Formation

Image shows astronaut-geologist Harrison H. Schmitt standing next to a huge lunar boulder during NASA’s Apollo 17 mission in 1972. The scientists in this research used rock samples from this Apollo mission. Credit: NASA/Gene CernanNew research has uncovered the process behind the formation of unique magmatic rocks on the Moon, shedding light on their distinct composition and how they came to be on the lunar surface.New research has cracked a vital process in the creation of a unique rock type from the Moon. The discovery…

Observations with the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) found various silicate compounds and potentially iron, substances we also find in large amounts in the Solar System’s rocky planets. Credit: © Jenry A three-ringed structure in the planet-forming zone of a circumstellar disk where metals and minerals serve as a reservoir of planetary building blocks.A research team, including astronomers of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA), detected a three-ringed structure…

Astronomers have found early ring and spiral structures in young planetary disks, indicating that planet formation begins much earlier than previously thought. This groundbreaking discovery, revealed through ALMA data, challenges existing models of planet formation and suggests a much faster timeline for the emergence of planetary structures. (Artist’s concept.) Credit: SciTechDaily.comEarly Evolution of Planetary Disk Structures Seen for the First TimePlanet formation may occur much more rapidly than previously…

An interdisciplinary team has found that AI models, particularly the Transformer, process memory in a manner similar to the human brain’s hippocampus. This breakthrough suggests that applying neuroscience principles, like those of the NMDA receptor, to AI can improve memory functions, advancing the field of AI and offering insights into human brain function. Credit: SciTechDaily.comResearchers have discovered that AI memory consolidation processes resemble those in the human brain, specifically in the hippocampus,…

Recent observations of DG Taurus, a young star, reveal a smooth protoplanetary disk with no planet formation yet, suggesting it’s on the verge of this process. Findings show unexpected dust grain growth patterns, providing new insights into early planet formation stages. Credit: SciTechDaily.comAstronomers have gotten very good at spotting the signs of planet formation around stars. However, to fully grasp planet formation, it’s crucial to examine cases where this process hasn’t begun.Looking for something and not finding…

The CLOUD experiment at CERN. Credit: CERN Atmospheric aerosol particles exert a strong net cooling effect on the climate by making clouds brighter and more extensive, reflecting more sunlight back out to space. However, how aerosol particles form in the atmosphere remains poorly understood, especially in polar and marine regions. Globally, the main…

NASA’s Starling mission will test new technologies for autonomous swarm navigation on four CubeSats in low-Earth orbit. Credit: Blue Canyon Technologies/NASA NASA’s Starling mission overcomes early challenges, with its spacecraft now in formation and gearing up for advanced swarm technology experiments. NASA’s Starling spacecraft are getting in formation: the mission team has spent the last two months troubleshooting issues and commissioning the four spacecraft, nicknamed Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Pinky, Inky, and…

Credit: Geophysical Research Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1029/2023GL106036 Understanding cloud formation in polar regions is essential to discern the influence of solar radiation on the polar ice caps. Existing numerical models, however, struggle to replicate ice clouds accurately. Now, using real-world observations and climate data, researchers from Japan have found that marine bioaerosols carried by streams of warm,…

Deep inside rocky planets like Earth, the behavior of iron can greatly affect the properties of molten rock materials: properties that influenced how Earth formed and evolved. Scientists used powerful lasers and ultrafast X-rays to recreate the extreme conditions in these molten rock materials, called silicate melts, and measure properties of iron. Credit: Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory New research exploring the quantum properties of elements in extreme environments has significant implications for…

Vector graphic of the land mass of the supercontinent Pangea. Credit: Rainer Lesniewski A recent study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth sheds new light on the formation of the East Coast of the United States—a "passive margin," in geologic terms—during the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea and the opening of the Atlantic Ocean around 230 million years ago.…