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82 articles from PhysOrg

NASA's Lunar Flashlight ready to search for the Moon's water ice

It's known that water ice exists below the lunar regolith (broken rock and dust), but scientists don't yet understand whether surface ice frost covers the floors inside these cold craters. To find out, NASA is sending Lunar Flashlight, a small satellite (or SmallSat) no larger than a briefcase. Swooping low over the lunar South Pole, it will use lasers to shed light on these dark craters—much...

Team develops new method to determine flaws in rubber

A new method to ensure consistency and quality in rubber manufacturing, developed by a research team from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Eastman, is likely to show real-world impact on material sustainability and durability for products such as car tires.

Haunting portrait: Webb reveals dust and structure in pillars of creation

Why does mid-infrared light evoke such a somber, chilling mood in Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) image? Interstellar dust cloaks the scene. And while mid-infrared light specializes in detailing where dust is, the stars aren't bright enough at these wavelengths to appear. Instead, these looming, leaden-hued pillars of gas and dust gleam at their edges, hinting at the activity within.

NASA and ESA agree on next steps to return Mars samples to Earth

The next step in the unprecedented campaign to return scientifically selected samples from Mars was made on Oct. 19 with a formal agreement between NASA and its partner ESA (European Space Agency). The two agencies will proceed with the creation of a sample tube depot on Mars. The sample depot, or cache, will be at "Three Forks," an area located near the base of an ancient river delta in Jezero...

Heat waves driven by climate change have cost global economy trillions since the 1990s

Massive economic losses due to sweltering temperatures brought on by human-caused climate change are not just a problem for the distant future. A study in the journal Science Advances has found that more severe heat waves resulting from global warming have already cost the world economy trillions of dollars since the early 1990s—with the world's poorest and lowest carbon-emitting nations...

Zombie worlds: Five spooky planets orbiting dead stars

All stars, including the sun, have a finite lifetime. Stars shine by the process of nuclear fusion in which lighter atoms, such as hydrogen, fuse together to create heavier ones. This process releases vast quantities of energy which counteracts the ever-present inward pull of the star's gravity. Ultimately, fusion helps stars to resist gravitational collapse.

Study examines how well-timed cover crops can suppress weeds in California orchards

California's commercial orchards are home to nearly 2.5 million acres of almonds, walnuts, stone fruit and similar crops. Growers focus their most intense weed management efforts on establishing a clear crop row so that weeds won't interfere with irrigation lines, compete with crops for water, or impede the use of sweepers and other harvesting equipment.

Study finds that forest protection is key for reliable rainfall

There won't be many places in the world that have escaped the recent impacts of unusual droughts, floods and unseasonal temperatures. These are often ascribed to the role of greenhouse gases, leading to climate change. But there are additional causes. An international research team has found an additional threat: the impacts of changes in vegetation cover, especially forest loss.

A close look at melting below Antarctica's largest ice shelf

The Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest block of ice in the world. It covers an area four times the size of China and holds more than 60% of the world's fresh water. Where the ice sheet meets the ocean, it forms floating shelves that cool and freshen the salty waters below as they melt. Because of the Antarctic Ice Sheet's vast size and effects on the ocean, the rates at which its shelves melt play...

Research team explores virtual romantic relationships

An international team of researchers has published a paper introducing the concept of romantic anthropomorphism, which involves giving a non-human agent human-like characteristics in a romantic context. Their work helps to improve researchers' understanding of virtual romance. While previous psychological research has examined how human needs can be met by anthropomorphized agents, this research...