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

Germanium’s Semiconducting and Optical Properties Probed Under Pressure

Researchers at Carnegie Institution for Science and Yanshan University synthesized sufficient ST12-germanium and, using a variety of spectroscopic techniques, quantified its optical band gap and its electrical and thermal properties, which will help define its potential for practical applications such as infrared detection and imaging technology.

Taming Oceans of Data with New Visualization Techniques

Researchers at three Princeton-area institutions have transformed complex modeling data into an easily understandable animated movie showing how ocean temperatures and saltiness change over time.

Study Finds More Extreme Storms Ahead for California

MIT scientists have found that extreme precipitation events in California should become more frequent as the Earth’s climate warms over this century.

Pelini Ant Research Provides Long-Term Look at Effects of Climate Change

The world of forest ants may provide a macrocosm of the complex reactions and interactions among species affected by global climate change, according to a research project involving Bowling Green State University biologist Dr. Shannon Pelini.

New Research Finds Cause of Alloy Weakness

For years, materials scientists have been perplexed by the question of why alloys don’t meet their full potential strength. New research has found the answer to this problem with a study done as a collaboration between researchers at Binghamton University, the University of Pittsburg, the University of Michigan and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Bridging the Gap

UCSB researchers develop a potentially low-cost, low-emissions technology that can convert methane without forming carbon dioxide.

Watching Atoms Move in Hybrid Perovskite Crystals Reveals Clues to Improving Solar Cells

A team of researchers led by the University of California San Diego has for the first time observed nanoscale changes deep inside hybrid perovskite crystals that could offer new insights into developing low-cost, high-efficiency solar cells.

Moon’s Crust Underwent Resurfacing After Forming from Magma Ocean

A research team led by The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences took to the lab to recreate the magmatic melt that once formed the lunar surface and uncovered new insights on how the modern moonscape came to be.

New X-ray Spectroscopy Explores Hydrogen-Generating Catalyst

Using a newly developed technique, researchers from Japan, Germany and the U.S. have identified a key step in production of hydrogen gas by a bacterial enzyme. Understanding these reactions could be important in developing a clean-fuel economy powered by hydrogen.

UA Chemist’s Work in Understanding New Materials Gets Boost

Dr. Jared Allred, assistant professor of chemistry at The University of Alabama, was recently awarded a grant from the 2017 Early Career Research Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy to investigate properties of novel metal compounds and develop a new way to analyze certain aspects of these materials.

Heavy Nitrogen Molecules Reveal Planetary-Scale Tug-of-War

Nature whispers its stories in a faint molecular language, and Rice University scientist Laurence Yeung and colleagues can finally tell one of those stories this week, thanks to a one-of-a-kind instrument that allowed them to hear what the atmosphere is saying with rare nitrogen molecules.

Researchers Pin Down One Source of a Potent Greenhouse Gas

A study of a Lake Erie wetland suggests that scientists have vastly underestimated the number of places methane-producing microbes can survive—and, as a result, today’s global climate models may be misjudging the amount of methane being released into the atmosphere.