Hydrogen

Researchers develop platform to control qubits in silicon defects for quantum communications

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The dream of a quantum internet, one capable of unprecedented levels of security and computational power, is tantalizingly close. Making this dream a reality would be significantly more feasible if we could harness existing telecommunications technologies and infrastructure. Recently, researchers have made significant strides in this direction by exploring defects in silicon—a ubiquitous semiconductor material—as … Read more

Cosmology: Studying the Origin and Evolution of the Universe

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Cosmology is the scientific study of the large-scale properties of the universe as a whole. It aims to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and eventual fate of the universe. By examining cosmic phenomena such as the Big Bang, cosmic microwave background radiation, dark matter, and dark energy, cosmologists develop theories and models that explain how … Read more

Study reveals coordinated carbon fixation strategies in deep-sea vent symbionts

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In the deep-sea environment of the East Pacific Rise, where sunlight does not penetrate and the surroundings are known for their extreme temperatures, skull-crushing pressures, and toxic compounds, lives Riftia pachyptila, a giant hydrothermal vent tubeworm. Growing up to 6 feet tall with a deep-red plume, Riftia does not have a digestive system but thrives … Read more

New technique enables on-demand creation of qubits in silicon with atomic precision

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Quantum computers have the potential to solve complex problems in human health, drug discovery, and artificial intelligence millions of times faster than some of the world’s fastest supercomputers. A network of quantum computers could advance these discoveries even faster. But before that can happen, the computer industry will need a reliable way to string together … Read more

High-resolution ALMA observations reveal intricate details of giant molecular clouds in NGC 613

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Utilizing the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA), a collaborative team of astronomers has conducted a detailed examination of NGC 613, a nearby barred spiral galaxy. The findings, published on May 30 on the arXiv preprint server, provide significant insights into the giant molecular clouds (GMCs) populating the galaxy’s center. Molecular clouds are expansive regions of … Read more

Revolutionary carbon fiber electrocatalysts pave the way for affordable green hydrogen production

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A groundbreaking technology has been developed to address the limitations of current catalyst electrodes, facilitating the large-scale production of green hydrogen at a relatively low cost. This significant advancement was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The innovative project was led by Professor Han Gi Chae from the Department of Materials Science … Read more

Astronomers discover the earliest and most distant galaxies with James Webb Space Telescope

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An international team of astronomers has made a groundbreaking discovery with the identification of the two earliest and most distant galaxies ever observed, dating back to just 300 million years after the Big Bang. This significant milestone in the study of the early universe was achieved using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The discoveries … Read more

Researchers use webb telescope to observe formation of earliest galaxies

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Using the James Webb Space Telescope, University of Copenhagen researchers have become the first to see the formation of three of the earliest galaxies in the universe, more than 13 billion years ago. The sensational discovery contributes important knowledge about the universe and is now published in Science. For the first time in the history of astronomy, researchers … Read more

Researchers discover novel antiaromatic π-stacking system for conductive liquid crystals

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In organic chemistry, π-stacking systems are supramolecular structures that arise due to the dispersion force, a type of intermolecular noncovalent interaction. They are a common occurrence in nature. The stabilized structure of DNA is a very prominent example of a π-stacking system, and so are the arrangement of amino acids in certain proteins. Interestingly, π-stacking … Read more

Webb and Hubble data reveal tidal heating as the cause of WASP-107 b’s puffiness

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Why is the warm gas-giant exoplanet WASP-107 b so puffy? Two independent teams of researchers have an answer. Data collected using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, combined with prior observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, show surprisingly little methane (CH4) in the planet’s atmosphere, indicating that the interior of WASP-107 b must be significantly hotter … Read more

Chemists develop method for site-selective difluoromethylation of pyridines

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In a significant advancement for drug research and chemical synthesis, a team of chemists at the University of Münster has devised a new method to precisely integrate the biologically significant difluoromethyl group into pyridines at specific sites. The difluoromethyl group, composed of carbon, two fluorine atoms, and a hydrogen atom, is crucial for determining the … Read more

Researchers discover unconventional catalyst enhancement via anion implantation

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A team of scientists led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has found an unconventional way to improve catalysts made of more than one material. The solution demonstrates a path to designing catalysts with greater activity, selectivity and stability. A catalyst normally uses a support to stabilize nanometer-sized metal particles that speed … Read more

Tiger beetles use ultrasound to mimic noxious moths, study finds

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Bats, as the main predator of night-flying insects, create a selective pressure that has led many of their prey to evolve an early warning system of sorts: ears uniquely tuned to high-frequency bat echolocation. To date, scientists have found at least six orders of insects—including moths, beetles, crickets and grasshoppers—that have evolved ears capable of … Read more

New study proposes method for discovering tauonium, the heaviest purely electromagnetic atom

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The hydrogen atom was once considered the simplest atom in nature, composed of a structureless electron and a structured proton. However, as research progressed, scientists discovered a simpler type of atom, consisting of structureless electrons, muons, or tauons and their equally structureless antiparticles. These atoms are bound together solely by electromagnetic interactions, with simpler structures … Read more

Researchers identify molecular roadblocks in cellulose breakdown for biofuel production

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Cellulose, which helps give plant cell walls their rigid structure, holds promise as a renewable raw material for biofuels—if researchers can accelerate the production process. Compared to the breakdown of other biofuel materials like corn, breaking down cellulose is slow and inefficient but could avoid concerns around using a food source while taking advantage of … Read more

Study suggests rethinking time steps in water simulations for improved accuracy

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Computational scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have published a study in the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation that questions a long-accepted factor in simulating the molecular dynamics of water: the 2-femtosecond (one quadrillionth of a second) time step. The femtosecond is a timescale used by scientists to measure the … Read more

Attosecond spectroscopy captures furan ring-opening dynamics in real time

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Chemical reactions are complex mechanisms. Many different dynamic processes are involved, affecting both the electrons and the nucleus of the present atoms. Very often, the strongly coupled electron and nuclear dynamics induce radiation-less relaxation processes known as conical intersections. Such dynamics, which are at the basis of many biological and chemical relevant functions, are extremely … Read more

Molecular Biology: Understanding Biological Processes at the Molecular Level

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Molecular biology is a branch of biology that explores the structure, function, and interactions of biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, at the molecular level. It encompasses a wide range of techniques, methodologies, and disciplines aimed at understanding biological processes, genetic information flow, gene expression, cellular functions, and molecular mechanisms underlying life. … Read more

Astronomer leads Euclid’s mission to unravel the universe’s expansion

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On July 1, 2023, Euclid, a unique European space telescope was launched from Cape Canaveral. The launch was undoubtedly the highlight of my career as an astronomer, but witnessing the result of years of work being put on a rocket is not for the faint of heart. Following a perfect launch, Euclid swiftly arrived to … Read more

Researchers develop eco-friendly high refractive index polymers for optoelectronic devices

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High refractive index polymers (HRIPs) are essential for manufacturing modern optoelectronic devices, including displays and light sensors. However, high-performance HRIPs are expensive and environmentally unfriendly. Recently, a research team from Waseda University developed a new family of HRIPs called poly(thiourea)s. Thanks to unique intermolecular interactions, these compounds can be easily processed into low-cost transparent HRIPs … Read more