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Ultrafast electron diffraction captures atomic layers twisting in response to light

A pulse of light sets the tempo in the material. Atoms in a crystalline sheet just a few atoms thick begin to move—not randomly, but in a coordinated rhythm, twisting and untwisting in sync like dancers following a beat.

This atomic choreography, set in motion by precisely timed bursts of energy, happens far too fast for the human eye or even traditional scientific tools to detect. The entire sequence plays out in about a trillionth of a second.

To witness it, a Cornell–Stanford University collaboration of researchers turned to ultrafast electron diffraction, a technique capable of filming matter at its fastest timescales. Using a Cornell-built instrument and Cornell-built high-speed detector, the team captured atomically responding to light with a dynamic twisting motion.

Scientists Puzzled by Strange Star-Forming Regions at the Milky Way’s Center

A new study led by Dr. James De Buizer of the SETI Institute and Dr. Wanggi Lim of IPAC at Caltech has uncovered unexpected findings about how quickly massive stars take shape near the center of the Milky Way. Using data collected primarily from NASAs now-retired SOFIA airborne observatory, the researchers examined three active stellar nurseries, Sgr B1, Sgr B2, and Sgr C, situated in the heart of our Galaxy.

Despite the Galactic Center containing far denser concentrations of gas and dust than other parts of the Milky Way, the formation of massive stars (those more than 8 times the mass of our Sun) appears to occur at a slower pace there.

To investigate further, the team compared these three regions with others of similar size located farther from the center, including areas closer to our solar neighborhood. Their findings confirmed that the rate of new star formation near the Galactic Center is significantly lower than average. Even though the region holds the kind of dense, turbulent clouds that typically give rise to large stars, these environments seem to struggle to produce them.

After Over 100 Years, Scientists Are Finally Closing In on the Origins of Cosmic Rays

Researchers are uncovering the origins of cosmic rays, linking them to mysterious cosmic accelerators called PeVatrons New research from astrophysicists at Michigan State University may bring scientists closer to solving a mystery that has puzzled them for more than a century: where do galactic c

How Do Quarks Really Move? New Theory Unlocks Decades-Old Physics Mystery

Nuclear physicists have developed a new theoretical framework that allows them to calculate a crucial quantity for understanding the three-dimensional movement of quarks inside a proton. Using this innovative method, researchers have created a far more precise picture of the quarks’ transverse motion, the movement that occurs around a proton’s spin axis and at right angles to its forward direction.

The latest calculations align closely with model-based reconstructions derived from particle collision data. They are especially effective for describing quarks with low transverse momentum, a region where older techniques lacked precision. Scientists plan to use this refined approach to better predict the full 3D behavior of quarks and the gluons that bind them in upcoming collider experiments.

Understanding the source of proton spin is one of the key scientific objectives of the upcoming Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). At this facility, collisions between spin-aligned protons and high-energy electrons will make it possible to measure the transverse motion of quarks and gluons within protons with remarkable accuracy.

Scientists Finally Peek Inside an “Impossible” Superconductor

High-pressure electron tunneling spectroscopy reveals the presence of a superconducting gap in H₃S and D₃S. Superconductors are special materials that allow electricity to flow without any resistance, making them essential for advanced technologies such as power transmission, energy storage, magnet

Want a younger brain? Learn another language

Speaking multiple languages could slow down brain ageing and help to prevent cognitive decline, a study of more than 80,000 people has found.

The work, published in Nature Aging on 10 November1, suggests that people who are multilingual are half as likely to show signs of accelerated biological ageing as are those who speak just one language.

“We wanted to address one of the most persistent gaps in ageing research, which is if multilingualism can actually delay ageing,” says study co-author Agustín Ibáñez, a neuroscientist at the Adolfo Ibáñez University in Santiago, Chile. Previous research in this area has suggested that speaking multiple languages can improve cognitive functions such memory and attention2, which boosts brain health as we get older. But many of these studies rely on small sample sizes and use unreliable methods of measuring ageing, which leads to results that are inconsistent and not generalizable.

“The effects of multilingualism on ageing have always been controversial, but I don’t think there has been a study of this scale before, which seems to demonstrate them quite decisively,” says Christos Pliatsikas, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Reading, UK. The paper’s results could “bring a step change to the field”, he adds.

They might also “encourage people to go out and try to learn a second language, or keep that second language active”, says Susan Teubner-Rhodes, a cognitive psychologist at Auburn University in Alabama.

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