Mysterious Missing Component in the Clouds of Venus Revealed

four views of Venu's High Clouds
Submitted by Vanessa Bismuth on Fri, 05/01/2024 – 12:22

Researchers may have identified the missing component in the chemistry of the Venusian clouds that would explain their color and splotchiness in the UV range, solving a long-standing mystery.

What are the clouds of Venus made of? Scientists know it’s mainly made of sulfuric acid droplets, with some water, chlorine, and iron. Their concentrations vary with height in the thick and hostile Venusian atmosphere. But until now they have been unable to identify the missing component that would explain the clouds’ patches and streaks, only visible in the UV range.

In a new study published in Science Advances, researchers from the University of Cambridge synthesised iron-bearing sulfate minerals that are stable under the harsh chem...

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Computational Method discovers Hundreds of New Ceramics for Extreme Environments

rows and rows of graphic 3D lines forming boxes with different colored spheres inside
““Spark plasma sintering or field assisted sintering technology (FAST) is not a common technique in industry yet. However, current ceramic manufacturers could pivot to making these materials by making small adjustments to existing processes and facilities.”
Doug Wolfe
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Associate Vice President for Research at Penn State

If you have a deep-seated, nagging worry over dropping your phone in molten lava, you’re in luck.

A research team led by materials scientists at Duke University has developed a method for rapidly discovering a new class of materials with heat and electronic tolerances so rugged that they that could enable devices to function at lava-like temperatures above several thousands of degrees Fahrenheit.

Harder than st...

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Magnetic Fields in the Cosmos: Dark Matter could help us Discover their Origin

Magnetic fields in the Cosmos: dark matter could help us discover their origin
In the study, researchers showed that if magnetic fields are indeed primordial then it could cause an increase in dark matter density perturbations on small scales. The ultimate effect of this process would be the formation of mini-halos of dark matter, which, if detected, would hint towards a primordial nature of magnetic fields. Credit: Lucie Chrastecka

The mini-halos of dark matter scattered throughout the Cosmos could function as highly sensitive probes of primordial magnetic fields. This is what emerges from a theoretical study conducted by SISSA and published in Physical Review Letters. Present on immense scales, magnetic fields are found everywhere in the Universe. However, their origin are still subjects of debate among scholars...

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Scientists Tame Chaotic Protein Fueling 75% of Cancers

​The MYC proteins (grey ribbons) bind to DNA and promote cancer progression. UCR researchers developed a molecule (orange pretzel-like shape) that binds to MYC, inhibiting its cancer-promoting function. (Min Xue/UCR)

Discovery opens window to more effective treatment. Meet MYC, the shapeless protein responsible for making the majority of human cancer cases worse. UC Riverside researchers have found a way to rein it in, offering hope for a new era of treatments.

In healthy cells, MYC helps guide the process of transcription, in which genetic information is converted from DNA into RNA and, eventually, into proteins.

“Normally, MYC’s activity is strictly controlled...

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