Category Astronomy/Space

Star formation in the outer spiral regions of the galaxy NGC 4625 is seen in ultraviolet light (blue); these arms are nearly invisible in optical light, but have hot, newborn stars that radiate in the UV. A new study finds that the star formation processes in these outer regions generally resemble the processes at work in more normal, denser regions where molecular gas abounds. The atomic gas is traced in the radio (purple); optical starlight is red. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Carnegie Observatories/WSRT

Star formation environments can be roughly grouped into 3 types, categorized by the density of their gas (or more precisely, the projected “surface” density of the gas, which is easier to determine than volume density)...

Intraocular pressure-related parameters obtained with 24-hour recording with a CLS (contact lens sensor) were associated with the rate of visual field progression in treated glaucomatous eyes. This technology may be useful in detecting eyes at higher risk of glaucoma progression while receiving treatment.

Study shows that signals from wearable device can help identify patients more likely to deteriorate quickly. A contact lens with a built-in sensor could help determine which glaucoma patients have a higher risk of disease progression. Researchers found certain patterns of electrical signals emitted from the “smart” contact lenses correlate with a faster rate of glaucoma progression.

Glaucoma remains a leading cause of blindness...

Artistic representation of coherent control of femtosecond nanomagnons. Credit: Image courtesy of Radboud University

Scientists have achieved the ultimate speed limit of the control of spins in a solid state magnetic material. The rise of the digital information era posed a daunting challenge to develop ever faster and smaller devices for data storage and processing. An approach which relies on the magnetic moment of electrons (i.e. the spin) rather than the charge, has recently turned into major research fields, called spintronics and magnonics.

The researchers were able to induce spin oscillations of the intrinsically highest frequency by using femtosecond laser pulses (1 fs = 10-15 sec)...

Ion thrusters are being designed for a wide variety of missions – from keeping communications satellites in the proper position to propelling spacecraft throughout our solar system. But, what exactly is ion propulsion and how does an ion thruster work?

~Regular Rocket Engines: You heat it up a gas, or put it under pressure, and you push it out of the rocket nozzle, and the action of the gas going out of the nozzle causes a reaction that pushes the spacecraft in the other direction.
~Ion Engines: Xenon gas gets a little electric charge, then they’re called ions, and we use a big voltage to accelerate the xenon ions through this metal grid and we shoot them out of the engine at up to 90,000 miles per hour.

Something interesting about ion engines is that it pushes on the spacecraft as h...