Wednesday 15 November 2017

Tuning the optical, photocatalytic properties of so-called carbon dots

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The optical and photocatalytic properties of so-called carbon dots can be precisely tuned by controlling the positions of nitrogen atoms introduced into their structure, physicists have demonstrated in a new study.
via Science Daily

Pluto's hydrocarbon haze keeps dwarf planet colder than expected

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The gas composition of a planet's atmosphere generally determines how much heat gets trapped in the atmosphere. For the dwarf planet Pluto, however, the predicted temperature based on the composition of its atmosphere was much higher than actual measurements taken by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft in 2015. A new study proposes a novel cooling mechanism controlled by haze particles to account for Pluto's frigid atmosphere.
via Science Daily
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Closest temperate world orbiting quiet star discovered

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A temperate Earth-sized planet has been discovered only 11 light-years from the solar system by a team using ESO's unique planet-hunting HARPS instrument. The new world has the designation Ross 128 b and is now the second-closest temperate planet to be detected after Proxima b. It is also the closest planet to be discovered orbiting an inactive red dwarf star, which may increase the likelihood that this planet could potentially sustain life.
via Science Daily
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Listening for gravitational waves using pulsars

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When galaxies collide, their central black holes tend to spiral toward each other, releasing gravitational waves in their cosmic dance. To explore this uncharted area of gravitational wave science, researchers look a natural experiment in the sky called a pulsar timing array. Pulsars are dense remnants of dead stars that regularly emit beams of radio waves, which is why some call them "cosmic lighthouses."
via Science Daily
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Eleven Light-Years Away, an Earth-Size Planet That May Be Habitable

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Astronomers have found a planet circling Ross 128, a quiet red star in our own galactic neighborhood.
via New York Times