Phys.org news
Phys.org / Solar physicists discover long-hidden source of gamma rays unleashed by flares
Solar physicists say they have found a key source of intense gamma rays unleashed when Earth's nearest star produces its most violent eruptions.
Phys.org / Vera C. Rubin Observatory spots record-breaking asteroid in pre-survey observations
Astronomers analyzing data from Vera C. Rubin Observatory have discovered the fastest-ever spinning asteroid with a diameter over half a kilometer—a feat uniquely enabled by Rubin. The study provides crucial information ...
Phys.org / North Pacific winter storm tracks shifting poleward much faster than predicted
Alaska's glaciers are melting at an accelerating pace, losing roughly 60 billion tons of ice each year. About 4,000 kilometers to the south, in California and Nevada, records for heat and dryness are being shattered, creating ...
Phys.org / Optics research uses dim light to produce bright LEDs
Researchers at Princeton and North Carolina State University have developed a technique that substantially improves the ability to convert low-energy light into a high-energy version. The method has immediate applications ...
Phys.org / Plasma rings around M dwarf stars offer new clues to planetary habitability
How does a star affect the makeup of its planets? And what does this mean for the habitability of distant worlds? Carnegie's Luke Bouma is exploring a new way to probe this critical question—using naturally occurring space ...
Phys.org / THz spectroscopy system bypasses long-standing tradeoff between spectral and spatial resolution
Terahertz (THz) radiation, which occupies the frequency band between microwaves and infrared light, is essential in many next-generation applications, including high-speed wireless communications, chemical sensing, and advanced ...
Phys.org / 60,000-year-old traces of world's oldest arrow poison reveal early advanced hunting techniques
Researchers from South Africa and Sweden have found the oldest traces of arrow poison in the world to date. On 60,000-year-old quartz arrowheads from Umhlatuzana Rock Shelter in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, researchers have ...
Phys.org / The mechanical ratchet: A new mechanism of cell division
Cell division is an essential process for all life on Earth, yet the exact mechanisms by which cells divide during early embryonic development have remained elusive—particularly for egg-laying species.
Phys.org / Engineers create water-saving sand layer to improve plant resilience during drought
The Anasazi, a once-flourishing tribe in the American Southwest, lived on bounties of corn, squash and beans. In 1276 A.D., however, a long, unforgiving drought made agriculture untenable, forcing them to migrate away from ...
Phys.org / Creating psychedelic-like molecules by shining light on life's basic building blocks
UC Davis researchers have developed a new method that uses light to transform amino acids—the building blocks of proteins—into molecules that are similar in structure to psychedelics and mimic their interaction with the ...
Phys.org / Synchronizing ultrashort X-ray pulses for attosecond precision
Scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have, for the first time, demonstrated a technique that synchronizes ultrashort X-ray pulses at the X-ray free-electron laser SwissFEL. This achievement opens new possibilities ...
Phys.org / Overlooked molecule points to new treatments for drug-resistant fungal infections
Fungal infections kill millions of people each year, and modern medicine is struggling to keep up. But researchers at McMaster University have identified a molecule that may help turn the tide—butyrolactol A, a chemical ...
