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

Physicists Propose New Model to Study Pairing Properties of Nuclei

A team of Ohio University nuclear physicists has proposed a new theoretical model for calculating pairing properties of atomic nuclei including those found in extreme astrophysical environments.

Once a Performance Barrier, This Material Quirk Could Strengthen Our Telecommunication Connections

Researchers who study and manipulate the behavior of materials at the atomic level have discovered a way to make a thin material that enhances the flow of microwave energy. The advance, which could improve telecommunications, sheds new light on structural traits, generally viewed as static and a hindrance, that, when made to be dynamic, are actually key to the material’s special ability.

Climate Warming Affects Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem

A University of Oklahoma study shows the effects of climate warming on soil microbes in a long-term climate change experiment in a tallgrass prairie ecosystem.

A Valley So Low: Electrons Congregate in Ways that May be Useful to “Valleytronics”

A Princeton University-led study has revealed an emergent electronic behavior on the surface of bismuth crystals that could lead to insights on the growing area of technology known as “valleytronics.”

Physicists Race to Demystify Einstein’s ‘Spooky’ Science

According to Andrew Friedman, a research scientist at the University of California San Diego Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences (CASS), “the race is on” around the globe to identify and experimentally close potential loopholes that could still allow alternative theories, distinct from quantum theory, to explain perplexing phenomena like quantum entanglement.

ASU Assistant Professor Studies How Living Cells Capture, Process and Store Energy

The work of Abhishek Singharoy, assistant professor in Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences and member of the Biodesign Institute’s Center for Applied Structural Discovery, is featured in a recent article published by the Department of Energy on renewable biofuels.

Light from Ancient Quasars Helps Confirm Quantum Entanglement

Using two ancient galactic cores called quasars, MIT researchers have taken a massive step forward toward confirming quantum entanglement — a concept that says that the properties of particles can be linked no matter how far apart in the universe they may be.

Trace Metals Make a Big Splash with Marine Microorganisms

A new Cornell-led study shows that trace metals, deposited by aerosols like dust and other particles in the atmosphere, have a hefty impact on marine biota, affecting biological productivity and changing the ocean ecosystem.

Professor Working to Make Solar Cells More Efficient

A highly selective $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science will continue funding a University of Mississippi professor’s research into improving solar energy technologies.

Large-scale Simulations Could Shed Light on the 'Dark' Elements that Make Up Most of Our Cosmos

In an ambitious effort directed by Argonne National Laboratory, researchers at the Biocomplexity Institute of Virginia Tech are now attempting to estimate key features of the universe, including its relative distributions of dark matter and dark energy.

Department of Energy Grants Will Support Geosciences Research, New Partnerships

Boise State will receive two grants from the U.S. Department of Energy to support research on issues significant to our region and the western United States including water, food, energy use and production in the face of changing environmental conditions.

Heat Transfer Surprise Could Lead to Thermal Transistors

As much as 100 times more heat than predicted by the standard radiation theory can flow between two nanoscale objects, even at bigger-than-nanoscale distances, researchers at the University of Michigan and the College of William and Mary have reported in the journal Nature.