The latest news in physics, materials science, quantum physics, optics and photonics, superconductivity science and technology. Updated Daily.
Scientists investigate how cerium is produced in the universe
Cerium is a rare Earth metal that has numerous technological applications, for example, in some types of lightbulbs and flat-screen TVs. While the element is rare in Earth's crust, it is slightly more abundant in the universe. However, much is unknown about how it is synthesized in stars.
High-efficiency hollow-core optical fiber cable for medical procedures
A research group led by Prof. Jiang Haihe from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has designed a 6-hole microstructure anti-resonant air-core fiber (AR-HCF) with a larger core diameter of 78 mm.
Coalescence-fragmentation cycles based on human conflict
In 1960, Lewis Fry Richardson famously observed that the severity of a wartime event is described by a simple power law distribution that scales according to the size of the conflict. Statisticians have since proposed various modifications, but they continue to agree that the casualty count in a violent conflict tends to scale with the size of the insurgent group that caused the conflict.
The sticking point: Why physicists are still struggling to understand ice's capacity to adhere and become slippery
Whether in the form of frost or a smooth, transparent ice cube, ice adheres spontaneously and even quite strongly to many solid surfaces. However, as any careless person who has skidded on a winter sidewalk can testify, ice can also be very slippery. In fact, ice can be both sticky and slippery.