JILA physicists used a strontium lattice atomic clock to simulate magnetic properties long sought in solid materials. The atoms are confined in an optical lattice, shown as an array of disk-shaped traps set at shallow depths. A laser (yellow wave) probes the atoms to couple the atoms’ spins and motions. The two atomic spin states are illustrated in red and blue. Credit: Steven Burrows and Ye Group/JILA

JILA physicists have caused atoms in a gas to behave as if they possess unusual magnetic properties long sought in harder-to-study solid materials. Representing a novel “off-label” use for atomic clocks, the research could lead to the creation of new materials for applications such as “spintronic” devices and quantum computers...

Vela supercluster (VSC) and the Shapely supercluster (SC)

The Australian National University (ANU) is part of an international team of astronomers that found one of the Universe’s biggest superclusters of galaxies near the Milky Way. Professor Matthew Colless from ANU said the Vela supercluster, which had previously gone undetected as it was hidden by stars and dust in the Milky Way, was a huge mass that influenced the motion of our Galaxy.

“This is one of the biggest concentrations of galaxies in the Universe – possibly the biggest in the neighbourhood of our Galaxy, but that will need to be confirmed by further study,” said Professor Colless...

Tabby’s Star in infrared (2MASS survey) and ultraviolet (GALEX).

In its search for extrasolar planets, the Kepler space telescope looks for stars whose light flux periodically dims, signaling the passing of an orbiting planet in front of the star. But the timing and duration of diminished light flux episodes Kepler detected coming from KIC 846852, known as Tabby’s star, are a mystery. These dimming events vary in magnitude and don’t occur at regular intervals, making an orbiting planet an unlikely explanation. The source of these unusual dimming events is the subject of intense speculation: from asteroid belts to alien activity.

Now a team of scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign suggest the luminosity variations may be intrinsic to the star itself...

Spinster homolog 1 (Drosophila) SPNS1

In a new study, TSRI, Florida scientists have shown how 2 genes “balance” each other to maintain normal cell function. A disruption in one of the genes, called spns1, can induce degradation and premature “senescence” – or aging – while the other gene, called atp6v0ca, can jump in to suppress that degradation. Their experiments in zebrafish suggest that these combined genetic disruptions can counteract premature aging and extend developmental lifespan.

“We found that the dual defects did indeed counteract senescence during development and extended the animal’s survival and life span,” said TSRI Associate Professor Shuji Kishi...