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Chemists have synthesized so-called heteroatom-substituted cage-like 3D molecules. The innovative structures are created by precisely inserting a triatomic unit into the strained ring of a reaction partner. They could help address key challenges in drug design by serving as more stable alternatives to traditional, flat, aromatic rings.

A team of researchers developed a thermoelectric material that can be used in wearable devices, such as smart clothing, and while maintaining stable thermal energy performance even in extreme environments.

The European research project 'Federated Secure Computing' presents a new approach that allows patient data from different institutions to be analysed securely and anonymously.

A sequence of events during the evolution of certain rocky planets orbiting M-dwarfs, the most common stars in the universe, creates an atmosphere that would be stable over time. This is true for more temperate planets, orbiting a bit farther from the central star.

When we make decisions, we are often guided by the opinions and experiences of those around us. Yet we actually have quite different preferences, tastes and goals. A research team investigated how we learn from others despite individual differences. The scientists found that humans tend to treat social information as a recommendation -- with some skepticism. They also use it to save themselves costly exploration. The results open up new paths to incorporate similar learning principles into artificial intelligence (AI).

Until now, researchers have been limited in developing photonic memory for AI processing -- gaining one important attribute like speed while sacrificing another like energy usage. An international team demonstrates a unique solution that addresses current limitations of optical memory that have yet to combine non-volatility, multibit storage, high switching speed, low switching energy, and high endurance in a single platform.

Until now, researchers have been limited in developing photonic memory for AI processing -- gaining one important attribute like speed while sacrificing another like energy usage. An international team demonstrates a unique solution that addresses current limitations of optical memory that have yet to combine non-volatility, multibit storage, high switching speed, low switching energy, and high endurance in a single platform.

A multidisciplinary research group has formulated new protective coatings to allow turbine engines to run hotter -- with potential dividends for the environment and people.

Researchers have used artificial intelligence to design thousands of new DNA switches that can precisely control the expression of a gene in different cell types. Their new approach opens the possibility of controlling when and where genes are expressed in the body, for the benefit of human health and medical research, in ways never before possible.

A surprising discovery about the black hole V404 Cygnus is expanding our understanding of black holes, the objects they can host, and the way they form.

Researchers have trained an AI process to predict potential active ingredients with special properties. Therefore, they derived a chemical language model -- a kind of ChatGPT for molecules. Following a training phase, the AI was able to exactly reproduce the chemical structures of compounds with known dual-target activity that may be particularly effective medications.

Researchers have trained an AI process to predict potential active ingredients with special properties. Therefore, they derived a chemical language model -- a kind of ChatGPT for molecules. Following a training phase, the AI was able to exactly reproduce the chemical structures of compounds with known dual-target activity that may be particularly effective medications.

In the face of rising CO2 levels, scientists are searching for sustainable ways of pulling carbon dioxide out of the air, so-called direct air capture. A new type of porous material, a covalent organic framework (COF) with attached amines, stands out because of its durability and efficient adsorption and desorption of CO2 at relatively low temperatures. The material would fit into carbon capture systems currently used for point source capture.

Researchers are designing new ways to make spectrometers that are ultra-small but still very powerful, to be used for anything from detecting disease to observing stars in distant galaxies.

Researchers are designing new ways to make spectrometers that are ultra-small but still very powerful, to be used for anything from detecting disease to observing stars in distant galaxies.

A research team has used nitrogen isotope analysis to demonstrate that 385 million years old corals from the Eifel and Sauerland regions had symbionts. This finding represents the earliest evidence of photosymbiosis in corals. Photosymbiosis might explain why ancient coral reefs grew to massive sizes despite being in nutrient-poor environments.

An international research team has pioneered a new technique to identify and characterize atomic-scale defects in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a two-dimensional (2D) material often dubbed 'white graphene' for its remarkable properties. This advance could accelerate the development of next-generation electronics and quantum technologies.

Nestled on the slopes of Cerro La Negra at an elevation of 13,000 feet is an unusual-looking observatory. Known as the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory, it looks like a tightly packed collection of grain silos, which is essentially what it is. But rather than holding grain, the silos are each filled with 188,000 liters of water and four photomultiplier tubes. While it’s an unusual setup, it’s what you need to observe high-energy gamma rays from deep space.

Rather than observing the gamma rays directly, the observatory uses an effect known as [Cherenkov radiation. Essentially, when a high-energy gamma ray strikes Earth’s atmosphere, it triggers the emission of a shower of particles moving at nearly light speed. They move so fast that they travel faster than light can move through water. So when these particles pass through a water silo, they emit Cherenkov radiation. HAWC is particularly sensitive to TeV gamma rays, which are the highest energy gamma rays produced in the cosmos. And with such a large number of detectors, HAWC can pinpoint the origin of these TeV gamma rays better than any other observatory, as a recent study shows.

It’s a bit rare for a high-energy gamma ray to strike Earth, so the team gathered seven years of observations, capturing 100 gamma ray events, each with an energy of more than 100 TeV. While that doesn’t sound like a lot, it is enough data for the team to determine their origin. The particles are coming from the center of our galaxy! Of course, many of you won’t be the least surprised. After all, there is a supermassive black hole in that area, so naturally it would produce high-energy particles. But this discovery helps us understand what’s going on.

The HAWC observatory seen in 2014. Credit: Wikipedia user Jordanagoodman

In order for TeV gamma rays to reach us across 30,000 light years, our galactic black hole must produce even higher energy particles. Specifically, it must produce protons in the PeV energy range. Peta electron volts, which is a thousand times more energy than the gamma rays we see. These PeV protons then collide with interstellar gas molecules to produce gamma rays. This means there must be a mystery PeVatron source. We know that PeV protons can be produced in the most violent astrophysical phenomena, such as supernovae and black hole mergers, but these can’t explain what we observe.

To further understand the source, the team looks forward to the construction of the Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO), which will be a facility similar to HAWC, but in the Atacama region of northern Chile. By combining observations from both, we should be able to localize the galactic source of PeV protons.

Reference: Albert, A., et al. “Observation of the Galactic Center PeVatron beyond 100 TeV with HAWC.” The Astrophysical Journal Letters 973.1 (2024): L34.

The post There's a Particle Accelerator at the Center of the Milky Way appeared first on Universe Today.

Researchers have managed to encode enormous amounts of information, including images, into DNA at a rate hundreds of times faster than was previously possible

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