Latest news from Department of Energy, Office of Science on News en-us Copyright 2024 News 115 31 / /images/newswise-logo-rss.gif /articles/bromoform-molecules-like-to-rearrange-their-atoms/?sc=rsin /articles/bromoform-molecules-like-to-rearrange-their-atoms/?sc=rsin Tue, 19 Nov 2024 11:00:34 EST For the first time, scientists can distinguish the proportion of bromoform molecules that directly break bonds (dissociate) vs. those that rearrange (isomerize). This is an important step toward understanding the formation of bromoform isomers, which had long been predicted but had not been fully experimentally confirmed. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/adjusting-accelerators-with-help-from-machine-learning/?sc=rsin /articles/adjusting-accelerators-with-help-from-machine-learning/?sc=rsin Mon, 18 Nov 2024 10:00:03 EST Banks of computer screens stacked two and three high line the walls. The screens are covered with numbers and graphs that are unintelligible to an untrained eye. But they tell a story to the operators staffing the particle accelerator control room. The numbers describe how the accelerator is speeding up tiny particles to smash into targets or other particles. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/scientists-gain-new-insights-into-how-mass-is-distributed-in-hadrons/?sc=rsin /articles/scientists-gain-new-insights-into-how-mass-is-distributed-in-hadrons/?sc=rsin Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:20:32 EST The trace anomaly is one of the quantities that encodes the energy and momentum of particles built from quarks. Scientists believe the trace anomaly is crucial for keeping quarks bonded in subatomic particles. In this study, scientists calculated the trace anomaly for nucleons and pions. The calculations show that in the pion, the mass distribution is similar to the charge distribution of the neutron and in the nucleon, the mass distribution is similar to the charge distribution of the proton. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/tuning-the-catalytic-behavior-of-metal-oxides/?sc=rsin /articles/tuning-the-catalytic-behavior-of-metal-oxides/?sc=rsin Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:45:40 EST The behavior of catalysts that promote chemical reactions is not always straightforward. Using a combination of experiments and computer simulations, scientists now understand how oxygen affects the way the catalyst copper oxide reacts with hydrogen versus carbon monoxide gases and how to control and enhance related chemical reactions. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/probing-neutron-star-crusts-with-artificial-neural-networks/?sc=rsin /articles/probing-neutron-star-crusts-with-artificial-neural-networks/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/seeing-more-sharply-into-self-assembled-nanomaterials/?sc=rsin /articles/seeing-more-sharply-into-self-assembled-nanomaterials/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/for-layered-2d-materials-robotics-produces-cleaner-interfaces-between-stacked-sheets/?sc=rsin /articles/for-layered-2d-materials-robotics-produces-cleaner-interfaces-between-stacked-sheets/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/belle-ii-detector-produces-world-s-most-precise-measurements-of-subatomic-particle-lifetimes/?sc=rsin /articles/belle-ii-detector-produces-world-s-most-precise-measurements-of-subatomic-particle-lifetimes/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/novel-hardware-approach-produces-a-new-quantum-computing-paradigm/?sc=rsin /articles/novel-hardware-approach-produces-a-new-quantum-computing-paradigm/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/doe-announces-funding-for-climate-resilience-centers/?sc=rsin /articles/doe-announces-funding-for-climate-resilience-centers/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/celebrating-spooky-science/?sc=rsin /articles/celebrating-spooky-science/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/illuminating-the-journey-of-a-4-billion-year-old-asteroid/?sc=rsin /articles/illuminating-the-journey-of-a-4-billion-year-old-asteroid/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/light-makes-special-materials-move-at-ultrafast-speeds/?sc=rsin /articles/light-makes-special-materials-move-at-ultrafast-speeds/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/applications-now-open-for-department-of-energy-computational-science-graduate-fellowship/?sc=rsin /articles/applications-now-open-for-department-of-energy-computational-science-graduate-fellowship/?sc=rsin Fri, 25 Oct 2024 11:15:31 EST The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a fellowship open to all U.S. students pursuing doctoral degrees in fields that use high-performance computing to solve complex science and engineering problems. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/cool-journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth/?sc=rsin /articles/cool-journey-to-the-center-of-the-earth/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/for-heating-plasma-in-fusion-devices-researchers-unravel-how-electrons-respond-to-neutral-beam-injection/?sc=rsin /articles/for-heating-plasma-in-fusion-devices-researchers-unravel-how-electrons-respond-to-neutral-beam-injection/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/emergent-device-boosts-neuromorphic-computing/?sc=rsin /articles/emergent-device-boosts-neuromorphic-computing/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/a-new-view-of-the-in-between-years-of-our-universe/?sc=rsin /articles/a-new-view-of-the-in-between-years-of-our-universe/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/engineered-yellow-seeded-camelina-packs-more-oil/?sc=rsin /articles/engineered-yellow-seeded-camelina-packs-more-oil/?sc=rsin 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. Department of Energy, Office of Science /articles/calling-all-university-faculty-accepting-applications-for-summer-2025-visiting-faculty-program/?sc=rsin /articles/calling-all-university-faculty-accepting-applications-for-summer-2025-visiting-faculty-program/?sc=rsin Wed, 16 Oct 2024 13:15:49 EST College and university faculty at emerging research institutions are invited to apply to collaborate with national laboratory scientific research staff on research projects of mutual interest, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science announced today. Department of Energy, Office of Science