The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word BALLISTICS
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
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More clues leading to the result BALLISTICS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "A scientific study" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a scientific study = ballistics.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BALLISTICS mean?
BALLISTICS noun- The science of objects that predominantly fly under the effects of gravity, momentum and atmospheric drag, and dealing with details of their behaviour at the origin and destination of their flight, as of bullets or missiles or rockets.