Articles tagged with Ultraviolet Radiation
Scientists have made a breakthrough in developing longer-lasting sunscreens by studying the behavior of molecular ingredients. By using lasers to simulate sunlight, researchers found that up to 10% of sunscreen molecules can become stuck in an excited state, leading to degradation and reduced protection.
Researchers at Lund University developed a method to control extreme UV light using strong laser pulses, allowing for precise manipulation of electron dynamics and light properties. This technique has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of light/electron interactions.
Astronomers have developed a way to detect the ultraviolet (UV) background of the Universe, which could help explain why there are so few small galaxies in the cosmos. The UV radiation strips smaller galaxies of the gas needed to form stars, effectively stunting their growth.
Astronomers have mapped the location of optical and ultraviolet light emitted by a star torn apart by a black hole. The team used Swift satellite observations to track the changes in brightness of various wavelengths, finding that they originated from elliptical streams of orbiting matter crashing into each other.
The James Webb Space Telescope is inspected for contamination using ultraviolet flashlights in a darkened clean room. The long exposure captures the technicians as 'ghostly wraiths', while a special light technique illuminates the primary mirror.
Spanish researchers estimated optimal UV radiation exposure times to synthesize vitamin D, highlighting the difficulty of achieving recommended doses in winter months. The study found that, even in sun-rich countries like Spain, excessive exposure times are required during winter to obtain the necessary vitamin D.
Researchers have developed a simple, low-cost device that can detect oil spills in water and pinpoint the type of oil involved. The device uses fluorescence spectrum analysis to identify five types of oil tested in the study.
Scientists used OCT to observe tissue organization and behavior of living corals, identifying changes in tissue layers and fluorescent pigments under light exposure. The study reveals that corals expand their surface area at night and produce more mucus upon stress, challenging current assumptions about coral metabolic rates.
A Cornell research group has reported progress in creating a smaller, more earth-friendly alternative to mercury-based deep-UV lamps. Using atomically controlled thin monolayers of GaN and AlN, they produced deep-UV emission with a light-emitting diode (LED) between 232 and 270 nanometer wavelengths.
Researchers at Duke University developed tiny rhodium nanoparticles that convert carbon dioxide into methane using ultraviolet light, potentially reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The discovery offers a promising alternative energy source and could be scaled up for industrial applications.
A new species of testate amoeba, Arcella gandalfi, has been identified in South America with a unique funnel-shaped carapace resembling Gandalf's hat. Its color ranges from light yellow to brown and is considered large for a single-celled organism.
Researchers from the University of Jena investigate the effects of five types of nuts on colon cancer cells, finding that they activate the body's defences to detoxify reactive oxygen species. Nuts stimulate the activity of protective enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase, inducing programmed cell death in cancer cells.
Scientists have introduced a new family of UVA and UVB filters inspired by natural sunscreen substances found in algae and cyanobacteria. These molecules are highly stable, enhance commercial sunscreen effectiveness, and offer improved sun protection factor.
Scientists developed a bioinspired adhesive material that can be controlled remotely by UV light, transporting micro-objects with high precision. The material consists of mushroom-shaped adhesive microstructures and elastic porous material, allowing for reversible control and detachment.
Researchers at Hokkaido University have created a new technology that can precisely control gene expression by light illumination, overcoming existing limitations. The method uses ultraviolet and blue light to start and stop protein production in embryos, enabling precise timing and duration of gene expression.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a program to help student-athletes improve their sleep habits. The study found that 68% of surveyed athletes reported poor sleep quality, with many getting less than seven hours of sleep per night.
Astronomers have discovered one of the brightest non-active galaxies in the early universe, BG1429+1202, located 11.4 billion light-years away. The galaxy's high luminosity was made possible by a gravitational lensing effect caused by a massive elliptical galaxy along the line of sight.
Scientists observed atomic-level cracking in 2D MoS2, revealing dislocations at the crack tip that can't be explained by existing theories. The study suggests a new theory is needed to understand 2D material behavior.
A large randomized trial found that using UVC machines can reduce the transmission of four major superbugs by a cumulative 30 percent, particularly for MRSA. The study suggests that adding UV light to standard cleaning can be an effective strategy in reducing infections in hospitals.
A team of researchers led by David Cinabro found that Type Ia Supernovas can be used to measure the pace at which the universe expands. The study challenges recent headlines suggesting these explosions cannot be relied upon for this purpose.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed a nanoscale ultrasound technique that can see inside individual living cells without damaging them. This breakthrough method could rival optical super-resolution techniques, which won the 2014 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, by using shorter-than-optical wavelengths of sound.
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center found that sunlight, through a separate mechanism from vitamin D production, increases the movement of T cells. This activation enhances immune response and may have therapeutic potential for boosting immunity.
Scientists have traced back 200 million years of eye evolution in turtles and crocodiles, discovering that their adaptations led to the loss of color vision. Turtles developed reduced color vision for freshwater habitats, while crocodiles adapted for dim light.
A team at Tohoku University found that when a cluster of neon atoms is exposed to intense extreme ultraviolet light, it initiates a cascading process that produces many low-energy electrons. This mechanism could have implications for future radiation therapy.
A new material developed by Yuebing Zheng could lead to the creation of erasable and rewriteable optical chips. The material, which combines light-sensitive molecules with a plasmonic surface, allows for wireless erasure and rewriting of optical components.
Scientists have found that the UVR8 receptor in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii activates a safety valve to dissipate excess energy as heat. The study reveals a second protective role of these receptors, producing an anti-UV 'sunscreen'.
Researchers at Cornell University developed a chemical tool that controls inflammation using UV light, allowing for targeted therapy with minimal side effects. The method has potential applications in treating inflammatory diseases such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.
A study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that higher UVB radiation exposure between ages 14-29 was associated with a significant reduction in the odds of adult myopia. This suggests that spending time outdoors may play a protective role against nearsightedness, particularly during adolescence and young adulthood.
Researchers at Ohio State University have developed lightweight, flexible metal foil-based LEDs for portable ultraviolet light purification of drinking water and sterilization of medical equipment. This technology has the potential to make safe drinking water accessible in remote areas.
Researchers at Aalto University developed a new light detector capturing over 96% of photons covering visible, ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths. The detector's nanostructured surface and inversion layer eliminate reflection losses and electrical losses present in traditional sensors.
An international group of researchers has developed self-powered mobile polymers that can move without traditional power sources. The polymers directly convert ultraviolet light into motion, eliminating the need for electronics or other mechanisms.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute and Technical University of Munich have measured photoionization with unprecedented zeptosecond precision, determining the timescale of this process for the first time. This achievement resolves quantum mechanics' impact on ultra-short events in atomic interactions.
Physicists have recorded an internal atomic event with unprecedented precision, measuring the duration of photoionization for the first time with zeptosecond accuracy. The study provides a reliable basis for future experiments and reconciles theory and experiment in complex systems like helium.
Researchers at Rice University and the University of Graz successfully drove single-molecule nanoroadsters using light, demonstrating a new method for propulsion. The vehicles, made of 112 atoms, reached a top speed of 23 nanometers per hour and showed wavelength sensitivity.
Researchers found that ground beef color fades quickly due to light exposure, but LED lights can slow down this process. The study showed that LED lighting retained a better red color on day 5 compared to fluorescent lighting.
Researchers have successfully cooled rubidium atoms to nearly absolute zero using a multicolored laser, paving the way for studying chemical reactions in medicine and biology. The technique involves using pairs of photons to mimic high-energy ultraviolet light, overcoming previous difficulties in generating such photons.
Scientists at OIST Graduate University have developed a technique to visualize electrons in a material, allowing them to study the dynamic of electron movement and its effects on semiconductor devices. By creating a video of electron motion, researchers can now describe the phenomenon without interpreting data.
The MinXSS CubeSat collects data on soft X-rays, providing insight into solar flare physics and temperature, density, and abundance of solar flare material. This information is crucial for understanding how flares evolve and heat the sun's atmosphere.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine identified a unique 'constrained motion' pattern in which Rad4, a repair protein, scans DNA for structural faults. This discovery could lead to therapies that enhance existing treatments and counter drug-resistance, particularly in cancer.
Researchers found that synthetic nucleosides can cause cell growth decrease and increase reactive oxygen species when exposed to near-visible light. This limitation could lead to unintended consequences for genetic material.
Researchers found that end-of-day far-red and blue light treatment alleviate intumescence injury in tomato seedlings. High blue photon flux ratio during the photoperiod also mitigates intumescence injury, with a synergistic effect observed when combined with EOD-FR light.
Researchers discovered most snakes have three visual pigments, making them dichromatic in daylight. Their lens structure allows UV light through for nocturnal species, while daytime hunters have UV-filtering lenses.
Researchers at SLAC and Stanford have created a nanostructured device that disinfects water using the full range of visible sunlight, killing bacteria in minutes. The device triggers the formation of hydrogen peroxide and other disinfecting chemicals.
Researchers have discovered new spectral lines from highly charged heavy ions in fusion plasmas, which could be useful for plasma application research such as EUV lithography. The study used the LHD facility to create high-temperature plasmas and observe the emission spectrum of extreme ultraviolet wavelengths.
Scientists create synthetic diacylglycerols that can be controlled by UV light, revealing new insights into cellular signaling networks. The findings enable precise regulation of metabolic processes such as insulin secretion and nerve signal transmission.
Researchers at the University of Warwick have discovered a new type of exotic binary star that produces powerful beams of particles and radiation, affecting its nearby companion star. The star, AR Scorpii, has a white dwarf with intense magnetic fields that accelerate electrons in the atmosphere of the red dwarf to close to the speed o...
A NASA team is testing a photon sieve optic for improved UV resolution, which could help answer a 50-year-old question about the sun's corona. The new technology has already achieved success in its initial testing phase.
Scientists create a film that curls up and straightens autonomously when exposed to tiny changes in humidity, using it to transform environmental fluctuations into mechanical energy. The film can jump high and repeatedly bend and straighten without deterioration.
A quantum-confined bandgap narrowing mechanism has been found to extend UV absorption into the visible light range, enabling design of high-efficiency paintable solar cells and water purification using sunlight. The researchers mixed TiO2 particles with graphene quantum dots, resulting in a composite that absorbs visible light.
Researchers discovered a UV-B receptor that activates proteins to build defense mechanisms, allowing plants to tolerate harmful UV-B rays. Plants also use UV-B rays to influence growth and development, making them essential for survival.
Researchers at WSU have developed a multifunctional smart material with shape memory behavior, light-activated movement, and self-healing properties. The material can fold, unfold, remember its shape, and heal itself in response to heat or light.
Researchers tested cool-season turfgrass cultivars under evaluated UV-B conditions, revealing differences in growth rates and color. Coarse-textured grasses outperformed finer-textured ones, with some varieties exhibiting reduced tiller production and significant color loss.
Scientists discover that daily doses of pre-harvest UV-C light increase stilbenoid production in grapes, offering a natural method to prevent pathogens and reduce synthetic pesticide use. This approach shows a significant 86-fold increase in stilbenoid concentrations, resulting in higher disease resistance.
Astronomers using ALMA detected a clear signal from oxygen in a galaxy 13.1 billion light-years away, revealing insights into cosmic reionization. The detection of ionized oxygen is crucial for understanding the early Universe and the formation of galaxies.
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has observed oxygen in a galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang, providing evidence for cosmic reionisation. The findings suggest that many brilliant stars have formed in the galaxy, emitting intense ultraviolet light to ionise gas.
Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center have discovered that a narrow wavelength of ultraviolet (UV) light, known as far-UVC, safely kills drug-resistant MRSA bacteria. This finding offers a potential solution to reducing surgical site infections, a major public health concern.
Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt discovered that birds use a light-independent radical pair to detect the Earth's magnetic field lines. This finding indicates a special evolutionary adaptation in birds, as cryptochrome is used exclusively for light perception in other organisms.
A type of flatworm, Schmidtea mediterranea, can provide a new model for studying rare metabolic disorders like porphyrias. Prolonged exposure to sunlight triggers the production of light-activated molecules in its skin pigment cells, leading to depigmentation and potentially aiding in the development of new treatments.
Researchers at Kobe University have developed a metal-containing compound that transforms into a solid when exposed to light and returns to its original liquid form when heated. This substance has potential applications in photolithography technology and other fields, including printed circuits and 3D printing.
A study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that automobile side windows have low levels of ultraviolet A (UV-A) light protection, with an average blockage rate of 71 percent. This is lower than the 96 percent blockage rate for front windshields, potentially contributing to increased rates of cataract and left-sided facial skin cancer.