A new study uses cosmic-ray particles to probe the electrical potential inside thunderstorms, revealing a six-to-one difference in thunderstorm detection rates between the east and west. The asymmetry arises from the geomagnetic field's effect on cosmic rays, allowing researchers to infer information about thunderstorm electricity.
Researchers have identified a connection between fast X-ray transients and neutron star mergers, with a record-setting X-ray flash lasting nearly ten minutes. The study provides strong evidence for a neutron star merger, with a measured redshift indicating the explosion occurred over six billion years ago.
Astronomers have observed a new phase of short GRBs, powered by a compact object merger, revealing a hidden X-ray chapter of cosmic collisions. The discovery opens a new window for multi-messenger astronomy, demonstrating Einstein Probe's unique capability to uncover new classes of transient phenomena.
Researchers developed a method to test cosmic uncertainty in the universe's oldest light, which could provide evidence for physics beyond the Standard Model. The team compared maps from different detectors to establish the calibration pattern, finding consistency with existing analysis.
The joint observations from the Einstein Probe and LHAASO reveal a 42-light-year-long X-ray tail near a pulsar, tracing the long journey of high-energy cosmic particles. The tail's direction matches the ultrahigh-energy gamma-ray emission, indicating that particles do not immediately diffuse isotropically after leaving their source.
Researchers developed xvr, a patient-specific AI technique that accurately matches X-rays with 3D medical scans, improving surgical navigation and safety. This innovation enables faster and more precise minimally invasive surgeries, particularly in fields like orthopedics and neurosurgery.
Researchers use CERN's Large Hadron Collider to model high-energy cosmic rays entering the Earth's atmosphere, offering a clearer understanding of interstellar wonders. The study provides unique data on cosmic ray collisions, shedding light on the origins of interstellar particles.
A new study found that cosmic radiation levels at commercial flight altitudes rise as solar activity falls, with levels potentially increasing by 40-60% during solar minimum conditions. The researchers also found a clear vertical pattern in radiation levels, with a peak around 17-20 km above Earth.
Researchers found that cosmic star formation has declined dramatically, but neutral atomic hydrogen density has only decreased slightly. The study suggests that the decline in star formation activity is not due to the depletion of gas, but rather a decrease in the efficiency of converting gas into molecular hydrogen.
Researchers developed a model explaining how lava-covered worlds can maintain thick atmospheres due to molten rock sloshing over surfaces. This new theory expands the cosmic shoreline framework, suggesting a 'cosmic sandbar' region where outgassing balances escape, enabling planets to retain atmospheres.
Astronomers observed a rare cosmic event where a massive star's shock breakout was detected without a typical gamma-ray burst. The star's characteristics matched other supernovae that produced gamma-ray bursts, but no jet was found.
Black holes have been found to expel a substantial fraction of material consumed by them, creating a powerful cosmic digestive system. This discovery challenges previous assumptions that black holes are efficient eaters.
The discovery of Cygnus X-3 reveals it as the most powerful particle accelerator known to date, producing photons with energies up to 30 PeV. The precise temporal variability and high gamma-ray energies measured by LHAASO confirm its status as a source of cosmic rays.
Researchers at Facility for Rare Isotope Beams identified magnetic transitions within the nucleus of zinc-70 as the cause of an unexpected excess of low-energy gamma rays. This discovery sheds light on a long-standing puzzle in nuclear physics and has implications for astrophysics, including the formation of heavy elements.
A team of researchers has identified an accelerator of extremely high-energy cosmic-ray protons, called a proton PeVatron, in the Milky Way galaxy. The discovery was made possible by combining data from multiple experiments, including Tibet AS gamma, LHAASO, Fermi-LAT, and Chandra X-ray Observatory.
A team of U of A astronomers helped an international research consortium discover the faintest and farthest quasars in the early universe, revealing new insights into supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. The discovery includes two record-breaking quasars with cosmic ages of about 670 million years.
The Super-Kamiokande observatory has detected an indication of the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background (DSNB), a flux of neutrinos from many different supernovae over time. This breakthrough achievement provides a crucial clue for understanding the history of cosmic star formation and nucleosynthesis.
Researchers will analyze unique lunar samples, deep-sea sediments, and geological archives to detect rare radionuclides and shed light on nearby cosmic events. The project aims to reveal the history of our cosmic neighborhood and its possible influence on Earth's evolution.
Researchers studied dark matter's potential additional attractive force and found it suppresses structure growth, contrary to expectations. The extra clustering effect is counterbalanced by a decrease in dark matter particles' mass over time, reducing the overall impact on cosmic microwave background observations.
Researchers at Oregon State University found that bat rays produce a chemical cue to alert other rays of potential danger. The study used three tanks with individual bat rays and simulated a predator in one tank, causing the other rays to exhibit a flight response.
The discovery reveals a surprisingly mature black hole at just 850 million years old, with an accretion disk resembling a flat pancake. This challenges the understanding of how supermassive black holes can grow and mature in a short amount of cosmic time.
A new study reveals that the Atacama Desert's hyperarid core became arid 45 million years ago, contradicting previous assumptions. The research team used cosmogenic nuclide dating to analyze quartz clasts and found exceptionally high concentrations of rare isotopes, indicating that surface clasts remained undisturbed for tens of millio...
A team of astronomers has identified a rare stellar system that provides a unique natural laboratory to study extreme physics. The system, called ASKAP J1745−5051, consists of a white dwarf and a red dwarf star, producing powerful bursts of radio waves and X-rays.
A team has developed a highly efficient glass screen that converts X-rays into visible light, capturing diagnostic images with less radiation. The new 'quantum glass' can be molded into curved shapes, enabling the creation of X-ray imaging systems that curve to fit a person's anatomy.
The US Naval Research Laboratory has launched the Glowbug-2 instrument to identify and localize cataclysmic cosmic events known as short gamma-ray bursts (GRB). The mission provides essential data for multi-messenger astrophysics, serving as a critical electromagnetic counterpart to ground-based gravitational wave observatories.
A team of astronomers has produced the most detailed map of the cosmic web, tracing its network of galaxies back to one billion years old. The COSMOS-Web survey, conducted with the largest JWST survey, reveals a more informative large-scale structure than earlier maps.
Research suggests that some ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays could consist of atomic nuclei heavier than iron, losing energy more slowly as they travel through intergalactic space. This finding could help narrow down the possible sources of these particles and impact how we search for their origins.
The DAMPE collaboration has directly observed charge-dependent spectral softening of five primary cosmic-ray nuclei, confirming the Peters cycle model. This observation suggests a nearby cosmic-ray accelerator with a charge-dependent energy limit, providing new insights into cosmic-ray physics.
The DAMPE satellite has identified a universal feature in the energy spectra of primary cosmic ray nuclei, revealing that spectral softening occurs around a rigidity of about 15 TV. This observation strongly supports models explaining the acceleration and transport of cosmic rays based on their rigidity.
The LHAASO collaboration has detected ultra-high-energy (UHE) gamma rays from a gamma-ray binary system, LS I +61° 303. The discovery suggests that high-energy protons are accelerated and collide with the dense surrounding stellar wind, producing these UHE gamma rays. This finding provides critical evidence for gamma-ray binaries as po...
A new study reveals that conspicuous markings, including 'eyespots', evolve under specific ecological conditions. Smaller skates and rays, lacking strong physical defences, are more likely to develop bold spots or eyespots in well-lit, shallow waters.
Astronomers used TACC supercomputers to develop models of Little Red Dot formation, finding better agreement with Direct Collapse Black Hole theories. Researchers also analyzed JWST data using a 'genetic technique' to understand the history of these enigmatic cosmic objects.
New research suggests that relic black holes from before the big bang could help explain dark matter and several long-standing mysteries in cosmology. These primordial objects may have survived into the present day as 'cosmic fossils,' potentially influencing galaxy structure billions of years later.
A research team at Tohoku University has solved the mystery of Venus' lower haze, discovering that cosmic dust from shooting stars is the primary cause. The dust particles burn up in the atmosphere, producing mineral cores that collide and form the haze layer observed by past missions.
Scientists in Japan developed a high-resolution X-ray telescope using precision mirror-making technology, capable of distinguishing objects 3.5 mm wide from 1 km away. The telescope was tested on the ground using a unique evaluation system before launch on the FOXSI sounding rocket mission.
Researchers have uncovered hidden features in X-ray signals, fundamentally changing how scientists interpret them across multiple fields. The discovery enables more precise measurements and a deeper understanding of materials, from battery materials to biological proteins.
Researchers modelled the structure of the magnetic field and cosmic radiation throughout the Laschamps excursion. The results show that cosmic radiation penetrated the atmosphere at record levels, with regions where it could freely enter irradiating a major fraction of the Earth's atmosphere.
Astronomers from the University of Liège have solved a 50-year-old stellar mystery by attributing the X-rays emitted by Gamma Cas to a magnetic white dwarf orbiting the star. The study used high-energy astrophysics instrumentation and revealed that the X-rays are associated with the compact companion, not the massive Be star itself.
Researchers found a shift in key cosmic measurement may be due to statistical artefact. Combining CMB and BAO data showed a mild tension that weakens evidence against standard inflationary models.
GSI/FAIR's new Galactic Cosmic Ray simulator enables researchers to better understand radiation doses and control effects in human tissue and technical components. The simulator replicates the GCR exposure in a lightly shielded habitat, providing a crucial tool for space radiation research.
The Tibet ASγ Experiment has measured magnetohydrodynamic turbulence on scales below one parsec within the gamma-ray halo surrounding the Geminga pulsar wind nebula. The study found that particle diffusion is strongly suppressed near Geminga and the turbulent properties follow a Kolmogorov-type scaling law.
A high-energy cosmic event detected by the China-led Einstein Probe space telescope may mark the moment when an intermediate-mass black hole tears apart and consumes a white dwarf star, according to astrophysicists from The University of Hong Kong. The team provided crucial theoretical judgement that led to the focus on this model.
A team led by Dr. Shmuel Bialy from the Technion has made a breakthrough measurement of cosmic-ray activity in a galactic nebula, enabling researchers to map properties and study star formation processes. The findings were published in Nature Astronomy and observed using the James Webb Space Telescope.
A Sydney PhD student has recreated a tiny piece of the Universe inside a bottle in her laboratory, producing cosmic dust from scratch. The results shed new light on how the chemical building blocks of life may have formed long before Earth existed.
A study by researchers at Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe has developed a method to resolve phase ambiguity in measuring cosmic birefringence. The technique may provide clues to unknown physical theories and dark matter, reducing uncertainty in observations.
A team of astronomers has discovered a supermassive black hole with extreme growth rates, contradicting current models. The black hole is emitting bright X-rays and radio waves, hinting at unknown physical mechanisms. This finding provides a rare glimpse into time-variable black hole growth in the early Universe.
Astronomers have captured a vivid portrait of a 'reborn' black hole, likened to the eruption of a 'cosmic volcano', in the radio galaxy J1007+3540. The black hole's newly ignited jets are being bent and distorted by the massive galaxy cluster environment.
Scientists used multiple space-based instruments to track the evolution of a solar eruption, observing how it reduced background cosmic-ray activity. This approach has potential for improving space-weather forecasting and protecting satellites, astronauts, and power grids.
A new method uses tiny crystals of zircon to study the past evolution of Australian landscapes, offering insights into how the environment responds to geological processes and climate change. The approach provides valuable information on the storage and reworking of sediments near the surface over millions of years.
Young Caribbean manta rays swim with groups of fish, creating small ecosystems that support a variety of marine species. The study found that four families of teleost fish regularly associate with young mantas, including remoras and jacks.
New research reveals the structure of matter surrounding supermassive black holes has changed over cosmic time, challenging a fundamental assumption about their behavior. The study combines new X-ray observations to explore the relation between X-ray and ultraviolet light intensity of an unprecedentedly large sample of quasars.
Astronomers discover galaxy Virgil with dual personality – ordinary in visible light but harboring massive black hole. JWST observations reveal hidden nature of Virgil, challenging current models of black hole formation.
Astronomers have detected a new gamma-ray source near Westerlund 1, a young massive star cluster in the Milky Way. The source is connected to a 'nascent outflow' of particles driven by the cluster's collective wind, creating a cavity in the interstellar medium.
Researchers have identified a massive cosmic filament containing 280 galaxies, many of which are spinning in the same direction as the filament itself. The discovery provides rare insight into how galaxies gain their spin and could inform future efforts to model intrinsic alignments of galaxies.
A study reveals a 100-million-year decline in shark and ray biodiversity, contrary to previous assumptions. The research emphasizes the importance of preserving and restoring diverse coastal habitats to address this crisis.
Researchers used NASA's IXPE telescope to study the innermost region of an intermediate polar, revealing a surprisingly high degree of X-ray polarization and an unexpected direction of polarization. The team found that X-rays were emitted from a column of white-hot material pulled in by the white dwarf's strong magnetic field.
A Japanese research team studied beryllium-7 concentrations in the surface air over Antarctic regions of the Southern Ocean. Their findings showed that variations in beryllium-7 were connected to synoptic-scale disturbances, which also deposit other stratospheric materials onto the Antarctic ice sheet.
Chinese researchers identify black holes as likely source of high-energy component of cosmic ray 'knee'. The study reveals a new 'high-energy component' in the proton energy spectrum, indicating that cosmic rays primarily originate from micro-quasars.
Researchers analyzed sediment cores from three sites in the Arctic, finding that year-round ice coverage corresponded with less cosmic dust. This study suggests that tracking cosmic dust can help predict changes to sea ice coverage and understand warming trends.
Researchers create plasma 'fireballs' using a laboratory analogue of blazar-driven pair cascades, finding no disruption from beam-plasma instabilities. This suggests that intergalactic medium contains a relic magnetic field likely seeded during the early Universe.