In the vast expanse of the universe, galaxies are not isolated islands but are interconnected through a vast network known as the “cosmic web.” This intricate structure, composed of dark matter and gas, forms the backbone of the cosmos, guiding the formation and evolution of galaxies. Recent advancements have allowed astronomers to capture a high-definition […]
Orchids deploy parasitism to boost growth New research on the orchid species Oreorchis patens reveals that these plants can switch to parasitism by extracting nutrients from fungi near decomposing wood, without abandoning photosynthesis. This dual strategy allows the orchids to grow larger and produce more flowers. Full Story: Popular Science Permafrost thaw alters size of […]
A team of researchers has successfully demonstrated nonlinear Compton scattering (NCS) between an ultra-relativistic electron beam and an ultrahigh intensity laser pulse using the 4-Petawatt laser at the Center for Relativistic Laser Science (CoReLS) within the Institute for Basic Science at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Korea. The innovation is the use of […]
Black holes may contribute to universe’s expansion Astronomers proposed a link between black holes and dark energy, potentially explaining the universe’s expansion, according to a study in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, though researchers said that further observations are needed to confirm the connection. “The two phenomena were consistent with each other — […]
Author: Richard Massey, Professor of extragalactic astrophysics (dark matter and cosmology), Durham University In recent decades, we’ve learnt huge amounts about the universe and its history. The rapidly developing technology of telescopes – both on Earth and in space – has been a key part of this process, and those that are due to start […]
A strange seismological signal that persisted for nine days in 2023 explained Melting glacial ice set off a cascade of events in Greenland in September, ending in tsunami waves bouncing back and forth in a fjord for nine days, with waves reaching heights of 110 meters. The research describes the ice melt triggering a landslide […]
Model shows dark matter’s role in black hole mergers A study in Physical Review Letters proposes that self-interacting dark matter aids the merger of supermassive black holes by resolving the final parsec problem. The study shows mathematical modeling that indicates dark matter particles clustered around black holes allow the holes to close the final distance […]
Analysis amends human-Neanderthal genetic exchange Human genes may have been replacing Neanderthal genes as long ago as 250,000 years, accounting for the disappearance of the Neanderthal Y chromosome, according to a paper in Science that closely analyzes the gene flow from humans to Neanderthals instead of the reverse, as past research has done. The study […]
Black holes account for only small fraction of dark matter Contradicting earlier theories, massive black holes are made of a small percentage of dark matter. A team used gravitational microlensing to monitor nearly 80 million stars over 20 years, finding only 13 microlensing events, which indicates that other factors could explain the gravitational waves found […]
Extinct Nile branch carried pyramid builders, material A now-extinct 64-kilometer branch of the Nile ran past the location of Egypt’s Great Pyramid and 30 other pyramids 4,700 years ago when construction began. The 0.5-kilometer-wide branch was discovered through ground-level geophysical data, electromagnetic tomography and ground-penetrating radar — plus the extraction of two cores of earth […]