Mineral Discovery Made Easier: X-Ray Technique Shines a New Light on Tiny, Rare Crystals
Like a tiny needle in a sprawling hayfield, a single crystal grain measuring just tens of millionths of a meter - found in a borehole sample drilled in Central Siberia - had an unexpected chemical makeup. And a specialized X-ray technique in use at Berkeley Lab confirmed the sample's uniqueness and paved the way for its formal recognition as a newly discovered mineral: ognitite.
Neutrons get a wider angle on DNA and RNA to advance 3D models
Scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland used neutrons at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to capture new information about DNA and RNA molecules and enable more accurate computer simulations of how they interact with everything from proteins to viruses.
Found: New Bismuth Compounds in Well-Known Systems of Two Elements
Scientists discover an unexpected source of new materials, with potential for energy applications.
A quick liquid flip helps explain how morphing materials store information
Experiments at SLAC's X-ray laser reveal in atomic detail how two distinct liquid phases in these materials enable fast switching between glassy and crystalline states that represent 0s and 1s in memory devices.
A New Manufacturing Process for Aluminum Alloys
Using a novel Solid Phase Processing approach, a research team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory eliminated several steps that are required during conventional extrusion processing of aluminum alloy powders, while also achieving a significant increase in product ductility. This is good news for sectors such as the automotive industry, where the high cost of manufacturing has historically limited the use of high-strength aluminum alloys made from powders.
Flowing for Function
A flowing magnetically responsive liquid seamlessly regulates the shape and properties of solids, letting them perform an array of jobs.
Science Snapshots: new nitrides, artificial photosynthesis, and TMDC semiconductors
From Berkeley Lab: groundbreaking study maps out paths to new nitride materials; new framework for artificial photosynthesis; TMDCs don't have to be perfect to shine bright.
Story Tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, June 17 2019
ORNL story tips: New builders' tool by ORNL assesses design performance before construction begins; new pressure technique to manipulate magnetism in thin films could enhance electronic devices; ORNL outlines quantum sensing advances for better airport scanning, other applications.
Superconducting Films for Particle Acceleration
Researchers demonstrated record accelerating cavity performance using a technique that could lead to significant cost savings.
Electron (or 'Hole') Pairs May Survive Effort to Kill Superconductivity
Scientists seeking to understand the mechanism underlying superconductivity in "stripe-ordered" cuprates--copper-oxide materials with alternating areas of electric charge and magnetism--discovered an unusual metallic state when attempting to turn superconductivity off. They found that under the conditions of their experiment, even after the material loses its ability to carry electrical current with no energy loss, it retains some conductivity--and possibly the electron (or hole) pairs required for its superconducting superpower.
Parceling Particle Beams
Beam chopper cuts accelerator-generated ion beams under highly demanding conditions.
An Interaction of Slipping Beams
Successful models of the fraught dynamics of two particle beams in close contact lead to smoother sailing in an area of particle acceleration.
Hybrid Nanostructure Steps Up Light-Harvesting Efficiency
Energy is transferred through the structure in a way that boosts its response to light, showing promise for solar cell applications.
Pulsed Electron Beams Shed Light on Plastics Production
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have developed a pulsed electron beam technique that enables high-resolution imaging of magnesium chloride without damage. This approach could apply to a vast range of beam-sensitive materials, and help to create a path toward sustainable plastics.
Tracking major sources of energy loss in compact fusion facilities
Analysis of energy loss in low-aspect ratio tokamaks opens a new chapter in the development of predictions of transport in such facilities.
Computer Simulation Shows Astrophysical Particle Acceleration
Particles act in a way that justifies extrapolating simulation results to astrophysical scales.
How Cryptocurrency Discussions Spread
PNNL's Dr. Svitlana Volkova and her the team analyzed three years worth of discussions on Reddit from January 2015 to January 2018 measuring the speed and scale of discussion spread related to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monero cryptocurrencies.
What if Dark Matter is Lighter? Report Calls for Small Experiments to Broaden the Hunt
Theorized dark matter particles haven't yet shown up where scientists had expected them. So Berkeley Lab researchers are now designing new and nimble experiments that can look for dark matter in previously unexplored ranges of particle mass and energy, and using previously untested methods.
New Core-Shell Catalyst for Ethanol Fuel Cells
Scientists at Brookhaven Lab and the University of Arkansas have developed a highly efficient catalyst for extracting electrical energy from ethanol, an easy-to-store liquid fuel that can be generated from renewable resources. The catalyst steers the electro-oxidation of ethanol down an ideal chemical pathway that releases the liquid fuel's full potential of stored energy.
Researchers uncover a new obstacle to effective accelerator beams
Release proposes explanation for failure to focus accelerator-fired ion beams.
Berkeley Lab Technology Provides Clarity Amid Hawaiian Water Contamination Concerns
For years, routine testing has shown that watersheds of the Mahaulepu Valley and Waikomo Stream in southeast Kauai frequently contain high counts of potentially pathogenic fecal indicator bacteria (FIB). To better understand the cause of the high FIB counts, the DOH commissioned a study by Berkeley Lab microbial ecologists Gary Andersen and Eric Dubinsky. After using a powerful microbial detection tool called the PhyloChip, the scientists concluded that most of the past monitoring results were false positives.
Simulations Shed Light on Self-Healing Cement
A first-of-its-kind computer simulation reveals self-healing cement for geothermal and oil and gas wells performs better than originally thought.
Solving a Beta Decay Puzzle
Researchers use advanced nuclear models to explain 50-year mystery surrounding the process stars use to transform elements.
Separation Anxiety No More: A Faster Technique to Purify Elements
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a new chemical separation method that is vastly more efficient than conventional processes, opening the door to faster discovery of new elements, easier nuclear fuel reprocessing, and, most tantalizing, a better way to attain actinium-225, a promising therapeutic isotope for cancer treatment.
2D crystals conforming to 3D curves create strain for engineering quantum devices
A team led by scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory explored how atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) crystals can grow over 3D objects and how the curvature of those objects can stretch and strain the crystals.