ORNL Story Tips: Shuffling atoms, thinning forests, fusion assembly and nuclear medicine
Tag: Neutrons
ORNL is in the fight against COVID-19
In the race to identify solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are joining the fight by applying expertise in computational science, advanced manufacturing, data science and neutron science.
Self-assembly required: Neutrons probe novel polymer behavior for biomedical materials
LSU researchers are using neutron scattering at ORNL to study crystallization-driven self-assembly, a technique for forming nanoscale solid materials from solutions to understand how the technique could be used to craft controlled-shape nanostructures from polymers known as polypeptoids.
ORNL neutrons add advanced polarization capability for measuring magnetic materials
Neutron scattering instruments at ORNL’s HFIR and SNS are undergoing upgrades which will enable them to study magnetic phenomena previously not possible in the US. Incorporating a device for spherical neutron polarimetry enables the ability to characterize complex magnetic systems in new dimensions for materials that could be developed for enhanced data storage and quantum computing technologies.
The axion solves three mysteries of the universe
A hypothetical particle called the axion could solve one of physics’ great mysteries: the excess of matter over antimatter, or why we’re here at all.
Scientists use neutrons to try to develop better, less costly dental restorations
Teeth damaged by trauma or disease require treatment to look and feel as good as new, but the restorative materials available to dentists don’t always last and can be costly for patients. Researchers from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center’s College of Dentistry are using neutrons at ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor to change that.
New ORNL software improves neutron spectroscopy data resolution
Neutron spectroscopy is an important tool for studying magnetic and thermoelectric properties in materials. But often the resolution, or the ability of the instrument to see fine details, is too coarse to clearly observe features identifying novel phenomena in new advanced materials. To solve this problem, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, developed a new super-resolution software, called SRINS, that makes it easier for scientists to better understand materials’ dynamical properties using neutron spectroscopy.
Neutrons “break the ice” for exploring fundamental physics in frozen water
Scientists from Xavier University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory used neutrons to explore the atomic structure of ice, which sometimes features mysterious molecular anomalies in its otherwise crystalline structure. Learning more about these ionic defects could help researchers learn more about similar inconsistencies found in other materials.
Neutrons optimize high efficiency catalyst for greener approach to biofuel synthesis
Researchers led by the University of Manchester used neutron scattering at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the development of a catalyst that converts biomass into liquid fuel with remarkably high efficiency and provides new possibilities for manufacturing renewable energy-related materials.
Neutrons probe ultra-cold condensate for insight into quantum matter
Colorado State researchers used neutron scattering at ORNL to study an ytterbium silicate material that exhibits a Bose-Einstein condensate, an unusual quantum phase of matter that may help better understand similar phenomena in other quantum materials.
Obtaining order in the “frustrated” landscape of disordered magnetism
Researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark, are pioneering a novel technique to solve highly elaborate magnetic structures using neutrons at the Spallation Neutron Source. Their aim is to develop the technique to establish a baseline approach that can be adapted to a broad class of magnetic materials with different structures.
The way is clear: CORNING taps neutrons for developing new glass compositions
Corning researchers are using neutrons at ORNL’s Spallation Neutron Source to better understand the correlations between the structure and properties of glass to develop new compositions tailored for a range of applications.
Supercomputing, neutrons unite to unravel structures of intrinsically disordered protein
Using the Titan supercomputer and the Spallation Neutron Source at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, scientists have created the most accurate 3D model yet of an intrinsically disordered protein, revealing the ensemble of its atomic-level structures.