are marked by a familiar addition: "silly sprinklers," whose loops and spirals spew water in creative ways. While seemingly frivolous in their construction, a team of mathematicians has used their design ...
Phys.org / Invasive aoudad pose deadly risk to native bighorn sheep
An invasive species found across West Texas may pose a greater threat to native bighorn sheep than previously understood.
Phys.org / Zirconium tweak unlocks stronger cast aluminum alloy with ductility boost
Researchers at the Department of Materials Engineering (MatE), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and collaborators have developed a new lightweight cast aluminum alloy that is both exceptionally strong and remarkably ductile, ...
Phys.org / Typhoons mix up bacteria and biochemistry
After a typhoon surprised a research cruise, scientists took advantage of the unique sampling opportunity to reveal rapid changes in bacterioplankton communities and biogeochemical cycling.
Phys.org / Hidden in plain sight: Caribbean reef fish nestle in tube worms, revealing previously undocumented partnership
On Caribbean coral reefs, an unlikely partnership has gone largely unnoticed: Tiny fish regularly nestle within the feathery structures of tube worms. While these sensitive worms typically snap shut at the slightest disturbance, ...
Phys.org / Chemists make elusive carbon-bridged sandwich molecule once thought too strained to exist
Progress in chemistry is often gradual, with some of its most important advances taking years—sometimes decades—to unfold. A case in point is the discovery of a novel "ferrocenophane" from the class of compounds known as ...