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    Astronomers discover Micronovae, a new kind of Stellar Explosion

    April 21, 2022, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    This artist’s impression shows a two-star system where micronovae may occur. The blue disc swirling around the bright white dwarf in the centre of the image is made up of material, mostly hydrogen, stolen from its companion star. Towards the centre of the disc, the white dwarf uses its strong magnetic fields to funnel the hydrogen towards its poles. As the material falls on the hot surface of the star, it triggers a micronova explosion, contained by the magnetic fields at one of the white dwarf’s poles.

    A team of astronomers, with the help of the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), have observed a new type of stellar explosion — a micronova. These outbursts happen on the surface of certain stars, and can each burn through around 3...

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    Stem Cell-based Biomaterial can help Regenerate Tissue associated with Low Back Pain and Spinal issues

    April 21, 2022, Categories  Biology/Biotechnology, Health/Medical

    Many people have experienced the struggles of dealing with low back pain. A common cause of this pain is degeneration of intervertebral disks (IVDs), which are located between the vertebrae and help give the spinal column its flexibility. Thus, IVD degeneration can lead to more serious conditions such as spinal deformity. In a recent article published in Biomaterials, a team led by researchers at Osaka University and Kyoto University demonstrated that using cartilage tissue derived from human stem cells could help prevent the loss of functionality from IVD degeneration.

    It is believed that IVD degeneration originates in the nucleus pulposus (NP), which is composed of NP cells that produce the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM)...

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    Lasers Trigger Magnetism in Atomically Thin Quantum Materials

    April 21, 2022, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    A cartoon depiction of the light-induced ferromagnetism that the researchers observed in ultrathin sheets of tungsten diselenide and tungsten disulfide. Laser light, shown in yellow, excites an exciton – a bound pair of an electron (blue) and its associated positive charge, also known as a hole (red). This activity induces long range exchange interactions among other holes trapped within the moiré superlattice, orienting their spins in the same direction.Xi Wang/University of Washington

    Researchers have discovered that light – in the form of a laser – can trigger a form of magnetism in a normally nonmagnetic material. This magnetism centers on the behavior of electrons...

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    Jupiter’s Moon has Splendid Dunes

    April 21, 2022, Categories  Astronomy/Space

    Potential dunes on Jupiter’s moon Io. An analysis indicates that the dark material (lower left) is recently emplaced lava flows, while the repeated, line-like features dominating the image are potential dunes. The bright, white areas may be newly emplaced grains as the lava flows vaporize adjacent frost. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Rutgers

    New way dunes can form on varied celestial surfaces. Scientists have long wondered how Jupiter’s innermost moon, Io, has meandering ridges as grand as any that can be seen in movies like “Dune.” Now, a Rutgers research study has provided a new explanation of how dunes can form even on a surface as icy and roiling as Io’s.

    The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, is based on a study of the physical processes controlling grain motion ...

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