A collaborative research team from the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS), the University of Tokyo, Kyushu University, and Brookhaven National Laboratory has, for the first time, directly and precisely measured changes in the internal electric potential of a fusion plasma under conditions similar to those expected in fusion reactors.

 

This achievement establishes a new method for in situ evaluation of plasma confinement states, providing key insights for the control and performance optimization of next-generation fusion reactors. The internal plasma potential plays a crucial role in determining how effectively energy is confined within the plasma. By combining advanced accelerator technology with non-contact plasma diagnostics, the researchers have opened a new path toward direct understanding of the behavior of fusion-core plasmas.

A new study shows that coal mine waste, often seen as an environmental problem, can actually help create stronger, longer-lasting biochar that locks carbon in soil and supports cleaner environments. The research, published in Carbon Research, reveals that adding low-carbon coal gangue to crop residues during biochar production can significantly increase the carbon stability of the resulting material while reducing the release of dissolved organic matter (DOM), which influences greenhouse gas emissions and pollutant movement in soil.

Researchers in China have developed an advanced biochar-based material that dramatically improves the removal of harmful nitrate nitrogen from agricultural soils and water, offering promising new avenues for sustainable farming and environmental protection. The study, led by Dr. Lan Luo with colleagues from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, explores how biochar loaded with nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) can mitigate nitrogen leaching, a major contributor to groundwater contamination and soil degradation.

Climate change and the associated rising temperatures are melting more and more frozen ground in the Arctic. This dissolved matter contains large amounts of organic carbon which is flowing into the central Arctic ocean. In a new study, scientists led by Alfred-Wegener-Institute quantified how much terrestrial organic matter accumulates in the central Arctic Ocean. Using chemical fingerprints, they were able to assess how fast it degrades, thus releasing additional CO₂ to the ocean. These findings are an important basis to project how inputs from land affect Arctic marine ecosystems and the ability of the ocean to store CO₂ in a warming climate. The results are published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

A research team led by Prof. LIU Juxiu at the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has conducted a decade-long study that uncovered a previously unrecognized buffering mechanism in subtropical forest soils mitigating the effects of climate warming.

Swift observations with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) have revealed the explosive death of a star just as the blast was breaking through the star’s surface. For the first time, astronomers unveiled the shape of the explosion at its earliest, fleeting stage. This brief initial phase wouldn’t have been observable a day later and helps address a whole set of questions about how massive stars go supernova.