University Research | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)

IU Physicists Co-leads First Observation of the Weak Interaction Between Protons and Neutrons

An international group of scientists including physicists at Indiana University are reporting the first observation of an elusive force whose detection verifies a prediction of the Standard Model, the most widely accepted model used to explain the behavior of three of the four known fundamental forces in the universe.

Spintronics "Miracle Material" Put to the Test

In 2017, University of Utah physicist Valy Vardeny called perovskite a “miracle material” for an emerging field of next-generation electronics, called spintronics, and he’s standing by that assertion. In a paper published January 10th in Nature Communications, Vardeny, along with Jingying Wang, Dali Sun (now at North Carolina State University) and colleagues present two devices built using perovskite to demonstrate the material’s potential in spintronic systems.

Just Like Flipping a Switch – In Only Half a Picosecond

Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered molecules ‘spin flip’ from magnetic to non-magnetic forms dynamically in one half of one trillionth of a second, or half a picosecond in the course of a chemical reaction.

Better Drug to Save Mothers' Lives During Childbirth May be on the Way

Development of a safer drug to counter postpartum bleeding may be on the horizon, based on new research by Arizona State University, the Bridge Institute at the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience and the U.S. Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory based at Stanford University.

Cover Crops May Increase Winter Temperatures in North America

Cover crops grown in fields during winter may be warming temperatures in the northern United States and southern Canada, according to a new study by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Climate Change Tipping Point Could Be Coming Sooner than We Think

A new study at Columbia University shows that vegetation may not be able to continue abating the effects of emissions from human activities.

Clean and Green: UCI Physicist Helps Invent Novel Way of Converting Nitrogen to Ammonia

Huolin Xin, UCI assistant professor of physics & astronomy, and colleagues have come up with a way to more sustainably produce ammonia using atoms of molybdenum as a catalyst for electrochemical conversion.

$750,000 Granted to Cal Poly Professor to Further Work in His Field

Cal Poly physics professor Themis Mastoridis was given $750,000 through the Early Career Research Program grant to further his work with particle colliders. The grant will pave the way for Cal Poly students to help with research that would only be available to graduate students at other universities.

Artificial Skin Could Give Superhuman Perception

A new type of sensor could lead to artificial skin that someday helps burn victims ‘feel’ and safeguards the rest of us, University of Connecticut researchers suggest in a forthcoming paper in Advanced Materials.

Research Rochester: Computational Physicist Tetef Studies Mysterious Subatomic Particles

Senior physics and computer science major Sam Tetef is doing computational physics research with Dr. Steve Manly as part of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, or “DUNE.” They are interested in characterizing neutrinos because of the broad impact the particles may have on the very existence of matter.

Periodic Table Still Influencing Today’s Research

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table, and the principles that drove Dmitri Mendeleev to construct his table are still influencing today’s research advances. In a special issue of Science, which celebrates this sesquicentennial anniversary, a Michigan State University scientist highlights some of the current research around the globe driven by Mendeleev’s influence.

Creating a Roadmap for 2D Materials

An invited article in the December online edition of the journal 2D Materials provides a roadmap for the synthesis of electronic-grade two-dimensional materials for future electronic and sensing applications. Led by Penn State, with contributions from five additional universities and national laboratories, the roadmap addresses the grand challenges in 2D materials with useful electronic or photonic properties, and the outlook for U.S. advances in the field.