Research news
Asteroid material deposited during large impacts record the moon’s ancient magnetic field
The moon has no core dynamo magnetic field, but spacecraft detect numerous strong localized magnetic fields in the crust of the moon. Many of these magnetic anomalies are antipodal to large impact basins. Scientists at Purdue University and the University of California, Santa Cruz, led by Brandon Johnson, Purdue associate professor of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, ran impact simulations that showed that during oblique impact, ejected material piles up at the impact antipode. This antipodal ejecta may be several-hundred meters thick. Much of this ejecta is impactor material, which may contain iron or other minerals that can become magnetized. The authors found that this material is heated by the impact shockwave and remains warm enough to cool after it lands and records the moon’s ancient magnetic field. Using the strength of these anomalies and the calculated abundance of impactor material, they found that the moon’s magnetic field had a strength of 40-73 μT at the time large impact basins were forming about 4 billion years ago.
Training computers to tease out the subtext behind the text
It is hard enough for humans to interpret the deeper meaning and context of social media and news articles. Asking computers to do it is a nearly impossible task. Even C-3PO, fluent in over 6 million forms of communication, misses the subtext much of the time.
FDA approves pioneering drug for ovarian cancer surgery
Ovarian cancer patient Carol Giandonato admits to being apprehensive when her oncologist told her he wanted to make her cancer cells turn fluorescent green.
Researchers study the link between vitamin D and inflammation
Scientists recently gained insights into how vitamin D functions to reduce inflammation caused by immune cells that might be relevant to the responses during severe COVID-19. In a study jointly published by Purdue University and the National Institutes of Health, scientists do just that.
Expert: Holiday traffic jams could be prevented by ‘smart concrete’
As an expected 13% more Americans prepare to travel for Thanksgiving this year, construction on major interstates could leave millions in traffic jams. Purdue University civil engineering professor Luna Lu can discuss how her research is working to cut down on road repairs and traffic through the development of “smart concrete.”
Electric vehicles could fully recharge in under 5 minutes with new charging station cable design
Purdue University engineers have invented a new, patent-pending charging station cable that would fully recharge certain electric vehicles in under five minutes – about the same amount of time it takes to fill up a gas tank.
