Profiled is Vera Bocharova of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, who studies the structure and dynamics of soft materials—polymer nanocomposites, polymer electrolytes and biological macromolecules—to advance materials and technologies for energy, medicine and other applications.
ORNL neutrons investigate novel carbon capture crystals; gleaning valuable Twitter data to quickly map power outages; lightweight, heat-shielding graphite foam test yields positive results in fusion reactors; open source software scales up analysis of motor designs to run on supercomputers
A team of researchers from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge and Los Alamos National Laboratories has partnered with EPB, a Chattanooga utility and telecommunications company, to demonstrate the effectiveness of metro-scale quantum key distribution (QKD) as a means of secure communication for the nation’s electricity suppliers. This initial milestone is part of the team’s three-year project focused on next-generation grid security.
The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has named Sean Hearne director of the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences.
While studying the genes in poplar trees that control callus formation, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have uncovered genetic networks at the root of tumor formation in several human cancers.
A team of researchers used the Wide Angle Neutron Diffractometer at ORNL's HFIR to explore a novel porous metal hydride, which could lead to improved gas-separation techniques and more effective ways to store gaseous hydrogen.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory used machine learning to map vegetation in Alaskan tundra; ORNL taps machine learning to better predict home-to-work commuting; Univ of South Carolina investigates oxygen-reducing perovskites in fuel cells using ORNL neutrons; decades of data showed salt purity trends leading to inconsistent corrosion of alloys.
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory described in the journal Science the first use of an electron microscope to directly identify isotopes in amino acids at the nanoscale without damaging the samples, which could open a new pathway for deeper, more comprehensive studies of the basic building blocks of life.
Profiled is Jon Poplawsky, a materials scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory who develops and links advanced characterization techniques that improve our ability to see and understand atomic-scale features of diverse materials for energy and information technologies.
The High Flux Isotope Reactor and the Spallation Neutron Source at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have reached new levels of increased science productivity. In 2018, a record high of more than 500 scientific instrument publications were produced between HFIR and SNS—based on neutron beamline experiments conducted by more than 1,200 US and international researchers who used the world-leading facilities.
Researchers from Lund University and ORNL are using neutrons to study cleaner approaches to using biomass by investigating how biomasses degrade as they are exposed to extreme temperatures, and how the biomass byproducts could potentially be used in alternative applications.
ORNL story tips: Automated pellet press speeds production of Pu-238 to fuel NASA’s deep space exploration; new memory cell circuit design may boost storage with less energy in exascale, quantum computing; free app eases installation, repair of HVAC systems that use low GWP refrigerants; and more.
Interferometers—instruments that precisely measure the intersection of two beams of light—are useful for both fundamental science studies and practical applications such as gyroscopes and hydrophones. A team of researchers at ORNL developed and tested a new interferometer that shows potential for improved sensitivity at the quantum scale. Their paper was selected as an APS Editor’s Pick, a distinction reserved for especially noteworthy publications.
The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is collaborating with industry on six new projects focused on advancing commercial nuclear energy technologies that offer potential improvements to current nuclear reactors and move new reactor designs closer to deployment.
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have created a recipe for a renewable 3D printing feedstock that could spur a profitable new use for an intractable byproduct: lignin.
A team of scientists has for the first time measured the elusive weak interaction between protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. Through a unique neutron experiment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, experimental physicists resolved the weak force between the particles at the atom’s core, predicted in the Standard Model that describes the elementary particles and their interactions.
Researchers from the University of Houston are using neutron scattering at ORNL to research how unique biological structures known as micelles can make drugs more effective. Micelles can form around drug molecules in order to transport them through the human body. To make micelles better at transporting these molecules, the researchers are investigating how micelles are affected by the molecules they transport.
Researchers from the Timken Company, a leading international manufacturer of bearings, are using neutron scattering at ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor to investigate how internal residual stresses can shorten the lifetime and reliability of a bearing. By mapping the stresses in these bearings, the researchers can develop computational models to learn how to reduce the amount of stress in future bearings.
Hydraulic fracturing taps hard-to-reach pockets of oil and natural gas where more traditional drilling methods fall short. However, the process requires large amounts of water and chemicals, which can negatively impact public health and the environment. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using a combination of neutron and x-ray scattering to make the process safer and more efficient.
The City of Knoxville, Tenn., public service crews demonstrated a new de-icing device made possible by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The technology aims to more efficiently and effectively regulate brine distribution on the road during snowy weather.
Researchers with the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a new level of control over photons encoded with quantum information. The team's experimental system allows them to manipulate the frequency of photons to bring about superposition, a state that enables quantum operations and computing.
ORNL solved methane mystery through tree trunk, soil study; neutrons unlock secrets of corn nanoparticles; lithium-ion battery study could inform safer designs; corrosion tests could advance molten salt reactor designs; thought leaders discuss sea of energy change at maritime risk meeting.
The Spallation Neutron Source at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory has broken a new record by ending its first neutron production cycle at its design power level of 1.4 megawatts.
Two leaders in US manufacturing innovation, Thomas Kurfess and Scott Smith, are joining the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to support its pioneering research in advanced manufacturing.
Leah Broussard, a physicist at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has so much fun exploring the neutron that she alternates between calling it her “laboratory” and “playground” for understanding the universe.
Seven researchers from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been chosen by the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment, also known as INCITE, program to lead scientific investigations that require the nation’s most powerful computers. The ORNL-based projects span a broad range of the scientific spectrum and represent the potential of high-performance computing in ensuring America’s scientific competitiveness and energy security.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers invented a way to make a nanomaterial-embedded composite that is stronger than other fiber-reinforced composites and imbued with a new capability—the ability to monitor its own structural health.
In December 2017, the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory entered into an extended 5-month scheduled outage to perform a number of high-priority jobs. Most notable were the replacement of the facility’s inner reflector plug and the accelerator’s radio frequency quadrupole. The success of the long outage demonstrated the ability to plan and execute future upgrade and construction projects such as the Proton Power Upgrade and the Second Target Station.
Researchers with the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered that communities of microbes living near tree roots are ten times more diverse than the human microbiome and produce a cornucopia of novel molecules that could be useful as antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs.
Searching for solutions to supersonic fluid flow behavior, researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the U.S. Air Force are using neutron radiography at DOE’s ORNL. The team says a better understanding of spray dynamics will lead to improved fuel injector designs for the aeronautic and automotive industries as well as other spray-related applications used in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and more.
ORNL story tips: ORNL’s simulation shows 40 percent fuel savings when cars drive themselves; colliding tin isotopes helps scientists better understand unstable nuclei in exploding stars; new method to control HVACs in buildings provides grid stability, occupant comfort; AK Steel uses neutrons to see how new steel for vehicle components performs during various manufacturing processes.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists used neutrons, isotopes and simulations to “see” the atomic structure of a saturated solution and found evidence supporting one of two competing hypotheses about how ions come together to form minerals.
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a 120-kilowatt wireless charging system for vehicles—providing six times the power of previous ORNL technology and a big step toward charging times that rival the speed and convenience of a gas station fill-up.
Scientists studying a valuable, but vulnerable, species of poplar have identified the genetic mechanism responsible for the species’ inability to resist a pervasive and deadly disease. Their finding could lead to more successful hybrid poplar varieties for increased biofuels and forestry production and protect native trees against infection.
A novel technique that nudges single atoms to switch places within an atomically thin material could bring scientists another step closer to realizing theoretical physicist Richard Feynman’s vision of building tiny machines from the atom up.
The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the recipient of six awards from DOE’s Office of Science aimed at accelerating quantum information science (QIS), a burgeoning field of research increasingly seen as vital to scientific innovation and national security. The awards, which represent three Office of Science programs, were made in conjunction with the White House Summit on Advancing American Leadership in QIS and will leverage and strengthen ORNL’s established programs in quantum information processing and quantum computing.
As hurricanes barrel toward the coastlines and wildfires rage in arid regions of the United States, scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are providing critical geospatial data to support first responders as they work to save lives and property.
ORNL story tips: Recycled hard drives give magnets new life in motors; new organ-on-a-chip design to test radiation effects on cells that mimic breathing; supercomputers analyze molecules that could increase yield of certain rare earth elements important for energy applications
A unique combination of imaging tools and atomic-level simulations has allowed a team led by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory to solve a longstanding debate about the properties of a promising material that can harvest energy from light.
New 3D maps of water distribution during cellular membrane fusion could lead to new treatments for diseases associated with cell fusion. Using neutron diffraction at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, scientists made the first direct observations of water in lipid bilayers modeling cell membrane fusion.
Chemists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a practical, energy-efficient method of capturing carbon dioxide directly from air. If deployed at large scale and coupled to geologic storage, the technique may bolster the portfolio of responses to global climate change.
An ORNL research team led by Jay Jay Billings has continuously updated a workflow management system they first developed in 2010 to help computational scientists develop software, visualize data, and solve problems, saving time and effort expended in support of modeling and simulation experiments. Recently, the team published an article inSoftwareX that both details the history of the system and previews the potential benefits of upcoming versions.
The United Kingdom’s National Nuclear Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have agreed to cooperate on a wide range of nuclear energy research and development efforts that leverage both organizations’ unique expertise and capabilities.
Using synthesis techniques, an ORNL team transformed waste sugar from biorefineries into spherical carbon materials that could be used to form improved supercapacitors, which are energy storage devices that help power technologies including smartphones, hybrid vehicles, and security alarm systems.
ORNL story tips: Lab, field tests show improved building insulation performance; ORNL-developed software runs quantum programs on multiple quantum computers; ORNL moved single atoms below a crystal’s surface; certain bacteria turns mercury into methylmercury at varying rates across species; ORNL hosts Molten Salt Reactor Workshop in Oct.
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory induced a two-dimensional material to cannibalize itself for atomic “building blocks” from which stable structures formed. The findings provide insights that may improve design of 2D materials for fast-charging energy-storage and electronic devices.
New mathematical models developed by the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory with collaborators at Sam Houston State University and the University of Chicago can help guide changes to the layout of poor urban neighborhoods to improve access to resources with minimum disruption and cost.
Researchers at ORNL have developed a new cybersecurity tool called Akatosh that automates the process of analyzing computer networks to detect malware. The tool collects historical information on host systems on the network to immediately show changes that transpired leading up to and during a cyber attack, which saves precious time and resources previously spent manually searching the network for changes.
Researchers from the Transportation Technology Center Inc. (TTCI) are using neutrons at DOE’s ORNL to study how rails used in railway tracks wear away over time. A better understanding will help TTCI develop improved rail simulation models and other applications to enhance rail durability for increased safety and performance.
Profiled is Sergei Kalinin of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, who knows that seeing something is not the same as understanding it. He convenes experts in microscopy and computing to gain scientific insights that inform the design of advanced materials for energy and information technologies.
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