Lifeboat Foundation

While investigating how string theory can be used to explain certain physical phenomena, scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have stumbled upon on a new series representation for the irrational number π. It provides an easier way to extract π from calculations involved in deciphering processes like the quantum scattering of high-energy particles.

Remember how difficult it was to find one Higgs boson? Try finding two at the same place at the same time. Known as di-Higgs production, this fascinating process can tell scientists about the Higgs boson self-interaction.

A new study reveals that magnesium oxide, a key mineral in planet formation, might be the first to solidify in developing “super-Earth” exoplanets, with its behavior under extreme conditions significantly influencing planetary development.

Scientists have for the first time observed how atoms in magnesium oxide morph and melt under ultra-harsh conditions, providing new insights into this key mineral within Earth’s mantle that is known to influence planet formation.

High-energy laser experiments—which subjected tiny crystals of the mineral to the type of heat and pressure found deep inside a rocky planet’s mantle—suggest the compound could be the earliest mineral to solidify out of magma oceans in forming “super-Earth” exoplanets.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory used additive manufacturing to produce the first defect-free complex tungsten parts for use in extreme environments. The accomplishment could have positive implications for clean-energy technologies such as fusion energy.

Tungsten has the highest melting point of any metal, making it ideal for fusion reactors where plasma temperatures exceed 180 million degrees Fahrenheit. In comparison, the sun’s center is about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit.

In its pure form, tungsten is brittle at room temperature and easily shatters. To counter this, ORNL researchers developed an electron-beam 3D-printer to deposit tungsten, layer by layer, into precise three-dimensional shapes. This technology uses a magnetically directed stream of particles in a high-vacuum enclosure to melt and bind metal powder into a solid-metal object. The vacuum environment reduces foreign material contamination and residual stress formation.

The US$5 billion facility would be cheaper, bigger and faster to build than a similar one proposed by European scientists.

A connection between time-varying networks and transport theory opens prospects for developing predictive equations of motion for networks.

Many real-world networks change over time. Think, for example, of social interactions, gene activation in a cell, or strategy making in financial markets, where connections and disconnections occur all the time. Understanding and anticipating these microscopic kinetics is an overarching goal of network science, not least because it could enable the early detection and prevention of natural and human-made disasters. A team led by Fragkiskos Papadopoulos of Cyprus University of Technology has gained groundbreaking insights into this problem by recasting the discrete dynamics of a network as a continuous time series [1] (Fig. 1). In doing so, the researchers have discovered that if the breaking and forming of links are represented as a particle moving in a suitable geometric space, then its motion is subdiffusive—that is, slower than it would be if it diffused normally.

The Institute for Molecular Science has launched a Commercialization Preparatory Platform, in collaboration with 10 industry partners, to accelerate the development of “cold (neutral) atom” quantum computers.

Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, has established a “Commercialization Preparatory Platform (PF)” to accelerate the development of novel quantum computers, based on the achievement of a research group led by Prof. Kenji Ohmori. The launch of the PF was made possible by collaboration with 10 industry partners, including companies and financial institutions.

The 10 partners that joined the PF include (listed alphabetically): blueqat Inc., Development Bank of Japan Inc., Fujitsu Limited, Groovenauts, Inc., Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Hitachi, Ltd., and NEC Corporation.

Researchers discovered that bismuth atoms embedded in calcium oxide can function as qubits for quantum computers, providing a low-noise, durable, and inexpensive alternative to current materials. This groundbreaking study highlights its potential to transform quantum computing and telecommunications.

Calcium oxide is an inexpensive, chalky chemical compound frequently used in the manufacturing of cement, plaster, paper, and steel. However, the common material may soon have a more high-tech application.

Scientists used theoretical and computational approaches to discover how tiny, lone atoms of bismuth embedded within solid calcium oxide can act as qubits — the building blocks of quantum computers and quantum communication devices. These qubits were described by University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering researchers and their collaborator in Sweden on June 6 in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

Physicists have delved deeper into the enigmatic world of quantum entanglement and top quarks, bringing a new level of understanding to a phenomenon that even Albert Einstein found perplexing.

This incredible feat has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the quantum realm and its far-reaching implications.

The experiment, conducted by a team of researchers led by University of Rochester physics professor Regina Demina at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN), has yielded a significant result.