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Categories: Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Space: General
Published Ravenous black hole consumes three Earths'-worth of star every time it passes


Massive burst of X-rays detected by astronomers indicates material three times the mass of Earth burning up in a black hole. They observed a star like our own Sun being eaten away every time it orbits close. First time a Sun-like star being repeatedly disrupted by a low mass black hole has been seen, opening the possibility of a range of star and black hole combinations to be discovered.
Published New cosmological constraints on the nature of dark matter


New research has revealed the distribution of dark matter in never before seen detail, down to a scale of 30,000 light-years. The observed distribution fluctuations provide better constraints on the nature of dark matter.
Published On the track of elusive neutrinos


Scientists have been able to show that the CRES method is suitable for determining the neutrino mass and has already set an upper limit for this fundamental quantity in a first measurement -- an important milestone has thus been reached.
Published Grasping entropy: Teachers and students investigate thermodynamics through a hands-on model


Though a cornerstone of thermodynamics, entropy remains one of the most vexing concepts to teach budding physicists in the classroom. Physics teachers designed a hand-held model to demonstrate the concept of entropy for students. Using everyday materials, the approach allows students to confront the topic with new intuition -- one that takes specific aim at the confusion between entropy and disorder.
Published Furthest ever detection of a galaxy's magnetic field


Astronomers have detected the magnetic field of a galaxy so far away that its light has taken more than 11 billion years to reach us: we see it as it was when the Universe was just 2.5 billion years old. The result provides astronomers with vital clues about how the magnetic fields of galaxies like our own Milky Way came to be.
Published Vast bubble of galaxies discovered, given Hawaiian name



The immense bubble is 820 million light years from Earth and believed to be a fossil-like remnant of the birth of the universe.
Published Deriving the fundamental limit of heat current in quantum mechanical many-particle systems


Researchers have mathematically derived the fundamental limit of heat current flowing into a quantum system comprising numerous quantum mechanical particles in relation to the particle count. Further, they established a clearer understanding of how the heat current rises with increasing particle count, shedding light on the performance constraints of potential future quantum thermal devices.
Published Hot Jupiter blows its top


The planet HAT-P-32b is losing so much of its atmospheric helium that the trailing gas tails are among the largest structures yet known any planet outside our solar system. Three-dimensional (3D) simulations helped model the flow of the planet's atmosphere. The scientists hope to widen their planet-observing net and survey 20 additional star systems to find more planets losing their atmosphere and learn about their evolution.
Published Striking gold with molecular mystery solution for potential clean energy


Hydrogen spillover is exactly what it sounds like. Small metal nanoparticles anchored on a thermally stable oxide, like silica, comprise a major class of catalysts, which are substances used to accelerate chemical reactions without being consumed themselves. The catalytic reaction usually occurs on the reactive -- and expensive -- metal, but on some catalysts, hydrogen atom-like equivalents literally spill from the metal to the oxide. These hydrogen-on-oxide species are called 'hydrogen spillover.'
Published Webb reveals new structures within iconic supernova


NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has begun the study of one of the most renowned supernovae, SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A). Located 168,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, SN 1987A has been a target of intense observations at wavelengths ranging from gamma rays to radio for nearly 40 years, since its discovery in February of 1987. New observations by Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) provide a crucial clue to our understanding of how a supernova develops over time to shape its remnant.
Published Scientists detect and validate the longest-period exoplanet found with TESS


Scientists have detected and validated two of the longest-period exoplanets found by TESS to date. These long period large exoplanets orbit a K dwarf star and belong to a class of planets known as warm Jupiters, which have orbital periods of 10-200 days and are at least six times Earth's radius. This recent discovery offers exciting research opportunities for the future of finding long-period planets that resemble those in our own solar system.
Published New giant planet evidence of possible planetary collisions


A Neptune-sized planet denser than steel has been discovered by an international team of astronomers, who believe its composition could be the result of a giant planetary clash.
Published Unprecedented gamma-ray burst explained by long-lived jet


While astrophysicists previously believed that only supernovae could generate long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), a 2021 observation uncovered evidence that compact-object mergers also can generate the phenomenon. Now, a new simulation confirms and explains this finding. If the accretion disk around the black hole is massive, it launches a jet that lasts several seconds, matching the description of a long GRB from a merger.
Published A new way to capture and recycle carbon dioxide from industrial emissions


Carbon capture is a promising method to help slow climate change. With this approach, carbon dioxide (CO¬¬2) is trapped before it escapes into the atmosphere, but the process requires a large amount of energy and equipment. Now, researchers have designed a capture system using an electrochemical cell that can easily grab and release CO2. The device operates at room temperature and requires less energy than conventional, amine-based carbon-capture systems.
Published Telescopes help unravel pulsar puzzle


With a remarkable observational campaign that involved 12 telescopes both on the ground and in space, including three European Southern Observatory (ESO) facilities, astronomers have uncovered the strange behavior of a pulsar, a super-fast-spinning dead star. This mysterious object is known to switch between two brightness modes almost constantly, something that until now has been an enigma. But astronomers have now found that sudden ejections of matter from the pulsar over very short periods are responsible for the peculiar switches.
Published Neptune's disappearing clouds linked to the solar cycle


Astronomers have uncovered a link between Neptune's shifting cloud abundance and the 11-year solar cycle, in which the waxing and waning of the Sun's entangled magnetic fields drives solar activity.
Published Hotter quantum systems can cool faster than initially colder equivalents


The Mpemba effect is originally referred to the non-monotonic initial temperature dependence of the freezing start time, but it has been observed in various systems -- including colloids -- and has also become known as a mysterious relaxation phenomenon that depends on initial conditions. However, very few have previously investigated the effect in quantum systems. Now, the temperature quantum Mpemba effect can be realized over a wide range of initial conditions.
Published Quantum discovery offers glimpse into other-worldly realm



Experiments promote a curious flipside of decaying monopoles: A reality where particle physics is quite literally turned on its head
Published How being in space impairs astronauts' immune system



A new study has examined how T cells of the immune system are affected by weightlessness. The results could explain why astronauts' T cells become less active and less effective at fighting infection.
Published Mysterious Neptune dark spot detected from Earth for the first time


Using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have observed a large dark spot in Neptune's atmosphere, with an unexpected smaller bright spot adjacent to it. This is the first time a dark spot on the planet has ever been observed with a telescope on Earth. These occasional features in the blue background of Neptune's atmosphere are a mystery to astronomers, and the new results provide further clues as to their nature and origin.