Measurements from the 2011 Las Conchas fire show that 'tar ball' effect significantly degrades air quality and contributes to global warming. The team found spherical carbonaceous particles called tar balls dominate emissions, which can increase climate warming by increased light absorption.
A lightweight, compact, and low-cost X-ray system has been developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory and Tribogenics. The MiniMAX camera-based system provides real-time inspection of sealed containers and facilities, enabling new applications in security inspection, field medicine, specimen radiography, and industrial inspection.
Scientists have discovered a novel cellulose structure that can be broken down with fewer enzymes, increasing sugar yields by as much as five times. This breakthrough could lead to an order of magnitude reduction in enzyme usage and more cost-effective biofuel production.
A new catalyst, based on carbon nanotubes, shows high oxygen reduction reaction activity in alkaline media, critical for efficient storage of electrical energy. This breakthrough could enable economical lithium-air batteries to power electric vehicles and provide reliable energy storage for intermittent green energy sources.
A study has identified a broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibody in an infected HIV-1 patient, providing insights into effective vaccination strategies. The researchers hope that a vaccine mimicking the development of this potent antibody response may trigger similar protective antibodies.
Researchers deciphered previously unknown properties of transmitted HIV-1 viruses, revealing they are highly infectious and contain more envelope protein. The findings provide new insights into the biology of viral/host dynamics and may inform vaccine design.
Postdoctoral researcher Nina Lanza discovered a consistent chemical signature in Martian rocks sampled by the Curiosity rover's ChemCam instrument during its first 90 days on Mars. The signature appears after five laser blasts, leading to theories about dust or geological coatings on the planet's surface.
The ChemCam system has fired more than 40,000 laser pulses at over a thousand locations on Mars, yielding valuable information about the planet's habitat. Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory and other institutions will present their findings at the 44th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
Researchers detect never-before-seen phenomenon in Earth's magnetosphere, revealing a long-lived zone of high-energy electrons stored between the Van Allen radiation belts. This finding may impact the planning of future space missions.
A study reveals how daclatasvir, a hepatitis C drug, targets the NS5A protein and causes rapid viral decline. The research also provides an accurate estimate of the HCV half-life, revealing that the daily viral production is four times larger than previously thought.
The Los Alamos National Laboratory team successfully demonstrated securing control data for electric grids using quantum cryptography. The system achieved latencies of at least two orders of magnitude smaller than requirements, making it suitable for real-time applications.
Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory have devised a method to use cosmic rays to gather detailed information from inside damaged reactor cores. The technique, known as muon scattering, showed superiority over traditional transmission methods for capturing high-resolution image data.
Researchers found that warmer temperatures and increased atmospheric evaporative demand will lead to widespread tree mortality and changes in forest distributions. The study used a 'Forest Drought Stress Index' to estimate annual regional tree-growth variability with exceptional accuracy.
Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory successfully produced a 100.75-tesla magnetic field, exceeding the world record, using a novel pulsed magnet system. The achievement paves the way for studying quantum behavior under high magnetic fields and exploring new materials.
Scientists have discovered molecular oxygen ions in the upper atmosphere of Saturn's moon Dione, which could be a crucial ingredient for life. The detection was made possible by instruments aboard NASA's Cassini spacecraft and suggests that icy moons like Europa may produce oxygen through sputtering processes.
A team of researchers has created glass-based inorganic LEDs that produce light in the ultraviolet range, paving the way for implantable biomedical devices. The new devices are scalable, chemically stable, and can be used in harsh environments, making them suitable for applications such as medical diagnostics and treatment.
Researchers develop a hybrid protein that blocks Xf infection, reducing reliance on chemicals in vineyards. Engineered grapevines produce the protein, which creates pores in the bacterium's membrane, killing it and preventing Pierce's disease symptoms.
A team of researchers developed a computer model based on human neural structure and function to recognize shapes. The model, inspired by the hierarchical organization of the human visual cortex, successfully reproduced human performance in identifying shapes, opening up new ways to approach object detection problems.
A neutron star spiraling into its companion star caused a unique gamma-ray burst with varying wavelengths and characteristic radii. The Helium Merger Model, developed in 1998, explained the unusual properties of the burst, which may be part of a new class of bursts.
Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Indiana University analyzed the field's evolution, composition, and collaboration structure. The study concludes that sustainability science is both applied and basic, spanning worldwide institutions and governments. A global collaboration network emerged around 2000, defining the fie...
Researchers aim to generate antibodies against human proteins without animal testing, using bacterial and yeast libraries to identify active genes. This could lead to a better understanding of human disease and potential therapeutic targets.
Los Alamos researchers successfully observed the elusive hydronium ion for the first time using neutrons, revealing its crucial role in enzyme-catalyzed reactions and protein transport. This breakthrough has significant implications for understanding biochemical systems and treating diseases such as acid reflux.
Scientists have discovered a pretreatment method that makes plant cellulose five times more digestible by enzymes, enabling the production of ethanol from biomass. This breakthrough could make biomass an economically viable contender in the biofuels arena.
The Genesis mission has provided the first oxygen and nitrogen isotopic measurements of the Sun, showing significant differences from those on Earth. These results suggest that the solar system was formed through a complex process, with different astrophysical mechanisms contributing to the composition of space dust.
Researchers have challenged the existence of a supersolid in helium-4, proposing an alternative explanation for its behavior. The alternative theory suggests that the observed effects can be attributed to the 'freezing out' of imperfections within the lattice, rather than a phase change to a supersolid.
Los Alamos scientists have developed a way to avoid using expensive platinum in hydrogen fuel cells, potentially solving an economic challenge that has hindered widespread use of large-scale systems. The new non-precious-metal catalysts yielded high power output, good efficiency, and promising longevity.
Researchers have revealed a new single-stage method for recharging the hydrogen storage compound ammonia borane, enabling the potential use of hydrogen in vehicles. This breakthrough could reduce the expense and complexity of the recycle stage, making hydrogen a more attractive fuel option.
New research reveals ancient 'megadroughts' in the Southwest US, which may be followed by a cooler period. The study used sediment cores to analyze past climate conditions and found similarities with present-day warming trends.
Researchers used the Encanto supercomputer to create molecular snapshots of the ribosomal subunits during protein synthesis. The study showed that head swivel motion plays a crucial role in facilitating translocation via intra-subunit tRNA hybrid sites, and a dynamic catalyst acts as a pawl in the ribosomal machinery.
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have fabricated transparent thin films capable of absorbing light and generating electric charge. The semiconducting polymer-fullerene material, which forms a honeycomb pattern, has potential for large-scale energy-generating solar windows or optical displays.
Researchers found that certain buckyball configurations, such as the tris configuration, caused premature senescence in human skin cells. This could lead to disease development if not properly understood. The study provides early foundations for worker protection and highlights the need for federal regulations on nanomaterial use.
Los Alamos researchers report a mechanism allowing nanocrystalline materials to heal radiation-induced damage through 'loading-unloading' effect at grain boundaries. This discovery provides new avenues for designing highly radiation-tolerant materials for next-generation nuclear energy applications.
A new HIV vaccine strategy, called 'mosaic vaccines,' has shown promise in expanding immune responses in rhesus monkeys. The approach uses computational methods to create small sets of highly variable artificial viral proteins that stimulate a strong immune response against the diverse forms of HIV.
The Laboratory will provide expertise and technological tools to four geothermal projects with Pueblo of Jemez, New Mexico Tech, and the University of Utah. Los Alamos researchers will assist in characterizing geothermal springs and developing new chemical tracers to determine heat transfer characteristics.
Geneticists propose six labels for genome sequence data to estimate quality, ranging from standard draft to finished sequence. This could aid in developing vaccines more efficiently and responding to emergencies.
The IBEX mission reveals a 'noodle soup' of solar material at the outer fringes of the heliosphere bubble, with an arc-shaped ribbon of high-pressure material. The discovery challenges model predictions and provides key information about the properties of the interstellar cloud.
A team of scientists led by Giday WoldeGabriel has discovered the oldest nearly intact Ardipithecus ramidus skeleton, dating back 4.4 million years. The fossil provides significant insights into the early stages of human evolution and challenges existing theories.
Physicist Ivan Vitev, a leading expert in quantum chromodynamics, receives PECASE for his work on quark-gluon plasma properties. His research has been used to study the universe's conditions after the Big Bang.
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have discovered a potential weakness in the cell walls of certain plant materials, making them vulnerable to enzymatic attack. This insight could lead to an economical and viable process for producing biofuels from biomass.
The research, led by Johan Bollen, created a high-resolution graphic depiction of the virtual trails scientists leave behind when they retrieve information from online services. The map reveals unexpected relations between scientific domains and emerging relationships capturing the collective interest of the scientific community.
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have demonstrated that certain nanocrystals can generate more than one electron after absorbing a photon, increasing the potential for efficient solar cells. The study finds that these crystals can produce up to half as much energy per electron as bulk solids, offering promising results for...
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have identified two distinct regions with an excess of cosmic rays, challenging nearly a century-old understanding of galactic magnetic fields. The Milagro observatory recorded over 200 billion cosmic-ray collisions, revealing statistically significant peaks in specific regions of the sky.
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have proposed a new explanation for superconductivity that doesn't rely on phonons. By introducing quantum fluctuations and pressure changes, they observed a quantum critical point where electrons pair up in a previously undescribed state of matter.
Los Alamos researchers used the Roadrunner supercomputer to model over a billion visual neurons and trillions of synapses, surpassing the scale of 1 quadrillion computations per second. This achievement throws open the door to achieving human-like cognitive performance in electronic computers.
Researchers Luís Bettencourt and Ruy Ribeiro create a novel approach to reading subtle changes in epidemiological data to predict disease spread. The tool provides real-time transmission probabilities for emerging diseases, enabling public health experts to implement quarantine policies and provide medical resources.
A team of researchers has decoded the genetic sequence of Tricoderma reesei, a fungus that can break down plant fibers into simple sugars. This finding could unlock possibilities for industrial processes that convert corn, switchgrass, and cellulose-based waste into ethanol.
A team of researchers discovered that a common fly's motion-sensitive neurons emit spikes very often and precisely, revealing a more complex language than previously thought. This new understanding challenges traditional assumptions about neural networks and could lead to the development of more efficient artificial intelligence.
Scientists have discovered that sound waves can trigger earthquakes in a laboratory setting, inducing aftershocks long after the initial quake. This finding has significant implications for understanding earthquake behavior and may provide clues to catastrophic events in other granular media.
Researchers propose new mechanism for superconductivity in materials without phonon interaction, potentially leading to higher temperatures. This discovery could pave the way for a new class of high-temperature superconductors.
A team of international researchers has observed the formation of metallic puddles in vanadium dioxide, leading to a better understanding of the Mott transition and its potential applications. The study uses near-field scanning optical microscopy to reveal new insights into superconductors and materials development.