When a star moves around a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in a close elliptical orbit, it gets partially tidally disrupted every time it reaches the pericenter, emitting a series of luminous flares, known as partial tidal disruption event (pTDE).

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental physical process in plasmas, through which the magnetic energy is converted into plasma kinetic energy and thermal energy rapidly. Current sheets in turbulent plasma are the key trigger to magnetic reconnection. However, how current sheets come into being remains unresolved.

A recent study by researchers from CSIRO and the University of Melbourne has made progress in quantum machine learning, a field aimed at using quantum advantage to outperform classical machine learning. Their work demonstrates that quantum circuits for data encoding in quantum machine learning can be greatly simplified without compromising accuracy or robustness. This research was published Sept.12 in Intelligent Computing, a Science Partner Journal.

Affective computing, a field focused on understanding and emulating human emotions, has seen significant advancements thanks to deep learning. However, researchers at the Technical University of Munich caution that an over-reliance on deep learning may hinder progress by overlooking other emerging trends in artificial intelligence. Their review, published Sep. 16 in Intelligent Computing, a Science Partner Journal, advocate using a variety of AI methodologies to tackle ongoing challenges in affective computing.

A new study presents a breakthrough in energy storage by introducing vanadium doping to lithium-rich layered oxides. This modification significantly enhances oxygen redox reversibility, improving voltage stability and boosting initial Coulombic efficiency to 91.6%. The vanadium-doped material addresses key issues in lithium-ion batteries, such as low efficiency and rapid voltage decay, making it a promising solution for next-generation battery technologies. These advancements offer a clear pathway for overcoming existing challenges in high-energy storage systems, particularly in applications like electric vehicles and renewable energy storage.

A new study by researchers at the Karolinska Institute and the University of Hamburg suggests liquid biopsy may revolutionize the detection of pancreatic incidentalomas or incidental pancreatic lesions. With the potential to offer non-invasive screening, liquid biopsy could identify high-risk patients for early intervention, potentially reducing mortality in pancreatic cancer.