176 articles from THURSDAY 19.5.2022

Quasi-symmetry in CoSi reveals new type of topological material

Ever since the discovery of the quantum Hall effect (Nobel Prize 1985), symmetry has been the guiding principle in the search for topological materials. Now an international team of researchers from Germany, Switzerland, and the U.S. has introduced an alternative guiding principle, "quasi-symmetry," which leads to the discovery of a new type of topological material with great potential for...

Discovery of high-speed moving plasma turbulence that outpaces the movement of heat

In order to achieve a fusion power plant, it is necessary to stably confine a plasma of more than 100 million degrees Celsius in a magnetic field and maintain it for a long time. A research group led by Assistant Professor Naoki Kenmochi, Professor Katsumi Ida, and Associate Professor Tokihiko Tokuzawa of the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences...

Blurring the boundary between Floquet matter and metamaterials

Metamaterials—artificial media with tailored subwavelength structures—have now encompassed a broad range of novel properties that are unavailable in nature. This field of research has stretched across different wave platforms, leading to the discovery and demonstration of a wealth of exotic wave phenomena. Most recently, metamaterial concepts have been extended to the temporal domain, paving...

How fast-growing algae could enhance growth of food crops

A new study provides a framework to boost crop growth by incorporating a strategy adopted from a fast-growing species of green algae. The algae, known as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, contain an organelle called the pyrenoid that speeds up the conversion of carbon, which the algae absorb from the air, into a form that the organisms can use for growth. In a study published May 19, 2022 in the journal...

How Stockholm applied greening concepts and what we can learn from it

Based on an evaluation of over 500 academic articles, an international research team has traced the application of greening concepts in the context of Swedish planning and particularly in the Stockholm metropolitan region. The researchers, who include Professor Christian Albert's research lab Planning Metropolitan Landscapes at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), have drawn up recommendations for...

Pharmacy in the sea: Dolphins ‘use coral as medicine for skin ailments’

New research suggests the cetaceans may be self-medicating for their skin ailments, adding to evidence of the medicinal properties of some corals and spongesWho doesn’t like a bath scrub? Dolphins definitely do: they are known for being clever, playful, tactile animals, and they like to rub against rough surfaces, nap in coral beds and soak on sponges like guests at an underwater spa.However,...

Broadening the scope of epoxide ring opening reactions with zirconocene

Epoxide, a cyclic ether, can be used to obtain important alcohols, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and functional polymers. This transformation is facilitated by the reductive ring opening of epoxide. Traditionally, the reaction has been catalyzed using titanocene. However, in this case, the products are predominantly obtained via more stable radicals. Now, chemists turn the tables and broaden the...

Cooperation rewards water utilities

Inter-utility water agreements can help mitigate risks, in research that used supercomputer simulations of water supply in the North Carolina Research Triangle. Findings are generalizable to any place where water providers face financial and supply challenges in allocating regional water.