Imagine reading by the light of an exploded star, brighter than a full moon – it might be fun to think about, but this scene is the prelude to a disaster when the radiation devastates life as we know it. Killer cosmic rays from nearby supernovae could be the culprit behind at least one mass extinction event, researchers said, and finding certain radioactive isotopes in Earth’s rock record could confirm this scenario. A new study led by University of Illinois,…

Observations of magnetic fields in interstellar clouds of gas and dust indicate that these clouds are strongly magnetized, and that magnetic fields influence the formation of stars. The orientation of their internal structure is closely related to that of the magnetic field. The filamentary network of the dense gas surrounding a young star cluster was observed with with the HAWC+ polarimeter on board SOFIA at infrared wavelengths. In some filaments the magnetic field succumbs to the flow of matter and…

Special metal oxides could one day replace semiconductor materials that are commonly used today in processors. Now, for the first time, an international team of researchers from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), the University of Kaiserslautern and the University of Fribourg in Switzerland was able to observe how electronic charge excitation changes electron spin in metal oxides in an ultrafast and inphase manner. The study was published in the journal “Nature Communications”. In modern semiconductor electronics, the first key step…

A special type of aurora, draped east-west across the night sky like a glowing pearl necklace, is helping scientists better understand the science of auroras and their powerful drivers out in space. Known as auroral beads, these lights often show up just before large auroral displays, which are caused by electrical storms in space called substorms. Previously, scientists weren’t sure if auroral beads are somehow connected to other auroral displays as a phenomenon in space that precedes substorms, or if…

Supercomputers around the world work around the clock on research problems. In principle, even novel materials can be simulated in computers in order to calculate their magnetic and thermal properties as well as their phase transitions. The gold standard for this kind of modelling is known as the quantum Monte Carlo method. Wave-Particle Dualism However, this method has an intrinsic problem: due to the physical wave-particle dualism of quantum systems, each particle in a solid-state compound not only possesses particle-like…

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed artificial intelligence software for powder bed 3D printers that assesses the quality of parts in real time, without the need for expensive characterization equipment. The software, named Peregrine, supports the advanced manufacturing “digital thread” being developed at ORNL that collects and analyzes data through every step of the manufacturing process, from design to feedstock selection to the print build to material testing. “Capturing that information creates a digital ‘clone’ for each part, providing…

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF has partnered up with the start-up “Twenty-One Semiconductors” (21s) from Stuttgart to bring their unique laser concept from lab to practice. Having become a member of the high-tech incubator “FMD-Space” – initiated by the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) – 21s has gained access to Europe’s largest machine park in the field of micro- and nanoelectronics. As a part of the FMD, Fraunhofer IAF is supporting the young company with its…

The high-tech company TRUMPF and the Stuttgart-based Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA have formed a research alliance that…

In solid-state physics, oxide layers only a few nanometres thick are known to form a so-called two-dimensional electron gas. These thin layers, separated from…

The geometry of an object indicates its shape or the relationship of its parts to each other. Did you know that the electrons in solids also have geometric…

In the paper, 'Monitoring chemistry in situ with the Smart Stirrer –a magnetic stirrer bar with an integrated process monitoring system' published in the…

Nobody can shoot a pistol bullet through a banana in such a way that the skin is perforated but the banana remains intact. However, on the level of individual…

To reach this conclusion, lead author Anna Grau Galofre, former PhD student in the department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, developed and used new…

Using the supersharp radio “vision” of the continent-wide Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), astronomers have discovered a Saturn-sized planet closely orbiting a…

As COVID-19 has been dominating the everyday life of millions of people worldwide and leaving its mark on people's health, societies, and economies, research…

Whether in flood early-warning systems or in agriculture – rainfall measurements are of great importance. However, there is a lack of accurate data for many…