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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-Jun-2026 09:16 ET (23-Jun-2026 13:16 GMT/UTC)

Understanding how lasers can rapidly magnetize fusion plasmas

Princeton University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

PPPL researchers have identified a novel mechanism in which expanding plasmas rapidly self-magnetize through the Weibel instability, generating magnetic fields strong enough to alter heat transport. The finding, supported by first-principles simulations, has direct implications for inertial fusion research and for understanding how magnetic fields arise in astrophysical plasmas.

Journal: Physical Review Letters
Funder: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

Plants walk a fine line between growth and defense

University of California - Davis
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Salicylic acid, the active molecule in aspirin and some acne medications, is a hormone in plants that is essential for immunity, but it’s a double-edged sword: Too much can cause autoimmunity and stunt growth. In a new study UC Davis researchers discovered that plants use a surprising multi-layered system to regulate salicylic acid levels and keep their immune system in check.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Researchers get a better picture of power failures during extreme wind events

Washington State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A model developed by Washington State University researchers can predict how transmission towers might fail and collapse in extreme wind events. The work, reported in the journal, Engineering Structures, could someday help power companies identify the most vulnerable transmission towers in extreme wind events and determine which should have retrofits to reduce the power outage risks.

Journal: Engineering Structures

A surprisingly simple way to control quantum behavior

University of Maryland College of Computer Mathematical & Natural Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study from UMD chemical physicists could lead to more stable quantum memory, safer fuel storage and an improved ability to measure comet temperatures in outer space.

Journal: Physical Review Letters

Superconductivity that shouldn’t exist?

Institute of Science and Technology Austria
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The material UTe₂ exhibits multiple forms of zero electrical resistance—a phenomenon known as superconductivity—and displays several puzzling properties. After UTe₂ loses its superconductivity at a certain magnetic field, it becomes superconducting again under much higher fields. Using a new high-field measurement technique, researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) have explained this unusual superconducting behavior in a paper in Nature Communications. Their method is now being adopted at high‑field laboratories worldwide.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: European Research Council, State of Florida

UK researchers bridge Kentucky’s energy past with world’s energy future

University of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 28, 2026) — Coal has long been the fuel at the heart of energy production in the Commonwealth. Kentuckians often grow up with stories of their grandfather’s days in the mines. But researchers at the University of Kentucky are finding ways to repurpose coal for energy storage — in the form of lithium-ion batteries.

Powerful X-ray generator gets a refresh

DOE/Sandia National Laboratories

After nearly 40 years of service and 4,726 firings, called “shots,” Sandia National Laboratories’ Saturn accelerator, one of the nation’s brightest X-ray generators, received redesigned switches, a new core section and a reengineered X-ray source.

How does electron structure impact light responses in moiré materials?

University of Southern California
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research from the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at USC Viterbi shows how the organization of electrons can reshape how a material responds to light – opening previously inconceivable possibilities for optical and quantum technologies.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Funder: University of Southern California Zumberge Preliminary Studies Research Award, National Science and Technology Council, National Science and Technology Council

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