Physicists predicted the Hubble Space Telescope would see a rising vapor plume as the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet crashed into the far side of Jupiter in 1994. And sure enough, the plume produced by the impact matched their computational analysis. Boslough’s fascinating account is one of many reminiscences by 45 shock physics researchers, mostly from Sandia,…

Researchers have discovered the key to making a stable, safe battery. The research was published last month in the journal Advanced Energy Materials. Stability in an electrode is key to a well-performing battery. Instability is caused by irregular distribution of metal ions as they move from the cathode to the anode. The more uniformly the…

A new cooling vest for sports athletes may ensure everyone can compete safely in sweltering summer conditions such as the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics. Illness due to heat can have serious consequences outlines Hasegawa: «Because our body temperature is usually around 37°C, if your body temperature increases over 40°C that is a very big problem.»…

The combination of a novel blood test and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can reduce overdiagnosis of low-risk cancers as well as societal costs in prostate cancer screening, according to a cost-effectiveness study. A barrier to the introduction of nationwide prostate cancer screening has been that PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests combined with traditional biopsies result in…

Protons in aqueous solution can usually migrate very quickly — much faster compared to other ions. However, this only applies when they are in a space greater than two nanometers, as a new study shows. In confined spaces the so-called Grotthuss mechanism no longer works, in which protons diffuse faster than ions. Protons (H+) and…

The remarkable genetic scissors called CRISPR/Cas9, the discovery that won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, sometimes cut in places that they are not designed to target. To use CRISPR enzymes to edit gene sequences, scientists can tailor them to target a specific sequence within the three billion DNA base pairs in the human genome.…

In analogy to the amplification of light in a laser, vibrations of a semiconductor crystal, so called phonons, were enhanced by interaction with an electron current. Excitation of a metal-semiconductor nanostructure by intense terahertz (THz) pulses results in a ten-fold amplification of longitudinal optical (LO) phonons at a frequency of 9 THz. Coupling such lattice…

Scientists are able to selectively knockout nucleons and preformed nuclear clusters from atomic nuclei using high-energy proton beams. In an experiment the existence of preformed helium nuclei at the surface of several tin isotopes could be identified in a reaction. The results confirm a theory, which predicts the formation of helium clusters in low-density nuclear…

Mosquito-transmitted diseases such as malaria, dengue and yellow fever are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. A new low-cost imaging system could make it easier to track mosquito species that carry disease, enabling a more timely and targeted response. «A remote system like ours can dramatically reduce the labor needed to monitor…

A phenomenon called ‘oxidative stress’ is seen in affected organs during the early stages of certain difficult-to-treat diseases like cancer and kidney dysfunction. Detecting oxidative stress could thus enable early diagnosis and preventive treatments. But, the in vivo measurement of oxidative stress caused by both oxidation and reduction has historically been difficult. Now, scientists have…