A FORCE to be reckoned with: Computer modeling for optimal energy partnerships

Integrating nuclear power into broader energy systems, including renewable energy sources and heat-intensive industries, could improve flexibility and unlock revenue streams for nuclear power producers.

Does staying informed help us cooperate?

In the face of existential dilemmas that are shared by all of humanity, including the consequences of inequality or climate change, it is crucial to understand the conditions leading to cooperation. A new game theory model developed at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) based on 192 stochastic games and on some elegant algebra finds that both cases – available information and the lack thereof – can lead to cooperative outcomes.

Water for the World: University of Rhode Island researchers available for interview

Access to safe water, proper sanitation and hygiene are essential for human survival. As the United Nations convenes its first major conference on water quality since 1977, researchers at the University of Rhode Island are seeking better ways to provide potable water and stop pollution from contaminating water supplies.

Studying ship tracks to inform climate intervention decision-makers

Scientists from Sandia National Laboratories are studying ship tracks — clouds that reflect sunlight and are formed by moving ships, similar to contrails from planes — to help inform decision-makers of the benefits and risks of one technology being considered to slow climate change.

COVID calculations lead to unexpected solution to long-standing problem in theoretical computer science

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Joachim Kock, mathematician at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), began to experiment with epidemiological models. He did not improve upon the predictions, but unexpectedly he made a mathematical discovery that led to the solution of an old problem in theoretical computer science, open since the 1980s, on Petri nets.

$2.3 million NSF grant boosts UAH effort to predict harmful solar weather events

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has received a four-year, $2.301 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a scientific model to understand and predict how CMEs influence the energetic particle radiation environment in the inner solar system and Earth’s magnetosphere.

International collaboration compares geologic repository assessment tools

Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories and partner U.S. national laboratories will compare their Geologic Disposal Safety Assessment software framework to the safety assessment software of international peers at a late-April workshop.The Sandia-led Geologic Disposal Safety Assessment framework is a computer modeling system designed to answer critical safety assessment questions about future disposal options for spent nuclear fuel deep underground and the system of tunnels, containers and possible concrete-like barriers used to keep the radioactive material contained far from the surface and water sources, said Emily Stein, a Sandia manager overseeing the development of the framework.

Physicist Greg Hammett honored for his work advancing understanding of fusion plasmas

Theoretical and computational physicist Greg Hammett, a leader in advancing understanding of the complex turbulence that controls the performance of fusion plasmas and a dedicated educator, has been named a 2021 Distinguished Scientist Fellow by the DOE’s Office of Science.

UAH-led space weather prediction research could be critical to Space Force Command

Research to improve space weather predictions by Dr. Nikolai Pogorelov at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System, will boost abilities crucial to the success of the defense mission of the Space Force Command that’s set to be located in Huntsville, Ala.

In New Step Towards Autonomous Materials, Researchers Design Patterns in Self-propelling Liquid Crystals

Imagine a capsule implanted in your body that automatically releases antibodies in response to a virus, or clothing that senses and captures contaminants from the air.

PME researchers have taken a step toward developing such autonomous materials by creating self-propelling liquid crystals and patterning their activity to control the movements of defects within the crystals.

Scientists look to space to track plant pathogens coasting through atmosphere

To better understand how plant pathogens that travel the globe with dust particles might put crops at risk, a Cornell University-led team of scientists will use data from NASA’s Earth Observing Satellites to identify areas of potential disease and track plumes of dust that traverse the globe.

UAH joins supercomputing effort to find drugs effective against COVID-19

A professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is part of an effort led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee that applies the power of supercomputers to screen compounds for effectiveness against the pandemic COVID-19 virus.

UAH’s Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research has central role in 2024 IMAP mission

The Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) will be central to the modeling and data crunching that follow the scheduled launch of NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission in 2024.

New Geometric Model Improves Predictions of Fluid Flow in Rock

Supercomputer validates mathematical approach for describing geological features. The Science Deep beneath the Earth’s surface, oil and groundwater percolate through gaps in rock and other geologic material. Hidden from sight, these critical resources pose a significant challenge for scientists seeking…