Newswise Feature Channel: Department of Energy

For Solar Fuels, More Surface Area on Photoelectrodes Makes a Difference

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 15:05:49 EST

Scientists have identified a new way to improve the process for using light to make a liquid fuel from carbon dioxide. Research shows that three-dimensional silicon scaffolds on photoelectrodes improve the yield of the desired products of chemical reactions, even converting carbon dioxide to methanol.

Molecular Simulations, Supercomputing Lead to Energy-Saving Biomaterials Breakthrough

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 13:05:01 EST

A team led by scientists at ORNL identified and demonstrated a method to process a plant-based material called nanocellulose that reduced energy needs by a whopping 21%, using simulations on the lab's supercomputers and follow-on analysis.

Neutral Atom Innovations by Quantum Systems Accelerator Mark Quantum Computing Milestones

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 15:05:25 EST

Novel research developments as a result of multi-institution collaboration at the Quantum Systems Accelerator

Novel ORNL-led manufacturing effort focuses on large parts for clean energy in hydropower

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 14:05:29 EST

A unique manufacturing program for large metal parts holds promise to help revitalize American manufacturing and return clean energy manufacturing technologies to the United States. The approach could greatly reduce waiting times for critical components and enable economic growth in the manufacturing sector for energy, according to scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

When it's hotter than hot, scientists know how nuclear fuel behaves, thanks to new research from Argonne

Argonne National Laboratory — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 11:05:55 EST

Experiment findings will help nuclear industry model, design and construct clean nuclear energy systems, and continue an impressive safety legacy.

Detecting the "Kick" from a Single Nuclear Decay

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 13:05:46 EST

Scientists have for the first time mechanically detected individual nuclear decays occurring in a microparticle. The research used a new technique. Rather than detecting the radiation emitted by the nuclei, the researchers detected the occurrence of decay by measuring the tiny "kick" to the entire microparticle that contained the decaying nucleus as this radiation escaped.

Frontier simulations provide new insights into calcium-48's controversial nuclear magnetic excitation

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 17:05:07 EST

The world's most powerful supercomputer is helping resolve conflicting research results that have puzzled scientists for more than a decade, which could also shine new light inside collapsing stars.

Long-Duration Energy Storage Can't Wait

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 14:05:31 EST

Long-duration energy storage gets the spotlight in a new Energy Storage Research Alliance featuring PNNL innovations, like a molecular digital twin and advanced instrumentation.

Chiral Asymmetry Creates a Path to High-Efficiency Future Electronics

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 14:05:29 EST

In 2D quantum materials, chiral edge states are 1D conducting channels in which electrons travel only in one direction and electron collisions are strongly suppressed. This means chiral channels act like resistance-free conductors.

Assorted, distinctive behavior of molten uranium salt revealed by neutrons

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 13:05:53 EST

Researchers have documented for the first time the unique chemistry dynamics and structure of high-temperature liquid uranium trichloride salt, a potential nuclear fuel source for next-generation reactors.

For the First Time, Scientists X-Ray a Single Atom

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 15:05:50 EST

For the first time since X-rays were discovered, researchers have successfully performed X-ray spectroscopy to identify the element of a single atom at a time. The achievement takes advantage of improvements to synchrotron X-ray light sources.

VENUS rising: A new dawn for AI-powered atomic-scale 3D imaging

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:05:13 EST

The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory added a new neutron scattering instrument to its powerhouse of discovery at the Spallation Neutron Source, charting new territory for neutron imaging through artificial intelligence. In July, DOE's Office of Science approved the final commissioning of the Versatile Neutron Imaging Instrument, or VENUS.

Hands in the Glove Box

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 12:05:44 EST

An international collaboration to protect the world from nuclear threats got a boost in 2023 when a visiting researcher brought an understudied plutonium processing chemistry method to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) for hands-on research. "It's not trivial to bring an outside researcher to PNNL and get them working in a glove box," said PNNL nuclear forensics scientist and technical group leader Dave Meier.

Digging into Death to Save the Living

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 12:05:38 EST

Kabrena Rodda, manager of the Analytical Chemistry and Instrumentation Group at PNNL, received the distinction of ACS Fellow.

Researchers discover a surprising way to jump-start battery performance

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 11:05:34 EST

In a study published today in Joule, researchers at the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center report that giving batteries their first charge at unusually high currents increased their average lifespan by 50% while decreasing the initial charging time from 10 hours to just 20 minutes.

Five Ways LiSA is Advancing Solar Fuels

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 11:00:05 EST

Since its launch in 2020, the Liquid Sunlight Alliance has enabled major progress in artificial photosynthesis - including advances in device performance, materials durability, and computational modeling. Here are five breakthroughs LiSA research teams led by Berkeley Lab have achieved so far.

Marine engineering group to award ORNL researchers for innovative welding software

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 15:20:09 EST

Zhili Feng, a distinguished R&D staff member, and Jian Chen, a senior R&D staff member, in Materials Science and Technology Division at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will receive the Elmer L. Hann Award at the Society of Naval Architects and Maritime Engineers, or SNAME, Convention on Oct.

Researchers Use a New Two-Dimensional Analysis to Build a Map of Gene Expression in Plant-Fungi Interactions

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 14:05:33 EST

Researchers studied gene expression in plant/mycorrhizae symbioses by analyzing the roots of a model plant colonized by fungi and using a combination of techniques to measure gene activity in individual cells and visualize gene expression within two-dimensional sections of roots.

Researchers demystify polymer binders to pave way for better sulfide solid-state electrolyte membranes

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 17:05:14 EST

Using a polymer to make a strong yet springy thin film, scientists led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are speeding the arrival of next-generation solid-state batteries. This effort advances the development of electric vehicle power enabled by flexible, durable sheets of solid-state electrolytes.

Protecting electric grid health with drone-based power line inspection

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 09:05:09 EST

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a new automated drone inspection system that can respond rapidly to unusual electric grid behavior, especially in remote areas that are tough for a worker to reach. ORNL demonstrated the new approach at a training facility for powerline workers owned by utility partner EPB of Chattanooga in Tennessee.

Bubbling, frothing and sloshing: Long-hypothesized plasma instabilities finally observed

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 08:30:55 EST

PPPL scientists have observed new details of how plasma interacts with magnetic fields, potentially providing insight into the formation of enormous plasma jets that stretch between the stars.

The Future of Telecom Is Atomically Thin

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 14:05:28 EST

When light shines on a semiconductor, it excites the electrons, leaving behind a "hole." Electrons and these holes attract each other to form excitons, which can interact with other unpaired charges to alter the shape, direction, and/or frequency of a beam of light in the semiconductor. Researchers demonstrated that this response is unprecedently strong in a two-dimensional device made of three atomic layers of the semiconductor tungsten di-selenide.

LZ Experiment Sets New Record in Search for Dark Matter

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 13:00:51 EST

New results from the world's most sensitive dark matter detector put the best-ever limits on particles called WIMPs, a leading candidate for what makes up our universe's invisible mass.

Laying Foundations for the Future

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 09:05:52 EST

Leaders from the Department of Energy (DOE) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory celebrated the construction of the foundations for the lab's newest facility on August 21, 2024. The Seismic Safety and Modernization (SSM) project is replacing the previous cafeteria building, which served the lab for 70 years. (The previous facility could not meet today's standards for resilience in case of an earthquake, among other issues.) In contrast, the new facility has a 47,000-square-foot state-of-the-art design. It will encompass food service and conference facilities. The building will also be a home for operations services such as security, human resources, and the Health Services Clinic.

Superconductivity Is Unpredictable at the Edge

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 14:05:24 EST

A recent study shows that the superconducting edge currents in the topological material molybdenum telluride (MoTe2) can sustain large changes in the "glue" that keeps the superconducting electrons paired. To sustain these changes, the bulk and the edge of MoTe2 must behave differently. This surprise finding will help researchers create and control anyons and aid in the development of future energy-efficient electronics.

Instrumental: Brookhaven's Alabama-Bound Spectrometer

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 09:05:48 EST

What populates Alabama's William Bankhead National Forest? Trees might be the first thing that come to mind -- or maybe deer. But a lot of sophisticated scientific instruments are joining the natural forest occupants thanks to a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research facility being set up there to study connections between the forest and atmosphere.

How Particles of Light May Be Producing Drops of the Perfect Liquid

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 09:05:36 EST

Underground at the Switzerland-France border, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN holds the record for the world's largest particle accelerator. Its ring alone is nearly 17 miles around. With this tool, scientists smash together subatomic particles to help them better understand the tiny building blocks of the universe. One area that scientists use the LHC to study is the quark-gluon plasma.

Spherical Powders Enable New Applications for Metals

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:05:41 EST

A newly developed process transforms large, irregular chunks of metal elements into uniform spherical particles that act like tiny ball bearings rolling past one another. This allows solid metals to be handled like a liquid. This process, the AMAZEMET rePowder(r) ultrasonic metal atomization process, works equally well for most metallic elements and their alloys.

New Heaviest Exotic Antimatter Nucleus

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 11:00:00 EST

Scientists studying the tracks of particles streaming from six billion collisions of atomic nuclei at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) -- an "atom smasher" that recreates the conditions of the early universe -- have discovered a new kind of antimatter nucleus, the heaviest ever detected.

Unlocking the Last Lanthanide

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 09:05:01 EST

A team of scientists led by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was recently able to observe how promethium forms chemical bonds when placed in an aqueous solution.

Quenching the intense heat of a fusion plasma may require a well-placed liquid metal evaporator

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 08:30:46 EST

New fusion simulations of the inside of a tokamak reveal the ideal spot for a "cave" with flowing liquid lithium is near the bottom by the center stack, as the evaporating metal particles should land in just the right spot to dissipate excess heat from the plasma.

Sniff Test for Explosives Detection Extends Its Reach

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 10:00:40 EST

Scientists have developed a way to detect tiny amounts of hard-to-detect explosives more than eight feet away.

An Electric Grid That Thinks Ahead

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 17:05:51 EST

Researchers are planning for an electric grid that deploys machine learning to think ahead, plan for the worst, anticipate demand, and meet consumer needs safely and securely.

An Improved Domino Chain for Sustainable Methanol Synthesis

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 13:05:47 EST

Transforming carbon monoxide into an energy dense liquid fuel is hard to accomplish in a single step, so researchers instead use multi-step reactions. Recently, scientists improved this multi-step process by using recyclable organic reductants.

Breaking Barriers in Scientific Discovery

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 12:05:09 EST

A billion-billion floating point operations per second-that's the power of exascale. The first exascale computer in the world, Frontier, resides at the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility. The DOE's Office of Science Advanced Scientific Computing Research program has worked for decades to build supercomputers that break barriers in scientific discovery.

Research Unravels How Potassium Bound to Soil Minerals is Made Bioavailable for Uptake by Plants

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 17:05:24 EST

A multi-institutional group of scientists identified a particular signature of potassium organic acids that are some of the first of their kind.

A visionary approach: How an Argonne team developed accessible maps for colorblind scientists

Argonne National Laboratory — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 16:00:18 EST

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory worked with the Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) community to create CVD-friendly colormaps that are more inclusive and accessible.

Scientists Characterize Shale Cap Rocks at Tiny Scales

Thu, 15 Aug 2024 14:05:14 EST

Shale has complex chemical and physical characteristics that make fluid flow through rock extremely complex and difficult to both measure and model. Researchers are now building new tools to examine, characterize, and simulate shale, especially shale cap rock.

Green energy conversations: Leaders pioneering Chicagoland sustainability efforts share their vision with Energy Department under secretary

Argonne National Laboratory — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:05:28 EST

Argonne's Office of Community Engagement hosted Geri Richmond, the Department of Energy's under secretary for science and innovation, at three sites on Chicago's South Side to showcase green energy initiatives featuring Argonne's involvement.

Revealing the Mysteries Within Microbial Genomes

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 11:00:12 EST

A new technique developed at Berkeley Lab will make it much easier for researchers to discover the traits or activities encoded by genes of unknown function in microbes, a key step toward understanding the roles and impact of individual species within the planet's diverse microbiomes.

"Mirror" Nuclei Help Connect Nuclear Theory and Neutron Stars

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 15:05:43 EST

Scientists face challenges in their understanding of nuclei. For instance, they have not connected the description of the size of nuclei with the theory of the strong nuclear force, and it is not clear if theories of atomic nuclei can provide a reliable description of nuclear matter.

No power, no operator, no problem: Argonne test facility simulates nuclear reactors to explore next-generation nuclear safety systems

Argonne National Laboratory — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 11:05:03 EST

Argonne's Natural Convection Shutdown Heat Removal Test Facility enables large-scale experimental testing of nuclear reactors. The facility explores passive safety systems, which can cool a reactor without any human intervention or power.

Students get hands-on learning at national labs through DOE's 26th National School on Neutron and X-ray Scattering

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 08:05:29 EST

The 26th annual National School on Neutron and X-ray Scattering School concluded on August 9, 2024. Each year, more than 200 graduate students in North America studying physics, chemistry, engineering, biological matter and more compete to participate in NXS. However, given limited space, only 60 can be accepted. The school exposes graduate students to neutron and X-ray scattering techniques through lectures, experiments, and tutorials.

Studying Loss to Make Quantum Computing Gains

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 17:05:39 EST

Scientists from Yale University and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a systematic approach to understanding how energy is lost from the materials that make up qubits. Energy loss inhibits the performance of these quantum computer building blocks, so determining its sources -- and adjusting the materials as necessary -- can help bring researchers closer to designing quantum computers that could revolutionize several scientific fields.

FEMA and Argonne celebrate a 20-year partnership that helps strengthen communities

Argonne National Laboratory — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 16:05:23 EST

Together, Argonne National Laboratory and FEMA help people before, during and after disasters.

Start-up Whisper Aero uses the ORNL Summit supercomputer to test concepts for an ultraquiet electric airplane

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 15:05:27 EST

Whisper Aero, a start-up in Crossville, Tennessee, is revolutionizing aviation with its ultra-quiet electric ducted fan technology. Using the Summit supercomputer, the company is designing the Whisper Jet, a nine-passenger electric plane featuring 20 to 30 small, silent EDFs to drastically reduce noise and emissions compared to traditional engines. Summit's advanced simulations have accelerated their design process by over 20%, enabling rapid development and optimization of their aircraft. The technology is also being adapted for quieter commercial products like leaf blowers.

DUNE scientists observe first neutrinos with prototype detector at Fermilab

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 13:15:46 EST

The prototype of a novel particle detection system for the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment successfully recorded its first accelerator neutrinos, providing a first look at the ability of this innovative technology to handle large numbers of the mysterious particles' interactions.

Small chemical change may reap big climate reward

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 11:50:33 EST

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated that small molecular tweaks to surfaces can improve absorption technology for direct air capture, or DAC, of carbon dioxide.

Powering Enzymes with Light to Make Ammonia

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 15:05:06 EST

Converting dinitrogen into ammonia is critical for making fertilizer. Conventional conversion processes use adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Researchers are now working on processes that instead use sunlight, which reduces energy use and greenhouse gas production relative to the ATP process. In this research, scientists created a unique biohybrid that couples nanocrystals to nitrogen-catalyzing enzymes to produce ammonia using sunlight.

Students Sample Energy Opportunities at Brookhaven Lab and Beyond

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 10:05:26 EST

Twenty high school juniors and seniors recently spent two weeks at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory learning how scientists play key roles in developing cleaner, renewable energy sources. The students visited the Lab through Suffolk County's Summer Youth Employment Program for "A Taste of the Trades" for an introduction to possible pathways they can pursue in the energy workforce.