Science

Researchers have found a low-power, inexpensive way for large numbers of devices, such as machines in factories and equipment in labs, to share information by efficiently using signals at untapped high frequencies. The technology is an advanced version of a device that transmits data in a wireless system, commonly known as a tag.

Most solids expand as temperatures increase and shrink as they cool. Some materials do the opposite, expanding in the cold. Lithium titanium phosphate is one such substance and could provide a solution to the problem of steeply declining performance of lithium-ion batteries in cold environments. Scientists have now demonstrated its suitability for use in electrodes for rechargeable batteries.

A team has gained new insights into lithium-sulphur pouch cells at the BAMline of BESSY II. A new picture emerges of processes that limit the performance and lifespan of this industrially relevant battery type.

A team has gained new insights into lithium-sulphur pouch cells at the BAMline of BESSY II. A new picture emerges of processes that limit the performance and lifespan of this industrially relevant battery type.

A nanofiltration process can curb the hazardous waste generated from aluminum production.

New research has identified the probable locations for critical metals needed to support a green economy.

In a study, physicists now observed a class of quantum particles called fractional excitons, which behave in unexpected ways and could significantly expand scientists' understanding of the quantum realm.

In the same way that ChatGPT understands human language, a new AI model developed by computational biologists captures the language of cells to accurately predict their activities.

A new study reveals that generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help expedite the search for solutions to reduce enteric methane emissions caused by cows in animal agriculture, which accounts for about 33 percent of U.S. agriculture and 3 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

A research team has achieved a groundbreaking quantum simulation of the non-Hermitian skin effect in two dimensions using ultracold fermions, marking a significant advance in quantum physics research.

A research team has achieved a groundbreaking quantum simulation of the non-Hermitian skin effect in two dimensions using ultracold fermions, marking a significant advance in quantum physics research.

In a study, scientists have shown neurotransmitters in the human brain are active during the processing of the emotional content of language, providing new understanding into how people interpret the significance of words.

Thanks to new high-frequency electrical stimulation that blocks spasticity, two paralyzed patients suffering from muscle stiffness after spinal cord injury benefit from rehabilitation protocols for walking again.

Fast-moving wildfires are burning long after the regular fire season is over due to an unlikely sequence of extreme weather events that may have been exacerbated by climate change

It has been thought that the existence of plate tectonics has been a significant factor in the shaping of our planet and the evolution of life. Mars and Venus don’t experience such movements of crustal plates but then the differences between the worlds is evident. The exploration of exoplanets too finds many varied environments. Many of these new alien worlds seem to have significant internal heating and so lack plate movements too. Instead a new study reveals that these ‘Ignan Earths’ are more likely to have heat pipes that channel magma to she surface. The likely result is a surface temperature similar to Earth in its hottest period when liquid water started forming. 

Plate tectonics explains the movement and interaction of the Earth’s upper layers. More accurately, the lithosphere which is composed of the crust and upper layer of the mantle. It is divided into a number of pieces known as tectonic plates which float around on the semi-fluid layer below called the asthenosphere. Where the plates meet, various geological features form such as mountains, volcanoes and trenches. 

Location of the Mariana Trench. Credit: Wikipedia Commons/Kmusser

The process has been a crucial factor in the evolution of life on our planet. The shifting of landmasses has created new habitats and caused populations to become isolated allowing for individual ecosystems to form. Collisions of plates led to mountain range development which influenced the weather patterns and climate. Volcanic activity driven by plate movement led to soils becoming fertile, plant life to flourish and the release of gasses like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that helped the planet regulate its climate. It really has been a crucial process in the evolution of our planet. 

A typical “black smoker” volcanic vent here on E

In some respects the process also stops a planet’s internal environment from overheating. There is a train of thought that if Earth didn’t have such plate movement then it may be too hot internally for a stable environment to evolve. This was the subject of the paper by Matthew Reinhold and Laura Schaefer that was published in Advancing Earth and Space Sciences. 

They explored the liklihood that such a world might have so much internal heating that instead, it would resemble bodies like Jupiter’s moon Io. Here we see intense levels of volcanism where laval violently erupts hundreds of kilometres into the atmosphere which is full of toxic gasses. It’s not just a lack of plate tectonics that can lead to high levels of internal heating. Tidal effects can cause worlds to have one face constantly pointing to the Sun giving a wide range of surface temperatures.

These are JunoCam images of Jupiter’s moon Io from its 3 February 2024 encounter. The first two images show Io illuminated by Jupiter-shine, and the rest are lit up by sunlight. The new volcano was captured in the second image in the sequence. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS.

Collectively these worlds are known casually as Ignan Earth’s and they are the target of the paper, to explore whether they are habitable. Exploring the geology of the bodies in our Solar System gives great insight. The team demonstrate that it is likely that worlds with high internal temperatures will develp a solid mantle. The crust will remain largely stable as a result with the only likely activity, heat-pipe tectonics – where some of the internal heat is transferred to the surface for example from volcanic activity. 

The team were able to model the the likely surface temperature range based upon a number of different types of world and found that, contrary to previous expectations, a wide range of internal heating rates may well lead to worlds where the environment is conducive to habitability.

Source : Ignan Earths: Habitability of Terrestrial Planets With Extreme Internal Heating

The post Planets Without Plate Tectonics Could Still Be Habitable appeared first on Universe Today.

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