News Feature Channel: Department of Energy

National Lab Collaboration Enables Faster, Safer Inspection of Nuclear Reactor Components, Materials

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 17:50:06 EST

A research partnership between two Department of Energy national laboratories has accelerated inspection of additively manufactured nuclear components, and the effort is now expanding to inspect nuclear fuels.

Microelectronics Science Research Centers to Lead Charge on Next-Generation Designs and Prototypes

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 18:40:59 EST

A new generation of microelectronics research begins at PNNL.

Problem-Solver Chad Parish Advances Materials for Nuclear Safety

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 17:25:33 EST

Chad Parish works in the Low Activation Materials Development and Analysis laboratory at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Using microscopy and microstructural characterization, he reveals the intricate atomic structures of materials essential for developing safer and more economical nuclear reactors.

Stor4Build Heats Up Thermal Energy Storage Solutions for Buildings, Grid

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 17:35:45 EST

Throughout the United States, more than 100 million buildings tap into electrical energy to keep heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration units functioning. HVAC systems cause most of the peak load demand on the electric grid; one way to alleviate the grid burden is to develop new storage options for heating and cooling.

Automation of Nuclear Chemistry Processes Leads to More Efficient Production of Astatine for Cancer Therapy

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 14:45:26 EST

Astatine-211 (At-211) is a promising alpha emitting radioisotope for cancer therapy, but its short 7.2-hour half-life means that it must be handled quickly to minimize losses due to radioactive decay. In this research, scientists designed and tested an automated device for producing At-211 that improves production time and efficiency. The device also minimizes the dose of radioactivity to production staff and reduces the time needed to prepare samples for shipment.

Enabling Breakthroughs and Building Foundations: The Office of Science's 2024 Year-in-Review

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 14:40:26 EST

At the Department of Energy's Office of Science, 2024 brought big accomplishments enabled by decades of work as well as advances that are establishing the foundations for future research. From Nobel Prizes to a new exascale computer, the DOE's Office of Science is leading the way.

Nondestructive Microwave Radar Finds Moisture Hiding Inside a Building's Walls

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 14:25:23 EST

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using microwave radar reflection to nondestructively detect and measure the moisture content of materials within walls without removing drywall or cladding. This also expedites moisture identification and enables mold growth to be treated in the early stages.

Argonne Physicist Receives Feynman Prize for Excellence in Nanotechnology Experimentation

Argonne National Laboratory — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 22:00:21 EST

The Foresight Institute is recognizing Argonne Physicist Saw Wai Hla with the 2024 Feynman Prize for his research on molecular machines and motors, atomically precise rotation of rare-earth complexes and analysis of a single atom with X-rays.

Plasma Heating Efficiency in Fusion Devices Boosted by Metal Screens

Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 20:15:32 EST

Scientists have performed computer simulations confirming a technique that prevents the production of unhelpful electromagnetic waves, boosting the heat put into fusion plasma.

Brookhaven's Top 10 Discoveries of 2024

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 19:35:04 EST

With one-of-a-kind research facilities leveraged by scientists from across the nation and around the world, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory is a veritable city of science.

Researchers Address Material Challenges to Make Commercial Fusion Power a Reality

Ames National Laboratory — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 20:15:44 EST

Researchers from the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University are leading efforts to overcome materials challenges that could make commercial fusion power a reality.

Harvesting Plant Data with Robotics, Sensors and Advanced Computing

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 20:05:47 EST

Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently demonstrated an autonomous robotic field monitoring, sampling and data-gathering system that could accelerate understanding of interactions among plants, soil and the environment.

Springing Simulations Forward with Quantum Computing

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:40:10 EST

Quantum computers have the potential to solve some problems much more efficiently than conventional computers. Researchers have now created a quantum computer algorithm for simulating coupled oscillators, systems of coupled masses and springs that are important for describing many real-world physical systems. The new algorithm results in exponentially faster simulation of coupled oscillators than ordinary algorithms.

Argonne Training Series Helps Prepare a New Generation of AI-Ready Researchers

Argonne National Laboratory — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:30:43 EST

Argonne's student training series, Intro to AI-driven Science on Supercomputers, is preparing a new generation of researchers to harness the power of AI to accelerate scientific discoveries.

Fermilab Expecting 95-Ton Coldbox Delivery

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 20:15:16 EST

The coldbox, a vital piece of Fermilab's new linear accelerator, is on a two-month voyage from France to its new home in Batavia, Illinois. It will be at the heart of the cryogenic system for the lab's upgraded accelerator complex.

Controller with Integrated Machine Learning Tweaks Fusion Plasmas in Real Time

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 20:55:07 EST

The conditions for high fusion performance in fusion devices can result in damaging energy bursts called edge-localized modes (ELMs). ELMs can be stabilized through small adjustments to the magnetic confinement field, but this approach is usually limited to manual, preprogrammed responses. In this research, scientists integrated machine learning with adaptive control to achieve real-time adjustment capable of responding to the dynamic conditions of a fusion plasma in the DIII-D National Fusion Facility and Korea Institute of Fusion Energy KSTAR tokamaks.

From advancing X-rays to unlocking exascale: Argonne highlights from 2024

Argonne National Laboratory — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 20:15:47 EST

As the year comes to a close, the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory reviews some of its most notable achievements of 2024.

Two Paths, Many Benefits

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 18:45:58 EST

Yesterday's polluting fuel could be transformed into a valuable material for tomorrow's electric vehicle batteries, thanks to a wide-ranging research project that utilizes expertise spanning the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Jefferson Lab Dedicates Niobium-tin Particle Accelerator Prototype

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:00:00 EST

Jefferson Lab has dedicated the first particle accelerator cryomodule built with niobium-tin components. The quarter cryomodule is the first designed and tested for accelerating an electron beam to 10 MeV or greater energies and marks a major milestone toward the next era of SRF particle accelerators.

Reimagining Scientific Discovery with AI at PubSci

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 09:15:07 EST

Curious minds gathered at Napper Tandy's in Bay Shore, New York, on Nov. 19, 2024, for the latest installment of PubSci, a science cafe presented by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory. The event connects scientists and the community for a casual chat about the Lab's research.

C2QA Fosters Growth of Quantum Workforce through Educational Programs

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 08:00:05 EST

To increase awareness of quantum opportunities and help grow the U.S. quantum workforce, the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA) hosts and co-hosts educational programs that introduce students to the foundational principles of QIS and foster the development of skills needed for a successful career in this rapidly expanding field. The programs held this year, including the QIS & Engineering High School-Level Program, QIS 102: Quantum Computing Summer School, and QIS 303: Quantum Error Mitigation, reached more than 170 participants worldwide, from students who just completed their first year of high school to full-fledged QIS researchers -- and enthusiastic learners from every level of expertise in between.

Cooling with Electroluminescent Semiconductors

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 18:20:09 EST

: In an LED, electroluminescence creates light through charge carriers that cause the semiconductor to emit photons. This emission can require more energy than is present in the semiconductor, and this excess energy comes from heat around the semiconductor. This makes a semiconductor into a cooling device. In this study, researchers proposed a way to improve the performance of this electroluminescent cooling by using multilayer semiconductors.

Metal Scrap Upcycled into High-Value Alloys with Solid Phase Manufacturing

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 20:55:28 EST

Solid phase manufacturing can create new custom metal alloys through an innovative process called solid phase alloying, researchers from PNNL report.

U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Centers Celebrate 4-Year Milestone, Look Toward Future

Argonne National Laboratory — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 17:55:21 EST

For four years, the five U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Centers have been expanding what's possible in quantum. Their work is now captured in a new website, nqisrc.org.

Infrared Quantum Ghost Imaging Illuminates--But Doesn't Disturb--Living Plants

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 16:30:19 EST

A method called quantum ghost imaging (QGI) allow scientists to capture images at extremely low light levels. QGI also enables the use of one color to examine a sample with extremely low light and another color to form the image. The method allows detailed imaging and monitoring without damage to live plants, allowing examination of active plant processes such as photosynthesis.

Milestone 10-GeV Experiment Shines Light on Laser-Plasma Interactions

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 10:30:38 EST

With dual lasers, researchers at the Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator Center accelerated a high-quality beam of electrons to 10 billion electronvolts in just 30 centimeters. The experiment gives scientists a "frame-by-frame" look at how a petawatt laser interacts with a long plasma channel, knowledge that's crucial for building future compact particle accelerators.

Speedy Nuclei Do the Twist

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 16:55:21 EST

The way hydrocarbon molecules interact with light can affect the production of nitrous acid in the atmosphere. In this study, researchers used an ultrafast electron camera to image the motions of hydrocarbon molecules at ultrafast, ultrasmall scales. They identified a proton transfer step followed by an out-of-plane twisting motion as key components of energy relaxation after molecules interact with light.

Behind the Model: Visualizing SoLID with 3D Printing

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 16:25:28 EST

Jian-ping Chen, Jefferson Lab Hall A and C Staff Scientist and SoLID Project Manager, and his team created a 3D-printed model of the Solenoidal Large Intensity Device (SoLID) project. Here's why.

Fusion with a Twist: Improving Stellarators

Department of Energy, Office of Science — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 09:25:19 EST

Plasma many times hotter than the surface of the sun swirls inside of a large device. From the outside, the device looks like a metal ring surrounded by scaffolding and walkways. But inside, the device is creating the conditions needed to achieve fusion - the process that powers our sun and every star.

Calculation Sharpens Imaging of Protons' Insides

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 15:15:58 EST

Nuclear scientists used a new theoretical approach to calculate a value essential for unraveling the three-dimensional motion of quarks within a proton. The researchers obtained a significantly more accurate picture of these internal building blocks' transverse motion. The work will aid in calculations of 3D motion of quarks and gluons in future collider experiments.

Accelerator Experiments at RHIC Inform EIC Design

Brookhaven National Laboratory — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 09:35:58 EST

When building a one-of-a-kind particle collider filled with groundbreaking technologies, it's extremely helpful to have a place to test things out. Thankfully that's the case for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, where physicists are using the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) to test key accelerator strategies for a new state-of-the-art Electron-Ion Collider (EIC).

Seven People of Infrastructure Resilience

Argonne National Laboratory — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 16:15:19 EST

Argonne's scientific, analytical and technological expertise serves communities in times of stress or change and helps communities plan and adapt to future challenges.

Dark Matter, Neutrinos and Drug Discovery: How AI Is Powering SLAC Science and Technology

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:00:43 EST

Check out the second of a two-part series exploring how artificial intelligence helps researchers from around the world perform cutting-edge science with the lab's state-of-the-art facilities and instruments. Read part one here. In this part you'll learn how AI is playing a key role in helping SLAC researchers find new galaxies and tiny neutrinos, and discover new drugs.

The Future of More Sustainable Cooling and Heating Technology Could Be Just Around the Corner

Ames National Laboratory — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 09:55:32 EST

A team of researchers from the U. S. Department of Energy Ames National Laboratory developed a magnetocaloric heat pump that matches current vapor-compression heat pumps for weight, cost, and performance.

Taming Big Data and Particle Beams: How SLAC Researchers Are Pushing AI to the Edge

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 08:00:02 EST

Check out the first of a two-part series exploring how artificial intelligence helps researchers from around the world perform cutting-edge science with the lab's state-of-the-art facilities and instruments. In this part you'll learn how SLAC researchers collaborate to develop AI tools to make molecular movies, speeding up the discovery process in the era of big data.

Carbon Rings Under Stress

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 15:35:04 EST

When molecules interact with ultraviolet (UV) light, they can change shape in processes that typically take just tens of picoseconds. In this study, researchers imaged these changes using X-ray free electron laser technology. They found that a strained bicyclic molecule emerges from the chemical reaction that occurs when a cyclopentadiene molecule absorbs UV light.

Customizable Quantum Control Toolkit Developed at Fermilab Ready for Commercial Production

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 15:00:39 EST

The Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit now features updated software and firmware and new companion hardware called QICK box. This Fermilab-developed system combines everything a scientist might need to conduct mind-bending research in a pizza-box-sized case.

Thunderstruck: Researchers Demonstrate Lightning Strike Protection Tech for Composites

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 10:05:33 EST

A team of Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers reached a significant milestone by building and testing an entire 6.5-foot turbine blade tip using fully recyclable materials that can withstand lightning voltage. ORNL's recent demonstration highlighted the possibilities of a new approach to protecting blades using conductive materials or coatings.

Landmark Photosynthesis Gene Discovery Boosts Plant Height, Advances Crop Science

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 07:10:59 EST

A team of scientists with two Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers -- the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, or CBI, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, or CABBI, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign -- identified a gene in a poplar tree that enhances photosynthesis and can boost tree height by about 30% in the field and by as much as 200% in the greenhouse.

Argonne Contributes to Next-Generation Electronics Through New Energy Frontier Research Center

Argonne National Laboratory — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 17:25:42 EST

Argonne scientists will be part of the new APEX materials research center led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Researchers Use Vitamins to Decode Complex Interactions in the Soil Microbiome

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 15:15:40 EST

In a pair of publications, researchers investigated how different species of microbes interact with one another and exchange resources such as vitamins. The studies focused on corrinoids, the vitamin B12 family of nutrients. Many bacteria in the environment cannot produce these chemicals. The studies demonstrated that the presence of corrinoids can influence how individual soil bacteria grow in the laboratory and how they survive and coexist in soil.

From Liberal Arts to Leadership in Nuclear Physics

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 01:00:12 EST

Mark Kevin Jones is a true Renaissance man in nuclear physics. Throughout his career, he has garnered many accomplishments, and he's even worn quite a few hats in his three decades at Jefferson Lab. Now, Jones has been recognized for his work by his peers by being named a Fellow of the American Physical Society "For scientific leadership in experimental studies of the fundamental nucleon electromagnetic form factors, including the surprising discovery of significant variation in the large momentum behavior of the proton electric form factor, and for developing new detection systems enabling the studies."

A Career of Chasing Particle Beams

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 10:00:39 EST

New 2024 APS Fellow Alex Bogacz has spent his career in accelerator physics solving problems. From studying complex particle beam dynamics in particle accelerators to designing next-generation machines, his almost four decades of work have recently been recognized by his peers by being named a Fellow of the American Physical Society in October 2024.

Improved Spin and Density Correlation Simulations Give Researchers Clearer Insights on Neutron Stars

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 08:25:26 EST

Inside a neutron star, protons and electrons combine into uncharged neutron matter. Researchers have now calculated spin and density correlations in neutron matter using realistic nuclear interactions at higher densities of neutrons than previously explored.

Delay and Pay: Tipping Point Costs Quadruple After Waiting

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:50:48 EST

Tip the first tile in a line of dominoes and you'll set off a chain reaction, one tile falling after another. Cross a tipping point in the climate system and, similarly, you might spark a cascading set of consequences like hastened warming, rising sea levels and increasingly extreme weather.

Benchmarking CEBAF

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 16:00:37 EST

Particle accelerator scientists have made the measurements, crunched the numbers and consolidated the data on the performance of the brightest electron accelerator for nuclear physics research. In a new study, more than 100 authors have detailed the original and current operating parameters, main systems and subsystems, and capabilities and limits of Jefferson Lab's main particle accelerator, the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF).

An Event Where Future STEM Stars Are Born?

Argonne National Laboratory — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:20:57 EST

Throughout its history, the Argonne Hispanic/Latino Employee Resource Group has regularly partnered with local schools in underserved communities, inviting students to visit the lab and inspiring them to build a sustained interest in their STEM studies.

Nuclear Is Here ... And Here and Here

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 11:55:36 EST

East Tennessee has become the nerve center for a resurgent nuclear industry. Discover why the region, home of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is so attractive to this next generation of nuclear businesses.

Improved Catalyst Turns Harmful Greenhouse Gases Into Cleaner Fuels, Chemical Feedstocks

Oak Ridge National Laboratory — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 10:40:48 EST

A chemical reaction can convert two polluting greenhouse gases into valuable building blocks for cleaner fuels and feedstocks, but the high temperature required for the reaction also deactivates the catalyst. An Oak Ridge National Laboratory team has found a way to thwart deactivation.

Behind the Model: Science Inspired by Legos

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 07:00:30 EST

Walt Akers, Jefferson Lab's chief systems engineer for experimental nuclear physics, created a 3D-printed model of a section of the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) on a short timeline ahead of the lab's 2024 Open House. He calls it the "Lego model."