G344.7-0.1: When a stable star explodes

White dwarfs are among the most stable of stars. Left on their own, these stars that have exhausted most of their nuclear fuel—while still typically as massive as the Sun—and shrunk to a relatively small size can last for billions or even trillions of years.

ESO images some of the biggest asteroids in our Solar System

The detailed images of these 42 objects are a leap forward in exploring asteroids, made possible thanks to ground-based telescopes, and contribute to answering the ultimate question of life, the Universe, and everything.

A 5-sigma standard model anomaly is possible

One of the best chances for proving beyond-the-standard-model physics relies on something called the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix. The standard model insists that the CKM matrix, which describes the mixing of quarks, should be unitary. But growing evidence suggests that during certain forms of radioactive decay, the unitarity of the CKM matrix might break.

Seeking the star stuff that made us

At the 2021 Fall Meeting of the APS Division of Nuclear Physics, two independent research groups will unveil new measurements aiming to explain the birth of half the universe's elements.

Finding sterile neutrinos

Experiments have spotted anomalies hinting at a new type of neutrino, one that would go beyond the standard model of particle physics and perhaps open a portal to the dark sector. But no one has ever directly observed this hypothetical particle.

Examining the origins of proton spin

Where does the proton get its spin? This question has puzzled physicists ever since experiments in the 1980s revealed that a proton's constituent quarks—the most fundamental building blocks of atomic nuclei—account for only about one-third of a proton's spin. Collisions of spin-polarized protons at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science user facility for nuclear physics research at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory, are helping to solve this mystery.

NASA's Lucy spacecraft poised to launch Oct. 16

NASA's Lucy spacecraft is encapsulated in a protective fairing atop an Atlas V rocket, awaiting its 23-day launch window to open on October 16. All is go for the Southwest Research Institute-led mission to begin, as the spacecraft prepares to launch on a 12-year journey of almost 4 billion miles to visit a record-breaking eight asteroids—one main belt asteroid and seven Jupiter Trojan asteroids.

The protective role of cells in overwintering fungi

Scientists have discovered a new role for cells that are known to nurture the overwintering reproductive structures in a type of fungi, according to a study published today in eLife.

Wildfires affect cave diversity underneath scorched surfaces

The landscape at Lava Beds National Monument in northern California is typically home to sage and junipers, with unique lava caves twisting underneath the surface. But in the summers of 2020 and 2021, wildfires tore through the region, burning thousands of acres and leaving the surface charred.

Challenging the big bang puzzle of heavy elements

It has long been theorized that hydrogen, helium, and lithium were the only chemical elements in existence during the Big Bang when the universe formed, and that supernova explosions, stars exploding at the end of their lifetime, are responsible for transmuting these elements into heavier ones and distributing them throughout our universe.

No apparent shortage of prey for southern resident killer whales in Canadian waters during summer

A popular belief that there are fewer Chinook salmon during the summer in Canadian waters for southern resident killer whales, compared to an abundance of fish for northern resident killer whales, has been debunked by a study led by scientists at the University of British Columbia.

Tucked-away marble quarries discovered as source for archaic Apollo

The source of marble for a statue of Apollo on the Greek island of Delos has been a mystery to art historians and archaeologists for decades. The stone's chemistry pointed geochemists to the southern end of the nearby island of Naxos, but no one thought there were ancient marble quarries there. A geoarchaeologist believes he found the source.

Global ISA dynamics observed by Landsat satellites from 1972 to 2019

For half a century, human activities drastically altered the climate, environment, and ecosystem of the Earth, which restricted the sustainable development and affected human well-being. Impervious surface areas (ISA), i.e., artificial structures with impermeable characteristics, mainly including roofs, paved surfaces, roads, and hardened grounds, are the most affected regions. Using more than three million Landsat satellite images, this research developed the first global impervious surface area (GISA) dataset from 1972 to 2019. Based on 120,777 independent and random reference sites from 270 cities all over the world, the omission error, commission error, and F-score of GISA are 5.16%, 0.82%, and 0.954, respectively.

Researchers achieve universal route to family of penta-twinned gold nanocrystals

A research team led by Prof. Li Yue from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), together with Prof. Li Cuncheng from University of Jinan, has recently developed a universal route with fine kinetic control to a family of penta-twinned gold nanocrystals.

Desert locusts remain a serious threat to Pakistan

In 2019 and 2020, desert locusts once again plagued parts of East Africa and huge areas as far as India and Pakistan through the Arabian Peninsula, in an infestation that was described as the worst in decades. A serious agricultural pest, the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria can feed on most types of crops, including grains, vegetables and fruit, causing significant damage to agricultural production and threatening food security in many countries.

'Caramel receptor' identified

Who doesn't like the smell of caramel? However, the olfactory receptor that contributes decisively to this sensory impression was unknown until now. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LSB) have now solved the mystery of its existence and identified the "caramel receptor". The new knowledge contributes to a better understanding of the molecular coding of food flavors.

Destructive insects produce high-value products from biowaste

European researchers and industries are putting insects to work—from termites that destroy wooden buildings to insect larvae that are star "poop" composters. Packaging, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and animal feed are just some of the products they are beetling away to make for us.

How satellite images can help with environmental land management

Academics at the University of Surrey's Centre for Environment and Sustainability have undertaken research that proves Earth Observation satellite imagery can accurately assess the quality and quantity of some habitat types.

Large effect of Solar activity on Earth's energy budget

This is the result of a new study by researchers from DTU Space at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who have traced the consequences of eruptions on the Sun on clouds and Earth's energy balance. 

Researchers realize quantum teleportation onto mechanical motion of silicon beams

Quantum technology typically employs qubits (quantum bits) consisting of, for example, single electrons, photons or atoms. A group of TU Delft researchers has now demonstrated the ability to teleport an arbitrary qubit state from a single photon onto an optomechanical device—consisting of a mechanical structure comprising billions of atoms. Their breakthrough research, now published in Nature Photonics, enables real-world applications such as quantum internet repeater nodes while also allowing quantum mechanics itself to be studied in new ways.