Japan to launch historic round-trip mission to Mars moon

Japanese scientists are readying a mission to Mars’ moons to retrieve samples that could help unlock the origins of the solar system and life on Earth, in what aims to be the first round trip to the Martian region.

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New monolithic ion trap opens quantum simulations to more researchers

Some quantum systems are so complex that even the most powerful supercomputers struggle to simulate their behavior. One solution is quantum simulation: building a controllable quantum system in the lab and tuning it to mimic the one researchers want to understand.

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A new way to detect stabilizing properties of optical devices

In optical fibers, chips and other light-guiding devices, minor defects can scatter photons and disrupt their path. A new study demonstrates a way to reveal properties which, in certain systems, help light wave behavior withstand such flaws. The method could help speed up the search for new kinds of electronics and optical technologies, and contribute to more reliable quantum devices.

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Physicists prove a long-suspected quantum speed limit for thermalization

Whether we are waiting for a car windshield to defrost in winter or a warm drink to cool down, how long it takes for an object to settle into a stable, even temperature within its environment (thermal equilibrium) depends on numerous factors. These can include surface area, the material properties of an object and airflow.

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Japan’s MMX mission aims to swipe soil samples from Mars’s moon Phobos

A Japanese space mission is about to launch towards Mars. But it will not land on the planet itself. Instead, the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission will focus on Phobos, the bigger of Mars’s two small moons.

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Hybrid diamond chip strengthens interactions between light and quantum bits

Researchers have developed and demonstrated a new hybrid photonic platform that integrates quantum emitters with photonic devices, providing a way to reliably control the interaction between photons and quantum information carriers. The chip-based platform, which combines gallium phosphide (GaP) with a diamond substrate, could help make quantum networks more practical by providing a way to connect quantum devices over long distances.

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Ill. officer recognized for helping seven residents evacuate during fire

Officer Justin Cebulski helped ensure all occupants exited the home, including a man who was asleep in a bedroom while the fire spread

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Japan to launch spacecraft on a mission to get samples from a Martian moon

Japan is set to launch a spacecraft on the world’s first mission to bring back samples from Phobos, one of the two small, potato-shaped moons orbiting Mars.

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Despite proposed police budget boost, Seattle city councilmembers divided on recruitment benchmarks

Members questioned whether Mayor Katie Wilson’s staffing goal would be enough to significantly reduce 911 call response times and make other meaningful changes

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Simulations explore nuclear mitigation of asteroid threats

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers are developing three-dimensional simulations to examine how a nuclear device could be used to deflect or potentially disrupt an asteroid threatening Earth.

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Quantum magic state cleanup cuts errors 40-fold in first successful hardware test

Qubits, the quantum equivalent of digital bits, are fragile and prone to errors. That makes building reliable quantum computers extremely difficult. One fix has been to use traditional magic state distillation, which filters out flaws, but it is extremely resource-intensive.

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Salt crystals could hold clues to life beneath Enceladus’s ice

The ocean beneath Saturn’s moon Enceladus lies under kilometers of ice, but some of its contents do reach the surface. Jets near the south pole spray out water vapor and icy particles, offering a way to investigate the hidden ocean without drilling down to it.

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Lone, starless cloud may be a ‘dark’ galaxy

Astronomers using China’s FAST radio telescope have discovered a compact cloud of hydrogen with no visible stars or galaxy around it. This could be one of the strongest candidates yet for an isolated “dark galaxy,” containing nearly 500,000 times the sun’s mass in neutral hydrogen. The discovery paper was posted to the arXiv preprint server on Sept. 24.

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Watch: N.Y. trooper, bystander rescue man from sinking car

Video released by NYSP shows the trooper rushing down a dock and jumping into the water, making his way to the vehicle as it sinks

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Calif. K-9 wounded by barricaded suspect

Placer County Sheriff’s deputies returned fire, wounding the suspect who shot K-9 Sonic in the leg

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