DOE News - SciTechDaily

Science Made Simple: What Are Electrons?

U.S. Department of Energy — Tue, 21 May 2024 10:01:28 +0000

What Are Electrons? The electron is a subatomic particle that is present in all atoms. Unlike protons, neutrons, or the nuclei of atoms, electrons are...

Tiny Titans: Revolutionary Microcapacitors Set to Supercharge Next-Gen Electronics

Alison Hatt, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Sat, 18 May 2024 03:47:46 +0000

New microcapacitors developed by scientists show record energy and power densities, paving the way for on-chip energy storage in electronic devices. Researchers are striving to...

AI-Powered Fusion: The Key to Limitless Clean Energy

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Wed, 15 May 2024 11:51:04 +0000

Researchers at PPPL are exploring the use of machine learning to enhance the design and operation of stellarators and tokamaks. The intricate dance of atoms...

Atomic Ballet: Scientists Make Surprising Discovery in Battery Technology

Glennda Chui, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory — Wed, 15 May 2024 02:48:39 +0000

When viewed at an atomic level, the seemingly smooth flow of ions through a battery’s electrolyte is actually quite complex. Solid-state batteries store and release...

Nature’s Tiny Architects: Designing Molecular Shapes for Medical Miracles

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Sun, 12 May 2024 13:10:02 +0000

Researchers have learned to control the “handedness” of peptoids, a crucial factor in precision drug delivery and diagnostics. Nature is filled with extraordinarily precise molecular...

Fusion’s Island Paradise: Mastering Plasma With Magnets and Microwaves

Rachel Kremen, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Sat, 11 May 2024 13:36:23 +0000

Researchers successfully simulate a novel combination method for managing fusion plasma. In their ongoing quest to develop a range of methods for managing plasma so...

New Particle? AI Detected Anomaly May Uncover Novel Physics Beyond the Standard Model

Savannah Mitchem, Argonne National Laboratory — Tue, 07 May 2024 13:05:41 +0000

Argonne National Laboratory scientists have used anomaly detection in the ATLAS collaboration to search for new particles, identifying a promising anomaly that could indicate new...

Scientists Propose New Way To Search for Dark Matter

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory — Tue, 07 May 2024 03:12:25 +0000

Since its discovery, dark matter has continued to elude detection by scientists, even with the deployment of multiple ultra-sensitive particle detector experiments around the world...

Small Changes, Big Impacts: Isotopes Transform 2D Semiconductor Engineering

Scott Gibson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Mon, 06 May 2024 11:12:48 +0000

New research has demonstrated that small changes in the isotopic content of thin semiconductor materials can influence their optical and electronic properties, possibly opening the...

Neutron Scattering: Unlocking the Secrets of Safer, More Powerful Lithium Batteries

Sumner Brown Gibbs, Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Sat, 04 May 2024 11:42:47 +0000

A new technique utilizing neutron scattering has revolutionized lithium battery design, promising safer and more efficient batteries. An international team of scientists found a way...

Reimagining Carbon: A New Roadmap to a Zero-Emissions Future

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Sat, 04 May 2024 09:31:38 +0000

A holistic approach to reach net-zero carbon emissions throughout the economy. A key strategy for reaching net-zero carbon emissions involves transitioning significant sectors of the...

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Uncovers Signs of an Earth-Like Environment on Ancient Mars

Los Alamos National Laboratory — Sat, 04 May 2024 08:16:52 +0000

Manganese-rich sandstones discovered by NASA’s Curiosity rover indicate there were once habitable conditions in the Gale Crater on Mars. A research team using the ChemCam...

CRISPR-Crafted Cuisine: How Genetic Engineering Is Changing What We Eat

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 10:04:56 +0000

Hacking the genome of fungi for smart foods of the future. With animal-free dairy products and convincing vegetarian meat substitutes already on the market, it’s...

New Alloy Shocks Scientists With Its Nearly Impossible Strength and Toughness

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 08:16:55 +0000

Researchers have discovered an extraordinary metal alloy that won’t crack at extreme temperatures due to kinking, or bending, of crystals in the alloy at the...

Peeking Inside Protons: Supercomputers Reveal Quark Secrets

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 06:09:46 +0000

Nuclear theorists developed a high-resolution map of quark distributions within protons, distinguishing the roles of up and down quarks in proton properties using advanced computational...

Science Made Simple: How Do Lithium-Ion Batteries Work?

Scott Minos, U.S. Department of Energy — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 17:14:03 +0000

Lithium-ion batteries power the lives of millions of people each day. From laptops and cell phones to hybrids and electric cars, this technology is growing...

The Aerosol Enigma: New Findings Could Change Air Quality Forever

Argonne National Laboratory — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 01:06:24 +0000

An international group of researchers has successfully documented the first clear evidence of long-hypothesized catalysts involved in aerosol formation. Eighty-five percent of Earth’s atmosphere is...

Soaring Into the Future: DOE Researchers Develop Game-Changing Batteries for Air Taxis

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 19:07:17 +0000

Analysis of eVTOL batteries reveals unique operating demands. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are advancing clean transportation by developing and...

Quantum Control Unlocked: Creating Resistance-Free Electron Channels

Theresa Duque, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 15:26:44 +0000

For the first time, scientists electrically manipulate a ‘chiral interface state’ in a 2D material, with promise for energy-efficient microelectronics and quantum computing. Scientists have...

After 20 Years, the Construction of Astronomy’s Largest Digital Camera Has Finally Been Completed

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 23:34:43 +0000

Once installed on a telescope in Chile, the 3,200-megapixel LSST Camera will help scientists better understand dark matter, dark energy, and other mysteries of our...

Dark Energy Revealed Through Largest 3D Map of the Universe Ever Made

Lauren Biron, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 20:48:13 +0000

Researchers have used the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument to make the largest 3D map of our universe and world-leading measurements of dark energy, the mysterious...

Revolutionizing Clean Energy: Transforming Rare Earth Element Extraction

U.S. Department of Energy — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 19:29:37 +0000

Scientists have developed an innovative method to separate lanthanides, crucial for clean energy technologies, by combining substances that attract either lighter or heavier elements. This...

Science Made Simple: What Are Critical Materials?

U.S. Department of Energy — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 04:41:10 +0000

What Are Critical Materials? Critical materials are substances that the U.S. government identifies as essential to energy technologies, economic and national security, and the manufacture...

Science Simplified: What Is Hydrogen Energy?

Argonne National Laboratory — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 09:47:19 +0000

What Is Hydrogen Energy? As the effects of climate change take hold, our planet faces record heat waves, unprecedented storms, historic droughts, and wildfires. Scientists...