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2 May 2022
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Improving Nanomaterial Imaging: Self-assembling materials are enabling new technologies. But scientists need to be able to “see” into these materials so they can control their design and creation. Researchers at DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and Columbia University have imaged the inside of a new material self-assembled from nanoparticles for the first time.
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Triggering Magnetism: Researchers from the University of Washington, the University of Hong Kong, and DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have discovered that light — in the form of a laser — can trigger a form of magnetism in a normally nonmagnetic material. This discovery could have major applications for quantum simulation.
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Expanding Understanding of Plasma Reconnection: Magnetic reconnection triggers explosive phenomena throughout the universe, including space storms that can take down electrical power grids. Scientists at DOE’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have detailed a roadmap for untangling a key aspect of this process.
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Increased Rainfall from Hurricanes: A study led by scientists from Stony Brook University that analyzed the entire 2020 North Atlantic hurricane season found that hourly hurricane rainfall totals were up to 10 percent higher compared to hurricanes that took place before 1850. The study findings are an indicator of climate change’s effects on rainfall.
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Simulating Physics on Quantum Computers: Physicists at DOE’s Berkeley Lab have leveraged an IBM Q quantum computer to capture part of a calculation of two protons colliding. The computer was available through DOE’s Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility’s Quantum Computing User Program. The scientists are using the calculations to compare theoretical predictions with experimental results from colliders.
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Quantum Sensors: Physicists at the University of California, Irvine have used a hydrogen molecule as a quantum sensor in a terahertz laser-equipped scanning tunneling microscope. This technique can measure the chemical properties of materials at extremely high resolutions. It can be particularly useful for analyzing two-dimensional materials that could be used in electronics and energy systems.
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The Office of Science posted four new highlights between 4/19/22 and 5/2/22.
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New Quantum Network Shares Information at a Scale Practical for Future Real-World Applications: When particles of light called photons are paired together, or entangled, they can enable quantum communication across great distances. To test this ability, researchers built a quantum local area network. It used entangled photons to share information among three systems in separate buildings. The quantum local area network used an existing fiber optic network to connect a laboratory with the photon source and the first node in the network to the second and third ones. This demonstration sets the stage for how quantum communications can scale to longer distances. It also creates a foundation for the overall quantum internet. |
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HPC Wire: Top US supercomputer supports mental health research
A partnership between DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and two universities is using the country’s largest supercomputer to better understand the development of children’s mental health.
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Joint Genome Institute Turns 25
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Happy birthday to DOE’s Joint Genome Institute (JGI), an Office of Science user facility! To celebrate their 25th anniversary, the facility is revisiting some of its biggest accomplishments. The celebration begins with the origins of JGI, which started with the Human Genome Project. In a partnership with the National Institutes of Health, DOE sequenced three major chromosomes that make up 12 percent of the human genome. The JGI then shifted its focus to genomic sciences for energy and environmental research. Since then, it has led the way in major discoveries in genomics research. Its scientists have been the first to sequence a mycorrhizal fungus genome, opening the door for broader ecosystem research. They also developed a new technique to access genomic information from individual cells sampled in the natural environment. That accomplishment enabled scientists to study a much broader array of microbial genomes than ever before. |
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Video: Plastics Upcycling at DOE’s Ames Laboratory
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Only nine percent of plastic is recycled. But researchers involved in the Institute for the Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics, led by DOE’s Ames Laboratory, are finding ways to transform the ways we use and dispose of plastics. In this video, find out how they’re taking used plastics and developing ways to make them into valuable products through upcycling. |
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CommUnique provides a review of recent Office of Science Communications and Public Affairs stories and features. This is only a sample of our recent work promoting research done at universities, national labs, and user facilities throughout the country.
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