
"Magic sand" might help us understand the physics of granular matter
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Tokyo, Japan - Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have studied the properties of mixtures of silicone-coated "magic sand", a popular kid's toy, and normal sand. Silicone-coated sand particles were found to interact with each other only, and not with other sand particles. The team discovered that adding silicone-coated sand beyond a certain threshold leads to an abrupt change in clustering and rigidity, a simple, useful way to potentially tune the flow of granular materials for industry.
University of Tsukuba and Institute of High Pressure Physics scientists mapped the spin-density distribution of electrons travelling through a molybdenum disulfide transistor cooled to almost absolute zero. This work may help advance the field of spin-based electronics that would be faster and more efficient compared with current devices.
Professor Byoungwoo Kang develops a high-density cathode material through controlling local structures of the Li-rich layered materials.
Texas A&M University researchers have recently shown superior performance of a new oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy they developed for use in both fission and fusion reactors.
Using thin films -- no more than a few pieces of notebook paper thick -- of a common explosive chemical, researchers from Sandia National Laboratories studied how small-scale explosions start and grow.
Metal organic framework helps silver catalyst to turn greenhouse gas into useful chemical feedstock.
New ISB research sheds light on how interspecies interactions arise, evolve and are maintained. The results, published in The ISME Journal, provide a new window to understand the key roles of these interactions in industrial applications, and in the health and disease of humans, animals and plants.
Conventional 20th-century materials that are extensively used in industries and mechanical engineering have reached their performance limit. Nowadays, alloying is commonly used to improve the alloys' mechanical performance and increase their operating temperature. In their recent work, the team studied the fatigue properties of CrFeCoNi, an alloy produced by the Laser-Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) technique. Researchers have shown that the annealing of printed samples reduces residual stress, improves plasticity, and slightly decreases yield strength.
Information is encoded in data. This is true for most aspects of modern everyday life, but also in most branches of contemporary physics. An interdisciplinary team of scientists from ICTP and SISSA showed that such a massive collection of data can be combed through, bringing out fundamental physical properties of an unknown system. Their study, published in Physical Review X, introduces a new data-based viewpoint on phase transitions.
Scientists at St Petersburg University have developed a new technology to prevent lithium-ion batteries from catching fire. What scientists propose is to use a 'chemical fuse' to cover the main conductor cable of the battery. It is a special protective covering made from conducting polymer. In case of abnormal situation, it breaks circuits and prevents the battery from catching fire.