EurekAlert! News by Subject: Chemistry & Physics - News by Subject: Chemistry & Physics

Chemistry & Physics

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-Dec-2025 16:11 ET (23-Dec-2025 21:11 GMT/UTC)

Superconductivity’s halo: Rice theoretical physicist helps map rare high-field phase

Rice University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A puzzling form of superconductivity that arises only under strong magnetic fields has been mapped and explained by a research team including Andriy Nevidomskyy, professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University. Their findings, published in Science July 31, detail how uranium ditelluride (UTe2) develops a superconducting halo under strong magnetic fields.

Journal: Science
Funder: U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. National Science Foundation

Nanodevice uses sound to sculpt light, paving the way for better displays and imaging

Stanford University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers have found a novel way to use high-frequency acoustic waves to mechanically manipulate light at the nanometer scale. Potential applications include everything from ultrathin screens to optimized holographic VR headsets.

Journal: Science

Do you want to freeze a cloud? Desert dust might help

ETH Zurich
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers discovered a clear pattern that shows how desert dust particles facilitate ice formation in clouds. This discovery highlights the importance of aerosols for understanding cloud behaviour, predicting precipitation, and assessing the role of clouds in climate change.

Journal: Science

AMS science preview: New lightning record, fewer hurricanes, fire forecasts

American Meteorological Society
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research published "early online" in journals of the American Meteorological Society includes breaking news of a lightning "megaflash" distance record, as well as new findings on tornado climatology, hurricane frequency, Colorado River water, reducing the urban heat island, how pay gaps impede firms' adaptation to climate risks, AI weather prediction, and successful carbon reduction efforts in China.

Journal: Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society

Sun exposure changes chemical fate of littered face masks

Washington University in St. Louis
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis reveal that discarded face masks undergo further chemical changes, affecting their movement in aquatic environments.

Journal: Journal of Hazardous Materials

GLP-1 RAs and risk of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in older patients with diabetes

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: This study of Medicare enrollees age 65 or older with type 2 diabetes found an association between semaglutide use and an increased risk of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. There was risk variation among the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs); semaglutide and liraglutide were associated with higher risks.

Journal: JAMA Ophthalmology

Scientists reveal what makes optimal transport theory optimal in generative models

School of Science, The University of Tokyo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Joint research led by Sosuke Ito of the University of Tokyo has shown that nonequilibrium thermodynamics, a branch of physics that deals with constantly changing systems, explains why optimal transport theory, a mathematical framework for the optimal change of distribution to reduce the cost, makes generative models optimal. As nonequilibrium thermodynamics has yet to be fully leveraged in designing generative models, the discovery offers a novel thermodynamic approach to machine learning research. The findings were published in the journal Physical Review X.

Journal: Physical Review X