English

phys.org

Monday, Apr 21

18

Ancient Greenland rocks in Iceland reveal effects of Late Antique Little Ice Age

phys.org

A trio of researchers has found evidence of the impact of the Late Antique Little Ice Age on Iceland almost 1,500 years ago. In their paper published in the journal Geology, Christopher Spencer, Thomas Gernon and Ross Mitchell describe…

Mathematical model modulates the anomalous Hall angle in a magnetic topological semimetal

phys.org

When an electric current passes through some materials, it generates a voltage perpendicular to the direction in which the current is flowing and of an applied magnetic field. This physical phenomenon, known as the anomalous Hall effect,…

15

Astronomers determine the fate of a compact dwarf galaxy

phys.org

By analyzing the available observational data, astronomers from the Tribhuvan University in Nepal and elsewhere have investigated the properties of a compact dwarf galaxy designated SDSS J134313.15+364457.5 (or J1343+3644 for short). As a…

Sunday, Apr 20

17

Rethinking neutron star mergers: Study explores the effects of magnetic fields on their oscillating frequencies

phys.org

Neutron star mergers are collisions between neutron stars, the collapsed cores of what were once massive supergiant stars. These mergers are known to generate gravitational waves, energy-carrying waves propagating through a gravitational…

Saturday, Apr 19

16

Saturday Citations: An exoplanetary biosignature; the diplomacy of body odor; personalities of bees

phys.org

This week, the Curiosity rover found large carbon deposits on Mars, suggesting an ancient carbon cycle. Researchers exploring the domestication of cats believe they may have originally pounced out of Tunisia. And researchers in Michigan…

Friday, Apr 18

20

Microplastics discovered in caddisfly casings from the 1970s suggest long-term contamination

phys.org

A team of biologists working at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, a research museum in the Netherlands, has found evidence of caddisfly larvae using microplastics to build their casings as far back as the 1970s.

18

Astronomers confirm the existence of a lone black hole

phys.org

A team of astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute, working with one colleague from the University of St Andrews' Center for Exoplanet Science and another from the European Southern Observatory, has confirmed the existence of a…

16

Red, pink or white, all roses were once yellow says genomic analysis

phys.org

Red roses, the symbol of love, were likely yellow in the past, indicates a large genomic analysis by researchers from Beijing Forestry University, China. Roses of all colors, including white, red, pink, and peach, belong to the genus Rosa,…

14

Layered room-temperature altermagnet shows promise for advanced spintronics

phys.org

Traditionally, magnetic materials have been divided into two main categories: ferromagnets and antiferromagnets. Over the past few years, however, physicists have uncovered the existence of altermagnets, a new type of magnetic material…

13

Indian astronomers investigate the behavior of X-ray binary SXP 138

phys.org

Using NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), Indian astronomers have observed an X-ray binary system designated SXP 138. Results of the NuSTAR observations, published March 26 on thearXiv pre-print server, yield important…

Reusable moss-based adsorbent can help clean up oil spills

phys.org

Hidden within sphagnum moss, commonly known as peat moss, is an adsorbent material that can help us combat oil spills. A study by researchers from China presents a new bio-based oil adsorbent derived from sphagnum moss that can selectively…

Thursday, Apr 17

17

Archaeologists uncover Iron Age hub for prized purple dye in Israel

phys.org

A team of anthropologists, archaeologists and historical specialists affiliated with several institutions in the U.S. and Israel has found that there once existed a coastal settlement in what is now modern-day Israel that was the home to…

Extreme microbial adaptations arise in one of America's most polluted waterways

phys.org

The industrially ravaged Gowanus Canal, long regarded as a symbol of urban environmental neglect, is being reimagined through the lens of scientific inquiry as a complex reservoir of microbial life shaped by intense selective pressures.

Modified human remains in prehistoric South Texas reveal ancient cultural practices

phys.org

A study by Dr. Matthew S. Taylor, published in the Journal of Osteoarchaeology, reports on the reanalysis of modified human bones discovered at several prehistoric South Texas archaeological sites.

15

Astronomers explore globular cluster system of ultra-diffuse galaxy NGC5846_UDG1

phys.org

Astronomers from Swinburne University in Australia and elsewhere have employed the Keck II telescope to investigate the globular cluster system of an ultra-diffuse galaxy designated NGC5846_UDG1. Results of the observations, published…

13

Astrophysicists propose new method to directly detect ultralight dark matter

phys.org

The detection of dark matter, the elusive type of matter predicted to make up most of the universe's mass, is a long-standing goal in the field of astrophysics. As dark matter does not emit, reflect or absorb light, it cannot be observed…

Wednesday, Apr 16

22

Antikythera Mechanism's intricate gears: Simulations of ancient astronomical device reveal potential jamming issues

phys.org

A pair of physicists at Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, in Argentina, have created a computer simulation of the famed Antikythera Mechanism and in so doing have found that manufacturing inaccuracies may have caused the device to jam…

17

The complex origin story of domestic cats: Research points to Tunisia

phys.org

Researchers looking into the origin of domestic cats have long considered that cats likely accompanied early farmers during the Neolithic, spreading through Europe alongside the adoption of agriculture.

Study realizes symmetry-protected molecular qubits based on cold polyatomic molecules

phys.org

Over the past decades, researchers have been trying to develop increasingly advanced and powerful quantum computers, which could outperform classical computers on some tasks. To attain this, they have been trying to identify new ways to…

Astronomers discover two more double-faced white dwarfs

phys.org

For many years it was believed that the surface of most, if not all, white dwarfs was made up primarily of hydrogen. But then, two years ago, a white dwarf was spotted by a team of researchers that had a hydrogen surface on one side and a…

Earth's ionospheric turbulence may be linked to magnetospheric activity

phys.org

An international team of astrophysicists and planetary scientists has discovered a possible link between magnetospheric activity and ionospheric turbulence. In their study published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the group used…

13

UK dolphin deaths correlate with elevated sea temperature and chemical contaminants

phys.org

Rising ocean temperatures and lingering industrial toxins are proving deadly for short-beaked common dolphins in UK waters. Researchers led by the Zoological Society of London have drawn a clear connection between environmental stress and…

Tuesday, Apr 15

22

Global warming has tripled the length of marine heat waves since 1940, modeling study finds

phys.org

A trio of environmental scientists at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas—Universidad de las Islas Baleares, working with a pair of meteorologists from the National Center for…

18

Monsoons and groundwater pumping: How climate change and human interventions drive greening of the Thar desert

phys.org

Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar-led research suggests climate change, increased monsoon rainfall and expanded groundwater pumping have driven substantial vegetation growth in the Thar Desert over the past two decades.

17

Cataclysmic variable ASASSN–14dx contains a massive pulsating white dwarf, observations find

phys.org

An international team of astronomers has performed optical photometric, polarimetric and spectroscopic observations of a cataclysmic variable system known as ASASSN–14dx. Results of the new observations, published April 9 on the arXiv…

14

12th-century bronze coins reveal role of Northern Mozambique in Swahili trade history

phys.org

A recent study by Dr. Ignacio Montero-Ruiz and his colleagues examined the provenance of ancient copper artifacts discovered on the Island of Ibo off Mozambique's coast. The study, published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa,…

13

Airborne microplastics infiltrate plant leaves, raising environmental concerns

phys.org

Nankai University researchers have found that plant leaves can directly absorb microplastics (MPs) from the atmosphere, leading to a widespread presence of plastic polymers in vegetation. Concentrations of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)…

Monday, Apr 14

16

New sub-Neptune exoplanet orbiting nearby star detected

phys.org

Using the radial velocity method, an international team of astronomers has discovered a new extrasolar planet orbiting a nearby star known as GI 410. The newfound alien world was classified as a sub-Neptune exoplanet with a mass of at…

Crows can recognize geometric regularity

phys.org

A trio of animal physiologists at the University of Tübingen, in Germany, has found that at least one species of crow has the ability to recognize geometric regularity. In their study published in the journal Science Advances, Philipp…

Saturday, Apr 12

14

Saturday Citations: Huge eruptions from a black hole; the largest-ever functional brain map; origins of human musicality

phys.org

This week, researchers reported a brain circuit linked to the intensity of political behavior. Microbiologists found that the 2018 eruption of the Kīlauea volcano drove a rare, massive summertime phytoplankton bloom, the largest ever…