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Categories: Computer Science: Quantum Computers, Space: The Solar System
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 Finding the flux of quantum technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source We interact with bits and bytes everyday -- whether that's through sending a text message or receiving an email. There's also quantum bits, or qubits, that have critical differences from common bits and bytes. These photons -- particles of light -- can carry quantum information and offer exceptional capabilities that can't be achieved any other way. Unlike binary computing, where bits can only represent a 0 or 1, qubit behavior exists in the realm of quantum mechanics. Through "superpositioning," a qubit can represent a 0, a 1, or any proportion between. This vastly increases a quantum computer's processing speed compared to today's computers. Experts are now investigating the inside of a quantum-dot-based light emitter.
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 An easier way to learn quantum processes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists show that even a few simple examples are enough for a quantum machine-learning model, the 'quantum neural networks', to learn and predict the behavior of quantum systems, bringing us closer to a new era of quantum computing.
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 Scientists edge toward scalable quantum simulations on a photonic chip
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A system using photonics-based synthetic dimensions could be used to help explain complex natural phenomena.
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 Research breakthrough could be significant for quantum computing future
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists using one of the world's most powerful quantum microscopes have made a discovery that could have significant consequences for the future of computing. Researchers have discovered a spatially modulating superconducting state in a new and unusual superconductor Uranium Ditelluride (UTe2). This new superconductor may provide a solution to one of quantum computing's greatest challenges.
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 Researchers make a quantum computing leap with a magnetic twist
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists and engineers have announced a significant advancement in developing fault-tolerant qubits for quantum computing. In a pair of articles, they report that, in experiments with flakes of semiconductor materials -- each only a single layer of atoms thick -- they detected signatures of 'fractional quantum anomalous Hall' (FQAH) states. The team's discoveries mark a first and promising step in constructing a type of fault-tolerant qubit because FQAH states can host anyons -- strange 'quasiparticles' that have only a fraction of an electron's charge. Some types of anyons can be used to make what are called 'topologically protected' qubits, which are stable against any small, local disturbances.
Published 'Toggle switch' can help quantum computers cut through the noise
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What good is a powerful computer if you can't read its output? Or readily reprogram it to do different jobs? People who design quantum computers face these challenges, and a new device may make them easier to solve.
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 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 Open-source software to speed up quantum research
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Quantum technology is expected to fundamentally change many key areas of society. Researchers are convinced that there are many more useful quantum properties and applications to explore than those we know today. A team of researchers has now developed open-source, freely available software that will pave the way for new discoveries in the field and accelerate quantum research significantly.
Published Jupiter's moon Europa may have had a slow evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Europa may have a metamorphic origin for the ocean. While some scientists speculated this, a research team shows that if Europa indeed formed from hydrated rocks (i.e., rocks have hydrogen and oxygen), then enough of Europa's interior should get hot enough to release water directly from the hydrated rocks to form the ocean and ice shell.
Published Researchers demystify the unusual origin of the Geminids meteor shower
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Princeton researchers used observations from NASA's Parker Solar Probe mission to deduce that it was likely a violent, catastrophic event -- such as a high-speed collision with another body or a gaseous explosion -- that created the Geminids meteoroid stream. Mysteries surrounding the origin of the Geminids have long fascinated scientists because, while most meteor showers are created when a comet emits a tail of ice and dust, the Geminids stem from an asteroid -- a chunk of rock that normally does not produce a tail. Until now, this unusual meteoroid stream had only been studied from Earth.