Computer simulations show how a structure placed underneath a surface suppresses turbulence in a fluid flow across the surface at a wide range of frequencies.
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Leaving gravity behind: Experiment from ISS reveals how particles alter turbulent flow behavior
After traveling hundreds of miles above Earth and spending months aboard the International Space Station, a University of Delaware experiment has returned to campus, bringing new data on how turbulence behaves in microgravity.
The project, led by assistant professor of mechanical engineering Tyler Van Buren, is designed to study how particles influence turbulent flows. From dust in the air to sand in coastal zones and bubbles at the sea surface, particles can change how flows behave.
Van Buren compares it to an energetic crowd moving around while carrying objects.
Ripples in fire-ant collectives suggest motions are driven by neighbor alignments
Researchers in Spain have discovered that in collectives of moving fire ants, rippling “waves” of density and activity are likely triggered by local regions where ants collectively travel in the same direction as their neighbors.
Described in a new paper published in Journal of Applied Physics, Alberto Fernandez-Nieves and colleagues at the University of Barcelona are hopeful that their predictions could be confirmed in future experiments—potentially leading to deeper insights into the complex motions of active materials.
Spin wave signals used in computing boosted more than 5,000 times in Z-shaped path approach
A research team from Tohoku University, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has invented a new way to efficiently guide spin waves around sharp corners with minimal loss—representing an exciting discovery for energy-efficient computing. Using a two-dimensional magnonic crystal—a copper (Cu) film with a hexagonal array of tiny holes placed on a magnetic garnet film—the team showed through calculations that spin waves travel along a Z-shaped path more than 5,000 times more efficiently than in conventional waveguides.
As artificial intelligence and data centers consume ever more electricity, heat from conventional electronics has become a serious problem. Spin waves are ripples of magnetization in a magnetic material that can carry information with far less heat than moving electrons, making them promising for reduced-energy computing. However, spin waves weaken quickly as they travel, especially when a waveguide is bent. This signal loss has long been the biggest obstacle to building practical spin wave circuits.
Quantum vibronics research points to future energy and computing technologies
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside are making breakthroughs in understanding how quantum wave functions move across ultra-thin materials—research that could eventually improve solar energy technologies and help lay the groundwork for new forms of quantum computing.
The researchers are part of UCR’s Center for Quantum Vibronics in Energy and Time (QuVET), which was established two years ago and focuses on “vibronics,” the interaction between vibrations and electronic quantum states. The center examines both biological molecules and synthetic layered materials, where the same fundamental quantum processes emerge across vastly different systems.
Its research brings together physicists, chemists, engineers, and biochemists from multiple institutions to better understand how vibrations shape quantum behavior.
Cobalt honeycombs open a new path to quantum computing
Honeycombs are famous for their elegant design, but now they may have found a new application: quantum computing. To collect knowledge from subatomic particles, quantum computers require carefully designed materials capable of performing necessary, complex functions. However, the metals used, such as ruthenium and iridium, are often rare and expensive, limiting the potential to build new technology.
In an article recently published in Physical Review Materials, researchers from SANKEN at The University of Osaka and collaborating institutions reported the creation of a special thin-film material in which cobalt atoms formed local honeycomb arrangements embedded inside a larger honeycomb matrix. These cobalt honeycomb motifs exhibit strong magnetic interactions, which are important for quantum computing applications.
Kitaev materials, a class of quantum magnetic materials studied for their potential use in quantum information science, have attracted major attention because they may host exotic quantum states known as spin liquids.
Taking dark energy out of the equation: Mathematicians challenge the standard cosmological model of the universe
Mathematicians are challenging the idea that dark energy is responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe. In a new paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, mathematicians from the University of California, Davis, provide mathematical proof that instabilities inherent in the Einstein-Euler equations imply that the current model of the expanding universe is not viable.
The Einstein-Euler equations are a union of general relativity and fluid dynamics equations used to model astronomical phenomena such as galaxies, black holes, and cosmic expansion.
The research directly challenges the Lambda-cold dark matter model, the standard cosmological model of the Big Bang.
Electrical pulses reverse aging in sea squirts, offering clues for extending human longevity
A tiny sea creature might hold the secret to reversing the aging process. When treated with a brief series of electrical pulses, sea squirts experience dramatic and long-lasting health improvements that can significantly extend their lifespans, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford and other institutions.
The findings, published in PNAS, open new possibilities for protecting marine species from warming waters, learning what causes stem cells in our own bodies to degrade, and potentially finding new ways to use these cells to treat medical conditions.
“This treatment recharges stem cells,” said study co-senior author Ayelet Voskoboynik, an assistant professor of biology in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. “Understanding this mechanism is the key to unlocking how we might one day slow stem cell aging and trigger rejuvenation pathways.”
Quantum pendulum clock overcomes classical accuracy limits and sheds light on quantum to classical transitions
In a grandfather clock, a pendulum swings back and forth and this periodic motion is maintained using the energy stored in its suspended weights. This is done with the help of the escapement mechanism, which converts the gravitational energy of the weights into impulses that drive the pendulum, which then moves the clock’s gears, which move its hands.
A group of researchers recently designed a quantum version of the pendulum clock. According to their new study, published in Physical Review A, this quantum pendulum clock can operate autonomously and is more accurate than previous quantum clocks.
How bacteria survive with almost no oxygen— and why blocking one enzyme could aid new antibiotics
Researchers in Leiden have, for the first time, observed how a specialized enzyme helps bacteria stay alive when oxygen levels are low, and how that process can be blocked. The study, published in Science Advances, opens up new possibilities for targeted antibiotics.
It really exists: a secret trick that allows bacteria to survive with very little oxygen. This also applies to bacteria that can make us sick. “Like us, these bacteria need oxygen to survive,” says Ph.D. candidate Tijn van der Velden. “But unlike humans, they have a special enzyme called cytochrome bd that allows them to keep producing energy even when oxygen levels are very low.” Because the enzyme is so important for bacterial survival, it is a promising target for new antibiotics, including potential treatments for tuberculosis.