Earth | Page 957 | Science Codex

Scientists demonstrate pear shaped atomic nuclei

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have shown that some atomic nuclei can assume the shape of a pear which contributes to our understanding of nuclear structure and the underlying fundamental interactions.

Most nuclei that exist naturally are not spherical but have the shape of a rugby ball. While state-of-the-art theories are able to predict this, the same theories have predicted that for some particular combinations of protons and neutrons, nuclei can also assume very asymmetric shapes, like a pear where there is more mass at one end of the nucleus than the other.

Geologists study mystery of 'eternal flames'

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- "Eternal flames" fueled by hydrocarbon gas could shine a light on the presence of natural gas in underground rock layers and conditions that let it seep to the surface, according to research by geologists at the Department of Geological Sciences and the Indiana Geological Survey at Indiana University Bloomington.

New Red List developed for threatened ecosystems

Scientists have developed a new Red List system for identifying ecosystems at high risk of degradation, similar to the influential Red List for the world's threatened species.

The team carrying out the research was convened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and led by Professor David Keith, of the University of New South Wales and the NSW Office of Environment.

Human impacts on natural world underestimated

A comprehensive five-year study by University of Calgary ecologists – which included monitoring the activity of wolves, elks, cattle and humans – indicates that two accepted principles of how ecosystems naturally operate could be overshadowed by the importance of human activity.

"Understanding the significance of the impact that humans have on ecosystems is a critical component in formulating long-term and effective conservation strategies," says principal investigator Marco Musiani.

Exotic atoms hold clues to unsolved physics puzzle at the dawn of the universe

ANN ARBOR---An international team of physicists has found the first direct evidence of pear shaped nuclei in exotic atoms.

The findings could advance the search for a new fundamental force in nature that could explain why the Big Bang created more matter than antimatter---a pivotal imbalance in the history of everything.

The effect of climate change on iceberg production by Greenland glaciers

While the impact of climate change on the surface of the Greenland ice sheet has been widely studied, a clear understanding of the key process of iceberg production has eluded researchers for many years. Published in Nature this week, a new study presents a sophisticated computer model that provides a fresh insight into the impact of climate change on the production of icebergs by Greenland glaciers, and reveals that the shape of the ground beneath the ice has a strong effect on its movement.

Researchers use graphene quantum dots to detect humidity and pressure

MANHATTAN, KAN. -- The latest research from a Kansas State University chemical engineer may help improve humidity and pressure sensors, particularly those used in outer space.

Study shows that people organize daily travel efficiently

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Studies of human mobility usually focus on either the small scale — determining the origins, destinations and travel modes of individuals' daily commutes — or the very large scale, such as using air-travel patterns to track the spread of epidemics over time. The large-scale studies, most of which are made possible by the vast data generated and collected by new technologies like sensors and cellphones, are very good at describing the big picture, but don't provide much detail at the individual level.

Researchers find a way to make steel without greenhouse-gas emissions

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Anyone who has seen pictures of the giant, red-hot cauldrons in which steel is made — fed by vast amounts of carbon, and belching flame and smoke — would not be surprised to learn that steelmaking is one of the world's leading industrial sources of greenhouse gases. But remarkably, a new process developed by MIT researchers could change all that.

Researcher construct invisibility cloak for thermal flow

By means of special metamaterials, light and sound can be passed around objects. KIT researchers now succeeded in demonstrating that the same materials can also be used to specifically influence the propagation of heat. A structured plate of copper and silicon conducts heat around a central area without the edge being affected. The results are presented in the Physical Review Letters journal.

Elucidating energy shifts in optical tweezers

A small piece of paper sticks to an electrically charged plastic ruler. The principle of this simple classroom physics experiment is applied at the microscopic scale by so-called optical tweezers to get the likes of polystyrene micro-beads and even living cells to "stick" to a laser beam, or to trap atoms at ultra-low temperatures.

Quantum optics with microwaves

Quantum mechanics, famously, is full of effects that defy our basic intuition. A fine example is the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect, which occurs when two light quanta (or, photons) arrive simultaneously at a so-called beam splitter. As its name implies, a beam splitter is a device that splits one beam of light into two, by transmitting one half of the impinging light and reflecting the other half. For a single quantum of light, a photon, this means that it has a 50-percent chance to appear on either side of the device.

Mantle upwelling and initiation of rift segmentation beneath the Afar Depression

Plate tectonics continually reshape Earth's surface, breaking apart continents over millions of years.

In this study, J.O.S. Hammond and colleagues use seismology to image beneath the Afar depression, the northern extreme of the East Africa rift and the only place on land undergoing the final stages of continental breakup.

New robotic instruments to provide real-time data on Gulf of Maine red tide

A new robotic sensor deployed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Gulf of Maine coastal waters may transform the way red tides or harmful algal blooms (HABs) are monitored and managed in New England. The instrument was launched at the end of last month, and a second such system will be deployed later this spring.

Decline in snow cover spells trouble for many plants, animals

MADISON – For plants and animals forced to tough out harsh winter weather, the coverlet of snow that blankets the north country is a refuge, a stable beneath-the-snow habitat that gives essential respite from biting winds and subzero temperatures.

But in a warming world, winter and spring snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere is in decline, putting at risk many plants and animals that depend on the space beneath the snow to survive the blustery chill of winter.