A series of studies sheds new light on the early stages of the evolution of the planet closest to the Sun. Using experimental petrology, the researchers are reconstructing in the laboratory the formation of Mercury’s core, the crystallisation of its magma ocean and the formation of its mantle.

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have produced the first detailed map of molecular gas across Stephan’s Quintet, a nearby group of interacting galaxies where some regions form stars far less efficiently than expected. Their observations reveal that the effect of turbulence on star-forming gases may control whether stars are birthed or not.

How do animals perceive three-dimensional space, and how do they navigate within it? How does the brain translate sensory stimuli into specific behavior? Starting in October, Dr. Fabian Voigt will investigate these questions with a new research group at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin. To visualize these connections in freely moving animals, the neuroscientist has received an ERC Starting Grant to develop a new generation of optical microscopes.

High pressure-temperature experiments using a large-volume multianvil apparatus show that subducted carbonate addition promotes Ca-Mg exchange with silicates and enhances Ca incorporation under Fe-rich conditions, significantly boosting davemaoite exsolution in carbonate-altered oceanic crust. This reaction concentrates davemaoite to 12–33 vol.% near 560 km depth, producing the 2–4% impedance contrast required to explain the seismic splitting of the 520-km mantle discontinuity. Consequently, deep carbon cycling plays a crucial role in actively reshaping mantle mineral equilibria.

A multifunctional frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LiDAR capable of high-precision ranging and multi-parameter sensing is proposed for the first time. By detecting the echo signals from both free space and optical fiber, 3D imaging and the measurements of diverse physical parameters, including environmental temperature, gas concentrations and liquid density can be measured simultaneously. The proposed multifunctional LiDAR exhibits significant application potential in fields such as new energy vehicles and spacecraft.

SAN ANTONIO — September 1, 2026 — New Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) modeling, conducted in collaboration with scientists at the University of Arizona, shows fundamental differences in how the Moon may have formed from the giant impact that created the Earth-Moon system. The new results used state-of-the-art computational techniques that factor in the material strength of the two colliding planets. These impact simulations could change how researchers understand Moon formation and may help constrain the timing of the event. This research was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.