Scientists propose lithium to cope with high-risk condition in future fusion facilities
PPPL scientists have created a plan using liquid lithium to keep the full force of extreme and potentially damaging heat from hitting the divertor region that will release heat from future tokamak fusion facilities.
Neutrons probe molecular behavior of proposed COVID-19 drug candidates
Using neutron experiments and computer simulations, researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory delved into how some of the proposed COVID-19 drug candidates behave at the molecular scale when exposed to water.
Latch, load and release: Advanced Photon Source helps reveal elastic motion that makes click beetles click
A new study examines the forces behind the quick energy release beetles use for propulsion and provides guidelines for studying extreme motion and energy storage and release in animals.
Stable Nickel-64 Nuclei Take Three Distinct Shapes
Scientists have identified three distinct shapes in stable nickel-64 that appear as energy is added to the nucleus. The nucleus in the lowest-energy state is spherical, then takes elongated (prolate) and flattened (oblate) shapes as the protons and neutrons surrounding the nucleus gain energy. This demonstrates profound changes in the way protons and neutrons can arrange themselves.
It's Elemental: Ultra-trace Detector Tests Gold Purity
Ultra-trace radiation detection technique sets new global standard for measuring the nearly immeasurable
National laboratories' magnet designers look to the future of light sources with new prototype
After more than 15 years of work, scientists at three DOE national laboratories have succeeded in creating and testing an advanced, more powerful superconducting magnet made of niobium and tin for use in the next generation of light sources.
Methane Emissions from Coal Mines Are Higher Than Previously Thought
Methane emissions from coal mining are likely much higher than previously calculated, according to new research. That's due mainly to emissions from abandoned mines and higher methane content in deep coal seams.
Chemists Settle Battery Debate, Propel Research Forward
UPTON, NY--A team of researchers led by chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory has identified new details of the reaction mechanism that takes place in batteries with lithium metal anodes. The findings, published today in Nature Nanotechnology, are a major step towards developing smaller, lighter, and less expensive batteries for electric vehicles.
New concept for rocket thruster exploits the mechanism behind solar flares
A new type of rocket thruster that could take humankind to Mars and beyond has been proposed by a physicist at PPPL. The device would apply magnetic fields to cause particles of plasma to shoot out the back of a rocket and propel the craft forward.
Precision measurements of intracluster light suggest possible link to dark matter
Faint light from rogue stars not bound to galaxies has been something of a mystery to scientists. The dimness of this intracluster light makes it difficult to measure, and no one knows how much there is. Scientists on the Dark Energy Survey, led by Fermilab, have made the most radially extended measurement of this light ever.
Fields of Breeders' Dreams: A Team Effort Toward Targeted Crop Improvements
In Nature, a multi-institutional team including DOE Joint Genome Institute researchers has produced a high-quality reference sequence of the complex switchgrass genome. Building off this work, bioenergy researchers are exploring targeted genome editing techniques to customize the crop.
Mira's Last Journey: exploring the dark universe
Scientists used a supercomputer to perform one of the five largest cosmological simulations ever -- the Last Journey. This simulation will provide crucial data for sky maps to aid leading cosmological experiments.
Getting to Net Zero - and Even Net Negative - is Surprisingly Feasible, and Affordable
Reaching zero net emissions of carbon dioxide from energy and industry by 2050 can be accomplished by rebuilding U.S. energy infrastructure to run primarily on renewable energy, at a net cost of about $1 per person per day, according to new research published by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of San Francisco (USF), and the consulting firm Evolved Energy Research.
Compelling evidence of neutrino process opens physics possibilities
The COHERENT particle physics experiment at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has firmly established the existence of a new kind of neutrino interaction.
A New Way to Measure Record-Setting Electron Beams
A new, compact system has been successfully demonstrated at the Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator (BELLA) Center to provide simultaneous high-resolution measurements of multiple electron-beam properties.
Transforming Plastics Recycling with Discovery Science
Plastic waste is a major environmental issue. New research into plastics' fundamental chemistry may help industry transform waste into useful products and make cyclical plastics that can be recycled over and over again.
A Sharp New Eye to View Atoms and Molecules
Physicists long dreamed of producing X-ray laser pulses that probe matter at the level of atoms and molecules. Scientists realized this dream in 2009 with the hard X-ray free-electron laser at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). But each LCLS X-ray pulse has a slightly different intensity and wavelength distribution. A new oscillator design overcomes these problems with an approach inspired by optical lasers.
CUORE Experiment Advances Search for a Rare Nuclear Decay
One of the greatest mysteries in the universe is why the matter and anti-matter from the Big Bang did not all annihilate into pure energy. One scenario suggests a hypothetical, extremely rare nuclear decay where an atomic nucleus decays by emitting two electrons, creating additional matter. This paper reports on recent progress on related experiments.
Tiny Particles that Seed Clouds Can Form from Trace Gases Over Open Sea
New results from an atmospheric study over the Eastern North Atlantic reveal that tiny aerosol particles that seed the formation of clouds can form out of next to nothingness over the open ocean. Understanding the process will improve how aerosols and clouds are represented in models that describe Earth's climate.
Squeezing a rock-star material could make it stable enough for solar cells
A promising lead halide perovskite is great at converting sunlight to electricity, but it breaks down at room temperature. Now scientists have discovered how to stabilize it with pressure from a diamond anvil cell. The required pressure is well within the reach of today's manufacturing processes.
Do simulations represent the real world at the atomic scale?
A multidisciplinary research team has developed a strategy to validate computer simulations of oxide/water interfaces at the atomic scale using X-ray reflectivity experiments. Such interfaces are key in many energy applications.
Researchers discover long-sought mechanism behind most severe cases of a common blood disorder
G6PD deficiency affects about 400M people worldwide and can pose serious health risks. Uncovering the causes of the most severe cases could finally lead to treatments.
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Light-induced twisting of Weyl nodes switches on giant electron current
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and collaborators at Brookhaven National Laboratory and the University of Alabama at Birmingham have discovered a new light-induced switch that twists the crystal lattice of the material, switching on a giant electron current that appears to be nearly dissipationless. The discovery was made in a category of topological materials that holds great promise for spintronics, topological effect transistors, and quantum computing.
How to Find Mutated Sperm? Just Go FISH
A test developed by Berkeley Lab scientists can quickly and easily detect whether sperm cells are carrying chromosomal defects, an advance that will help men who have undergone cancer treatment father healthy children.
Story tips: Volcanic microbes, unbreakable bonds and flood mapping
ORNL story tips: Volcanic microbes, unbreakable bonds and flood mapping