Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered that lightning can trigger bursts of high-energy electrons in the Earth’s inner radiation belt, posing a potential threat to spacecraft and astronauts. The researchers analyzed data from a NASA satellite and found that these bursts can occur at low energies, making them difficult to detect. This…
A UK-based health technology start-up, Siloton, has made a significant breakthrough in the development of a portable optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. This innovative technology uses photonic integrated circuits to miniaturize expensive and fragile optical components, making it possible to capture high-quality images of the human retina. The system has the potential to revolutionize the…
Researchers have proposed a new hypothesis to explain the “Great Dimming” of the red supergiant star Betelgeuse, suggesting that an unseen low-mass companion star may be responsible for the phenomenon. The team analyzed decades of observational data and used advanced computer models to simulate Betelgeuse’s activity, finding that the brightest phase of the star’s brightness…
Astronomers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have made a groundbreaking discovery by observing a black hole in a triple system with two other stars. The system, called V404 Cygni, was previously thought to be a binary comprising a black hole and a star. The observation supports the idea that some black holes do…
Physicists at TU Wien in Austria have proposed a new explanation for the long-standing neutron lifetime problem. The team suggests that the discrepancy in measurements could be caused by free neutrons being in a mix of different states, with some in the ground state and others in higher-energy excited states. This would alter the neutrons’…
Researchers from the Netherlands, the UK, and the US have made a groundbreaking discovery that could bring us closer to understanding dark matter. They found that hypothetical particles called axions could form dense clouds around neutron stars, emitting signals that radio telescopes can detect. This breakthrough raises hopes that axions could be the long-sought solution…
Researchers at Curtin University have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of nanotechnology. They found that molecules known as ligands attach more densely to flatter, platelet-shaped semiconductor nanocrystals than to spherical ones. This counterintuitive result could lead to significant improvements in LED and solar cell technology, as well as applications in biomedicine. Forecast for…
In a groundbreaking discovery, two independent studies have revealed that the brown dwarf Gliese 229 B is not a single object, but rather a pair of brown dwarfs. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of star formation and the existence of binary systems in the universe. The discovery was made possible by the…
Physicists in California have conducted field experiments that suggest intermittent bursts of embers play a significant role in the spread of wildfires. The research, which involved building a bonfire and tracking embers, has called into question previous fire models and highlights the need for more accurate predictions to prevent infrastructure damage and loss of life….
Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of optical trapping. They have developed a miniature, chip-based optical trap that can capture and manipulate particles, including cells, at a distance of up to 5 millimeters from the chip surface. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize biological…
