Physical picture of the applied magnetic field lines (blue lines) and the magnetic field lines (red lines) modified by the plasma flow, i.e., sum of the applied and plasma-induced magnetic fields. The plasma decreases the axial field component at the upstream side of the magnetic nozzle and increases it at the downstream side of the nozzle as described by the insets, where the transition between these two states are identified as shown by the upper left inset. Credit: Kazunori Takahashi

Researchers from Tohoku University have been trying to find out how the plasma flow is influenced by its environment via laboratory experiments. And in doing so, have made headway on research towards creating an electrodeless plasma thruster used to propel spacecraft.

The universe is made up of plasma – a g...

Enterobacteriaceae: Large family of Gram-negative bacteria that includes many of the more familiar pathogens, such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli. Credit: © ktsdesign / Fotolia

A scientific breakthrough has taken an emerging biotechnology a step closer to being used to treat wastewater in the Developing World. Researchers at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) (Ieropoulos & Greenman) have discovered that technology they have developed which has already been proven to generate electricity through the process of cleaning organic waste, such as urine, also kills bacteria harmful to humans.

Experts have shown that a special process they have developed in which wastewater flows through a series of cells filled with electroactive microbes can be used to attack and destroy a ...

The Micius Satellite served as a quantum “switchboard” for communicating entangled photos from space to Earth | Jian-Wei Pan

In a landmark study, Chinese scientists report the successful transmission of entangled photons between suborbital space and Earth. Furthermore, whereas the previous record for successful entanglement distribution was about 100 km, here, transmission over a distance of more than 1,200 km was achieved. The distribution of quantum entanglement, especially across vast distances, holds important implications for quantum teleportation and communication networks...

A ribbon of ammonia — a tracer of star-forming gas — in the Orion Nebula as seen with the GBT (orange). Background image in blue is a WISE telescope infrared image showing the dust in the region. Credit: GBO/AUI/NSF; J.Pineda, MPE; NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/WISE/A.Meisner

A striking new image of the Orion Molecular Cloud (OMC) has been unveiled- a bustling stellar nursery teeming with bright, young stars and dazzling regions of hot, glowing gas. The researchers used the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in

West Virginia to study a 50 light-year long filament of star-forming gas that is wending its way through the northern portion of the OMC known as Orion A.

The GBT rendered this image by detecting the faint radio signals naturally emitted by molecules of ammonia t...