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Exhaustive emissions modeling by global physicists narrows down particle candidates. The detection more than a decade ago by the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope of an excess of high-energy radiation in the center of the Milky Way convinced some physicists that they were seeing evidence of the annihilation of dark matter particles, but a team led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine has ruled out that interpretation. In a paper published recently in the journal Physical Review D, the UCI scientists and colleagues at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and other institutions report that – through an analysis of the Fermi data and an exhaustive series of modeling exercises – they were able to determine that the observed gamma rays could not have been produced by what are called weakly interacting massive particles, most popularly theorized as the stuff of dark matter....

Using images from the 340 Mpx MegaCam camera on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) from the summit of Mauna Kea, astronomers identified the massive cluster of young stars NGC 1980 to be a clearly separate entity from the main cluster of the most studied star formation region in the Galaxy. A technique relying on the combination of optical, infrared, and mid-infrared data ensures astronomers are sampling only stars located in the foreground of the Orion nebula....

At the regional level and worldwide, the occurrence of large shallow earthquakes appears to follow a mathematical pattern called the Devil’s Staircase, where clusters of earthquake events are separated by long but irregular intervals of seismic quiet. The finding published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America differs from the pattern predicted by classical earthquake modeling that suggests earthquakes would occur periodically or quasi-periodically based on cycles of build-up and release of tectonic stress....

Trial provides ‘grounds for optimism’ for many people with persistent headaches and those who care for them. Eating a diet rich in omega 3 (n-3) fatty acids reduces the frequency of headaches compared with a diet with normal intake of omega 3 and omega 6 (n-6) fatty acids, finds a study published by The BMJ today (June 30, 2021). Modern industrialized diets tend to be low in omega 3 fatty acids and high in omega 6 fatty acids....

Mount Sinai researchers have published a study today (February 22, 2023) in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association that sheds new light on the role of DNA methylation in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study found that DNA methylation has a profound impact on gene and protein co-expression networks associated with AD and could lead to the discovery of new neuropathological processes and molecular mechanisms for developing novel treatments for the disease....

See Jupiter and Venus appear nearer each night, as they head for a close conjunction at the start of March. Use bright stars Capella and Elnath to identify the constellation Auriga, and then find your way to two distant star clusters using Sirius as a guidepost. What to look for in February: Planets gather, the charioteer, and “Sirius” star clusters! Venus and Jupiter cozy up, the constellation Auriga makes a worthy target, and two star clusters you can find using Sirius and a pair of binoculars....

The study will be published online today (January 2, 2023) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dry eye disease occurs when the eye can’t provide adequate lubrication with natural tears. People with the common disorder use various types of drops to replace missing natural tears and keep the eyes lubricated, but when eyes are dry, the cornea is more susceptible to injury. “We have drugs, but they only work well in about 10% to 15% of patients,” said senior investigator Rajendra S....

This valley is part of the Gregory Rift, an eastern branch of the East African Rift, which is being caused by the separation of the Somali plate from the Nubian plate. Major tectonic and volcanic activity have shaped the distinctive landscape of the Great Rift Valley which runs through Kenya from north to south. The dramatic landscape contains the Cherangani Hills and forests to the west, a chain of volcanoes, of which some are still active, escarpments, and jewel-like lakes....

They describe what they call an “optical link” in an article in Scientific Reports. The optical link is a tiny slice of silicon etched with a pattern that resembles a barcode. When a beam of light is shined at the link, two different wavelengths (colors) of light split off at right angles to the input, forming a T shape. This is a big step toward creating a complete system for connecting computer components with light rather than wires....

The Cassini Spacecraft views the moon Dione as it transits Saturn. Saturn’s moon Dione crosses the face of the giant planet in this view, a phenomenon astronomers call a transit. Transits play an important role in astronomy and can be used to study the orbits of planets and their atmospheres, both in our solar system and in others. By carefully timing and observing transits in the Saturn system, like that of Dione (698 miles or 1123 kilometers across), scientists can more precisely determine the orbital parameters of Saturn’s moons....

With the right approach, statistics can be used to reliably track the growth and fall in daily new cases of Covid-19 in China, raising hopes that similar approaches could more accurately predict the spread of the virus in other nations. Efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic are now the top priority of governments across the globe. As they make these life-saving decisions, it is particularly crucial for policymakers to accurately predict how the spread of the virus will change over time....

With simple arguments, researchers show that nature is complicated! Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute have made a simple experiment that demonstrates that nature violates common sense – the world is different than most people believe. The experiment illustrates that light does not behave according to the principles of classical physics, but that light has quantum mechanical properties. The new method could be used to study whether other systems behave quantum mechanically....

A Yale-led team of mineral physicists has for the first time confirmed through high-pressure experiments the structure of cold-compressed graphite, a form of carbon that is comparable in hardness to its cousin, diamond, but only requires pressure to synthesize. The researchers believe their findings could open the way for a super hard material that can withstand great force and can be used — as diamond-based materials are now — for many electronic and industrial applications....

There is no effective vaccine currently available to prevent Lyme disease in humans. Experts from academia, government, and industry convened at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s Banbury Center to tackle this public health challenge. Now, a new paper published in the October 17 2019 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases highlights the conference discussions, reiterates the need to stop the infection, and defines a strategy for developing effective vaccines. “Countermeasures such as vaccines are needed to stem the growing number of cases per year,” said Dr....

However, sticking with candy analogies, maybe think more about malt balls and not gooey caramels. A new study suggests that the deep part of the ancient mantle closest to the Earth’s core started out substantially drier than the part of the mantle closest to the young planet’s surface. This research was conducted by Rita Parai, assistant professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St....

In their latest research, scientists showed that mice with gene variants previously linked to Alzheimer’s disease were at a greater risk of dying when infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In addition, a retrospective analysis indicates that patients with those same gene variants were more likely to have died of COVID throughout the pandemic. With 3% of the world population possessing these gene variants, the findings may have implications for hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide....

Toussidé has undergone a number of eruptions and lava flows, with the lava reaching lengths of 25 km and covering an area of 200 sq km, appearing to have ‘stained’ the ground in the process. The volcano ejected tephra, fragments of rock and volcano glass, lava, and ash. In the middle of the field lies Pic Toussidé, a lava dome which can be seen poking out of the caldera. Toussidé is said to be amongst the youngest volcanoes in Tibesti....

The rapid retreat of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica appears to be driven by different processes under its floating ice shelf than researchers previously understood, a team of scientists has concluded. Its assessment is based on novel observations from where the ice enters the ocean—these show that while melting beneath much of the ice shelf is weaker than expected, melting in cracks and crevasses is much faster. Significantly, despite the suppressed melting, the glacier is still retreating, the researchers note....

Findings suggest the first galaxies in the universe were more massive than previously thought. The Milky Way is surrounded by dozens of dwarf galaxies that are thought to be relics of the very first galaxies in the universe. Among the most primitive of these galactic fossils is Tucana II — an ultrafaint dwarf galaxy that is about 50 kiloparsecs, or 163,000 light years, from Earth. Now MIT astrophysicists have detected stars at the edge of Tucana II, in a configuration that is surprisingly far from its center but nevertheless caught up in the tiny galaxy’s gravitational pull....

An international research team led by Prof. Alex Wyatt of the Department of Ocean Science at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, has investigated this surprising and paradoxical coral bleaching episode. The unexpected event was related to the passage of anti-cyclonic eddies that elevated sea levels and concentrated hot water over the reef, leading to an underwater marine heatwave that was largely hidden from view at the surface....