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Unified model may explain vibrational anomalies in solids

Phonons are sound particles or quantized vibrations of atoms in solid materials. The Debye model, a theory introduced by physicist Peter Debye in 1912, describes the contribution of phonons to the specific heat of materials and explains why the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of solids drops sharply at low temperatures.

The Debye model assumes that are continuously distributed in a solid material. Past studies, however, found that when phonons have particularly short wavelengths, some anomalies can emerge.

The first of these reported anomalies, the so-called Van Hove singularity (VHS), is characterized by sharp features in the vibrational density of states (DOS) observed in crystals. The second, known as a boson peak, entails a significant excess in the DOS in amorphous solids or glasses.

Heavy atomic nuclei are not as symmetric as previously thought, physicists find

Many heavy atomic nuclei are shaped more or less like squashed rugby balls than fully inflated ones, according to a theoretical study by RIKEN nuclear physicists published in The European Physical Journal A. This unexpected finding overturns the consensus held for more than half a century.

Illustrations of atoms often depict the nucleus as a round blob made up of neutrons and protons. Physicists initially assumed that nuclei were spherical like soccer balls. But in the 1950s, Aage Bohr and Ben Mottelson developed a theory that predicted that many are elongated in one direction, being shaped like a ball.

Following in the footsteps of his father Niels Bohr, who was awarded the 1922 Nobel prize in physics for his model of the structure of atoms, Aage Bohr shared the 1975 Nobel prize for physics for this discovery.

Physicists unveil system to solve long-standing barrier to new generation of supercomputers

The dream of creating game-changing quantum computers—supermachines that encode information in single atoms rather than conventional bits—has been hampered by the formidable challenge known as quantum error correction.

In a paper published Monday in Nature, Harvard researchers demonstrated a new system capable of detecting and removing errors below a key performance threshold, potentially providing a workable solution to the problem.

“For the first time, we combined all essential elements for a scalable, error-corrected quantum computation in an integrated architecture,” said Mikhail Lukin, co-director of the Quantum Science and Engineering Initiative, Joshua and Beth Friedman University Professor, and senior author of the new paper. “These experiments—by several measures the most advanced that have been done on any quantum platform to date—create the scientific foundation for practical large-scale quantum computation.”

Reactor-grade fusion plasma: First high-precision measurement of potential dynamics

Nuclear fusion, which operates on the same principle that powers the sun, is expected to become a sustainable energy source for the future. To achieve fusion power generation, it is essential to confine plasma at temperatures exceeding one hundred million degrees using a magnetic field and to maintain this high-energy state stably.

A key factor in accomplishing this is the inside the plasma. This potential governs the transport of particles and energy within the plasma and plays a crucial role in establishing a state in which energy is effectively confined and prevented from escaping. Therefore, accurately measuring the internal plasma potential is essential for improving the performance of future fusion reactors.

A non-contact diagnostic technique called the heavy ion beam probe (HIBP) is used to measure plasma potential directly. In this method, negatively charged (Au⁻) are accelerated and injected into the plasma.

How sound and light act alike—and not—at the smallest scale

A world-famous light experiment from 1801 has now been carried out with sound for the first time. Research by physicists in Leiden has produced new insights that could be applied in 5G devices and the emerging field of quantum acoustics. The study is published in the journal Optics Letters.

Ph.D. student Thomas Steenbergen says, “We saw that in materials behave in the same way as light, but also slightly differently. With a mathematical model, we can now explain and predict this behavior.”

Scientists Develop More Efficient Way To Extract Rare Earth Elements Amid Global Trade Tensions

Researchers at UT Austin have created artificial membrane channels that mimic nature’s precision to selectively extract key rare earth elements. A team of scientists at The University of Texas at Austin has created a cleaner and more efficient way to extract rare earth elements, which are vital f

RCE flaw in ImunifyAV puts millions of Linux-hosted sites at risk

The ImunifyAV malware scanner for Linux servers, used by tens of millions of websites, is vulnerable to a remote code execution vulnerability that could be exploited to compromise the hosting environment.

The issue affects versions of the AI-bolit malware scanning component prior to 32.7.4.0. The component is present in the Imunify360 suite, the paid ImunifyAV+, and in ImunifyAV, the free version of the malware scanner.

According to security firm Patchstack, the vulnerability has been known since late October, when ImunifyAV’s vendor, CloudLinux, released fixes. Currently, the flaw has not been assigned an identifier.

Kraken ransomware benchmarks systems for optimal encryption choice

The Kraken ransomware, which targets Windows, Linux/VMware ESXi systems, is testing machines to check how fast it can encrypt data without overloading them.

According to Cisco Talos researchers, Kraken’s feature is a rare capability that uses temporary files to choose between full and partial data encryption.

The Kraken ransomware emerged at the begining of the year as a continuation of the HelloKitty operation, and engages in big-game hunting attacks with data theft for double extortion.

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