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Categories: Physics: General, Space: Astrophysics
Published Scientists, philosophers identify nature's missing evolutionary law



A new article describes 'a missing law of nature,' recognizing for the first time an important norm within the natural world's workings. In essence, the new law states that complex natural systems evolve to states of greater patterning, diversity, and complexity. In other words, evolution is not limited to life on Earth, it also occurs in other massively complex systems, from planets and stars to atoms, minerals, and more.
Published Photonic crystals bend light as though it were under the influence of gravity



Scientists have theoretically predicted that light can be bent under pseudogravity. A recent study by researchers using photonic crystals has demonstrated this phenomenon. This breakthrough has significant implications for optics, materials science, and the development of 6G communications.
Published Simulations of 'backwards time travel' can improve scientific experiments



Physicists have shown that simulating models of hypothetical time travel can solve experimental problems that appear impossible to solve using standard physics.
Published The fuel economy of a microswimmer



The amount of power a microswimmer needs to move can now be determined more easily. Scientists developed a general theorem to calculate the minimal energy required for propulsion. These insights allow a profound understanding for practical applications, such as targeted transport of molecules and substrates.
Published Surprising discovery shows electron beam radiation can repair nanostructures



In a surprising new study, researchers have found that the electron beam radiation that they previously thought degraded crystals can actually repair cracks in these nanostructures. The groundbreaking discovery provides a new pathway to create more perfect crystal nanostructures, a process that is critical to improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of materials that are used in virtually all electronic devices we use every day.
Published Widely tuneable terahertz lasers boost photo-induced superconductivity in K3C60



Researchers have long been exploring the effect of using tailored laser drives to manipulate the properties of quantum materials away from equilibrium. One of the most striking demonstrations of these physics has been in unconventional superconductors, where signatures of enhanced electronic coherences and super-transport have been documented in the resulting non-equilibrium states. However, these phenomena have not yet been systematically studied or optimized, primarily due to the complexity of the experiments. Technological applications are therefore still far removed from reality. In a recent experiment, this same group of researchers discovered a far more efficient way to create a previously observed metastable, superconducting-like state in K3C60 using laser light.
Published NASA's Webb captures an ethereal view of NGC 346



One of the greatest strengths of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is its ability to give astronomers detailed views of areas where new stars are being born. The latest example, showcased here in a new image from Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), is NGC 346 -- the brightest and largest star-forming region in the Small Magellanic Cloud.
Published Scientists discover 'flipping' layers in heterostructures to cause changes in their properties



Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductors are special materials that have long fascinated researchers with their unique properties. For one, they are flat, one-atom-thick two-dimensional (2D) materials similar to that of graphene. They are compounds that contain different combinations of the transition metal group (e.g., molybdenum, tungsten) and chalcogen elements (e.g., sulfur, selenium, tellurium).
Published 'Starquakes' could explain mystery signals



Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are an astronomical mystery, with their exact cause and origins still unconfirmed. These intense bursts of radio energy are invisible to the human eye, but show up brightly on radio telescopes. Previous studies have noted broad similarities between the energy distribution of repeat FRBs, and that of earthquakes and solar flares. However, new research has looked at the time and energy of FRBs and found distinct differences between FRBs and solar flares, but several notable similarities between FRBs and earthquakes. This supports the theory that FRBs are caused by 'starquakes' on the surface of neutron stars. This discovery could help us better understand earthquakes, the behavior of high-density matter and aspects of nuclear physics.
Published Finding explanation for Milky Way's warp



Though scientists have long known through observational data that the Milky Way is warped and its edges are flared like a skirt, no one could explain why. Now, astronomers have performed the first calculations that fully explain this phenomenon, with compelling evidence pointing to the Milky Way's envelopment in an off-kilter halo of dark matter.
Published Bringing out the color in zinc



Researchers have synthesized a zinc complex based on two zinc centers that absorbs visible light. They demonstrated that this capability depends on the proximity of the zinc ions, where the complex responds to visible light when the zinc atoms are closer. This new property is expected to expand the utility of zinc, which already offers advantages including biological relevance, cost effectiveness, and low toxicity.
Published Stellar fountain of youth with turbulent formation history in the center of our galaxy



An unexpectedly high number of young stars has been identified in the direct vicinity of a supermassive black hole and water ice has been detected at the center of our galaxy.
Published X-rays reveal microstructural fingerprints of 3D-printed alloy



Researchers took a novel approach to explore the way microstructure emerges in a 3D-printed metal alloy: They bombarded it with X-rays while the material was being printed.
Published Unifying matter, energy and consciousness



Understanding the interplay between consciousness, energy and matter could bring important insights to our fundamental understanding of reality.
Published Ionic crystal generates molecular ions upon positron irradiation, finds new study



The interaction between solid matter and positron (the antiparticle of electron) has provided important insights across a variety of disciplines, including atomic physics, materials science, elementary particle physics, and medicine. However, the experimental generation of positronic compounds by bombardment of positrons onto surfaces has proved challenging. In a new study, researchers detect molecular ion desorption from the surface of an ionic crystal when bombarded with positrons and propose a model based on positronic compound generation to explain their results.
Published Pulsars may make dark matter glow



The central question in the ongoing hunt for dark matter is: what is it made of? One possible answer is that dark matter consists of particles known as axions. A team of astrophysicists has now shown that if dark matter consists of axions, it may reveal itself in the form of a subtle additional glow coming from pulsating stars.
Published Twisted science: New quantum ruler to explore exotic matter



Researchers have developed a 'quantum ruler' to measure and explore the strange properties of multilayered sheets of graphene, a form of carbon. The work may also lead to a new, miniaturized standard for electrical resistance that could calibrate electronic devices directly on the factory floor, eliminating the need to send them to an off-site standards laboratory.
Published Scientists discover the highest energy gamma-rays ever from a pulsar



Scientists have detected the highest energy gamma rays ever from a dead star called a pulsar. The energy of these gamma rays clocked in at 20 tera-electronvolts, or about ten trillion times the energy of visible light. This observation is hard to reconcile with the theory of the production of such pulsed gamma rays, as the international team reports.
Published Plot thickens in hunt for ninth planet



A pair of theoretical physicists are reporting that the same observations inspiring the hunt for a ninth planet might instead be evidence within the solar system of a modified law of gravity originally developed to understand the rotation of galaxies.
Published New 'Assembly Theory' unifies physics and biology to explain evolution and complexity



An international team of researchers has developed a new theoretical framework that bridges physics and biology to provide a unified approach for understanding how complexity and evolution emerge in nature. This new work on 'Assembly Theory' represents a major advance in our fundamental comprehension of biological evolution and how it is governed by the physical laws of the universe.