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Category: space – Page 2

Explaining a quantum oddity with five atoms

Matter gets weird at the quantum scale, and among the oddities is the Efimov effect, a state in which the attractive forces between three or more atoms bind them together, even as they are excited to higher energy levels, while that same force is insufficient to bind two atoms.

At Purdue University, researchers have completed the immense quantum calculation required to represent the Efimov effect in five , adding to our fragmented picture of the most fundamental nature of matter.

The calculation, which applies across a broad range of physical problems—from a group of atoms being studied in a laser trap to the gases in a neutron star—contributes to our foundational understanding of matter and may lead to more efficient methods for confining atoms for study.

Astronomers Discover Mysterious New World at Edge of the Solar System

A new trans-Neptunian object, 2017 OF201, has been found with a vast orbit and potential dwarf planet size. The finding hints at more hidden bodies beyond Neptune. A research team led by Sihao Cheng at the Institute for Advanced Study’s School of Natural Sciences has identified a remarkable trans

MIT Scientists May Have Finally Solved the Moon’s Magnetic Mystery

A massive impact may have temporarily strengthened the Moon’s weak magnetic field, producing a short-lived surge that became preserved in certain lunar rocks. For decades, scientists have wrestled with a simple question: what happened to the Moon’s magnetism? Instruments on orbiting spacecraft on

“It’s Its Own New Thing” — Scientists Discover New State of Quantum Matter

UC Irvine scientists identified a novel quantum state with potential for energy-efficient devices. Its radiation resistance makes it particularly valuable for space missions. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have identified a previously unknown state of quantum matter. Accordin

NASA to launch IMAP, Carruthers, and SWFO with support from Astrotech’s commercial facility

NASA is gearing up for a landmark late-September launch featuring three pivotal spacecraft: the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory, and NOAA’s Space Weather Follow-On (SWFO-L1). The missions are being prepared at Astrotech Space Operations, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary in Titusville that has become one of the nation’s premier spacecraft processing hubs.

Astrotech regularly integrates spacecraft for NASA, the Department of Defense, and commercial providers, and recently hosted media for a rare look inside its cleanroom facilities.

Under the leadership of Principal Investigator David McComas, professor of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University, and built by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, IMAP continues the legacy of NASA’s 2008 IBEX mission.

‘Greetings from 51 Pegasi b’: How NASA made exoplanets into tourist destinations

Looking for the perfect vacation? Do you crave late-night fun? PSO J318.5−22, the planet with no star where nightlife never ends, is perfect for you! Prefer some peace and a chance to catch some rays? Kepler-16b, the land of two suns—where your shadow always has company—is waiting.

In 2015, NASA launched an unusual and brilliant exoplanet outreach campaign, offering retro-style posters, virtual guided tours, and even coloring books. The project quickly went viral worldwide. What explains the success of a campaign about a relatively young field of science that—unlike other areas of space research—lacks spectacular imagery?

Ceridwen Dovey, science communicator, writer, filmmaker, and researcher, has just published in the Journal of Science Communication a Practice Insight paper that presents a focusing on the Exoplanet Travel Bureau’s poster campaign. Dovey describes the productive working relationships between scientists and artists that produced this standout work and shows how, in contexts like this, artists are not merely in service to science but can also inspire research itself and help scientists clarify their own thinking.

Snap-through effect helps engineers solve soft material motion trade-off

Everyday occurrences like snapping hair clips or clicking retractable pens feature a mechanical phenomenon known as “snap-through.” Small insects and plants like the Venus flytrap cleverly use this snap-through effect to amplify their limited physical force, rapidly releasing stored elastic energy for swift, powerful movements.

Inspired by this , researchers from Hanyang University have developed a polymer-based jumper capable of both vertical and directional leaps, triggered simply by uniform ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation.

Published in Science Advances, this study tackles a classic engineering dilemma: how to make produce strong, rapid motions.

To see the world in a grain of sand: Investigating megaripples at Kerrlaguna on Mars

On Mars, the past is written in stone—but the present is written in sand. Last week, Perseverance explored inactive megaripples to learn more about the wind-driven processes that are reshaping the Martian landscape every day.

After wrapping up its investigation at the contact between clay and olivine-bearing rocks at Westport, Perseverance is journeying south once more. Previously, attempts were made to drive uphill to visit a new rock exposure called Midtoya. However, a combination of the steep slope and rubbly, rock-strewn soil made drive progress difficult, and after several attempts, the decision was made to return to smoother terrain., the effort wasn’t fruitless, as the rover was able to gather data on new spherule-rich rocks thought to have rolled downhill from Midtoya, including the witch hat or helmet-shaped rock “Horneflya,” which has attracted much online interest.

More recently, Perseverance explored a site called Kerrlaguna where the steep slopes give way to a field of megaripples: large windblown sand formations up to 1 meter (about 3 feet) tall. The science team chose to perform a mini-campaign to make a detailed study of these features. Why such interest? While often the rover’s attention is focused on studying processes in Mars’ distant past that are recorded in ancient rocks, we still have much to learn about the modern Martian environment.

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