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66 articles from PhysOrg

Dynamics in one-dimensional spin chains: A new toolbox for elucidating future quantum materials

Neutron scattering is considered the method of choice for investigating magnetic structures and excitations in quantum materials. Now, for the first time, the evaluation of measurement data from the 2000s with new methods has provided much deeper insights into a model system—the 1D Heisenberg spin chains. A new toolbox for elucidating future quantum materials has been achieved.

Image: Sun releases strong solar flare

The sun emitted a strong solar flare that peaked at 4:25 p.m. EDT on Oct. 2, 2022. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

Mapping disease risk at human-wildlife 'hotspots'

New research has mapped how infectious diseases spread among wildlife populations in areas where humans and wildlife live in close proximity. The study has identified the animals, specifically wild monkeys that live in large groups alongside human settlements, that may act as "superspreaders."

Listeners may adapt to speaker-specific acoustics, study shows

Phonetic convergence, or phonetic imitation, is a form of speech production in which a talker's speech becomes similar to that of the person with whom they are speaking. In a recent article published in the journal Speech Communication, researchers studied whether and how people working together begin to sound more like each other as they work.

Study suggests La Niña winters could keep on coming

Forecasters are predicting a "three-peat La Niña" this year. This will be the third winter in a row that the Pacific Ocean has been in a La Niña cycle, something that's happened only twice before in records going back to 1950.

World's whitest paint now thinner than ever, ideal for vehicles

The world's whitest paint—seen in this year's edition of Guinness World Records and "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert"—keeps surfaces so cool that it could reduce the need for air conditioning. Now the Purdue University researchers who created the paint have developed a new formulation that is thinner and lighter—ideal for radiating heat away from cars, trains and airplanes.

Scientists discover dual-function messenger RNA

For the very first time, a study led by Julian Chen and his group in Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences and the Biodesign Institute's Center for the Mechanism of Evolution, has discovered an unprecedented pathway producing telomerase RNA from a protein-coding messenger RNA (mRNA).

Small eddies play a big role in feeding ocean microbes

Subtropical gyres are enormous rotating ocean currents that generate sustained circulations in the Earth's subtropical regions just to the north and south of the equator. These gyres are slow-moving whirlpools that circulate within massive basins around the world, gathering up nutrients, organisms, and sometimes trash, as the currents rotate from coast to coast.

Researchers fabricate tiny multi-component beam shaper directly onto optical fiber

Researchers have shown that 3D laser printing can be used to fabricate a high-quality, complex polymer optical device directly on the end of an optical fiber. This type of micro-optical device—which has details smaller than the diameter of a human hair—could provide an extremely compact and inexpensive way to tailor light beams for a variety of applications.