Grains of Dust from Asteroid Ryugu Older than our Solar System

Grains of dust from Asteroid Ryugu older than our solar system
(a) Backscattered electron (BSE) image of Ryugu thin section A0058-2. Every black area consists of ∼20 NanoSIMS maps measured. (b) An area in section C0002 with a less altered lithology than the surrounding Ryugu matrix (“clast 1”; BSE image). This area contains Mg-rich olivine, low-Ca pyroxenes, and spinel grains with sizes up to ∼15 μm (Kawasaki et al. 2022). Two of three O-anomalous grains identified in Ryugu, including one likely presolar silicate (g)–(h), were found in this region. (c)–(e) Secondary electron (SE) image of a Ryugu particle pressed into gold foil in which two presolar SiC grains were detected. The C-anomalous regions, indicated by the white arrows, are clearly associated with 28Si hotspots. (f) 17O-rich presolar oxide found in the Ryugu A0058-2 matrix...
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Astronomers Solve the Case of Missing Carbon Monoxide in Protoplanetary Disks

Credit Required: M.Weiss/Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

Astronomers frequently observe carbon monoxide in planetary nurseries. The compound is ultrabright and extremely common in protoplanetary disks—regions of dust and gas where planets form around young stars—making it a prime target for scientists.

But for the last decade or so, something hasn’t been adding up when it comes to carbon monoxide observations, says Diana Powell, a NASA Hubble Fellow at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian. A huge chunk of carbon monoxide is missing in all observations of disks, if astronomers’ current predictions of its abundance are correct.

Now, a new model—validated by observations with ALMA—has solved the mystery: carbon monoxide has been hiding in ice format...

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Researchers identify the Target of Immune Attacks on Liver Cells in Metabolic Disorders

illustration of human liver anatomy
Illustration of human liver anatomy. Credit: Shutterstock

When fat accumulates in the liver, the immune system may assault the organ. A new study from Weill Cornell Medicine researchers identifies the molecule that trips these defenses, a discovery that helps to explain the dynamics underlying liver damage that can accompany type 2 diabetes and obesity.

In a study published Aug. 19 in Science Immunology, researchers mimicked these human metabolic diseases by genetically altering mice or feeding them a high-fat, high-sugar diet. They then examined changes within the arm of the rodent’s immune system that mounts defenses tailored to specific threats...

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New Heat-Tolerant, High-Capacity Capacitor created with Solid Electrolytes Borrowed from All-Solid-State Batteries

New heat-tolerant, high-capacity capacitor created with solid electrolytes borrowed from all-solid-state batteries
Bulk-type symmetric all-solid-state capacitor, with a LBSC SE layer between two electrode layers of an LBSC-CNT composite (left), showed low resistance and were operable at 100–300 °C (right). Credit: Hayashi, Osaka Metropolitan University

Capacitors are energy storage devices—consisting of two electrodes and an electrolyte—that are capable of rapid charging and discharging because of charge adsorption and desorption properties at the electrode-electrolyte interface...

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