Researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou) and Sichuan University have successfully extended the direct measurement of ¹²C(¹²C,a₀)²³Na down to E_c.m.=2.22MeV. This reaction—known as carbon burning—is a primary process in massive stars and the ignition trigger for Type Ia supernova explosions. Using an Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) target and an innovative time-projection chamber (TPC) coupled to silicon detectors, the team reached unprecedented sensitivity to this key astrophysical process. The experiment also revealed significant radiation damage to the HOPG target under the intense carbon beam, which reduced the yield of α and proton. These results provide crucial data for nuclear astrophysics and point toward future improvements in low-energy fusion experiments.

One-pot recipes make preparing meals quick and easy. And one-pot 3D-printing could do the same for additive manufacturing. Now, researchers publishing in ACS Central Science have demonstrated a new resin that simultaneously creates solid objects and dissolvable structural supports, depending on what type of light the resin is exposed to. The approach could increase the applications for 3D-printed objects, including tissue engineering scaffolds, joints and hinges.

The development of ferroptosis-based nanotherapeutics is generally limited by poor penetration depth into tumors and potential systemic toxicity. 

In a recent issue of International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, Tu and coworkers from Southern Medical University addressed these challenges by proposing the design and fabrication of self-propelled ferroptosis nanoinducers, composed of only two endogenous proteins with natural bioactivity.

This work offers a strategy for constructing a biocompatible cancer treatment paradigm with enhanced diffusion to achieve deeper penetration into tumor tissues, centered around the concept of ferroptosis.

The entry of quantum computers into society is currently hindered by their sensitivity to disturbances in the environment. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, and Aalto University and the University of Helsinki in Finland, now present a new type of exotic quantum material, and a method that uses magnetism to create stability. This breakthrough can make quantum computers significantly more resilient – paving the way for them to be robust enough to tackle quantum calculations in practice.

The fluorescence lidar technology does not only enable a better determination of the origin of particles in the atmosphere. The method can also visualise particle layers that were previously practically invisible. This is the conclusion drawn by a team from the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) from the evaluation of 250 hours of lidar measurements over Leipzig in 2022 and 2023. The researchers had repeatedly observed very thin layers of smoke at high altitudes, which originated from forest fires in Canada but could not be seen using conventional methods. This suggests that the upper troposphere over Europe may be more polluted than previously assumed, especially during the summer forest fire season, the research team writes in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. The observations suggest that thin layers of smoke can favour the formation of ice clouds. The fluorescence method offers great opportunities for a more detailed investigation of such interactions between aerosols and clouds.

The measurements in Leipzig are once again showing wildfire smoke from Canada. This smoke is therefore not only visible on satellite images, but can now be analysed in more detail using fluorescence lidar technology.