Researchers created a computational method to track brain cell development over time, capturing unlabeled cells and fine structures in live cultures. The algorithm achieved high precision rates for detecting individual neurons, paving the way for studying neurological diseases and developing therapies.
SwRI scientists measure tidal dissipation on Titan by analyzing the planet's spin axis rotation, revealing a recent event that affected its orbit. The study suggests that Titan's noncircular orbit is due to a perturbation within the past 350 million years.
Southwest Research Institute's Risk Evaluation & Medical Decision Efficacy (REMEDY) tool supports agile medical decisions on countermeasures for chemical and biological threats. The REMEDY mission risk evaluations quantify risks and benefits of medical countermeasures, enabling operational planners to make informed decisions.
Laboratory experiments corroborate the theory that Titan maintains its nitrogen-rich atmosphere through internal heating of organic materials. The study found significant amounts of carbon gases like methane and nitrogen, supporting the existence of a geologically short-lived atmosphere.
The PUNCH mission will integrate understanding of the Sun's corona and solar wind. The constellation will deploy in polar orbit, enabling scientists to routinely see and understand the solar wind.
Dr. Lisa Upton received the 2025 Karen Harvey Prize for advancing our understanding of the solar corona and improving solar cycle predictions. She is a leading advocate for a solar polar mission to explore the last uncharted regions of the Sun's atmosphere.
The Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder (LMS) instrument will characterize the Moon's mantle by measuring electric and magnetic fields, providing insights into its material differentiation and thermal history. The LMS instrument is part of a 14-day lunar lander mission to explore the Moon's subsurface in a previously unexplored location.
Researchers at Southwest Research Institute propose a new model for the formation of Pluto and Charon, suggesting they may have originated from a giant collision similar to the Earth-Moon system. The scenario supports Pluto's active geology and possible subsurface ocean, with implications for the Kuiper Belt.
Walt Downing, Executive VP and COO of SwRI, received the prestigious IEEE MGA Leadership Award for his exemplary leadership in implementing member activities. He has held various leadership positions over decades and recognizes the importance of professional societies like IEEE in developing skills.
The development of magnetometers by Southwest Research Institute will measure the interplanetary magnetic field carried by the solar wind and provide critical data for NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. The instruments will help mitigate space weather impacts on electrical power grids, satellite communication, and navigation systems.
The Southwest Research Institute is recruiting residents and visitors from around the world to participate in an international oil sampling program. Participants will be paid for purchasing prequalified oil samples and shipping them to SwRI's headquarters, with payment amounts varying by location and type of sample.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has successfully tested a novel fire mitigation method designed to safely store damaged electric vehicles and batteries. The customized test evaluated the effectiveness of an enclosure's watertight seal, providing valuable data on its performance.
Southwest Research Institute has launched a joint industry project to develop technologies for hydrogen-powered heavy-duty refueling operations. The four-year program aims to strengthen existing refueling station equipment and procedures, exploring alternatives to address supply chain issues and technical challenges.
Researchers analyzed 81 common household items for chemical makeup and exposure risks. The study used advanced chromatography and machine learning methods to identify chemicals that could pose negative health effects, such as synthetic antioxidant BKF, when exposure reached a certain threshold.
SwRI's novel Space Weather Solar Coronagraph (SwSCOR) will provide early detection and characterization of Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs), helping to predict geomagnetic storms and protect Earth assets. The instrument suite includes rapid data reduction software, delivering processed images to NOAA forecasters within minu...
SwRI researchers developed a tool to model environments expected on icy moons, accounting for organics and predicting conditions for microbial life. The project aims to constrain environmental factors and provide valuable information about ocean worlds.
A Southwest Research Institute-led team developed a revised solar composition that potentially reconciles spectroscopy and helioseismology measurements for the first time. The new solar composition suggests higher levels of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in the Sun than previously thought.
Dr. James Walker has received the Distinguished Scientist Award for his significant contributions to hypervelocity impact science and penetration modeling. His research applications include body armor, ground vehicle armor, and shielding against orbital debris.
Researchers at Southwest Research Institute will conduct a 12-month targeted water-sampling campaign to analyze the Las Moras Springs system and its relationship with the Pinto Creek watershed. The project aims to improve water management and conservation efforts in Kinney County, Texas.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will help the US Air Force modernize methods to sustain three fleets of military aircraft, including the T-38 Talon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and B-52 Stratofortress. The institute's analyses will aid in determining when structural repairs are necessary.
A Southwest Research Institute-led team has detected carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Charon's surface, revealing insights into the moon's geological processes and formation. The presence of these substances suggests that Charon's surface is altered by solar ultraviolet light and energetic particles.
During its flyby, the Lucy spacecraft discovered a trough and ridge structure on Dinkinesh, revealing a complex history of sudden breakups and transformation. The asteroid's internal strength and dynamic evolution were also revealed, suggesting that it has significant cohesion, unlike some other asteroids.
The Juno spacecraft has directly measured charged oxygen and hydrogen molecules from Europa's atmosphere, providing key constraints on the potential oxygenation of its subsurface ocean. The findings suggest that oxygen is continuously produced in the surface ice shell, with an estimated 12 kg per second, which could support habitability.
Researchers found evidence of hydrothermal or metamorphic activity within the icy dwarf planets Eris and Makemake, which have methane deposits with geochemical origins. The discovery suggests elevated temperatures in their rocky cores, potentially leading to liquid water and habitability.
Scientists detected water molecules on two asteroids, Iris and Massalia, indicating a distribution of water in our solar system that can inform searches for life beyond Earth. The discovery was made possible by using the FORCAST instrument to isolate mid-infrared spectral signatures indicative of molecular water.
A new SwRI study posits that the large mounds on Kuiper Belt object Arrokoth are similar in size and shape, suggesting a common origin. This finding supports the streaming instability model of planetesimal formation, where gentle collision speeds allowed objects to accumulate and form Arrokoth.
A team of scientists calculated that most of the Moon's permanently shadowed regions are younger than previously estimated and contain relatively young deposits of water ice. The findings suggest that current estimates for cold-trapped ices are too high, which could impact future missions to the Moon.
A Southwest Research Institute-led team modeled the early impact history of Venus to explain how it maintains a youthful surface despite lacking plate tectonics. The findings suggest that higher-speed, higher-energy impacts created a superheated core that promoted extended volcanism and resurfaced the planet.
A team led by SwRI and UTSA discovered Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in Jupiter's magnetosphere, enabling the transfer of energy and mass from the solar wind. This process is crucial for understanding the interaction between the solar wind and planetary magnetic fields.
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a massive plume of water vapor on Saturn's moon Enceladus, stretching over 6,000 miles. This finding has significant implications for the search for life beyond Earth, as it suggests that Enceladus may have the necessary ingredients for habitability.
Researchers attribute unusual radar properties to coherent backscatter opposition effect (CBOE) and ice surface irregularities. The CBOE model, improved by Hofgartner and Hand, can explain all icy satellite radar properties.
Researchers used computational simulations to model Charon's internal ocean freeze and its effects on the moon's surface. The study found that the freezing of an internal ocean may have formed deep depressions along Charon's girth but was unlikely to lead to cryovolcanoes erupting with ice and water in its northern hemisphere.
Numerical simulations suggest that Mimas' Herschel impact basin is compatible with a thinning ice shell and geologically young ocean. The results imply that the present-day ocean within Mimas must have been warming and expanding since its formation, potentially making it an emerging ocean world.
Researchers utilized the James Webb Space Telescope to observe dense interstellar clouds, revealing a treasure trove of pristine ices from the early universe. The study provides new insights into chemical processes in one of the coldest places in the universe, offering clues on molecular origins and sulfur storage.
Researchers recreated interstellar cloud and asteroid conditions to understand how carbonaceous chondrites acquired amino acids, finding that interstellar cloud conditions are resilient to asteroid processing but influence the amount of amino acids present.
Scientists from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) used data from NASA's Juno spacecraft to observe magnetic reconnection between Ganymede and Jupiter. The study found accelerated electrons traveling along the magnetic field at Ganymede's magnetopause, indicating the presence of reconnection.
Researchers have observed long, web-like plasma structures in the Sun's middle corona, which discharge particles into space through interactions within the structures. This innovative observation method could lead to a better understanding of the solar wind's origins and its interactions with the rest of the solar system.
The SwRI experiment helped predict the effects of NASA's DART impact on asteroid Dimorphos. The study assessed ejecta momentum enhancement created by the space probe's collision, measuring a 3.4-fold increase in momentum transfer.
Researchers compiled 41 solar occultation observations of Saturn's rings from the Cassini mission to inform future investigations into their formation and evolution. The study reveals new information on ring particles' sizes and compositions, shedding light on the origins of the ring system.
Scientists have discovered new evidence of phosphorus availability in Enceladus's ocean, making it a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial life. The discovery suggests that Enceladus's subsurface ocean is likely habitable due to its high levels of dissolved phosphorus.
Asteroid Bennu's surface is characterized as loosely bound, with a near-subsurface layer composed of weakly bound rock fragments containing twice the void space as the overall asteroid. The study provides new insights into the physical properties of rubble-pile asteroids, with implications for their long-term evolution.
A Southwest Research Institute team has developed a machine learning tool to label large, complex datasets efficiently. The iterative labeling technique reduces manual verification time by 50%, enabling deep learning models to identify potentially hazardous solar events more accurately.
A Southwest Research Institute-led team used the Hubble Space Telescope to create near-global UV maps of Europa, revealing concentrations of sulfur dioxide on the moon's trailing side. The results provide insights into the composition of Europa's subsurface ocean and its potential for life.
A SwRI study examines elliptical craters on Saturn's moons Tethys and Dione, finding unique patterns that indicate the satellites' age and formation conditions. The research suggests a planetocentric impactor population, pointing to the importance of considering gravity-driven impacts when studying object ages.
Researchers reveal the likely composition of Charon's dynamic methane atmosphere and propose a possible source for its red polar zone. The team's novel experiments and atmospheric modeling suggest that ultraviolet light breaking down methane molecules is key to understanding the moon's unique albedo.
A new joint study by Southwest Research Institute and Sandia National Laboratories examines the effects of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) on oxide film growth on additively manufactured metals and wrought stainless steel. The study found that both types of metals showed oxide growth, but with significant differences in grain size ...
A new study suggests that younger rocky exoplanets are more likely to support temperate climates due to the decay of radioactive isotopes. This critical heat source is necessary for a planet's mantle convection and surface volcanic degassing, which helps regulate climate.
SwRI scientists studied particle population and auroral emissions on Jupiter, confirming a decade-old theory that electrons accelerated in both directions create the multi-spot dance of auroral footprints. The research also provided insights into the interaction between Ganymede's magnetic field and Jupiter's massive magnetosphere.
A Southwest Research Institute scientist found compelling evidence for a liquid internal ocean on Mimas, a small Saturn moon. The discovery expands the definition of habitable worlds and suggests that worlds like Earth with surface oceans may not be unique in the galaxy.
A new model demonstrates the formation of three rings around the Sun, each composed of planetesimals that eventually form planets. The simulations reveal different chemical compositions and masses for Venus, Earth, and Mars, explaining their distinct orbits and asteroid populations.