Articles tagged with National Laboratories
The Department of Energy's Office of Science has selected 35 scientists to receive significant funding for research through the Early Career Research Program. The program provides support to exceptional researchers during their formative years, helping build and sustain America's scientific workforce.
Researchers have discovered a link between the disappearance of certain electrons' periodic arrangements and the emergence of freely flowing electrons in a material, leading to enhanced superconductivity. The findings may help scientists engineer ways to boost operating temperatures for real-world energy-saving applications.
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research have confirmed the existence of element 117. The element's decay chain to elements 115 and 113 has been verified through experiments.
Researchers have successfully detected element 117, a key find in the quest for the 'island of stability', with half-lives of about one hour and 11 hours. The observation marks an important milestone in superheavy element research, demonstrating reliable identification methods.
The US Department of Energy has recognized six exceptional scientists and engineers with the 2013 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award for their contributions to research and development supporting energy, science, and national security missions. The award recipients have made significant advances in various scientific fields.
A team of researchers, including a scientist from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has found evidence that ancient dirt in Greenland was cryogenically frozen for millions of years. The discovery provides insights into how major ice sheets reacted to past climate change and could inform predictions about future changes.
Researchers used x-ray pulses to trigger superconductivity and reveal the rapid disappearance of 'charge stripes' that hindered it. The findings provide new insights into room-temperature superconductivity and its potential applications in electronics and computation.
Adam Arkin, director of Berkeley Lab's Physical Biosciences Division, has made significant contributions to systems and synthetic biology. He received the 2013 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award for his work on cellular networks and populations.
International research group recognizes UTMB professors Frederick A. Murphy and Thomas G. Ksiazek for their groundbreaking work on filoviruses, including Ebola and Marburg viruses. The award acknowledges their decades-long efforts to develop vaccines and treatments for these deadly diseases.
A team of scientists from Vanderbilt University has invented an ultra-fast and ultra-small optical switch that can turn on and off trillions of times per second. The device is made of artificial material engineered to have properties not found in nature, breaking the miniaturization barrier for photon-based devices.
Researchers develop new metallic glass with high elasticity, enabling more durable golf clubs and improved space science applications. The material's ability to be bent and spring back into shape is controlled by understanding the initiation of shear bands, which can lead to failure.
A study of Pine Island Glacier reveals it experienced rapid thinning 8,000 years ago at an average rate comparable to modern-day melting rates. This indicates that modern-day melting could last several more decades or even centuries.
Brookhaven physicist Alexei Klimentov receives a $3.4 million mega-grant to develop new 'big data' computing tools, building on the success of his ATLAS experiment workload and data management system. The project aims to efficiently handle large-scale data distribution and processing for various scientific fields.
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new microscopy method to image and measure electrochemical processes in batteries in real time. This technique allows them to capture an unprecedented view of the solid electrolyte interphase, a nanometer-scale film that forms on a battery's negative electrode.
Researchers designed an artificial relay based on natural one, improving efficiency and understanding natural process, Nature Chemistry study
Researchers developed a new form of soft matter that moves and reshapes itself in response to external stimuli, storing energy like living organisms. This 'living liquid crystal' holds promise for improving early disease detection, monitoring biological processes, and creating microfluidic biological sensors.
Researchers have successfully imaged a single layer of proteins using exceptionally bright and fast X-rays, significantly broadening the number and type of proteins that can be studied. This new method, based on XFEL technology, opens up possibilities for understanding protein structures and their role in disease and toxicity.
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have achieved an order of magnitude improvement in yield performance over past experiments on the National Ignition Facility. The boot-strapping process has been demonstrated to increase the rate of fusion reactions, producing more alpha particles and further heating the fuel.
Researchers explore the physics and biology of ion beam acceleration in cancer treatment, offering greater precision and reduced damage to healthy tissue. The symposium and press briefing discuss the benefits and challenges of hadron therapy, including its potential for cost-saving accelerator designs.
Researchers develop method to create long, twisting fibers that assemble themselves at the microscale, growing complex shapes and exhibiting unique properties. The new technique uses epoxy and can be instantly reversible, making it a promising technology for applications like batteries, photovoltaic cells, and sensors.
The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center has accepted a new Cray XC30 supercomputer named Edison, designed for scientific productivity. The system features nearly 2.4 quadrillion floating-point operations per second and can handle both data analysis and simulation and modeling with equal efficiency.
Scientists from McGill University and Sandia National Laboratories have successfully tested the 'Luttinger liquid' model, a mathematical prediction for one-dimensional quantum physics. The experiment measures the effect of electrical current on nearby wires, showing increased friction at low temperatures.
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have found a more efficient way to link a synthetic cobalt-containing catalyst to an organic light-sensitive molecule, increasing hydrogen generation from sunlight and water. The discovery uses a new mechanism that allows the reaction to continue significantly longer.
The study pioneers a new approach to forming a 2-D, single-atom sheet of two different materials with a seamless boundary. By rethinking traditional methods, researchers combined graphene and boron nitride into a single layer only one atom thick.
The Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) has made the most precise calibration yet of the universe's 'standard ruler', measuring its scale to an accuracy of one percent. This precision is crucial for determining the nature of dark energy and understanding the expansion history of the universe.
Scientists have developed a way to microscopically view battery electrodes in wet electrolytes, allowing for the study of the solid electrolyte interphase layer and its influence on battery performance. The new method, called an electrochemical liquid cell, provides more realistic conditions for studying battery materials.
Researchers from Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Washington have identified a method to minimize radiation damage in protein crystals using submicrometer line focusing. This technique enables scientists to collect better data while reducing time and cost associated with repeated experiments.
Researchers at ORNL developed a method to control the diameter of silica rods during growth by manipulating temperature. This allows for precise control over segment size, enabling advances in fields like anti-reflective solar cells and computer monitors.
Researchers combined ultrafast experimental measurements with theory to study the response of explosives to shockwaves. The results showed that a hydrogen peroxide sample began to tear apart within 50 picoseconds after being shocked, leading to significant temperature increases and pressure waves.
Researchers have created a new ceramic material that can harness energy from visible and infrared light, not just ultraviolet light. The material has shown significant improvement over today's classic ferroelectric material, absorbing six times more energy and transferring a photocurrent 50 times denser.
Los Alamos scientists observed an extraordinary cosmic event, a black hole birth, with advanced telescopes that yielded detailed data on the event's energy levels and 'afterglow.' The rare occurrence tested long-held assumptions about the universe, revealing higher-than-theoretically-possible energy levels for gamma rays.
The DOE has awarded $25.4 million to five leading companies for the development of next-generation supercomputers, advancing exascale computing technology vital to national security and scientific research. The partnerships will focus on designing energy-efficient, high-bandwidth interconnects for future HPC architectures.
A new study by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists shows that global precipitation changes are directly affected by human activities and cannot be explained by natural variability alone. The research found that thermodynamic changes and shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns are contributing to the observed changes.
Researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and ETH Zurich develop a new method of using carbon nanotubes to detect molecules, enabling trace detection of biological threats, explosives and drugs. The use of metal-coated nanotubes creates a 'jungle canopy' that amplifies the detection capabilities in surface-enhanced Raman ...
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed new technologies to improve tiny engines, analyze vast amounts of information, and boost hybrid electric vehicles. Transient doping has been successfully achieved using only electrons, while a new inverter design reduces battery losses and improves efficiency.
Berkeley Lab researchers design a programmable nanomaterial inspired by natural antibodies, capable of identifying diverse molecules. The new material resembles 'molecular Velcro' and has promising applications in chemical sensing and catalysis.
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a new generation of engineered quantum dots to reduce wasteful charge-carrier interactions in QD-LEDs. This breakthrough aims to improve the efficiency and operating lifetime of these devices, making them more suitable for lighting applications.
Scientists at NIST have observed that patterning one surface with nanoscale structures increases or decreases the Casimir effect, which is necessary for making small mechanical parts and studying gravity at the microscale. The discovery challenges existing theory and opens a new path for tuning these effects.
Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory have created a method for combining different types of nanoparticles to produce large-scale composite materials. By using DNA-based assembly methods, they can control and optimize the properties of newly formed materials.
Researchers propose a set of key principles for understanding high-Tc superconductivity, which applies to all families of materials. Antiferromagnetic electron interactions drive both superconductivity and intertwined electronic phases across different material types.
Researchers at IUPUI have achieved a drastically reduced measurement of the Casimir effect, a fundamental quantum phenomenon experienced between two neutral bodies in a vacuum. The study uses nanostructured metallic plates to suppress the force to a much lower rate than ever recorded previously.
Researchers at National Ignition Facility have made significant progress in creating a self-sustained fusion reaction, but still face challenges to overcome before achieving the highly stable and precisely directed implosion required for ignition.
Researchers use X-ray facility to replicate high-pressure conditions, finding fractures nucleate at the onset of olivine-to-spinel transition. This discovery confirms earlier experimental work and provides strongest evidence yet that phase transformations trigger deep earthquakes.
The Air Force Research Laboratory partnered with national laboratories to develop a novel capability for nondestructively mapping material substructure and grain level stresses. This capability has been applied to nickel and titanium alloys, providing insight into deformation and forming the basis for modeling tools.
A recent study by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and six other institutions found that human activity has a discernible impact on the thermal structure of the atmosphere. The research compared satellite records with simulations and revealed a unique pattern of global-scale tropospheric warming and stratospheric cooling.
Scientists confirm that impact synthesis of prebiotic material can yield life-building compounds, expanding the inventory of locations where life could potentially originate. The team found that icy bodies with similar compounds to those created by comet impacts may be present in the outer solar system.
Researchers have created an oxygen sponge that can easily absorb or shed oxygen atoms at low temperatures, making it useful in devices such as rechargeable batteries and fuel cells. This discovery could lead to more efficient energy storage and sensor technologies.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab used molecular dynamics simulations to study the onset of calcium carbonate formation, predicting the existence of a dense liquid form. This finding supports the aggregation-based mechanism of calcium carbonate formation and has implications for understanding the planet's carbon cycle.
The Mobile Radiation Detection and Identification System (MRDIS) enables scanning of transshipped containers, making it difficult for terrorists to smuggle radioactive materials. Eight MRDIS units have been deployed worldwide, with plans to expand to two international airports next year.
A new report reveals that 68% of US wind turbines installed between 2003-2012 were for distributed wind projects, generating 812 megawatts of power. This represents a significant shift towards local energy production, with large turbines being used in more distributed wind projects.
Researchers from UC Riverside and international partners discover a new mineral, cubic boron nitride, named qingsongite, which has unique properties resembling those of diamond. Qingsongite was found in the southern Tibetan mountains under extreme conditions and has been officially approved by the International Mineralogical Association.
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have made a significant breakthrough in solar energy research by experimenting with plasmonic black metals. These nanostructured metals can trap light and increase solar absorption, paving the way for more efficient photovoltaic cells.
Scientists discovered a massive particle accelerator in the heart of the Van Allen radiation belts using NASA's Van Allen Probes mission. The acceleration energy is found within the belts themselves, helping to improve predictions of space weather and satellite safety.
A protein found in ancient microorganisms that live in desert salt flats has been combined with semiconducting nanoparticles to create a system that uses light to spark a catalytic process creating hydrogen fuel. This bio-assisted hybrid photocatalyst outperforms many other similar systems in hydrogen generation.
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.
Researchers have discovered a new explanation for the strange behavior of the compound LaCoO3, which loses magnetism at lower temperatures but becomes magnetic as temperature rises. A rhombohedral distortion in its lattice structure is key to understanding this phenomenon.
Researchers are working to replace expensive platinum catalysts with non-precious materials, reducing the cost of fuel cells and making them more viable for mass production. The goal is to eliminate platinum completely, which would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on oil.
A new study on ocean microbes calls into question the potential use of algal blooms to trap carbon dioxide. Diatoms are found to be using more iron than needed for photosynthesis, storing it in their shells and reducing the amount available for other phytoplankton.
Researchers tracked carbon dioxide movement and concentration using the world's deepest Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) system. The system provided time-lapse images of CO2 injection into a geologic formation, offering insights into geological sequestration techniques.
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory have found a way to make a material expand instead of compress under pressure. This counterintuitive discovery could lead to the creation of new porous framework materials with unique properties.