Newswise Feature Channel: Department of Energy

Hydropower Digital Twins Solution Helps with Operator Challenges

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:35:32 EST

A new digital twin platform can help hydropower dam operators by providing accurate and predictive models of physical turbines that improve facilities and enhance reliability.

Probing Neutron Star Crusts with Artificial Neural Networks

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Light Makes Special Materials Move at Ultrafast Speeds

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 15:55:18 EST

Relaxor ferroelectrics have greatly enhanced electrical and mechanical properties that originate in the materials' domain structure. Knowing how quickly these materials' properties can change is critical to understanding them. However, scientists have not been able to measure how fast these materials can respond. This study measured this reaction speed using ultrafast electron diffraction at the atomic level to obtain snapshots of the evolving domain structure.

Researchers Use Summit to Track Down Nuclear Fission's Elusive Scission Neutron

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:50:48 EST

Researchers from the University of Washington, Seattle, or UW, and Los Alamos National Laboratory used the Summit supercomputer at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory to answer one of fission's biggest questions: What exactly happens during the nucleus's "neck rupture" as it splits in two?

Cool Journey to the Center of the Earth

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 10:15:07 EST

Patience and complexity are the hallmarks of fundamental scientific research. It takes time to do what we do at the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. Case in point: Technical staff at the DOE's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory have built a prototype of a superconducting cryomodule for the Proton Improvement Plan II (PIP-II) project.

By Turning Our Waste Into Wealth, Argonne Researchers Are Recirculating Earth's Precious Resources and Keeping Pollutants Out of the Environment

Argonne National Laboratory — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 16:00:45 EST

Researchers at Argonne are working toward a circular economy by developing technologies to turn waste into valuable commodities.

For Heating Plasma in Fusion Devices, Researchers Unravel How Electrons Respond to Neutral Beam Injection

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 13:30:59 EST

Plasmas for fusion research can be heated using neutral beam injection (NBI). With NBI, fast neutral particles from a beam source are injected into the plasma then ionized so that the particles can transfer energy to existing plasma electrons and ions. This transfers the ions' energy and heats the plasma.

Bridging the Gap Between Physics and Computing

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 13:30:41 EST

Jefferson Lab's Experimental Physics Software and Computing Infrastructure (EPSCI) group develops centralized computing software that can be shared by any of the lab's experimental halls and used for future projects.

Emergent Device Boosts Neuromorphic Computing

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 12:10:07 EST

Researchers have shown that a novel memristor device consisting of metal, dielectric, and metal layers remembers the history of electrical signals sent through it. The interface between metal and dielectric in the novel device is critical for stable switching and enhanced performance. Simulations indicate that circuits built on this device exhibit improved image recognition.

What Happens in the Arctic Doesn't Stay in the Arctic

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 11:35:33 EST

The Arctic is warming faster than any other area of the planet. How environmental change affects the landscape, weather patterns and infrastructure for communities -- not just here but across the world -- is of keen interest to scientists studying climate change.

Reaction Conditions Tune Catalytic Selectivity

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:00:00 EST

Chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new theoretical framework for more accurately predicting the behavior of catalysts. The study reveals how conditions such as temperature and pressure can change a catalyst's structure, efficiency, and even the products it makes -- and can potentially be used to control reaction outcomes.

Researchers Succeed in Taking 3D X-ray Images of a Skyrmion

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:00:00 EST

A difficult-to-describe nanoscale object called the magnetic skyrmion might one day yield new microelectronic devices that can do much more--for example, massive data storage--all while consuming much less power. But researchers need a more detailed understanding of skyrmions if they are ever to be used reliably in computational devices, including quantum computers. Berkeley Lab scientists led a project to make 3D X-ray images of skyrmions that can characterize or measure the orientations of spins inside the whole object.

Sending Clear Signals: Cooke Bridges Academia, Industry in ORNL-Tennessee Tech Collaboration

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 15:50:09 EST

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researcher Corey Cooke reveals hidden communications with new methods for teasing apart digital signals from noise. But his influence extends beyond mathematical models and machine learning to shaping new engineers. He coordinates a partnership between ORNL and Tennessee Technological University which helps ORNL staff pursue graduate degrees in electrical and computer engineering and opens professional opportunities for Tennessee Tech Graduates.

Plant CO2 Uptake Rises by Nearly One Third in New Global Estimates

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 13:45:51 EST

Plants the world over are absorbing about 31% more carbon dioxide than previously thought, according to a new assessment developed by scientists.

A New View of the In-Between Years of Our Universe

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 09:45:56 EST

Just like we use photos to reflect on memories of our past, astrophysicists want to use images of far-off galaxies to understand what the universe was like in its juvenile years. But current imaging technology can only reach so far back in history -- 90 to 95 percent of the volume of our 14-billion-year-old universe remains unseen.

Cloud Computing Captures Chemistry Code

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 09:00:00 EST

The speed and agility of cloud computing opens doors to completing advanced computational chemistry workflows in days instead of months.

Engineered Yellow-Seeded Camelina Packs More Oil

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 13:15:31 EST

In oilseed crops like canola, yellow-seeded varieties generally produce more oil than brown-seeded varieties. Camelina, a bioenergy crop closely related to canola, usually has brown seeds. Scientists have now disrupted genes called TT8 that are responsible for making seeds brown, producing an engineered camelina with light yellow seeds that accumulates more than 20% more oil than ordinary varieties.

Engineers Build Zero-Trust, Real-Time Cybersecurity Tools to Protect Renewables on the Grid

Iowa State University — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 08:00:09 EST

An Iowa State engineer is leading development of cybersecurity tools to guard power grids that carry renewable energy resources such as such as wind or solar farms. The researchers will develop "zero-trust" tools to reduce cyber exposure. The U.S. Department of Energy is supporting the project.

High Flux Isotope Reactor a Fit for Nobel Laureate's Designer Proteins

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:45:27 EST

Biochemist David Baker -- just announced as a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry -- turned to the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for information he couldn't get anywhere else. HFIR is the strongest reactor-based neutron source in the United States.

Material Stimulated by Light Pulses Could Be Leap Toward More Energy-Efficient Supercomputing

Argonne National Laboratory — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 14:40:34 EST

In an Argonne-led project, researchers used X-ray microscopy to discover a ferroelectric material that tailors its response to controlled ultrafast external stimuli, such as light pulses. The material might be applicable to energy-efficient microelectronics.

Security Professionals Face Cyberattacks in Real-Time Trainings at PNNL

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 12:30:38 EST

Operators of critical infrastructure are trained to respond to cyberattacks using scale models of water treatment plants, freight rail yards, and more.

Running Hot, Flying Light

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 09:05:36 EST

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Energy Technology Laboratory have developed and 3D printed the lightest crack-free alloy capable of operating without melting at temperatures above 2400 degrees Fahrenheit. This milestone could enable additively manufactured turbine blades to better handle extreme temperatures, reducing the carbon footprint of gas turbine engines such as those used in airplanes.

In a Fusion Device Plasma, a Steep Ion Temperature Gradient Slows the Growth of Magnetic Islands

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 14:10:27 EST

Pockets of instability called magnetic islands in the plasma in a fusion device can disrupt plasma confinement. Scientists predict that islands grow because of the temperatures of electrons and ions in a plasma flattening out within the island, but ion temperatures have not been previously measured. In this new research, researchers found that contrary to expectations, the ion temperature profile did not flatten but instead exhibited a steep change across islands.

New Light-Induced Material Shows Powerful Potential for Quantum Applications

Argonne National Laboratory — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 13:00:27 EST

Argonne researchers recently discovered a way to control electronic bonding in a semiconducting material using light and magnetic fields, paving the way toward new quantum devices.

Making Difficult Quantum Many-Body Calculations Possible

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 15:05:44 EST

One of the methods scientists use to study quantum many-body systems is the ab initio approach, but some ab initio methods run into severe computational problems when using realistic interactions. This study introduces wavefunction matching and uses it to perform lattice simulations with realistic interactions. This allows scientists to make calculations that were once impossible.

A Quantum Material Could Be the Future of High-Energy X-Ray Imaging and Particle Detection

Argonne National Laboratory — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 10:05:53 EST

New research conducted at Argonne National Laboratory shows that colloidal quantum shells could revolutionize the production of X-ray imaging scintillators.

Researchers Find Clues to the Mysterious Heating of the Sun's Atmosphere

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 09:05:36 EST

PPPL researchers have made a significant advancement in understanding the underlying heating mechanism of the sun's atmosphere, finding that reflected plasma waves could drive the heating of coronal holes.

3D Printing One of the Strongest Stainless Steels

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:05:48 EST

Researchers have developed a way to consistently produce 17-4 PH stainless steel using additive manufacturing, or 3D printing. The rapid change in temperatures that occur in these materials after they are heated by the lasers in 3D printers make it difficult to achieve the toughness needed for 17-4 PH steel. This research used bright X-ray beams to observe those fast changes in real time, then altered the chemical composition to compensate for them.

Scientists Accelerate Uranium Beam with Record Power

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:05:26 EST

Researchers at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams reached a new milestone in isotope studies, accelerating a high-power beam of uranium ions to a record 10.4 kilowatts of continuous beam power to a target. The beam enabled scientists to produce and identify three new isotopes, gallium-88, arsenic-93, and selenium-96.

New Technique Could Unlock Potential of Quantum Materials

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 14:05:01 EST

A research team led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has devised a unique method to observe changes in materials at the atomic level. The technique opens new avenues for understanding and developing advanced materials for quantum computing and electronics.

Argonne Workshop Highlights Ongoing Experimental Efforts to Unlock the Secrets of the Elusive Neutrino Particle

Argonne National Laboratory — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 12:05:30 EST

Argonne recently hosted the 25th International Workshop on Neutrinos from Accelerators (NuFact). The workshop brought together leading experts in neutrino physics to share expertise, review progress of experiments and shape future research directions.

QSA Pioneers Innovations in Quantum Devices and Algorithms for Chemical Science

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 11:30:07 EST

Amid various efforts to develop algorithms and technologies that close the gap between today's noisy quantum systems and future fault-tolerant quantum computers, QSA researchers from partner institutions have concentrated on using quantum devices and novel techniques for significant applications such as complex molecular simulations in chemistry.

New AI Models of Plasma Heating Lead to Important Corrections in Computer Code Used for Fusion Research

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 08:30:26 EST

New artificial intelligence models for plasma heating can do more than was previously thought possible, not only increasing the prediction speed 10 million times while preserving accuracy but also correctly predicting plasma heating in cases where the original numerical code failed.

Brookhaven's Computing Center Reaches 300 Petabytes of Stored Data

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 09:05:13 EST

The Scientific Data and Computing Center (SDCC) at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory now stores more than 300 petabytes of data. That's far more data than would be needed to store everything written by humankind since the dawn of history -- or, if you prefer your media in video format, all the movies ever created.

Neutrons Help Improve 3D-Printed Superalloys for Applications in Extreme Environments

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 08:05:35 EST

Researchers studied stress effects in novel "superalloys" made from two 3D-printed high-strength, high-heat resistant metals. The study found that heat treatments reduce stress created in the materials during manufacturing. It also found that stresses are more likely to be caused by certain manufacturing parameters than they are by the metal's chemical composition.