Articles tagged with Diamond
The AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards recognize innovative storytelling on scientific topics. The 2009 winners include 'Diamond Factory,' a TV feature on lab-grown diamonds, and 'A Very Lucky Wind,' a radio story exploring randomness and probability.
Researchers at Northwestern University developed nanocrystalline diamond probes that outperform commercially available silicon nitride probes by 10 times in terms of durability. The new probes can accurately predict wear and have applications in atomic force microscopy.
Researchers in Australia have developed the first efficient diamond Raman laser, achieving an efficiency of 63.5%, comparable to existing lasers built with other materials. This technology has potential applications in defense technologies, trace gas detectors, medical devices, and satellite mapping.
A team led by University of Oregon archaeologist Douglas J. Kennett found shock-synthesized hexagonal diamonds in 12,900-year-old sediments on the Northern Channel Islands. The discovery suggests a significant cosmic impact during Clovis time and matches the extinction of multiple species.
Researchers in France and Germany have successfully produced homogeneous samples of pure and very small fluorescent diamond nanoparticles with high yield. The novel process involves irradiating micron-size diamonds, milling, and purification steps.
Researchers at UCSB are developing new techniques for manipulating single electron spins in diamond, aiming to build ultra-secure communication systems and lightning-fast database searches. The project will also focus on creating synthetic crystal diamond and heterostructure materials and devices.
Researchers have determined the pressure needed to melt diamond, creating a new state of carbon, and potentially aiding nuclear fusion efforts. This discovery could help explain planetary magnetic fields and improve simulations of celestial bodies.
Research on submarine displacement rates reveals some of the highest strike-slip rates on Earth, with implications for plate boundary deformation. Volcanic ice-slurry flows are also studied, showing extreme mobility and hazards at snow-capped volcanoes, with insights into their kinematic properties.
Researchers at Carnegie Institution develop new technique to improve diamond properties, producing single-crystal diamonds with controlled compositions and few defects. The method, called chemical vapor deposition, allows for rapid growth of diamonds at low pressure, enhancing optical clarity.
Physicists have developed a novel way of spying on electrons and atomic nuclei using diamond-based magnetic imaging, enabling nanoscale spatial resolution. This technique has potential applications in fields such as materials science, spintronics, and biomedicine.
The 9th International Kimberlite Conference at the Goethe University Frankfurt explores the science of diamonds, their inclusions, and their significance for geoscientists. The conference features over 500 participants from 37 countries, with a focus on basic scientific research, diamond production, and industry.
Researchers have created a new method for producing functional nanoscale patterns with sub-100 nanometer features. The process uses a flexible polymer membrane and exploits elastic instability to generate long-range orientational order, resulting in stable and reusable diamond-plate patterns with high precision.
The project aims to integrate capacitive radio frequency MEMS and CMOS devices for rapid electronic steering of radar beams, improving radar speed and precision. The UNCD film technology exhibits unique properties that make it suitable for producing resonators for high-frequency operations.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania discovered that diamond's slippery behavior is caused by passivation of atomic bonds, not graphite formation. The team found that friction increases dramatically in dry conditions, highlighting the importance of water vapor for optimal performance.
Researchers at the University of California - Santa Barbara and Ames Laboratory have discovered how fundamental particles in matter lose their quantum mechanical properties through interactions with their environment. This finding is key to unraveling how the classical world emerges from interacting quantum particles in matter.
Researchers found three-billion-year-old zircon microcrystals in northern Ontario with an incredible 200-million-year growth span. The crystals provide a new record of planetary evolution and contradict previous theories about their behavior when exposed to heat and pressure.
A recent study by Smithsonian researchers reveals that natural blue diamonds exhibit phosphorescence with components of both blue and red light. The study's findings provide a unique 'fingerprint' for individual blue diamonds, enabling scientists to identify them.
A team of researchers from Penn State, Naval Research Laboratory, and Smithsonian Institution used spectroscopic analysis to determine that all blue diamonds have a red phosphorescent component. This unique property allows for the identification of individual blue diamonds, distinguishing them from synthetic or altered stones.
A mathematical analysis of the diamond's microscopic structure reveals its special properties, including maximal symmetry and strong isotropic property. The K4 crystal, sharing these properties, has sparked curiosity about its potential existence in nature or synthesis.
Researchers have discovered MoSIx nanowires to be a promising alternative to carbon nanotubes for use in high-tech applications such as battery electrodes and field emission displays. The ease of synthesis and dispersion of these materials make them highly suited for commercialization.
Researchers used laser-perforated diamond anvil cells to investigate oxide glass structures at high pressures. They discovered that arsenic oxide underwent a transformation at 20 GPa, creating new isomers. This breakthrough may help understand magma behavior during the early Earth's formation.
A recent study reveals that coating diamond surfaces with heavier hydrogen isotopes can significantly reduce friction forces. The research, led by Argonne scientist Anirudha Sumant, used single-crystal diamond surfaces coated with layers of atomic or deuterium to investigate the effect on surface vibrations.
A new integrated theory of kimberlite formation invokes a leading wedge of fluid carbon dioxide to explain the survival of diamonds during ascent. The theory suggests that the rapid expansion and cooling of magma near the surface creates an equilibrium pressure, driving the rock upward at speeds of up to 5000 km/h.
Researchers have developed a method to achieve pressures up to a billion atmospheres, recreating conditions expected in the cores of supergiant planets. This breakthrough allows for the study of extreme chemistry and material properties, shedding light on the composition of Earth's mantle and rocky core.
Researchers at UCLA have designed a new super-hard material called rhenium diboride, which is as incompressible as diamond but can be made without high-pressure conditions. This material has the potential to replace some industrial applications of diamond and cubic boron nitride.
Researchers at UC San Diego have created an 'origami lens' that folds the telephoto lens, enabling the creation of ultrathin, high-resolution miniature cameras. This technology addresses performance issues in cell phone cameras and may be used for unmanned surveillance aircraft, infrared night vision, and other applications.
The Carnegie Institution has been granted a patent for the manufacture of hard, single-crystal diamonds through a Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (MPCVD) process. The inventors' work has led to diamonds with increased hardness and enhanced optical characteristics.
Researchers develop diamond resonators and oscillators for next-generation telecommunication devices, enabling higher data communication rates. The UNCD material exhibits exceptional mechanical properties, allowing for reliable and affordable production of tuning fork devices.
Lueking's group inadvertently stumbled upon a method that combines hydrogen production and storage, producing nanocrystalline diamonds as a by-product. The researchers used ball milling to mix anthracite coal with cyclohexene, resulting in the formation of Bucky diamonds.
Research found lack of training and employment led to violent uprising, while reintegration projects struggled to find work for newly-trained ex-soldiers. Millions spent on vocational training, but many ended up working for subsistence wages in mines.
Researchers from Livermore have determined the phase boundaries for carbon at pressures up to 20 million atmospheres and temperatures over 10,000 degrees Kelvin. The study provides results on the physical properties of carbon, essential for devising models of Neptune, Uranus, and white dwarf stars.
Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have successfully detected and studied 'dark' spins in diamond, a significant breakthrough in the development of room temperature quantum computing. The discovery could enable networks of spins to process information at the atomic level.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a technique to make magnetic diamond particles, which could find use in medicine and information technology. The tiny magnets have several advantages over metal counterparts, including being lightweight, stable, simple to process, and less expensive.
The novel material combines diamond's hardness with nanotubes' strength, offering potential applications in wear-resistant coatings, fuel cells, and electronic devices. The researchers developed a process to synthesize the material at the nanoscale, paving the way for fundamental advances in nanostructured carbon materials.
Scientists from Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory have created a new type of atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe made from ultra-nano-crystalline diamond, exhibiting properties similar to single-crystal diamond. The development enables improved durability and scalability for high-resolution imaging.
Scientists have successfully produced 10-carat, half-inch thick single-crystal diamonds at a rapid growth rate of 100 micrometers per hour using CVD. This achievement is approximately five times that of commercially available diamonds and marks a major breakthrough in diamond production.
Researchers have discovered a way to levitate heavy objects, such as diamonds and precious metals, using a safe mixture of liquid nitrogen and oxygen. This technology has potential applications in mining and pharmaceutical industries.
Researchers have discovered that ancient Chinese craftsmen used diamond to polish sapphire-rich stones around 2500 BC, creating a mirror-like luster on the axes. The find sheds new light on the origins of Neolithic artifacts in China and challenges current understanding of prehistoric polishing techniques.
Researchers create miniature drills and end mills using microelectro discharge machining to produce smooth, curly chips of glass or ceramic. The process can take as long as an hour to produce one dimple a half millimeter in diameter, but is faster than photolithography.
Researchers at NIST created a new technique to measure friction accurately in the nano- and micro-scale. The method helps designers produce more durable devices with moving parts by accounting for unintended scratching of surfaces.
Researchers at Carnegie Institution grow synthetic brilliant cut single-crystal diamonds with ultrahigh pressures, breaking measuring equipment. The crystals are up to 50% harder than conventional diamonds, offering a breakthrough in materials science.
Companies like Gemesis and Apollo Diamond are creating lab-grown diamonds over a carat in size that match mined counterparts in terms of chemical and physical properties. Additionally, colored diamonds can be created by introducing controlled elemental impurities, such as nitrogen for yellow stones or boron for blue gems.
Researchers at Brookhaven Lab help create new form of carbon by studying its bonding under high pressure. They propose a distorted graphite-like structure that challenges current understanding of carbon's intermediate forms.
Researchers at Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory have created a super-hard form of graphite that can rival diamond in strength. The new material was made by subjecting graphite to extreme pressures and studying its atomic structure using high-intensity X-rays.
Researchers created diamond layers on steel by using a chromium nitride intermediate layer to prevent carbon penetration and graphite formation. The technique resulted in good-quality diamond layers on certain types of tool steel.
A University of Toronto geologist claims that diamonds originated on the ocean floor, supported by a new study published in Nature. The research reveals that diamond formation begins when lava is pushed onto the ocean floor, interacting with sea water to alter its oxygen composition.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a stable, DNA-modified diamond film that can detect biological molecules with high accuracy. The sensor, which is about the size of a postage stamp, has the potential to be used in early warning systems for defense against biological weapons.
Researchers at UW-Madison developed a novel diamond film that can be used as a stable platform for biological sensing. The films have proven to be remarkably durable and can withstand multiple cycles of processing DNA, making them suitable for continuous monitoring in high-risk environments.
Krommes received recognition for his research on plasma turbulence, a crucial aspect of fusion energy, while Parsells was cited for his ingenuity in adapting diamond wire cutting technology for the TFTR D&D Project.
Lee's research found that zeolites expand as fluid from the surrounding medium is squeezed into their tiny pores under great pressure, leading to potential applications as 'molecular sponges'. The discovery was made possible by using a technique called powder diffraction at Brookhaven's National Synchrotron Light Source.
Scientists have developed new methods to characterize diamonds, allowing them to link the stones' properties to their mine of origin. This study aims to shed light on plate tectonics, the Earth's formation, and processes deep in the Earth.
Keblinski's research on polycrystalline diamonds reveals surprising strength and potential for designing stronger, less brittle materials. His work has implications for ceramics in turbines and other applications.
The Starshine Satellite Project involves students from Pakistan, New Zealand, Brazil, and India polishing thousands of mirrors to help calibrate The Fence, the Navy's space surveillance network. Once launched, students will be able to track the satellite's movement as it passes across the skies.
Researchers study presolar diamond grains found in meteorites and simulate implantation of ions to test mechanism. The results reveal a bimodal release of noble gases with different temperatures, suggesting at least two events involved in the introduction of xenon.
By analyzing seismic waves, scientists have mapped the physical properties of the earth below, identifying regions with seismically fast mantle that produce gem-quality diamonds. This discovery could aid in locating new diamond mines by targeting areas with similar characteristics.
Researchers develop diamond micromachines using amorphous diamond, eliminating internal stresses and reducing stiction. The machines have potential applications in medical devices, such as drug-dispensing units, without generating allergic reactions.
A new theory proposes that some of the carbon in diamonds originates from supernovae explosions and meteorites, rather than organic materials. This idea is supported by the antiquity of diamonds and similarities in carbon isotopic ratios to those found in meteorites.
Scientists have successfully synthesized a new cubic phase of silicon nitride with exceptional hardness, outperforming stishovite, a high-pressure modification of SiO2. The novel material has the potential to replace diamond in certain technological applications where its extreme hardness is required.
Sandia researchers develop a simple way to relieve internal stresses in amorphous diamond films, creating thick, stress-free coatings that are harder than known coatings. The coatings have also been used to create large-area free-standing membranes with desirable properties such as high hardness and low friction.
Scientists have developed techniques to directly image the deformation of materials like diamond under ultrahigh pressures, showing that it can bend without failing. The results suggest ways to improve high-pressure techniques and reveal enhanced material strength at extreme pressures.