Articles tagged with Wavelengths
A team of scientists found that blackcap birds can distinguish between genuine and fake cuckoo eggs by altering the UV reflectivity. The study, published in The Journal of Experimental Biology, shows that when blackcap eggs are coated with a UV blocker or Vaseline, they are rejected by the parents.
Scientists at PNNL developed a way to reduce cloud-induced glare when satellites measure blue skies on cloudy days, allowing for more accurate estimates of sunlight penetration. The new approach improves visibility by as much as ten-fold in some cases, enabling better climate modeling.
Researchers have doubled the efficiency of infrared lasers in the mid-infrared wavelength range, which could enable next-generation laser-based defense systems and commercial applications like trace chemical analysis and pollution monitoring. The advancements were achieved through improvements to material quality, design, and fabrication.
The University of Colorado at Boulder has built a $34 million solar instrument package to monitor global climate change. The Total Solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS) will fly on the first flight of the National Polar Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) in 2013.
A team of researchers from Ames Laboratory has developed a novel add-drop filter using three-dimensional photonic crystals, which enables efficient sorting and distribution of multiple wavelength channels over optical fibers. The technology promises to enhance data transmission with near 100% efficiency.
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) will provide astronomers with unprecedented views of the origins of stars, galaxies, and planets. ALMA's high-resolution capabilities will enable scientists to unravel longstanding mysteries in astronomy.
MESSENGER's Wide Angle Camera captures high-resolution color views of Mercury, showcasing subtle variations indicative of different rock types and mineral compositions. The images provide valuable information for understanding Mercury's formation and evolution.
Researchers identified two blind individuals with intact non-visual responses to light, highlighting the functional distinctness between visual and non-visual pathways. The study found that short-wavelength blue light induced significant effects on circadian rhythms, melatonin secretion, and alertness in both patients.
Researchers at Harvard University have developed a compact and portable Quantum Cascade Laser sensor for fast detection of chemicals with broad tuning capabilities, enabling ultra-sensitive chemical sensing and revolutionizing applications in homeland security, medical diagnostics, and environmental sensing.
Researchers from Harvard University have demonstrated a laser with unprecedented detail, capable of resolving chemical composition of samples like cells. This device combines Quantum Cascade Lasers with optical antenna nanotechnology, enabling new ultrahigh spatial resolution microscopes for chemical imaging.
Researchers used satellite data to monitor inflation in the Lastarria-Cordon del Azufre volcanic complex, detecting a long wavelength signal indicating possible magmatic activity. A short wavelength signal was also found, likely linked to hydrothermal fluid circulation.
Researchers at Virginia Tech have found that visible wavelengths of light cause taste and odor changes in food. The team is developing new packaging materials that can protect food from UV light damage, which can degrade nutrients and alter flavor profiles.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute developed a technique called optical 3D far-field microscopy using photoswitchable rhodamine amides, allowing for highly resolved 3D images of transparent fluorescence-marked samples. The method can capture nanoscale resolution with good signal-to-noise ratio and relatively short exposure times.
Researchers at NIST have built a prototype high-speed quantum key distribution (QKD) system that can transmit secure keys in real-time over distances of at least 10 kilometers. The system achieves dramatically lower noise levels than similar systems, enabling theoretically unbreakable encryption and decryption.
The University of Colorado at Boulder will collaborate with major partners to design and build a 25-meter far-infrared telescope in the Atacama Desert. The telescope will enable scientists to study early stages of star and galaxy formation, as well as solar system origins.
Astronomers have used adaptive optics technology to pinpoint two supermassive black holes in a colliding galaxy. The observations reveal the black holes reside at the center of rotating disks of stars and are surrounded by young star clusters.
Researchers discovered the location and makeup of a pair of supermassive black holes in a galaxy collision, using adaptive optics to clear atmospheric distortion. The discovery sheds light on the coevolution of black holes and galaxies, with implications for understanding galaxy evolution and properties.
Engineers at Purdue University developed a theoretical design for an optical cloaking device that guides light around objects, making them invisible. The device works only for specific wavelengths and has limitations, but the researchers believe it's possible to create a cloak for all colors of visible light.
Researchers at the University of Utah have discovered a way to manipulate far-infrared light for efficient transmission, paving the way for faster wireless communication. The technology also enables detection of concealed explosives and biological weapons using vibrational spectroscopy.
Researchers created mice with both human and mouse visual receptors, allowing them to distinguish between previously indistinguishable colors. This breakthrough suggests the brain can adapt to new sensory information quickly, challenging the idea that early primates developed trichromatic vision gradually over time.
Physicists at Boston College have successfully transmitted visible light through a cable hundreds of times smaller than a human hair, defying a key principle in optics. This breakthrough could lead to the development of high-efficiency solar cells and microscopic light-based switching devices.
A new technology allows users to record and store massive amounts of data onto a single disc, such as the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's entire collection or 500 movies, maintaining excellent quality without damage. The UCF team's Two-Photon 3-D Optical Data Storage system uses lasers to compact information onto a DVD.
Researchers at Brown University have found evidence of recent volcanic gas release from the moon's surface, with features like the Ina structure dating back to two million years. The discovery suggests the moon is geologically active beyond its three billion-year history.
The Free-Electron Laser produced a 14.2 kilowatt beam of laser light at an infrared wavelength of 1.61 microns, shattering another power record. This achievement supports the Navy's vision for a high-power FEL as part of a ship-based weapon system.
Mars Express's OMEGA instrument reveals a thick slab of dry ice in the cryptic region, but dust contamination is caused by geysers triggered by sunlight heating the soil beneath. The geysers create spots and fans, which suggest a process that could significantly contribute to the dust contamination observed.
A new 'superlens' has been integrated into a microscope to visualize two-dimensional objects, such as holes in gold films. This innovation increases the resolution beyond the wavelength of light, allowing for previously impossible imaging of ultra-small objects.
A new type of diode laser, called quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), may revolutionize aircraft protection by emitting high-power light at specific wavelengths. The QCLs can operate at room temperature and have a power conversion efficiency of 10 percent, making them ideal for widespread use in infrared countermeasure systems.
Georgia Tech researchers develop wavelength-demultipler (WD) that can separate high-resolution wavelengths in tight confines, solving problems with combining delicate optical functions. The WD is integrated into a microchip for signal processing, communications, or sensing applications.
Researchers at Ames Laboratory have successfully created metamaterials that can refract light at negative angles, potentially enabling the development of superlenses for medical imaging. This achievement demonstrates a new way to manipulate light's path and speed, moving closer to Einstein's theory of relativity.
Researchers at Rice University's Laboratory for Nanophotonics have created nanoeggs, asymmetric particles that focus light on small regions of space. These nanoeggs can be tuned to interact with more wavelengths of light than their nanoshell cousins, making them suitable for applications in molecular imaging and medical diagnostics.
Researchers found massive-star supernovae to be major space dust factories, producing up to seven thousand earth masses of solid dust particles. This discovery challenges existing theories and provides new insights into the processes that produce dust in the universe, with implications for the formation of comets, planets, and life.
Researchers at MIT have created a new energy system that converts light into electricity, enabling more fuel-efficient cars. The system uses advanced materials and photonics to create intense light, which is then harnessed by photo diodes to power electrical systems.
Scientists create new voltage-sensitive dyes that allow them to image the electrical activity of cells deep within the heart. These dyes provide a more complete picture of normal and abnormal heart rhythms, shedding light on the causes of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Researchers used human fat and pig skin to test infrared laser light, finding three wavelengths that preferentially heated fat. The results provide a proof of principle for using lasers to target sebaceous glands, potentially replacing Accutane for acne treatment.
Researchers found that marsupials have a version of trichromatic color vision distinct from primates, with sensitivity to UV wavelengths. The study provides new insights into the evolution of mammalian color vision.
Scientists at the University of Illinois discovered a newly recognized hazard in rare volcanic eruptions, characterized by wavy and scalloped umbrellas. The unusual plume behavior, fueled by steam and ash, could lead to unexpected and dangerous ash flows that spread rapidly over surrounding areas.
Researchers found that Pluto's three moons have identical colors, boosting the hypothesis that they formed from a single giant collision. The team used Hubble Space Telescope observations to compare the brightness of Pluto and each moon in different filters, determining their neutral color is similar to Charon's.
Scientists discover an unusual X-ray tunnel large enough to fit the entire Milky Way galaxy inside a galaxy cluster. The tunnel is filled with old particles likely originating from past black hole outbursts, shedding light on the complex battle between the inward flow of hot gas and outward radio jets.
Researchers at the University of Illinois created composite images of optical, radio, infrared, ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths to understand massive stars' impact on their galactic surroundings. The study reveals that massive stars energize and enrich the interstellar medium with strong ultraviolet radiation and fast stellar winds.
Researchers have observed that less energetic infrared flares coincide with more energetic X-ray and submillimeter flares, suggesting accelerated particles give rise to emission. The study also found that flare activity is driven by the infrared wavelength, with 40% of observations detected in this range.
Scientists conducted precise tests of Einstein's famous formula, confirming the relationship between energy and mass. The experiments used instruments like GAMS4 to measure gamma rays diffracted by crystals, achieving accuracy of four-tenths of 1 part in 1 million.
A new laser-based method for measuring millimeter distances has been developed and demonstrated by a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The technique measures frequency rather than wavelength, achieving an uncertainty of 10 picometers.
Scientists at Purdue University have created a material with a negative refractive index, a milestone that could lead to better communications and imaging technologies. The discovery uses tiny parallel nanorods of gold to conduct clouds of electrons, allowing for more efficient light transmission.
The researchers have found donor-substituted cyanoethynylethene molecules exhibit one of the strongest nonlinear optical responses, approaching the fundamental quantum limit. These findings are promising for optical computing and all-optical networks, which could lead to more efficient ways to route signals and process information.
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new type of silicon-based modulator that can enable high-speed light connections between chips. This innovation could pave the way for faster data transfer rates and improve performance in computing hardware.
Researchers use atom interferometer to confirm idea that atomic wave shortens and lengthens depending on distance from surface. The measurement tells nanotechnologists how small devices can be before van der Waals interaction becomes a concern.
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a tiny infrared laser that can detect explosives and chemical warfare agents, setting the stage for a portable system to warn against potential threats. The far-infrared laser's high power and efficiency make it an ideal source for sensitive chemical analysis.
The UKIDSS survey will scour the sky with the world's most powerful infrared survey camera to study objects too cool for visible light, like failed stars and distant quasars. The surveys aim to solve existing conundrums, such as when galaxies first lit up, and discover new phenomena.
The NIST method corrects stray light errors in spectrometers, enabling accurate measurements of low-power radiation components and large dynamic intensity ranges. The new method has been implemented and validated using a commercial spectrograph, allowing real-time corrections without significant speed reduction.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new family of materials that can change shape in response to light, offering potential for minimally invasive surgery and other applications. The polymers use molecular switches that bind together when exposed to UV light, allowing them to maintain their shape until the light is switched off.
A total of eight new VHE gamma-ray sources have been found in the Milky Way's disc, doubling known sources at these energies. The discovery includes two 'dark accelerators' without obvious counterparts in other wavelength bands, sparking excitement among astronomers.
Virginia Tech researchers have designed supramolecular complexes that can generate pharmaceutical compounds to cleave DNA in tumor cells. These complexes use visible light-induced reactions, which can penetrate tissue and deliver targeted therapy.
Researchers detected five powerful bursts from the Galactic center using the VLA radio telescope, with each burst lasting about 10 minutes and occurring every 77 minutes. The source's coherent emission properties suggest it could be an unknown mode of activity or a new class of objects.
Austrian-German collaboration creates laser-like X-rays with a compact laboratory apparatus, breaking the nanometer barrier. The technology has the potential to improve X-ray imaging in biology and medicine, enabling early-stage cancer diagnosis at reduced risk and higher resolution.
The Swift satellite's Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) has captured an image of the Pinwheel Galaxy, revealing regions of star formation in the galaxy's spiral arms. The UVOT will also help scientists determine the distance to closer gamma-ray bursts and study their afterglows.
Researchers at Rice University developed a new wave guide technology that enables terahertz sensing capabilities in confined spaces. This innovation could aid applications such as explosive detection, cancer screening, and quality control, offering unique advantages over existing technologies.
Researchers have developed a method to visualize the Z machine's key process using a single-frequency crystal. The images reveal that wires do not uniformly disintegrate, but instead heat and melt, with electrical current diverted to the plasma surrounding the dense wire cores.
Scientists developed a new near-field microscope that excites local lattice vibrations in polar crystals, allowing for nanoscale mapping of crystal quality. The technique reaches a 100-fold higher resolution compared to conventional infrared microscopes and enables non-destructive chemical analysis, nanoscopic sensors, and optical data...
Researchers at USC and UT Austin have developed a device based on quantum dots that can detect infrared radiation in a crucial wavelength range. This technology has the potential to improve night vision goggles, medical sensors and environmental monitors.
The Gemini South telescope has been coated with a silver layer to reduce thermal emissivity, allowing for deeper views of star formation, galaxies, and black holes. This results in improved detection capabilities for objects obscured by heat radiating from the telescope.