Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Scientists synthesize world's most complex microparticle
Scientists have successfully synthesized the most complex microparticle in the world, its structural intricacies more complicated than even the most involved particles found in nature.
Scientists propose novel bifunctional iron nanocomposite catalyst
Oxidation of alkenes to carbonyl compounds is one of the most important industrial reactions. The oxidation products are important and useful intermediates or building blocks in synthetic organic chemistry, pharmaceuticals,...
Anyon evidence observed using tiny anyon collider
A team of researchers from Sorbonne Université and Université de Paris has reported observational evidence of a quasiparticle called an anyon. In their paper published in the journal Science, the...
The cold eyes of DUNE: International Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment
How do you detect a particle that has almost no mass, feels only two of the four fundamental forces, and can travel unhindered through solid lead for an entire light-year...
In a first, researchers use ultrafast 'electron camera' to learn about molecules in liquid samples
High-speed "electron cameras" can detect tiny molecular movements in a material by scattering a powerful beam of electrons off a sample. Until recently, researchers had only used this technique to...
COVID-19 pandemic motivates physical scientists and engineers to create global solutions
An international team of researchers is urging physical scientists and engineers to join the fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and contribute toward long-term creation of knowledge and technologies...
State Farm, USAA join list of auto insurers giving rebates due to coronavirus restrictions
State Farm and USAA have joined a growing group of auto insurers that will give credits and rebates to customers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
A perovskite-based diode capable of both light emission and detection
Light sources and detectors are key components of countless technological devices on the market today. For instance, light emitting diodes (LEDs) are often used as a source of light in...
Researchers demonstrate a platform for future optical transistors
Leading research groups in the field of nanophotonics are working toward developing optical transistors—key components for future optical computers. These devices will process information with photons instead of electrons, thus...
First sighting of mysterious Majorana fermion on a common metal
Physicists at MIT and elsewhere have observed evidence of Majorana fermions—particles that are theorized to also be their own antiparticle—on the surface of a common metal: gold. This is the...
How materials science has changed humankind — for better and worse
The Alchemy of UsAinissa RamirezMIT Press, $27.95 Humans have continually wielded materials, from steel to silicon, in new ways to send technology leaping forward. But those technologies have unintentionally molded our bodies and...
First sighting of mysterious Majorana fermion on a common metal
Physicists at MIT and elsewhere have observed evidence of Majorana fermions — particles that are theorized to also be their own antiparticle — on the surface of a common metal: gold. This...
New bonds predicted in actinide complexes
Phi and delta orbital interactions could improve nuclear waste management
Virus weakens markets for renewable energy
Industries press pause on steep growth trajectory
New isomer separation method a boon for research on protein oxidation
Oxidation of the sulfur atom in methionine is an important biomolecular reaction that can have a wide range of biological consequences depending on the context and the protein involved. Chemists...
Ordering of atoms in liquid gallium under pressure
Liquid metals and alloys have exceptional properties that make them suitable for electrical energy storage and generation applications.
Are physical distancing measures giving bikes a new lease on life?
In this week's issue of our environment newsletter, we look at how people are turning to cycling at a time of physical distancing, the growth of renewable energy capacity worldwide...
World's most complex microparticle: A synthetic that outdoes nature's intricacy
Synthetic microparticles more intricate than some of the most complicated ones found in nature have been produced by a University of Michigan-led international team. They also investigated how that intricacy...
Ordering of atoms in liquid gallium under pressure
Liquid metals and alloys have exceptional properties that make them suitable for electrical energy storage and generation applications.
Collisions reveal new evidence of ‘anyon’ quasiparticles’ existence
Sometimes, two dimensions are better than three. In the three-dimensional world we live in, there are two classes of elementary particles: bosons and fermions. But in two dimensions, theoretical physicists predict, there’s another...
3D nanoparticles and magnetic spin
Researchers have captured 3D images of nanoparticles in liquid with atomic precision, and developed an ultrathin electrical switch that could further miniaturize computing devices and personal electronics without loss of...
Coronavirus after dark: 10 photos from around the Southland
A once bustling and vibrant city has been replaced by closed buildings, lonely streets and sure emptiness. It's eerie, it's empty, it's surreal.
NBC to broadcast 100 hours of historic Olympic moments
NBC Sports will air nearly 100 hours of top Olympic moments, classics and films from April 13 to 26 on NBCSN, starting Monday.
Researchers develop one-way street for electrons
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill made a one-way street for electrons that may unlock the ability for devices to process ultra-high-speed wireless data and simultaneously...
Bose polarons near quantum criticality
The emergence of quasiparticles in interacting matter represents one of the cornerstones of modern physics. However, in the vicinity of a quantum critical point, the existence of quasiparticles comes under...
Ratcheting quasi-ballistic electrons in silicon geometric diodes at room temperature
Ratcheting effects play an important role in systems ranging from mechanical socket wrenches to biological motor proteins. The underlying principle is to convert a fluctuating, unbiased force into unidirectional motion....
Subterahertz spin pumping from an insulating antiferromagnet
Spin-transfer torque and spin Hall effects combined with their reciprocal phenomena, spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effects (ISHEs), enable the reading and control of magnetic moments in spintronics. The...
Efficient, stable silicon tandem cells enabled by anion-engineered wide-bandgap perovskites
Maximizing the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells that can exceed the Shockley-Queisser single-cell limit requires a high-performing, stable perovskite top cell with a wide bandgap. We...