Newswise Feature Channel: DOE Science News Source

Probing Neutron Star Crusts with Artificial Neural Networks

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 16:05:36 EST

The inner crust of a neutron star is characterized by the presence of a neutron superfluid. To accurately predict the properties of neutron matter in this state, researchers make theoretical calculations that typically assume that neutrons form "Cooper pairs." This study used artificial neural networks to make accurate predictions without relying on this assumption.

Designing Battery Success From Failure

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 15:40:52 EST

Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists are developing a formula for success - by studying how a new type of battery fails. The team's goal is the design for long-term storage of wind and solar energy, which are produced intermittently, enabling their broader use as reliable energy sources for the electric grid.

Scientists Capture Images of Electron Molecular Crystals

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 11:00:15 EST

Researchers have taken direct images of the Wigner molecular crystal, a new quantum phase of an electron solid. The breakthrough may advance future technologies for quantum simulations.

Forging a Mathematical Path to Hybrid Mesons

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:45:22 EST

New 2024 American Physical Society Fellow Jozef Dudek is pursuing theoretical descriptions of exotic hadrons, a yet-untallied group of short-lived subatomic cousins of the proton and neutron, those more familiar atomic building blocks.

"Seeing" More Sharply into Self-Assembled Nanomaterials

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:25:18 EST

To build nanostructures, researchers need to probe these structures' internal architecture at various states of assembly in three dimensions. This project used several methods to produce X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans that provided record-setting, 7-nanometer resolution and information on the elements in the materials. The researchers then constructed 3-D frameworks to reveal the nanostructures' imperfections and interfaces.

Scientists Calculate Predictions for Meson Measurements

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 15:00:39 EST

Nuclear physics theorists have demonstrated that complex calculations run on supercomputers can accurately predict the distribution of electric charges in mesons, particles made of a quark and an antiquark. The calculations also help validate a method that will be used to make predictions for and analyze data from high-energy experiments at the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Argonne Team Breaks New Ground in AI-Driven Protein Design

Argonne National Laboratory — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:50:24 EST

An Argonne-led team developed an AI-driven multimodal framework that incorporates experimental data and text-based narratives to accelerate the design of new proteins. A finalist for the Gordon Bell Prize, the effort used five top supercomputers, including Argonne's Aurora exascale system.

Imaging Nuclear Shapes by Smashing Them to Smithereens

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:00:00 EST

Scientists have demonstrated a new way to use high-energy particle smashups at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) to reveal subtle details about the shapes of atomic nuclei. The method is complementary to lower energy techniques for determining nuclear structure. It will add depth to scientists' understanding of the nuclei that make up the bulk of visible matter.

For Layered 2D Materials, Robotics Produces Cleaner Interfaces Between Stacked Sheets

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:45:30 EST

Layered assembly of 2D materials such as graphene have potential roles in the development of new electronic devices. Manufacturing these materials at a large scale while making them atomically clean is a major challenge. In this study, researchers used a special robotic system to assemble graphene heterostructures into large sheets with atomically clean interfaces.

Belle II Detector Produces World's Most Precise Measurements of Subatomic Particle Lifetimes

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 09:20:42 EST

The new Belle II experiment recently made a world-leading measurement of the lifetime of a particular charmed baryon, a particle that is produced and decays very quickly under very high energy levels similar to the universe shortly after the Big Bang. This demonstrates the experiment's ability to make the extremely precise measurements of the sort needed to discover physics beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics.

Researchers Develop High-Tech Methods to Stem the Flow of Fentanyl

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 13:00:02 EST

Scientists are developing ways to detect and identify not only new, previously unseen forms of fentanyl but also newer and more dangerous synthetic opioids known as nitazenes.

Novel Technique Uses Magnetic Fields to Probe Long-Term Aging in Batteries

Argonne National Laboratory — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 17:35:09 EST

Argonne researchers developed and demonstrated an innovative set of methods to evaluate long-term aging in real-world battery cells.

Scientists Prepare for the Most Ambitious Sky Survey Yet, Anticipating New Insight on Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Argonne National Laboratory — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:00:13 EST

Argonne scientists are contributing to the success of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time through advanced simulation, analysis and collaborative partnership.

Hunting for Dark Matter Axions

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:20:02 EST

The search for dark matter includes expertise in radio frequency signal detection, quantum sensing, and high-energy physics at PNNL.

Novel Hardware Approach Produces a New Quantum Computing Paradigm

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:00:43 EST

To run on a quantum computer, algorithms must be decomposed into a sequence of quantum gates, a difficult process. In this study, researchers developed a novel "hybrid" approach to quantum hardware design that replaces part of the quantum circuit with a physical evolution that relies on natural interactions within the system. This approach significantly reduces the complexity of executing quantum algorithms.

DOE Announces Funding for Climate Resilience Centers

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:25:27 EST

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Climate Resilience Centers (CRCs). These new centers will be dedicated to rapidly developing new science and talent to address the nation's most pressing climate resilience challenges.

Celebrating Spooky Science

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 09:15:48 EST

Science isn't scary, but it can be spooky! For Halloween, we're highlighting some "spooky" research that the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science supports. In fact, the physics community celebrates Dark Matter Day on Halloween! We hope that this roundup puts you in the mood to dig a little deeper into the wonders that surround you.

Collaboration Speeds Complex Chemical Modeling

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 16:20:22 EST

A recent collaboration among researchers from HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics in Hungary and the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, along with industry collaborators SandboxAQ and NVIDIA, has achieved unprecedented speed and performance in efforts to model complex metal-containing molecules.

Argonne Builds on Past Success with Cathode Design for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Argonne National Laboratory — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 09:55:11 EST

Argonne develops a breakthrough material for the cathode in lithium-ion batteries. It enables an across-the-board improvement in battery performance, supporting widespread adoption of electric vehicles and grid batteries.

Illuminating the Journey of a 4-Billion-Year-Old Asteroid

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 15:20:36 EST

Researchers at the Advanced Photon Source joined an international effort to study tiny fragments of a nearby asteroid. The specks of asteroid dust were collected from asteroid 162173 Ryugu by a Japanese space mission. The team discovered that Ryugu began its life in the outer solar system as part of a larger asteroid more than 4 billion years ago. Since breaking off from its larger parent, Ryugu slowly made its way to its current orbit within 60,000 miles of Earth.