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Categories: Physics: Optics, Space: Astrophysics
Published Persistent hiccups in a far-off galaxy draw astronomers to new black hole behavior
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have found that a previously quiet black hole, which sits at the center of a galaxy about 800 million light years away, has suddenly erupted, giving off plumes of gas every 8.5 days before settling back to its normal, quiet state.
Published More efficient TVs, screens and lighting
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New multidisciplinary research could lead to more efficient televisions, computer screens and lighting.
Published A tiny spot leads to a large advancement in nano-processing, researchers reveal
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Focusing a tailored laser beam through transparent glass can create a tiny spot inside the material. Researchers have reported on a way to use this small spot to improve laser material processing, boosting processing resolution.
Published Astronomers unveil strong magnetic fields spiraling at the edge of Milky Way's central black hole
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new image from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration has uncovered strong and organized magnetic fields spiraling from the edge of the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). Seen in polarized light for the first time, this new view of the monster lurking at the heart of the Milky Way Galaxy has revealed a magnetic field structure strikingly similar to that of the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, suggesting that strong magnetic fields may be common to all black holes.
Published 'Cosmic cannibals' expel jets into space at 40 percent the speed of light
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have measured the speed of fast-moving jets in space, crucial to star formation and the distribution of elements needed for life. The jets of matter, expelled by stars deemed 'cosmic cannibals', were measured to travel at over one-third of the speed of light -- thanks to a groundbreaking new experiment.
Published Sleeping supermassive black holes awakened briefly by shredded stars
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have concluded that an obscure class of galaxies known as Compact Symmetric Objects, or CSOs, are not young as previously thought but rather lead relatively short lives.
Published Bullseye! Accurately centering quantum dots within photonic chips
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have now developed standards and calibrations for optical microscopes that allow quantum dots to be aligned with the center of a photonic component to within an error of 10 to 20 nanometers (about one-thousandth the thickness of a sheet of paper). Such alignment is critical for chip-scale devices that employ the radiation emitted by quantum dots to store and transmit quantum information.
Published New method to measure entropy production on the nanoscale
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Entropy, the amount of molecular disorder, is produced in several systems but cannot be measured directly. A new equation sheds new light on how entropy is produced on a very short time scale in laser excited materials.
Published Micro-Lisa! Making a mark with novel nano-scale laser writing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source High-power lasers are often used to modify polymer surfaces to make high-tech biomedical products, electronics and data storage components. Now researchers have discovered a light-responsive, inexpensive sulfur-derived polymer is receptive to low power, visible light lasers -- promising a more affordable and safer production method in nanotech, chemical science and patterning surfaces in biological applications.
Published Tiniest 'starquake' ever detected
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An orange dwarf star has yielded the tiniest 'starquakes' ever recorded, measured by an international team of scientists.
Published Scientists on the hunt for evidence of quantum gravity's existence at the South Pole
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An Antarctic large-scale experiment is striving to find out if gravity also exists at the quantum level. An extraordinary particle able to travel undisturbed through space seems to hold the answer.
Published Research lights up process for turning CO2 into sustainable fuel
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have successfully transformed CO2 into methanol by shining sunlight on single atoms of copper deposited on a light-activated material, a discovery that paves the way for creating new green fuels.
Published Pushing back the limits of optical imaging by processing trillions of frames per second
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Pushing for a higher speed isn't just for athletes. Researchers, too, can achieve such feats with their discoveries. A new device called SCARF (for swept-coded aperture real-time femtophotography) can capture transient absorption in a semiconductor and ultrafast demagnetization of a metal alloy. This new method will help push forward the frontiers of knowledge in a wide range of fields, including modern physics, biology, chemistry, materials science, and engineering.
Published A self-cleaning wall paint
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Beautiful white wall paint does not stay beautiful and white forever. Often, various substances from the air accumulate on its surface. This can be a desired effect because it makes the air cleaner for a while -- but over time, the color changes and needs to be renewed. Now, special titanium oxide nanoparticles have been developed that can be added to ordinary, commercially available wall paint to establish self-cleaning power: The nanoparticles are photocatalytically active, they can use sunlight not only to bind substances from the air, but also to decompose them afterwards.
Published Astronomers discover 49 new galaxies in under three hours
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New work aimed to study the star-forming gas in a single radio galaxy. Although the team didn't find any star-forming gas in the galaxy they were studying, they instead discovered other galaxies while inspecting the data. In total, the gas of 49 galaxies was detected.
Published Two of the Milky Way's earliest building blocks identified
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have identified what could be two of the Milky Way's earliest building blocks: Named 'Shakti' and 'Shiva', these appear to be the remnants of two galaxies that merged between 12 and 13 billion years ago with an early version of the Milky Way, contributing to our home galaxy's initial growth. The new find is the astronomical equivalent of archeologists identifying traces of an initial settlement that grew into a large present-day city.
Published Cleaning up environmental contaminants with quantum dot technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was focused on quantum dots -- objects so tiny, they're controlled by the strange rules of quantum physics. Quantum dots used in electronics are often toxic, but their nontoxic counterparts are being explored for uses in medicine and in the environment, including water decontamination. One team of researchers has specially designed carbon- and sulfur-based dots for these environmental applications.
Published Researchers add swept illumination to open-top light-sheet microscope
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have incorporated a swept illumination source into an open-top light-sheet microscope to enable improved optical sectioning over a larger area of view. The advance makes the technique more practical for nondestructive 3D pathology.
Published High school students contribute to exoplanet discovery
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A group of high school students from Oakland, California, made contributions to the field of exoplanet research. Researchers worked with the students to use backpack-sized digital smart telescopes. These young citizen scientists played a role in observing and confirming the nature of a warm and dense sub-Saturn planet, known as TIC 139270665 b, orbiting a metal-rich G2 star.
Published Scientists find one of the most ancient stars that formed in another galaxy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first generation of stars transformed the universe. Inside their cores, simple hydrogen and helium fused into a rainbow of elements. When these stars died, they exploded and sent these new elements across the universe. The iron running in your veins and the calcium in your teeth and the sodium powering your thoughts were all born in the heart of a long-dead star.