A stellar odd couple at an unusual stage of evolution

Most of the stars in the Milky Way are what we might call normal stars. They’re main sequence stars like our sun, meaning they’re doing what most people probably think stars do: shining as they fuse hydrogen atoms into helium atoms on a vast scale.

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Subaru Telescope reveals the shape and temperature of Comet Encke’s nucleus

Mid-infrared observations with the Subaru Telescope have revealed the shape and surface temperature of the nucleus of Comet 2P/Encke. By analyzing how the nucleus’s thermal emission changed as it rotated, the researchers found that the nucleus is elongated, with a long axis of about 7 kilometers and a short axis of about 3 kilometers. They also determined that the surface temperature at the time of observation was 328 ± 7 Kelvin (about 55°C).

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Upgraded microscope can now watch individual quantum particles in motion

Energy can be carried in a number of ways: by electrons, the particles that underpin all modern electronics, as well as by quasiparticles, the results of different particles interacting with one another at the quantum level. Columbia chemist Milan Delor has been watching these different forms of energy flow with an instrument called stroboSCAT, a unique microscope that uses strobe-like light pulses to capture particles and quasiparticles as they move through different materials.

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New perovskite system extends room-temperature spin polarization via successive quantum wells

A research team led by Lu Haipeng, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), has achieved a breakthrough in preserving spin information for optoelectronic technologies. The team has developed a perovskite chiral multiple quantum-well system that maintains spin polarization approximately 300 times longer at room temperature. The study opens new possibilities for future quantum technologies and next-generation spin-based applications. The study was published in the journal Nature Photonics.

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Light reflecting within thin films can masquerade as molecular signals in perovskite solar materials

An infrared signal thought to reveal how molecules in perovskite solar materials respond to light-generated charges can arise largely from the way light travels through the thin film itself, a new theoretical study shows. Jun Nishida, assistant professor at the Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), Japan, found that light-generated charges alter how infrared light is reflected and transmitted within the film layers, producing sharp features that resemble changes in molecular vibrations even when the vibrations themselves are unaltered.

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The supernova impostor: Chandra finds likely source of giant star’s repeated outbursts

Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have discovered what is triggering repeated outbursts from a giant, unstable star.

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First known ‘disappearing planet’ has a neighbor that makes it wobble like a top

UCLA-led astronomers have discovered the first known “disappearing planet” about 1,000 light-years away. The planet, TOI-2535 b, is a “hot Jupiter,” a gas giant that orbits extremely close to its host star. TOI-2535 b whips around its star in only 8.25 days—10 times faster than the 88 days that Mercury takes to go around our sun once.

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Our sun’s undiscovered stellar nemesis is still out there, says physicist

Long-period, high-inclination comets of the sort that can cause extinction-level impacts here on Earth have long been thought to originate from a theoretical Oort cloud. That is, a roughly spherical cloud of icy cometary objects that number in the trillions at distances that extend up to 1.6 light-years away.

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Long-lived mineral grains can be invaluable for reconstructing impact events, but the stories are complex

Reconstructing impact events on Earth and other planetary bodies, including the moon, is crucial for understanding how the solar system evolved and how planets develop.

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Atomic defects leave telltale optical fingerprints in quantum material

The tiny atomic defects so important for future quantum technologies can be difficult to spot. Fortunately, they leave behind some clues. The defects can alter how a material responds to light, producing a distinctive optical fingerprint that scientists can measure. The challenge is figuring out which fingerprints belong to which defects.

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2 Wash. deputies die after being shot while responding to domestic violence call

Spokane County Sheriff’s Office deputies Mason Acheson, a SWAT sniper, and Parker Perry, a K-9 deputy, died after being shot near Spangle; they both leave behind their wives and young children

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High-pressure setup unlocks detailed measurements of organized structures in turbulent flows

Turbulent flows are ubiquitous: they are found in clouds, in the ocean and even on other planets. Yet despite their chaotic nature, they also form large-scale structures that can be calculated and predicted. For example, while long streaks of clouds may appear orderly from the outside, their interiors are characterized by intense turbulence.

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Calif. DOJ calls for training, policy changes after fatal 2023 Amtrak OIS

Six recommendations for Mount Shasta PD address tactical planning, TASER use, de-escalation, dispatch communication and bystander safety

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Two nearby rocky worlds could offer alien astronomers views of planets appearing to reverse course

Aliens have long been a staple of science fiction. Yet the possibility of intelligent life beyond Earth is more than a matter of imagination—it is also a subject of serious scientific inquiry. Professor Woong-bae Zee of Sejong University’s School of Liberal Studies has recently published an astronomy paper that places the word “alien” front and center.

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Quantum interference keeps two atoms bound despite enough energy to break apart

How can something remain intact when it should naturally break apart? This question has been addressed by researchers at RPTU. Their work has led to the experimental observation of an unusual quantum state in which two atoms remain bound together even though they possess enough energy to separate. The results have been published in the journal Nature Physics.

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