Phys.org news
Phys.org / Methane gas found on dwarf planet Makemake
A Southwest Research Institute-led team has reported the first detection of gas on the distant dwarf planet Makemake, using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This discovery makes Makemake only the second trans-Neptunian ...
Phys.org / A hungry star is eating its cosmic twin at a rate never seen before
A greedy white dwarf star not far from Earth is devouring its closest celestial companion at a rate never seen before, space scientists have discovered. Their study found the double star, named V Sagittae, is burning unusually ...
Phys.org / Quantum calculations provide a sharper image of subatomic stress
Stress is a very real factor in the structure of our universe. Not the kind of stress that students experience when taking a test, but rather the physical stresses that affect everyday objects. Consider the stress that heavy ...
Phys.org / A rocky planet in its star's 'habitable zone' could be first known to have an atmosphere—here's what we found
New research using NASA's powerful JWST telescope has identified a planet 41 light years away which may have an atmosphere. The planet is within the "habitable zone," the region around a star where temperatures make it possible ...
Phys.org / Molecular biomimetics: The cell nucleus as a model for DNA-based computer chips
In human cells, there are about 20,000 genes on a two-meter DNA strand—finely coiled up in a nucleus about 10 micrometers in diameter. By comparison, this corresponds to a 40-kilometer thread packed into a soccer ball. ...
Phys.org / Using pulsar accelerations to detect a dark matter sub-halo in the Milky Way for the first time
Dr. Sukanya Chakrabarti, the Pei-Ling Chan Endowed Chair in the College of Science at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), and her team have posted a new paper to the arXiv preprint server that for the first time ...
Phys.org / Supermassive black holes shrouded by dust in the early universe
Astronomers have discovered "dust-shrouded supermassive black holes" in the early universe, less than 1 billion years after the Big Bang—a type of object that had previously escaped detection.
Phys.org / Cosmic accident solves Jupiter–Saturn silicon puzzle
Why has silicon, one of the most common elements in the universe, gone largely undetected in the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, and gas planets like them orbiting other stars? A new study using observations from NASA's James ...
Phys.org / AI tool helps astronomers find supernovae in a sky full of noise
A new AI-powered tool has reduced astronomers' workload by 85%—filtering through thousands of data alerts to identify the few genuine signals caused by supernovae (powerful explosions from dying stars). The findings are ...
Phys.org / Nematode worms enter a sleep-like state when captured by predatory fungi, shedding light on ancient survival strategies
When the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans gets caught by its fungal predator Arthrobotrys oligospora, it doesn't just wriggle endlessly—it suddenly "freezes," stopping all movement and feeding as if going into a deep ...
Phys.org / Spatial patterns of Tianshui's folk fortresses show how local landscapes shaped community defense
A research team from the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has systematically mapped and analyzed the cultural landscape of historical folk fortresses in Tianshui, a city in ...
Phys.org / Sunglasses for sustainable agriculture: Multilayer film reflects heat but lets in light for plant growth
A multilayer film that reflects heat while letting through light needed for photosynthesis could make greenhouse agriculture more energy- and water-efficient. Such a film has been developed by engineers at the University ...
