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Released: 31-Aug-2021 5:35 PM EDT
A new approach creates an exceptional single-atom catalyst for water splitting
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Anchoring individual iridium atoms on the surface of a catalyst made them a lot better at splitting water – a reaction that’s been a bottleneck in making sustainable energy production more competitive.

Released: 30-Aug-2021 4:20 PM EDT
Closing the gate on manganese could open doors to new drugs to treat pneumonia
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Drawing on SLAC facilities, Australian researchers have revealed how Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria obtain manganese from our bodies, which could lead to better therapies to target the pathogen.

Released: 26-Aug-2021 3:50 PM EDT
How extreme cold can crack lithium-ion battery materials, degrading performance
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Storing the rechargeable batteries at sub-freezing temperatures can crack the battery cathode and separate it from other parts of the battery, a new study shows.

23-Aug-2021 2:45 PM EDT
In a first, scientists capture a ‘quantum tug’ between neighboring water molecules
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Researchers have made the first direct observation of how hydrogen atoms in water molecules tug and push neighboring water molecules when they are excited with laser light.

Released: 12-Aug-2021 8:05 AM EDT
A fast, accurate system for quickly solving stubborn RNA structures from pond scum, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and more
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Naked RNA molecules are too floppy for high-res 3D imaging, but a system developed at SLAC and Stanford fixes that. It reveals detailed RNA structures from a pond scum critter and COVID-19 virus.

Released: 5-Aug-2021 8:45 AM EDT
Scientists Show a Single Catalyst Can Perform the First Step of Turning CO2 Into Fuel in Two Very Different Ways
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Scientists at Stanford and SLAC made a new catalyst that works with either heat or electricity to accelerate a reaction for turning carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide. It's an important step toward unifying the understanding of catalytic reactions in these two very different conditions.

Released: 29-Jul-2021 11:15 AM EDT
AI Learns Physics to Optimize Particle Accelerator Performance
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have demonstrated that they can use machine learning to optimize the performance of particle accelerators by teaching the algorithms the basic physics principles behind accelerator operations – no prior data needed.

Released: 28-Jul-2021 10:55 AM EDT
SLAC Partners with National Labs and Scientific Publishing Organizations on Transgender-Inclusive Name-Change Process for Published Papers
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

The agreement, announced today, will make it easier for researchers to change their names and claim work from all stages of their careers. It specifically addresses the administrative and emotional difficulties some transgender researchers have experienced when requesting such name changes.

12-Jul-2021 4:00 PM EDT
Scientists Take First Snapshots of Ultrafast Switching in a Quantum Electronic Device
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Scientist demonstrated a new way of observing atoms as they move in a tiny quantum electronic switch as it operates. Along the way, they discovered a new material state that could pave the way for faster, more energy-efficient computing.

Released: 9-Jul-2021 12:25 PM EDT
SLAC hosts Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm for a virtual visit
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Highlights of the two-hour visit included behind-the-scenes looks at one of the most powerful X-ray sources on the planet and at the construction of the world’s largest digital camera for astronomy. She also joined presentations of the lab’s research in machine learning, quantum technology and climate science and engaged in discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion at SLAC.

Released: 8-Jul-2021 2:50 PM EDT
A Detailed Study of Nickelate’s Magnetism Finds a Strong Kinship with Cuprate Superconductors
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Are new nickelate superconductors close kin to the original high-temperature superconductors, the cuprates? The first study of their magnetic properties says the answer is yes. Scientists from SLAC, Stanford and Diamond Light Source found important similarities but also subtle differences between the two.

Released: 2-Jul-2021 1:10 PM EDT
Solving a long-standing mystery about the desert’s rock art canvas
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Petroglyphs are carved in a material called rock varnish, the origins of which have been debated for years. Now, scientists argue it’s the result of bacteria and an adaptation that protects them from the desert sun’s harsh rays.

Released: 14-Jun-2021 12:05 PM EDT
Scientists Discover How Oxygen Loss Saps a Lithium-ion Battery’s Voltage
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

SLAC and Stanford scientists took a unique and detailed nanoscale look at how oxygen seeps out of lithium-ion battery electrodes, sapping their energy over time. The results could suggest a fix.

Released: 3-Jun-2021 1:20 PM EDT
SLAC’s Panofsky fellows talk about what makes their research so exciting
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Among the many scientists who push the frontiers of knowledge at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, the Panofsky fellows stand out.

Released: 5-May-2021 5:05 PM EDT
First nanoscale look at a reaction that limits the efficiency of generating clean hydrogen fuel
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Transitioning to a hydrogen economy will require massive production of cheap, clean hydrogen gas for fuel and chemical feedstocks. New tools allow scientists to zoom in on a catalytic reaction that’s been a bottleneck in efforts to generate hydrogen from water more efficiently.

Released: 4-May-2021 6:05 PM EDT
First Detailed Look at How Charge Transfer Distorts a Molecule’s Structure
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

When light hits certain molecules, it dislodges electrons and creates areas of positive and negative charge. An X-ray free-electron laser study has directly observed how this charge transfer affects a molecule's structure for the first time.

Released: 22-Apr-2021 1:25 PM EDT
Scientists uncover surprising behavior of a fatty acid enzyme with potential biofuel applications
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Although many organisms capture and respond to sunlight, enzymes – proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions – are rarely driven by light. A new study captures the full cycle of complex structural changes in an light-driven enzyme called FAP as it transforms a fatty acid into alkanes or alkenes.

Released: 22-Apr-2021 8:05 AM EDT
Scientists glimpse signs of a puzzling state of matter in a superconductor
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

High-temperature superconductors conduct electricity with no loss, but no one knows how they do it. SLAC scientists observed the signature of an exotic state of matter called “pair density waves” in a cuprate superconductor and confirmed that it intertwines with another exotic state.

Released: 25-Mar-2021 1:50 PM EDT
Scientists uncover a process that stands in the way of making quantum dots brighter
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Bright semiconductor nanocrystals known as quantum dots give QLED TV screens their vibrant colors. But attempts to increase the intensity of that light generate heat instead, reducing the dots’ light-producing efficiency. A new study explains why, and the results have broad implications for developing future quantum and photonics technologies where light replaces electrons in computers and fluids in refrigerators, for example.

Released: 24-Mar-2021 12:45 PM EDT
New machine learning tool diagnoses electron beams in an efficient, non-invasive way
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

For the past few years, researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have been developing “virtual diagnostics” that use machine learning to obtain crucial information about electron beam quality in an efficient, non-invasive way. Now, a new virtual diagnostic approach incorporates additional information about the beam that allows the method to work in situations where conventional diagnostics have failed.



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