https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Light driven movement is challenging in nonliquid environments as micro-sized objects can experience strong dry adhesion to contact surfaces and resist movement. In a recent study, Jinsheng Lu and co-workers at the College of Optical Science and Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering and the Institute of Advanced Technology in China and Singapore, developed a vacuum system and achieved rotary locomotion where a micrometer-sized, metal hexagonal plate approximately 30 nm in thickness revolved around a microfiber. They powered the motor (plate-fiber) using a pulsed light, which was guided on the fiber by an optically excited Lamb wave. The procedure enabled a plate-fiber geometry motor favorable for optomechanical applications in practice; results of the study are now published on Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-nanoscale-lamb-wave-driven-motors-nonliquid.html Nanophysics Tue, 19 Mar 2019 09:30:03 EDT news472113419 A pair of researchers, one with the Institute of Management and Economics at Clausthal University of Technology, the other the Department of Earth and Environment at Boston University, has found evidence that suggests oil prices might now be based on futures contracts instead of day-to-day price fluctuations. In their paper published in the journal Nature Energy, Esmail Ansari and Robert Kaufmann describe their study of the oil price market and suggest an explanation for its recent odd behavior. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-tight-oil-prices-based-futures.html Economics & Business Tue, 19 Mar 2019 09:21:23 EDT news472206022 European astronomers have investigated a recently discovered hard X-ray transient known as IGR J17503-2636 using space observatories. Results of this study, presented in a paper published March 7 on the arXiv pre-print server, suggest that this source may be a relatively faint supergiant fast X-ray transient. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-igr-j17503-supergiant-fast-x-ray.html Astronomy Tue, 19 Mar 2019 09:00:06 EDT news472200094 A team of researchers from several institutions in India and Japan has found that it is possible to use a muon detector to measure electric potential in thunderstorms. The paper is published in the journal Physical Review Letters. The researchers explain that they noticed muon detection levels drop during thunderstorms, and used that information to calculate electric potential in thunderstorms. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-muon-detector-electric-potential-thunderstorm.html General Physics Tue, 19 Mar 2019 08:30:01 EDT news472200024 Researchers at Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and Friedrich Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany have recently demonstrated that a molecule can be turned into a coherent two-level quantum system. In their study, published in Nature Physics, they placed an organic molecule inside an optical microcavity and found that it behaved as a coherent two-level quantum system. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-molecule-coherent-two-level-quantum.html Quantum Physics Mon, 18 Mar 2019 09:40:03 EDT news472113355 A team of researchers from the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms has developed a way to study and measure gases as they transition between quantum and classical states due to changes in temperature. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the group describes experiments they carried out with clouds of lithium-6 atoms and what they found. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-exploring-behavior-gas-transitions-quantum.html General Physics Quantum Physics Fri, 15 Mar 2019 08:44:23 EDT news471858247 High-capacity optical communication can be accomplished by multiplexing multiple light-carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) channels. However, in turbulent environments, optical scattering and 'speckle patterns' occur due to ambient, atmospheric microparticles and significantly decrease the orthogonality between OAM channels, demultiplexing (extracting information) and increasing crosstalk during communication. In a recent study now published in Light: Science & Applications, Lei Gong and co-workers at the departments of optics and optical engineering, medical engineering, electrical engineering and physical sciences in China and the USA developed a 'scattering-matrix-assisted retrieval technique' (SMART) to efficiently recover scattered data from multiplexed OAM channels. In the study, they used 24 OAM channels in parallel, passing through a scattering medium to demultiplex the channels from the scattered optical fields and achieve minimal experimental crosstalk approximating -13.8 dB. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-recovering-scattering-matrix-assisted-technique-smart.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 14 Mar 2019 09:30:02 EDT news471683794 A UK-German team of astronomers has conducted observations of a peculiar radio magnetar known as XTE J1810–197, which turned on in December 2018 after an almost decade-long period of quiescence. Results of these observations provide more information about the magnetar properties, and were presented in a paper published March 6 on arXiv.org. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-astronomers-reactivated-radio-magnetar.html Astronomy Thu, 14 Mar 2019 09:10:18 EDT news471767753 A trio of researchers with the University of Nevada, Reno, the California Institute of Technology and GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences reports evidence that suggests some waterfalls self-form in the absence of external influences. In their paper published in the journal Nature, Joel Scheingross, Michael Lamb and Brian Fuller describe experiments they carried out in their lab with artificial streams and what they learned from them. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-evidence-self-forming-waterfalls.html Earth Sciences Thu, 14 Mar 2019 08:37:45 EDT news471771455 Graphene is expected to behave like a quantum-critical, relativistic plasma known as "Dirac fluid" near charge neutrality in which massless electrons and holes rapidly collide. In a recent study now published in Science, Patrick Gallagher and co-workers at the departments of physics and materials science in the U.S., Taiwan, China and Japan used on-chip terahertz spectroscopy and measured the frequency-dependent optical conductivity of graphene between 77 K and 300 K electron temperatures for the first time. Additionally, the scientists observed the quantum-critical scattering rate characteristic of the Dirac fluid. At higher doping, Gallagher et al. uncovered two distinct current-carrying modes with zero and nonzero total momenta as a manifestation of relativistic hydrodynamics. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-quantum-critical-dirac-fluid-graphene.html Plasma Physics Quantum Physics Wed, 13 Mar 2019 09:30:03 EDT news471508294 A team of researchers from the University of Rennes in France, Southern Cross University in Australia and the Marine Biological Laboratory in the U.S., has found that both fighting and mating success with giant Australian cuttlefish are influenced by behavioral lateralization. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group describe their study of the largest species of cuttlefish and what they found. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-success-giant-australian-cuttlefish-sidedness.html Plants & Animals Wed, 13 Mar 2019 08:30:02 EDT news471684240 Researchers at the University of Michigan and City University of New York have recently proposed and experimentally validated a transparent, electronically tunable metasurface. This metasurface, presented in a paper published in Physical Review X, can rotate the polarization of an arbitrarily polarized incident wave without changing its axial ratio. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-electronically-tunable-metasurface-rotates-polarization.html General Physics Optics & Photonics Tue, 12 Mar 2019 09:30:06 EDT news471258326 Using NASA's Chandra X-ray observatory, astronomers have spotted X-ray-emitting clumps being ejected with high velocities from the gamma-ray binary PSR B1259–63/LS 2883. The findings were presented in a paper published March 2 on arXiv.org, in which the authors also discuss possible explanations of this phenomenon. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-astronomers-x-ray-emitting-clumps-ejected.html Astronomy Tue, 12 Mar 2019 09:00:06 EDT news471596083 A pair of researchers, one with École Normale Supérieure, the other Laboratory for Studies of Radiation and Matter in Astrophysics and Atmospheres has found evidence that Jupiter's magnetic field could be causing a jet stream in Europa's underground ocean. In their paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy, Christophe Gissinger and Ludovic Petitdemange describe their analysis of data from the Galileo spacecraft and what they found. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-jupiter-magnetic-field-europa-ocean.html Astronomy Space Exploration Tue, 12 Mar 2019 08:50:20 EDT news471599399 A team of researchers from the University of Montana, the University of Colorado and the U.S. Forest Service has found evidence that suggests low-elevation forests have difficult recoveries after forest fires due to climate change. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study of Douglas fir and ponderosa pine trees in several parts of the western U.S. after fires and what they observed. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-elevation-forests-difficult-regrow-due.html Environment Tue, 12 Mar 2019 08:30:02 EDT news471596066 Light incident on metallic nanoparticles can initiate the collective motion of electrons, causing a strong amplification of the local electromagnetic field. Such plasmonic resonances have significant roles in biosensing with ability to improve the resolution and sensitivity required to detect particles at the scale of the single molecule. The control of plasmon resonances in metadevices have potential applications in all-optical, light-with-light signal modulation and image processing. Reports have demonstrated the out-of-plane coherent control of plasmon resonances by modulating metadevices in standing waves. In optical devices, light can be transferred along the surfaces for the unprecedented control of plasmons. When oscillations in conducting electrons are coupled with light photons, localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) can act as information carriers for nano-sized optical sensors and in computers. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-in-plane-coherent-plasmon-resonances-plasmonic.html Plasma Physics Quantum Physics Mon, 11 Mar 2019 09:30:05 EDT news471254512 Researchers at the University of Florence and Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi, in Italy, have recently proved that the invasiveness of quantum measurements might not always be detrimental. In a study published in Physical Review Letters, they showed that this invasive quality can actually be exploited, using quantum measurements to fuel a cooling engine. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-quantum-fuel-cooling.html Quantum Physics Mon, 11 Mar 2019 09:30:03 EDT news471168590 Analyzing data from spectroscopic instruments, astronomers have reported fundamental properties of Barnard 29, an ultraviolet-bright star in globular cluster Messier 13. Results of the analysis, presented in a paper published March 1 on arXiv.org, provide important insights into the nature of this star. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-uncovers-insights-nature-ultraviolet-bright-star.html Astronomy Mon, 11 Mar 2019 09:00:06 EDT news471508425 Some species of Euglenids, a diversified family of aquatic unicellular organisms, can perform large-amplitude, elegantly coordinated body deformations. Although this behavior has been known for centuries, its function is still highly debated. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-motility-euglena.html General Physics Fri, 08 Mar 2019 09:30:02 EDT news471082076 Spider silk is a self-assembling biopolymer with hydrogen bonds underlying its chemical structure, yet despite weak chemical bonding it outperforms most materials relative to mechanical performance. The biopolymer is produced from the spider major ampullate gland and is an extraordinary fiber that can surpass most synthetic materials in mechanical toughness by balancing strength and extension/flexibility. Properties of spider dragline silk include high thermal conductivity, peculiar torsion dynamics and the potential for exceptional vibration propagation. To add more distinction to the natural fiber, spider dragline silk display a giant shape-memory effect upon exposure to water; in an effect known as supercontraction. The unique and remarkable properties of spider dragline silk are attributed to its hierarchical structure and morphology. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-spider-dragline-silk-torsional-actuator.html Materials Science Thu, 07 Mar 2019 09:30:02 EDT news471081713 A new study published February 28 on arXiv.org suggests that a millisecond pulsar known as PSR J0740+6620 has a stellar companion. The research provides evidence indicating that this object is most likely accompanied by an ultracool white dwarf exhibiting a pure helium atmosphere. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-millisecond-pulsar-psr-j07406620-white.html Astronomy Thu, 07 Mar 2019 09:00:07 EDT news471168563 A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in China has found a way to force liquid drops to spiral as they rebound after landing on a manipulated surface. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the group describes how their method works and possible applications. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-special-surface-liquids-spiral-rebound.html General Physics Condensed Matter Thu, 07 Mar 2019 08:40:02 EDT news471168626 A team of researchers from the National University of Central Buenos Aires, Olavarría, Stafford Research and La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, has found evidence that suggests the giant sloth went extinct before the onset of the Holocene. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the team describes their study of giant sloth remains found in Argentina and what they found. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-giant-sloth-holocene.html Archaeology & Fossils Thu, 07 Mar 2019 08:30:02 EDT news471168101 For the Kerker effect to occur, particles need to have electric and magnetic polarizabilities of the same strength. This, however, is very challenging to achieve, as magnetic optical resonances in small particles are relatively weak. Researchers at Ioffe Institute, in St. Petersburg, have recently shown that a similar effect can be attained when small particles are trembling in space. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-optomechanical-kerker-effect-vibrating-nanoparticles.html General Physics Optics & Photonics Wed, 06 Mar 2019 09:30:06 EDT news471000105 An international team of researchers has found evidence that suggests the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) should be able to "see" ultralight bosons if they exist. In their paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the group describes calculations they made to assess whether ultralight boson clouds forming outside of the event horizons of black holes could be detected by LISA, and what they found. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-lisa-ultralight-bosons-supermassive-black.html Astronomy Wed, 06 Mar 2019 09:04:20 EDT news471085451 A trio of researchers at Columbia University has found more evidence showing that sound waves carry mass. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, Angelo Esposito, Rafael Krichevsky and Alberto Nicolis describe using effective field theory techniques to confirm the results found by a team last year attempting to measure mass carried by sound waves. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-evidence-mass.html General Physics Quantum Physics Wed, 06 Mar 2019 08:41:32 EDT news471084081 Nanoparticles can be used as substrates for computation, with algorithmic and autonomous control of their unique properties. However, scalable architecture to form nanoparticle-based computing systems is lacking at present. In a recent study published in Science Advances, Jinyoung Seo and co-workers in the Department of Chemistry at Seoul National University in South Korea, reported on a nanoparticle platform built in with logic gates and circuits at the level of the single particle. They implemented the platform on a supporting lipid bilayer. Inspired by cellular membranes in biology that compartmentalize and control signaling networks, the scientists called the platform "lipid nanotablet" (LNT). To conduct nano-bio-computing, they used a lipid bilayer as a chemical circuit board and the nanoparticles as units of computation. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-nano-bio-computing-lipid-nanotablet.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 05 Mar 2019 09:30:05 EDT news470909137 A team of researchers from Durham University in the U.K. and Shaanxi Normal University in China has discovered a type of protein that forms naturally into two main types of helical braids. In their paper published in the journal Nature Chemistry, the group describes extracting an achiral oligo peptidomimetic compound from a urine sample and observing its unique properties. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-protein-chains-self-form-helical-braids.html Biochemistry Tue, 05 Mar 2019 09:20:02 EDT news470999511 An international team of astronomers has observed a deep, day-long asymmetric occultation in a recently detected low-mass star known as EPIC 204376071. In a research paper published February 21 on arXiv.org, the scientists detail their finding and ponder various theories that could explain such peculiar occultation. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-astronomers-deep-asymmetric-occultation-newly.html Astronomy Tue, 05 Mar 2019 09:12:30 EDT news470999541 IBM has announced at this year's American Physical Society meeting that its System Q One quantum computer has reached its "highest quantum volume to date"—a measure that the computer has doubled in performance in each of the past two years, the company reports. https://phys.org/news/2019-03-ibm-quantum-highest-volume-date.html Quantum Physics Tue, 05 Mar 2019 09:07:42 EDT news470999248