Science & Tech

JWST and Lensing Reveal Abundant Ultra-Faint Galaxies, Bolstering the Case They Powered Reionization

JWST + lensing study finds abundant ultra-faint galaxies at z≈6–9 with no turnover down to MUV≈−12, bolstering the case that faint galaxies powered reionization.

#astronomy, #jwst, #reionization, #galaxies

India’s Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam Reaches First Criticality

India's 500 MWe PFBR at Kalpakkam achieved first criticality on April 6, 2026, marking a key step toward commercial fast-breeder operation.

#india, #nuclear, #pfbr, #kalpakkam

Preprint suggests two supernova remnants may accelerate cosmic rays to PeV energies

A LHAASO preprint reports gamma rays up to hundreds of TeV from two supernova remnants, which authors interpret as evidence they accelerated hadronic cosmic rays to PeV energies.

#cosmicrays, #lhaaso, #supernova, #gammarays, #astrophysics

Preprint: CHIME Fast Radio Bursts Trace Diffuse Baryons Across the Cosmic Web

A new preprint uses dispersion from 3,455 CHIME fast radio bursts to statistically link FRB sightlines with maps of hot gas and galaxies, probing diffuse baryons.

#frb, #astrophysics, #cosmology, #chime, #baryons

Chinese Universities Scramble After CAS Journal 'Partition Table' Is Discontinued

Chinese universities must find new benchmarks after the Chinese Academy of Sciences stops updating its influential journal partition table from 2026.

#china, #academia, #research, #journals

Preprint: Kaonic-fluorine test finds QED holds in atomic fields above Schwinger limit

SIDDHARTA-2 preprint reports x-ray measurements from kaonic fluorine match Dirac-Fock QED predictions in atomic fields exceeding the Schwinger limit.

#physics, #qed, #kaons, #atomic-physics

Curiosity Finds Most Chemically Diverse Organic Molecules on Mars, Including Seven New Compounds

Curiosity's Glen Torridon sample from 2020 yielded 20+ organic molecules — seven never before seen on Mars — indicating ancient rocks can preserve complex carbon chemistry.

#mars, #curiosity, #organics, #space, #science

Wide JWST Survey Finds Fewer Galaxies at z≈10, Bringing Counts Closer to Spectroscopy

A 36-sightline JWST NIRCam survey reports lower galaxy counts near redshift 10 than earlier photometric studies, aligning better with spectroscopic results.

#jwst, #astronomy, #galaxies, #cosmology

NASA ships Artemis III SLS core stage from Michoud to Kennedy for 2027 test mission

NASA rolled out the Artemis III SLS core stage from Michoud and loaded it on a barge bound for Kennedy for final assembly ahead of a 2027 test mission.

$BA, $LHX, #nasa, #artemis, #sls, #space

DESI completes five-year survey; will continue through 2028 to probe dark energy

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument finished its original five‑year survey, mapping 47M+ objects. DESI will continue through 2028 to test whether dark energy evolves.

#astronomy, #darkenergy, #cosmology, #desi

SPHEREx maps vast interstellar ices and carbon-rich dust across Cygnus X and North American Nebula

NASA’s SPHEREx produced large near-infrared spectral maps revealing water, CO2 and PAH distributions across star-forming regions like Cygnus X.

#astronomy, #spherex, #interstellarice, #milkyway

Astronomers Report Possible Direct Detection of Ionizing UV from Faint Galaxies at Redshift 6

A new arXiv preprint reports stacked detections of extreme‑UV photons from faint galaxies at z≈6, implying high escape fractions if confirmed.

#astronomy, #reionization, #astrosat, #hubble

Artemis II Crew Returns to Houston After 10-Day Lunar Flyby, Setting Distance Record

NASA’s Artemis II crew returned to Houston after a 10-day lunar flyby that made them the farthest humans from Earth and tested Orion and SLS systems.

#nasa, #artemis, #space, #moon

JWST data suggest powerful galactic wind 300 million years after the Big Bang

JWST spectra show extended CIII] around a z≈14 galaxy, implying strong, metal‑rich outflows moved gas 300 million years after the Big Bang.

#astronomy, #jwst, #galaxies, #cosmicdawn

Study: Cygnus X-3 Emits Petaelectronvolt Gamma Rays, Hinting at Galactic 'PeVatron'

LHAASO reports variable gamma rays up to petaelectronvolt energies from Cygnus X-3, suggesting the microquasar may be a Galactic PeVatron.

#astrophysics, #gammarays, #cosmicrays, #lhaaso, #cygnusx3