WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), in partnership with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), has developed StarBurst, a small satellite (SmallSat) instrument for NASA's StarBurst Multimessenger Pioneer mission, which will detect the emission of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), a key electromagnetic (EM) signature that will contribute to the understanding of neutron star (NS) mergers.

Astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy have constructed the first detailed 3D map of the properties of cosmic dust in our home galaxy. For their map, the astronomers used 130 million spectra from ESA’s Gaia mission, results from the LAMOST spectral survey, and machine learning. Dust makes distant astronomical objects appear more reddish and dimmer than they really are, so the new map will be an important tool for astronomers to make sense of their observations.  The study has also revealed unusual properties of cosmic dust that will lead to further research.

A research team from Southern University of Science and Technology discovered a small polaron effect induced by a giant deformation potential in Dion-Jacobson phase two-dimensional (2D) lead halide perovskites. The study provides direct evidence of the interplay between charge carriers and the lattice, showing up to a tenfold increase in spin lifetime, significantly improving optoelectronic properties. This discovery offers new insights into the design of high-performance materials and devices for next-generation optoelectronics.

Blazars are active galaxies that emit narrow jets of ionised matter from their centres, aimed towards Earth. Depending on properties of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the jets, astronomers divide such objects into different, clearly defined classes. However, with the BL Lacertae blazar, located in the background of the Lizard constellation, things turn out to be not quite so simple.