Scientists Dive Deep Into Hidden World of Quantum States
A research team led by the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has developed a technique that could lead to new electronic materials that surpass the limitations imposed by Moore's Law.
Precise Measurement of Pions Confirms Understanding of Fundamental Symmetry
Nuclear physicists have announced the most precise measurement yet of the ultra-short lifetime of the neutral pion. The result is an important validation of our understanding of the theory of quantum chromodynamics, which describes the makeup of ordinary matter. The research, carried out at the Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, was recently published in the journal Science.
Story Tips: Predicting fire risk, solid state stability check and images in a flash
ORNL Story Tips: Predicting fire risk, solid state stability check and images in a flash
Summit Helps Predict Molecular Breakups
A team used the Summit supercomputer to simulate transition metal systems--such as copper bound to molecules of nitrogen, dihydrogen, or water--and correctly predicted the amount of energy required to break apart dozens of molecular systems, paving the way for a greater understanding of these materials.
Carbon-loving materials designed to reduce industrial emissions
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are advancing gas membrane materials to expand practical technology options for reducing industrial carbon emissions.
Science Snapshots July 2020
Berkeley Lab Science Snapshots July 2020
Mathematical noodling leads to new insights into an old fusion problem
Scientists at PPPL have gained new insight into a common type of plasma hiccup that interferes with fusion reactions. These findings could help bring fusion energy closer to reality.
Computing collaboration reveals global ripple effect of shifting monsoons
Scientists from ORNL and a dozen other international research institutions ran a series of simulations to produce the most elaborate set of projections to date that illustrates possible changes in nine monsoon regions across five continents.
Process for 'two-faced' nanomaterials may aid energy, information tech
A team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory implanted atoms precisely into the top layers of ultra-thin crystals, yielding two-sided Janus structures that may prove useful in developing energy and information technologies.
X-rays size up protein structure at the 'heart' of COVID-19 virus
Researchers have performed the first room temperature X-ray measurements on the SARS-CoV-2 main protease--the enzyme that enables the virus to reproduce. It marks an important first step in the ultimate goal of building a comprehensive 3D model of the enzymatic protein that will be used to advance supercomputing simulations aimed at finding drug inhibitors to block the virus's replication mechanism and help end the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scientists develop new tool to design better fusion devices
Researchers have demonstrated that an advanced computer code could help design stellarators confine the essential heat from plasma fusion more effectively.
Beneath the surface of our galaxy's water worlds
Scientists have simulated conditions on water-rich exoplanets to learn more about their geological composition, and found a new transition state between rock and water.
Introducing a New Isotope: Mendelevium-244
A team of scientists working at Berkeley Lab's 88-Inch Cyclotron has discovered a new form of the human-made element mendelevium. The newly created isotope, mendelevium-244, is the 17th and lightest form of the element, which was first discovered in 1955 by a Berkeley Lab team.
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Using chaos as a tool, scientists discover new method of making 3D-heterostructured materials
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and their collaborators from Iowa State University have developed a new approach for generating layered, difficult-to-combine, heterostructured solids. Heterostructured materials, composed of layers of dissimilar building blocks display unique electronic transport and magnetic properties that are governed by quantum interactions between their structurally different building blocks, and open new avenues for electronic and energy applications.
SLAC and Stanford scientists home in on pairs of atoms that boost a catalyst's activity
A study identified which pairs of atoms in a catalyst nanoparticle are most active in a reaction that breaks down a harmful exhaust gas in catalytic converters. The results are a step toward engineering cheaper, more efficient catalysts.
ORNL launches rapid access licensing program to speed up COVID-19 solutions
The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has launched a program designed to accelerate deployment of innovations that may help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 Rapid Access Licensing Program will allow companies to license these select technologies at no cost for one year.
Off the Scales: Fish Armor Both Tough and Flexible
Humans have drawn technological inspiration from fish scales going back to ancient times: Romans, Egyptians, and other civilizations would dress their warriors in scale armor, providing both protection and mobility. Now, using advanced X-ray imaging techniques, Berkeley Lab scientists have characterized carp scales down to the nanoscale, enabling them to understand how the material is resistant to penetration while retaining flexibility.
A proven method for stabilizing efforts to bring fusion power to Earth
Researchers at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and General Atomics have demonstrated a method for stabilizing fusion plasmas by suppressing edge localized modes (ELMs).
Researchers map out intricate processes that activate key brain molecule
For the first time, scientists have revealed the steps needed to turn on a receptor that helps regulate neuron firing. The findings might help researchers understand and someday treat addiction, psychosis and other neuropsychological diseases.
This Supernova in a Lab Mimics the Cosmic Blast's Splendid Aftermath
(Study publishes 6/17/20. No embargo.) Mystery enshrouds the birth of swirls typical for supernova remnants like the Crab Nebula. A new "supernova machine" may help solve it.
Could the Answer to Groundwater Resources Come From High in the Sky?
A new computational approach developed by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory offers a high-tech yet simple method for estimating groundwater: it pairs high-resolution images derived by satellite with advanced computer modeling to estimate aquifer volume change from observed ground deformation.
Marine Energy Devices Likely Pose Minimal Impacts to Marine Life, Report Shows
On World Oceans Day, an international team of marine scientists reports that the potential impact of marine renewable energy to marine life is likely small or undetectable, though there is still uncertainty around some issues.
Scientists Marry Two Powerful Techniques to Pinpoint Locations of Individual Molecules in Their Cellular Neighborhoods
Developed in the lab of Stanford University Nobelist W.E. Moerner, the technique combines cryoelectron tomography and low temperature single-molecule microscopy. It has potential to answer fundamental questions about the molecular machinery of viruses, parasites, and processes like photosynthesis.
Physicists Study Mirror Nuclei for Precision Theory Test
A precision measurement of helium and hydrogen mirror isotopes reveals new questions in understanding of nuclear structure. The research, carried out at the Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, was recently published as an editors' suggested read in Physical Review Letters.
Shock Waves Created in the Lab Mimic Supernova-Powered Particle Accelerators
In experiments at the National Ignition Facility, a SLAC-led team found new details about how supernovas boost charged particles to nearly the speed of light.