2019 | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)

Fossil Fuel Combustion Is the Main Contributor to Black Carbon Around the Arctic, International Study Finds

An international team conducted the study at sites in Russia, Canada, Sweden and Norway, with Baylor University researchers contributing measurements for Alaska.

From Iowa Farm to UI Physics Faculty

Jan Nachtman, the associate professor in the University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy has become a leading figure in her field, is working with scientists at the world’s largest particle collider, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland, to search for clues to how the universe was created.

Droughts Boost Emissions as Hydropower Dries Up

Recent droughts caused increases in emissions of carbon dioxide and harmful air pollutants from power generation in several western states as fossil fuels came online to replace hampered hydroelectric power. A new study quantifies the impact.

Study of Quark Speeds Finds a Solution for a 35-year Physics Mystery

MIT physicists now have an answer to a question in nuclear physics that has puzzled scientists for three decades: Why do quarks move more slowly inside larger atoms?

Scientists Program Proteins to Pair Exactly

A team at the University of Washington School of Medicine have developed new protein design algorithms that produce complementary proteins that precisely pair with each other using the same chemical language of DNA.

Researchers Capture an Image of Negative Capacitance in Action

For the first time ever, an international team of researchers imaged the microscopic state of negative capacitance. This novel result provides researchers with fundamental, atomistic insight into the physics of negative capacitance, which could have far-reaching consequences for energy-efficient electronics.

Researchers Discover New Evidence of Superconductivity at Near Room Temperature

Researchers at the George Washington University have taken a major step toward reaching one of the most sought-after goals in physics: room temperature superconductivity.

Pore Size Influences Nature of Complex Nanostructures

In new research that could help inform development of new materials, Cornell chemists have found that the empty space (“pores”) present in two-dimensional molecular building blocks fundamentally changes the strength of these van der Waals forces, and can potentially alter the assembly of sophisticated nanostructures.

Drug Sponge Could Minimize Side Effects of Cancer Treatment

To treat cancer in organs like the liver, doctors are able to deliver drugs via catheter directly to the tumor, but leftover drug can escape and affect healthy organs elsewhere in the body. A drug sponge developed by UC Berkeley chemical engineers could sop up the residual drug, lessening side effects.

Researchers Catalog Defects That Give 2-D Materials Amazing Properties

Theoretical analysis by researchers at MIT distinguishes observed “holes” from the huge list of hypothetically possible ones.

DOE Early Career Award Goes to Nuclear Energy Elements Researcher

Chemistry professor Karah Knope, who researches elements essential to nuclear energy, is one of 84 scientists at universities and national laboratories receiving an Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Energy. The award honors outstanding tenure-track researchers who received their Ph.D.s within the last 10 years and comes with a $150,000 grant each year for five years to cover salary and research expenses.

Discovery of Single Atom Structure Leads to More Efficient Catalyst

Ayman M. Karim, associate professor of chemical engineering and Hongliang Xin, assistant professor of chemical engineering, both in the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, have identified the structure of iridium single-atom catalysts for carbon monoxide oxidation. The identification of the structure and reaction mechanism will help in the design of better and more cost-efficient catalysts.