Toggle light / dark theme

A 1960s idea inspires researchers to study hitherto inaccessible quantum states

Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, have created a novel pathway into the study of the elusive quantum states in superconducting vortices. The existence of these was flaunted in the 1960s, but has remained very difficult to verify directly because those states are squeezed into energy scales smaller than one can typically resolve in experiments.

The result was made possible by a combination of ingenuity and the expanding research in created in the labs at the Niels Bohr Institute. It is now published in Physical Review Letters.

Gravitational Waves and Higgs field from Alena Tensor

Alena Tensor is a recently discovered class of energy-momentum tensors that proposes a general equivalence of the curved path and geodesic for analyzed spacetimes which allows the analysis of physical systems in curvilinear, classical and quantum descriptions. In this paper it is shown that Alena Tensor is related to the Killing tensor K and describes the class of GR solutions G + Λ g = 2 Λ K. In this picture, it is not matter that imposes curvature, but rather the geometric symmetries, encoded in the Killing tensor, determine the way spacetime curves and how matter can be distributed in it. It was also shown, that Alena Tensor gives decomposition of energy-momentum tensor of the electromagnetic field using two null-vectors and in natural way forces the Higgs field to appear, indicating the reason for the symmetry breaking.

Asteroseismology study uncovers new pulsation modes in ultra-massive white dwarf

Based on time-series photometry from three different telescopes, an international team of astronomers has performed a detailed asteroseismology study of WD J0049−2525—the most massive pulsating white dwarf. The study, published May 22 on the arXiv pre-print server, resulted in the detection of new pulsation modes of this white dwarf.

White dwarfs (WDs) are stellar cores left behind after a star has exhausted its and represent the final evolutionary stage for the vast majority of stars. Observations show that most WDs have primary spectral classification DA as they exhibit hydrogen-dominated atmospheres. However, a small fraction of WDs showcases traces of heavier elements.

In pulsating WDs, luminosity varies due to non-radial gravity wave pulsations within these objects. One subtype of pulsating WDs is known as DAVs, or ZZ Ceti stars, which have only hydrogen absorption lines in their spectra.

“This Thing’s Flat and Furious”: New 2D Material Unveiled With Game-Changing Power for Electrochemical Energy Storage

IN A NUTSHELL 🔬 Rice University researchers discovered copper boride, a novel two-dimensional material with transformative potential. 🧪 The study highlights copper boride’s strong covalent bonding and distinct electronic properties, setting it apart from other 2D materials. 🔋 This breakthrough could significantly impact electrochemical energy storage and applications in quantum information technology. 🌟 The discovery

Oxygenation in the ocean may have occurred earlier than previously thought, offering new insights into Earth’s evolution

Several key moments in Earth’s history help us humans answer the question “How did we get here?” These moments also shed light on the question “Where are we going?” and offer scientists deeper insight into how organisms adapt to physical and chemical changes in their environment.

Among them is an extended evolutionary occurrence over 2 billion years ago, known as the Great Oxidation Event (GOE). This marked the first time that oxygen produced by photosynthesis—essential for the survival of humans and many other life forms—began to accumulate in significant amounts in the atmosphere.

If you traveled back in time to before the GOE (more than 2.4 billion years ago), you would encounter a largely anoxic (oxygen-free) environment. The organisms that thrived then were anaerobic, meaning they didn’t require oxygen and relied on processes like fermentation to generate energy. Some of these organisms still exist today in extreme environments such as acidic hot springs and hydrothermal vents.

Turning Waste Into Energy: New Enzyme Revolutionizes Biofuel Production

The natural protein, known as CelOCE, was developed at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials and is ready for immediate integration into industrial processes. Breaking down plant material into usable fuel has long been one of science’s biggest energy challenges. At the heart o

A new super material could lead to more powerful, energy-saving electronics

A research team led by physicists Ming Yi and Emilia Morosan from Rice University has developed a new material with unique electronic properties that could enable more powerful and energy-efficient electronic devices.

The material, known as a Kramers nodal line metal, was produced by introducing a small amount of indium into a layered compound based on tantalum and sulfur. The addition of indium changes the symmetry of the crystal structure, and the result promotes the novel physical properties associated with the Kramers nodal line behavior. The research, published in Nature Communications, represents a step toward low-energy-loss electronics and paves the way for more sustainable technologies.

“Our work provides a clear path for discovering and designing new quantum materials with desirable properties for future electronics,” said Yi, associate professor of physics and astronomy.