NASA's Hubble Rules Out One Alternative to Dark Energy
Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have ruled out an alternate theory on the nature of dark energy after recalculating the expansion rate of the universe to unprecedented accuracy.
Book Illuminates Life, Legacy of Physicist Feynman
In the new scientific biography, "Quantum Man: Richard Feynman's Life in Science," due out March 21, Arizona State University professor Lawrence Krauss depicts the Nobel Prize winning Feynman as more than "just" a brain. He paints a picture of Feynman by exploring the essence of the man as seen through his scientific contributions.
New Method Improves Modeling of Electrons' Motions
David Mazziotti has significantly improved a quantum computational method that he introduced in 2004 for efficiently modeling the electrons in atoms and molecules.
The Physics of Bank Shots
North Carolina State University engineers show that using the backboard to score baskets can be up to 20 percent more effective than swish shots. They also show the optimal aim points for successful bank shots.
Student Innovator Uses Sound Waves, T-Rays for Safer Detection of Bombs and Other Dangerous Materials
Benjamin Clough is dedicated to making the world a safer place for emergency first responders, police and military personnel, chemical plant employees, and many others. The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute doctoral student has developed a novel method for extending the distance from which powerful terahertz technology can remotely detect hidden explosives, chemicals, and other dangerous materials.
International Physics Conference to be Held at NDSU
North Dakota State University will be the site of an international physics conference to be held Aug. 8-12, 2011. The Discrete Simulation of Fluid Dynamics (DSFD) 20th International Conference will include attendees from more than 14 countries, according to Alexander Wagner, conference organizer and associate professor of physics at NDSU.
Researchers Discover Superfluid at the Core of a Neutron Star
Scientists at Stony Brook University have discovered evidence for a superfluid state of neutrons in the neutron star at the center of the supernova remnant, Cassiopeia A.
NASA's Chandra Finds Superfluid in Neutron Star's Core
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has discovered the first direct evidence for a superfluid, a bizarre, friction-free state of matter, at the core of a neutron star. Superfluids created in laboratories on Earth exhibit remarkable properties, such as the ability to climb upward and escape airtight containers. The finding has important implications for understanding nuclear interactions in matter at the highest known densities.
'Fingerprints' Match Molecular Simulations with Reality
A theoretical technique developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory is bringing supercomputer simulations and experimental results closer together by identifying common "fingerprints."
Engineering Atomic Interfaces for New Electronics
Most people cross borders such as doorways or state lines without thinking much about it. Yet not all borders are places of limbo intended only for crossing. Some borders, like those between two materials that are brought together, are dynamic places where special things can happen.
Small Particle Means Big Research for International Physics Project
Glenn Horton-Smith, associate professor of physics, is leading the Kansas State University portion of the exploration on the Double Chooz neutrino detector, located in the Ardennes region of northern France. The detector measures neutrinos from the nearby Chooz nuclear power plant.
Researchers Uncover Multiple Ground States in Ferroelectric Material
An important family of ferroelectric compounds just became more complicated in a good way, thanks to University of Arkansas physicists and their colleagues. A paper published in the Feb. 9, 2011, journal Nature shows that ferroelectric materials used in cell phones, computer memories, medical ultrasound and naval sonar may exhibit new properties as a result of so-called "geometric frustration."
Fusion -- Intense Neutron Detectives
What does it take to withstand the conditions of ITER, the world's largest fusion energy reactor? Neutron scattering is one way to find out. The Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory offers fusion researchers with the U.S. ITER Project Office at ORNL, the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency and the ITER Organization a unique resource for improving the performance of superconducting cables.
Neutron Analysis Reveals 'Two Doors Down' Superconductivity Link
Neutron scattering analysis of two families of iron-based materials suggests that the magnetic interactions thought responsible for high-temperature superconductivity may lie "two doors down": The key magnetic exchange pairings occur in a next-nearest-neighbor ordering of atoms, rather than adjacent atoms.
What Happens When Worms Stick Together?
Nematodes, microscopic worms, are making engineers look twice at their ability to exhibit the "Cheerios effect" when they move in a collective motion.
'Tall Order' Sunlight-to-Hydrogen System Works, Neutron Analysis Confirms
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a biohybrid photoconversion system -- based on the interaction of photosynthetic plant proteins with synthetic polymers -- that can convert visible light into hydrogen fuel.
Different Phenomena, Different Scales, Same Rules
New experiments show that common scientific rules can apply to significantly different phenomena operating on vastly different scales. The results raise the possibility of making discoveries pertaining to phenomena that would be too large or impractical to recreate in the laboratory.
Experiment Reaches Biology Breakthrough with Hard X-Ray Laser
A pair of studies published Feb. 3 in Nature, detail a new method developed to determine structures of biomolecules based on diffraction from protein nanocrystals. The international team of nearly 90 researchers included 10 from Arizona State University, whose contributions included a protein beam injector and nanocrystals.
Graphene and 'Spintronics' Combo Looks Promising
A team of physicists has taken a big step toward the development of useful graphene spintronic devices. The physicists, from the City University of Hong Kong and the University of Science and Technology of China, present their findings in the American Institute of Physics journal Applied Physics Letters.
Armchair Nanoribbons Made into Spintronic Device
A development described in the journal Applied Physics Letters may soon revolutionize handheld electronics, flat-panel displays, touch panels, electronic ink, and solar cells. Physicists in Iran have created a spintronic device based on "armchair" graphene nanoribbons that could one day replace more expensive indium tin oxide.
No Longer Pining for Organic Molecules to Make Particles in the Air
Pine's fresh scent has helped scientists find missing sources of organic molecules in the air -- which, it might turn out, aren't missing after all. In work appearing in this week's PNAS Online, researchers found that particles containing compounds such as those given off by pine trees evaporate more than 100 times slower than expected by current air-quality models.
Biophysical Society's 55th Annual Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, March 5 - 9, 2011
The Biophysical Society's 55th Annual Meeting takes place from March 5-9, 2011 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. There, more than 6,500 scientists will gather to discuss the latest advances in understanding and breakthroughs in technology at every level of biophysics -- from atoms and molecules to cells, organisms, and environments.
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Latest American Chemical Society Podcast: Biodegradable Foam from Milk Protein and Clay
The latest episode in the American Chemical Society's (ACS) award-winning podcast series, "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions," focuses on development of a new ultra-light biodegradable foam plastic material made from two unlikely ingredients: The protein in milk and ordinary clay.
Stretching, the Truth: JILA Biophysicists Help Unravel DNA Stretching Mystery
Using a new experimental test structure, biophysicists at JILA have unraveled part of a 15-year mystery in the mechanics of DNA--just how the molecule manages to suddenly extend to almost twice its normal length.
Real-World Graphene Devices May Have a Bumpy Ride
New measurements by NIST researchers may affect the design of devices that rely on the high mobility of electrons in graphene--they show that layering graphene on a substrate transforms its bustling speedway into steep hills and valleys that make it harder for electrons to get around.