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    Discovery could lead to New Catalyst Design to Reduce Nitrogen Oxides in Diesel Exhaust

    August 18, 2017, Categories  Chemistry/Nanotechnology, Environment/Geology

    This diagram depicts a new reaction mechanism that could be used to improve catalyst designs for pollution-control systems for diesel exhaust. Credit: Purdue University photo/Maureen Lifton

    This diagram depicts a new reaction mechanism that could be used to improve catalyst designs for pollution-control systems for diesel exhaust.
    Credit: Purdue University photo/Maureen Lifton

    Researchers have discovered a new reaction mechanism that could be used to improve catalyst designs for pollution control systems to further reduce emissions of smog-causing nitrogen oxides in diesel exhaust. The research focuses on a type of catalyst called zeolites, workhorses in petroleum and chemical refineries and in emission-control systems for diesel engines. New catalyst designs are needed to reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides, or NOx, because current technologies only work well at relatively high temperatures.

    “The key challenge in reducing emissions is that they can occur over a very broad ...

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    4 Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star

    August 18, 2017, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    This illustration compares the four planets detected around the nearby star tau Ceti (top) and the inner planets of our solar system (bottom). Credit: Illustration courtesy of Fabo Feng

    This illustration compares the four planets detected around the nearby star tau Ceti (top) and the inner planets of our solar system (bottom).
    Credit: Illustration courtesy of Fabo Feng

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    A new study reveals that four Earth-sized planets orbit the nearest sun-like star, tau Ceti, which is about 12 light years away and visible to the naked eye. These planets have masses as low as 1.7 Earth mass, making them among the smallest planets ever detected around nearby sun-like stars. Two of them are super-Earths located in the habitable zone of the star, meaning they could support liquid surface water. The planets were detected by observing the wobbles in the movement of tau Ceti...

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    Astrophysicists predict Earth-like planet in star system only 16 light years away

    August 18, 2017, Categories  Astronomy/Space

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    Astrophysicists at the University of Texas at Arlington have predicted that an Earth-like planet may be lurking in a star system just 16 light years away. The team investigated the star system Gliese 832 for additional exoplanets residing between the two currently known alien worlds in this system. Their computations revealed that an additional Earth-like planet with a dynamically stable configuration may be residing at a distance ranging from 0.25 to 2.0 astronomical unit (AU) from the star.
     
    “According to our calculations, this hypothetical alien world would probably have a mass between 1 to 15 Earth’s masses,” said the lead author Suman Satyal, UTA physics researcher, lecturer and laboratory supervisor...
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    NASA Protects its Super Heroes from Space Weather

    August 18, 2017, Categories  Physics, Astronomy/Space

    NASA's Human Research Program aims to mitigate the harmful effects of the space radiation environment on astronaut health outside of the relative protection of the Earth's magnetosphere. Credit: NASA/SOHO

    NASA’s Human Research Program aims to mitigate the harmful effects of the space radiation environment on astronaut health outside of the relative protection of the Earth’s magnetosphere. Credit: NASA/SOHO

    NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP) is studying the effects radiation plays on the human body and developing ways to monitor and protect against this silent hazard. High-energy galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) which are remnants from supernovas and solar storms like solar particle events (SPEs) and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun can cause harm to the body and spacecraft. These are all components of space weather

    “Dosimeters and modeling techniques are used to determine how much energy is deposited in the space explorer’s bodies along with inflight tools to try to estimate what type...

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