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World's smallest atomic clock on sale

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a tiny atomic clock that is 100 times smaller and uses 100 times less power than its predecessors. The portable Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) has various specialized applications, including timing operations for miners and divers in deep-sea explorations.

Ring around the hurricanes: Satellites can predict storm intensity

Researchers developed a method to use passive microwave satellite imagery to monitor hurricane structure and intensity changes, revealing patterns in storm dynamics. This allows for a 30-hour window before a storm hits its maximum strength, enabling forecasters to issue earlier warnings and evacuate areas at risk.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateApr 20, 2011

AFM tips from the microwave

Scientists from Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena developed a new process to grow carbon nanotubes on scanning probe tips, utilizing microwave radiation for rapid growth. The method improves the fabrication of sharp atomic force microscopy tips, reducing costs and enabling routine measurements.

SourceFriedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena·JournalNano Letters·DateOct 21, 2010

Scientists create artificial mini 'black hole'

Researchers in China develop electromagnetic absorbing device for microwave frequencies using metamaterials, demonstrating an absorption rate of 99%. The device traps and converts electromagnetic waves into heat, exhibiting properties similar to an 'electromagnetic black hole',

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalNew Journal of Physics·DateJun 3, 2010

Visual assistance for cosmic blind spots

Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics create a system called information field theory (IFT) to reconstruct incomplete image data. IFT asks two questions to determine the probability of images based on measured data and prior knowledge, allowing for optimal reconstruction in areas where telescopes are blind.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalPhysical Review D·DateNov 23, 2009

The day the universe froze

A new dark energy model proposes a cosmological phase transition, where the universe 'froze' about 11.5 billion years ago, causing it to expand at an ever-increasing rate. This theory attributes dark energy to a field dubbed quintessence, which acts as an antigravity agent and is spread uniformly throughout space.

SourceVanderbilt University·JournalPhysical Review D·DateMay 8, 2009

Active optical clock

Researchers have proposed a novel optical clock concept that enables more stable clocks, sub-natural linewidth laser spectroscopy, and long coherence time lasers. The lasing behavior of the active optical clock is described by the modified Schawlow-Townes linewidth formula, which narrows the linewidth due to collective emission from ga...

SourceScience China Press·JournalChinese Science Bulletin·DateApr 12, 2009