Magnetic reconnection, a process in which magnetic field lines tear and come back together, releasing large amounts of kinetic energy, occurs throughout the universe. The process gives rise to auroras, solar flares and geomagnetic storms that can disrupt cell phone service and electric grids on Earth. A major challenge in the study of magnetic reconnection,…

Clean energy researchers have designed a molecule to boost the performance of lithium-oxygen batteries to give electric vehicles the same driving range as petrol-fueled cars. Lithium-oxygen batteries are aimed to deliver maximum energy density through breathing air to generate electricity. To date, they have been beset by challenges, including low discharge capacity, poor energy efficiency…

High performance computers are central to the quest to understand the sun’s behavior and its role in space weather events. Scientists are using the Frontera supercomputer to improve the state-of-the-art in space weather forecasting. Researchers described the role of backstreaming pickup ions in the acceleration of charged particles in the universe, which play an important…

Researchers have developed a computational simulator that can help predict whether changes to materials or design will improve performance in new photovoltaic cells. Now, researchers at MIT and Google Brain have developed a system that makes it possible not just to evaluate one proposed design at a time, but to provide information about which changes…

A ‘great’ space weather super-storm large enough to cause significant disruption to our electronic and networked systems occurred on average once in every 25 years according to a new study. By analysing magnetic field records at opposite ends of the Earth (UK and Australia), scientists have been able to detect super-storms going back over the…

Scientists have explored different approaches to catalysis, a chemical process that plays an essential role in biological reactions, as well as many industrial applications. Chemical catalysts have been used in a variety of human applications, ranging from pharmaceutical development to biodegradable plastics and environmentally safe fertilizers. They may also advance the development of green energy…

Researchers have recently discovered a breakthrough in magnetic reconnection that could ultimately help predict space weather. Peiyun Shi’s research is the first-of-its-kind in the laboratory setting and is part of the PHASMAproject, a complex experiment composed of advanced diagnostics, electromagnets and lab-created plasma to reveal new details about how the universe functions. For his experiment,…

Researchers have created a plant-based, sustainable, scalable material that could replace single-use plastics in many consumer products. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, created a polymer film by mimicking the properties of spider silk, one of the strongest materials in nature. The new material is as strong as many common plastics in use today…

The lensless Bio-FlatScope is a small, inexpensive camera to monitor biological activity that can’t be captured by conventional instruments. The device could eventually be used to look for signs of cancer or sepsis or become a valuable endoscopy tool. First, catch the tiger. Then attach Bio-FlatScope, the latest iteration of lensless microscopy being developed at…

Researchers have designed a highly sensitive sensor capable of identifying proteins in solution down to a single molecule. Researchers in the College of Arts and Sciences’ (A&S’) Department of Physics at Syracuse University have been studying a protein hub, called WDR5, which is responsible for many important functions within the nucleus. WDR5 has recently been…