Showing 20 articles starting at article 641
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Energy: Technology, Space: The Solar System
Published Gauging the strength of ancient and active rivers beyond Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new technique allows scientists to see how intensely rivers used to flow on Mars, and how they currently flow on Titan. The method uses satellite observations to estimate the rate at which rivers move fluid and sediment downstream.
Published Why the day is 24 hours long: Astrophysicists reveal why Earth's day was a constant 19.5 hours for over a billion years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astrophysicists have revealed how the slow and steady lengthening of Earth's day caused by the tidal pull of the moon was halted for over a billion years. They show that from approximately two billion years ago until 600 million years ago, an atmospheric tide driven by the sun countered the effect of the moon, keeping Earth's rotational rate steady and the length of day at a constant 19.5 hours. Without this billion-year pause in the slowing of our planet's rotation, our current 24-hour day would stretch to over 60 hours. The paper offers a new perspective on how global warming will affect the length of our day and validates global circulation models as a climate modelling tool.
Published Earth formed from dry, rocky building blocks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows that the so-called planetesimals that accreted together to form Earth must have been composed of dry, rocky materials.
Published Large sub-surface granite formation signals ancient volcanic activity on Moon's dark side
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A large formation of granite discovered below the lunar surface likely was formed from the cooling of molten lava that fed a volcano or volcanoes that erupted early in the Moon's history -- as long as 3.5 billion years ago.
Published New image from James Webb Space Telescope reveals astonishing Saturn and its rings
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Saturn's iconic rings seem to glow eerily in this incredible infrared picture, which also unveils unexpected features in Saturn's atmosphere. This image serves as context for an observing program that will test the telescope's capacity to detect faint moons around the planet and its bright rings. Any newly discovered moons could help scientists put together a more complete picture of the current system of Saturn, as well as its past.
Published Astrophysicists propose a new way of measuring cosmic expansion: Lensed gravitational waves
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The universe is expanding; we've had evidence of that for about a century. But just how quickly celestial objects are receding from each other is still up for debate.
Published Gullies on Mars could have been formed by recent periods of liquid meltwater, study suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study offers new insights into how water from melting ice could have played a recent role in the formation of ravine-like channels that cut down the sides of impact craters on Mars.
Published Life after death: Astronomers find a planet that shouldn't exist
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The star would have inflated up to 1.5 times the planet's orbital distance -- engulfing the planet in the process -- before shrinking to its current size at only one-tenth of that distance.
Published Magnetic bacteria point the way
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Magnetotactic bacteria, which can align with the Earth's magnetic field, have been discovered in a new location. Previously observed on land and in shallow water, analysis of a hydrothermal vent has proven that they can also survive deep under the ocean. The bacteria were able to exist in an environment that was not ideal for their typical needs. Magnetotactic bacteria are of interest not only for the role they play in Earth's ecosystem, but also in the search for extraterrestrial life. Evidence of their existence can remain in rocks for billions of years. Their magnetic inclinations can also provide a record of how magnetic poles have shifted over time. This new discovery brings hope to researchers that the magnetic bacteria might be found in yet more unexpected locations, on Earth and perhaps even on Mars or beyond.
Published Don't wait, desalinate: A new approach to water purification
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A water purification system separates out salt and other unnecessary particles with an electrified version of dialysis. Successfully applied to wastewater with planned expansion into rivers and seas, the method saves money and saps 90% less energy than its counterparts.
Published Towards efficient lithium--air batteries with solution plasma-based synthesis of perovskite hydroxide catalysts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source CoSn(OH)6 (CSO) is an effective oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst, necessary for developing next-generation lithium -- air batteries. However, current methods of synthesizing CSO are complicated and slow. Recently, an international research team synthesized CSO in a single step within 20 minutes using solution plasma to generate CSO nanocrystals with excellent OER catalytic properties. Their findings could boost the manufacturing of high energy density batteries.
Published Molecular filament shielded young solar system from supernova
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Isotope ratios found in meteorites suggest that a supernova exploded nearby while the Sun and Solar System were still forming. But the blast wave from a supernova that close could have potentially destroyed the nascent Solar System. New calculations shows that a filament of molecular gas, which is the birth cocoon of the Solar System, aided the capture of the isotopes found in the meteorites, while acting as a buffer protecting the young Solar System from the nearby supernova blast.
Published Perovskite solar cells set new record for power conversion efficiency
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Perovskite solar cells have attained now attained the extremely high efficiency rate of 24.35% with an active area of 1 cm2. This ground-breaking achievement in maximizing power generation from next-generation renewable energy sources will be crucial to securing the world's energy future.
Published Breakthrough innovation could solve temperature issues for source-gated transistors and lead to low-cost, flexible displays
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Low-cost, flexible displays that use very little energy could be a step closer, thanks to an innovation that solves a problem that has plagued source-gated transistors (SGT).
Published New microcomb device advances photonic technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have outlined a new high-speed tunable microcomb that could help propel advances in wireless communication, imaging, atomic clocks, and more.
Published Inside-out heating and ambient wind could make direct air capture cheaper and more efficient
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chemical engineers use coated carbon fibers and eliminate steam-based heating in their simpler design, which also can be powered by wind energy.
Published Vastly more sustainable, cost-effective method to desalinate industrial wastewater
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineers are developing a cutting-edge process that can reduce energy consumption and cost of water desalination.
Published Detection of an echo emitted by our Galaxy's black hole 200 years ago
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of scientists has discovered that Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, emerged from a long period of dormancy some 200 years ago. The team, led by Frédéric Marin, a CNRS researcher at the Astronomical Strasbourg Observatory (CNRS/University of Strasbourg), has revealed the past awakening of this gigantic object, which is four million times more massive than the Sun. Their work is published in Nature on 21 June.
Published Exoplanet may reveal secrets about the edge of habitability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How close can a rocky planet be to a star, and still sustain water and life? A recently discovered exoplanet may be key to solving that mystery.
Published How tidal range electricity generation could meet future demand and storage problems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tidal range schemes are financially viable and could lower energy bills say researchers. Research combined a tidal range power generation model with its cost model to demonstrate the viability of tidal power. The research demonstrates the benefits of tidal energy, which does not suffer from unpredictable intermittency as power is generated both day and night, and in windy or calm weather. The creation of a tidal barrage could operate for 120 years or more to meet future demand and storage problems.