Phys.org November 7, 2024 Key requirements for next-generation space manipulators include dexterity, modularity, redundancy, workspace enhancement, and autonomous mobility. Researchers in the UK addressed these issues with a novel seven-degrees-of-freedom dexterous End-Over-End Walking Robot (E-Walker) for future In-Space Assembly and Manufacturing missions. They considered the in-situ robotic assembly of the primary mirror of a 25 m Large Aperture Space Telescope (LAST). Comparing the power, time, control and motion planning complexities of eleven mission Concept of Operations (ConOps), the trade-off analysis shortlisted a potential mission scenario. The operational assessments of two potential mission ConOps were compared to estimate the time required […]
Zinc to the rescue: Study uncovers how foliar sprays enhance drought resilience in crops
Phys.org November 13, 2024 Researchers in India demonstrated that zinc in nano form (Zn Nano) and chelated form (Zn EDTA) effectively alleviates stress, improves photosynthetic efficiency and protects the photosynthetic apparatus. The study highlighted the crucial role of the xanthophyll cycle pigments—violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, and zeaxanthin—in dissipating excess light energy, with zinc treatments enhancing their protective effects under stress. The study also discussed the possible roles of Zn binding chloroplastic proteins in water stress alleviation. According to the researchers their findings underscore the potential of zinc foliar sprays, particularly in nano form, as an effective strategy to boost drought resilience in […]
Top 10 Science and Technology Inventions for the Week of November 8, 2024
01. Optical amplifier and record-sensitive receiver pave the way for faster space communication 02. Unlocking next-gen chip efficiency: Researchers confirm thermal insights for tiny circuits 03. Revealing causal links in complex systems 04. Successful development of a perfect diamagnetic conducting polymer 05. Bioinspired hydrogels harness sunlight: A step closer to artificial photosynthesis 06. Janus-like metasurface technology shows different optical responses according to the direction of light 07. Physicists propose Bell test for probing quantum entanglement 08. Scientist develops new equation to better predict behavior of atmospheric rivers 09. Scientists investigate contrail formation to reduce climate impact 10. Study examines effects […]
Bioinspired hydrogels harness sunlight: A step closer to artificial photosynthesis
Phys.org November 6, 2024 Aquatic environments host various living organisms with active molecular systems that realize photosynthesis. Researchers in Japan addressed the significant challenges in using polymer networks as active mediators for photoinduced water splitting. They incorporated various features offered by artificial chloroplasts polymer networks for stepwise synthesis and integration during the hierarchical construction. The constituent molecules were closely arranged to smoothly operate forward reactions by polymer networks. The quantum efficiency of photoinduced H2 generation in gel systems was higher than that of conventional solution systems. Additionally, a thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) network of microgels could be used to integrate catalytic […]
Cloud-inspired method of guiding light: Waveguiding mechanism could provide new ways to look inside the human body
Phys.org November 1, 2024 The guiding and transport of energy, for example, of electromagnetic waves, underpins many modern technologies, ranging from long-distance optical fibre telecommunications to on-chip optical processors. It requires localizing the waves or particles in the confinement region, such as total internal reflection at a boundary. An international team of researchers (UK, USA – University of Arizona) introduced a waveguiding mechanism that relies on a different origin for the exponential confinement and that arises owing to the physics of diffusion. They demonstrated this concept using light and showed that the photon density could propagate as a guided mode […]
From compliance to conversation: New guidelines push for ethical reflection in research reporting
Phys.org November 4, 2024 Emerging technologies and societal changes create new ethical concerns and greater need for cross-disciplinary and cross–stakeholder communication on navigating ethics in research. An international team of researchers (Australia, Sweden, UK) addressed concerns regarding research ethics, in research involving emerging technologies through developing novel policy that aimed to foster learning through the expression of ethical concepts in research. They developed new editorial policy for expression of research ethics in scholarly outputs across disciplines. These guidelines, aimed at authors, reviewers, and editors, were underpinned by: a cross-disciplinary scoping review of existing policy and adherence to these policies; a […]
Janus-like metasurface technology shows different optical responses according to the direction of light
Phys.org October 15, 2024 Janus metasurfaces have the ability to control light asymmetrically at the pixel level within thin films. However, previous demonstrations are restricted to the partial control of asymmetric transmission for a limited set of input polarizations, focusing primarily on scalar functionalities. Researchers in the Republic of South Korea developed optical bi-layer metasurfaces that achieve a fully generalized form of asymmetric transmission for any input polarization. The theoretical model revealed a fundamental correlation between the polarization-direction channels of opposing sides. They partitioned the transmission space to realize four distinct vector functionalities within the target volume. As a proof […]
New trigger proposed for record-smashing 2022 Tonga eruption—unstudied data from seismic wave points to early signals
Phys.org November 4, 2024 Researchers in Japan analyzed seismometer data recorded in Fiji and Futuna located over 750 km away. They extracted Rayleigh waves and estimated their powers and source directions, assuming retrograde particle motions. They found a Rayleigh wave from the HTHH’s direction about 15 min before the eruption onset. The arrival time difference of the Rayleigh wave between the two stations was consistent with that of the M5.8 earthquake during the eruption located beneath the HTHH. Referring to other seismic signals and satellite images, they concluded that the Rayleigh wave was the most significant eruption precursor with no […]
Optical amplifier and record-sensitive receiver pave the way for faster space communication
Phys.org October 30, 2024 Conventional optical amplifiers that use stimulated emission suffer from the generation of excess noise, thus limiting the performance in many applications. The phase-sensitive optical parametric amplifier can approach a noise figure of 0 dB. However, its implementation in optical communication links is cumbersome due to increased complexity. An international team of researchers (Sweden, Sri Lanka) proposed and demonstrated an implementation of a transmission system using a standalone ultralow-noise phase-sensitively preamplified receiver and a conventional single-wave optical transmitter. According to the researchers their approach was simple and could transform amplifiers to practical use, such as deep-space-to-earth communication […]
Physicists propose Bell test for probing quantum entanglement
Phys.org November 4, 2024 Attosecond physics enables the study of ultrafast coherent electron dynamics in matter upon photoexcitation and photoionization where there has been a strong focus on probing the physical manifestations of internal quantum coherence within the individual parent ion and photoelectron systems. An international team of researchers (UK, Germany) designed theoretically and modelled numerically a direct probe of quantum entanglement in attosecond photoionization in the form of a Bell test and paved the way for the direct observation of entanglement in the context of ultrafast photoionization of many-electron systems. According to the researchers their work provides a novel […]