In a paper published in Earth and Planetary Physics, researchers propose a semi-empirical model combining Burton's empirical Dst formula with global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to predict geomagnetic storm intensity. The hybrid approach demonstrates higher accuracy than pure empirical models when tested against moderate-to-intense storm events, while maintaining computational efficiency for operational space weather forecasting. This advancement enables more reliable Dst index estimation within global magnetosphere simulations.

Physicists from the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and their collaborators have reported the first observation and spectroscopy of aluminium-20, a previously unknown and unstable isotope that decays via the rare process of three-proton emission.

New University of South Australia research is providing evidence of biological triggers of oil production in oats, a discovery that will help processing and potentially drive further demand for Australian-grown oats.

Researchers from the University of Tokyo in collaboration with Aisin Corporation have demonstrated that universal scaling laws, which describe how the properties of a system change with size and scale, apply to deep neural networks that exhibit absorbing phase transition behavior, a phenomenon typically observed in physical systems. The discovery not only provides a framework describing deep neural networks but also helps predict their trainability or generalizability. The findings were published in the journal Physical Review Research.

The mechanical strength and toughness of engineering materials are often mutually exclusive, posing challenges for material design and selection. To address this, a research team from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has uncovered an innovative strategy: by simply twisting the layers of 2D materials, they can enhance toughness without compromising material’s strength. This breakthrough facilitates the design of strong and tough new 2D materials, promoting their broader applications in photonic and electronic devices. The findings have been published in the international journal Nature Materials.