Continuing X-ray observations by Chandra of the kilonova from the merger of two neutron stars to form a black hole hint at new processes. Initially, a gamma-ray burst and subsequent X-ray emissions told of a jet of material produced by the merger, but X-rays from this jet should be dimming. They’re not, suggesting that ejecta…

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, now under construction, will test new technologies for space-based planet hunting. The mission aims to photograph worlds and dusty disks around nearby stars with detail up to a thousand times better than possible with other observatories. Roman will use its Coronagraph Instrument — a system of masks, prisms, detectors,…

Scientists developed a neural network deep learning technique to extract hidden turbulent motion information from observations of the Sun. Tests on three different sets of simulation data showed that it is possible to infer the horizontal motion from data for the temperature and vertical motion. This technique will benefit solar astronomy and other fields such…

A spectacular head-on collision between two galaxies fueled the unusual triangular-shaped star-birthing frenzy, as captured in a new image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The interacting galaxy duo is collectively called Arp 143. The pair contains the glittery, distorted, star-forming spiral galaxy NGC 2445 at right, along with its less flashy companion, NGC 2444 at…

Astronomers have found evidence of another planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Solar System. This candidate planet is the third detected in the system and the lightest yet discovered orbiting this star. At just a quarter of Earth’s mass, the planet is also one of the lightest exoplanets ever found. «The discovery…

How can we protect communications against ‘eavesdropping’ if we don’t trust the devices used in the process? This is one of the main questions in quantum cryptography research. Researchers have now succeeded in laying the theoretical groundwork for a communication protocol that guarantees one hundred percent privacy. A team of physicists led by Professor Nicolas…

Identifying sources of light plays an important role in the development of many photonic technologies, such as lidar, remote sensing, and microscopy. Traditionally, identifying light sources as diverse as sunlight, laser radiation, or molecule fluorescence has required millions of measurements, particularly in low-light environments, which limits the realistic implementation of quantum photonic technologies. Researchers demonstrated…

A team of scientists has taken steps to create a new form of digital data storage, a »Racetrack Memory,» which opens the possibility to both bolster computer power and lead to the creation of smaller, faster, and more energy efficient computer memory technologies. «Racetrack memory, which reconfigures magnetic fields in innovative ways, could supplant current…

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are flexibly programmable computer chips that are considered very secure components in many applications. Scientists have now discovered that a critical vulnerability is hidden in these chips. Attackers can gain complete control over the chips and their functionalities via the vulnerability. Since the bug is integrated into the hardware, the…

Researchers have demonstrated a new model of how competing pieces of information spread in online social networks and the Internet of Things (IoT). The findings could be used to disseminate accurate information more quickly, displacing false information about anything from computer security to public health. «Whether in the IoT or on social networks, there are…