All articles tagged with #plasma
KDE Linux is moving toward its beta milestone by enabling delta updates by default, improving hardware support, and boosting performance with kernel optimizations (including the Zen kernel and low-latency tweaks) and other enhancements like rar support and a command-not-found handler, drawing on ideas from Arch-based CachyOS.
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have built a plasma tunnel that mimics the extreme heat and pressure of reentry, reaching up to 9,000°F to test materials, heat shields, and sensors under hypersonic conditions; the facility can also reproduce Mars-like CO2 atmospheres, and scientists are exploring magnetic control of the plasma to potentially steer reentry, which could improve future spacecraft safety and maneuverability.
CachyOS's first 2026 ISO switches to Wayland by default and uses KDE Plasma Login Manager, replaces SDDM, and makes Limine the default bootloader. The release also enables Btrfs compression level 1, adds nouveau-fw for older NVIDIA GPUs to support VA-API, and includes fixes for Framework laptops with AMD Zen 5, alongside GNOME package handling improvements.
LeAnn Rimes shared on Instagram that she underwent Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (removing plasma and replacing it with fresh albumin) and a stem cell boost at a Nashville clinic while on a day off from filming 9-1-1: Nashville. She explained the process as removing harmful substances from the plasma to help the body heal, likening it to an “oil change for your body,” and noted she experienced a headache afterward. Rimes emphasized openness about health treatments and acknowledged that access to such therapies isn’t universal.
KDE Plasma's transition to a Wayland-only desktop environment is nearing completion, with significant progress made in 2025 on features like HDR support, color management, and protocol implementations, aiming for a full switch by early 2027, while also introducing various UI enhancements.
Astrophotographer Mark Johnston captured detailed footage of a solar prominence, a large plasma structure extending from the sun's surface, showcasing the dynamic magnetic environment of the sun with high-resolution imaging.
Researchers at the University of Hawai'i have discovered that the mysterious rain on the Sun, composed of superheated plasma, is influenced by shifting flows of elements like iron, silicon, and magnesium in the Sun's corona. This finding helps explain the rapid formation of coronal rain and suggests new insights into solar atmospheric dynamics and coronal heating. The study challenges previous models assuming constant elemental distribution and opens avenues for further research into solar phenomena.
Scientists have long struggled to explain the rapid formation of 'solar rain'—cool, dense plasma blobs that fall during solar flares. Recent research shows that allowing elemental abundances, especially low FIP elements like iron, to vary in models explains the quick cooling and condensation observed. This new understanding improves the accuracy of solar models, helping to better interpret solar activity and predict space weather effects.
A rare and spectacular atmospheric phenomenon called STEVE, a ribbon of super-hot plasma, was observed during a strong aurora in Wyoming, visible for over 30 minutes and captured by local enthusiasts, highlighting its infrequent and mysterious nature linked to intense solar activity.
An entitled woman at a plasma donation center refused to accept her ineligibility for donation, highlighting issues of entitlement and ethical concerns around paid donations, with discussions on the health and social implications of plasma donation practices.
Researchers at UCLA and other institutions observed image rotation in plasma using Alfvén waves, demonstrating a form of light dragging in a natural medium, which could have implications for astrophysics and plasma technology.
Scientists have achieved the sharpest-ever images of the sun's corona using advanced adaptive optics, revealing new features like delicate coronal rain, a rapidly forming plasma 'plasmoid', and dynamic solar prominences, which could help solve longstanding mysteries about solar heating and space weather phenomena.
Researchers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have made a significant breakthrough in stellarator fusion technology by developing a computational method to optimize plasma confinement. This method uses a proxy function to predict particle loss rates, allowing for the exploration of various magnetic configurations that improve particle retention. This advancement could enhance the efficiency and stability of stellarators, bringing fusion energy closer to practical use.
A theoretical astrophysicist from the University of Kansas, Mikhail Medvedev, has proposed a solution to the mysterious 'zebra' pattern observed in the Crab Nebula's radio emissions. By modeling wave diffraction and using wave optics, Medvedev suggests that the pattern is caused by the diffraction of electromagnetic pulses through the pulsar's plasma, which varies in density. This new understanding could enhance the study of pulsars and their magnetospheres, offering insights into their plasma density and distribution.
Scientists have discovered that the sun's magnetic field likely originates from instabilities in the plasma across the outermost layers of the solar surface, rather than deep within the star. This finding, based on complex computer simulations and helioseismology data, could improve predictions of solar flares and storms, which can impact Earth's technology and infrastructure. The study, published in Nature, challenges the prevailing focus on deep solar dynamo action and suggests that surface perturbations play a crucial role in magnetic field formation.