Science Highlights

Understanding and controlling heat flow is critical for many applications, especially for electronics. As these devices become smaller, the interfaces between materials often become the bottleneck to removing heat. In this research, scientists uncovered a new mechanism for the transfer of energy across these interfaces that involves the coupling between electrons and atomic vibrations.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) show promise as a way to trap toxic molecules and mitigate their harmful effects. In this research, scientists studied how the structure of MOFs can be tuned to enhance and optimize trapping of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide.

Scientists have developed a blueprint for producing ultrabright and ultrashort pulses of electron beams for the next generation of particle accelerators, plasma wakefield accelerators (PWFA). This could enable new scientific tools such as X-ray free-electron-lasers (XFELs) that can see matter at smaller scales and faster speeds than now possible. It could also lead to compact accelerators.

Scientists from Jefferson Lab, Old Dominion University and the University of Virginia recently conducted a study that compares deep learning models of street-scale flooding in the City of Norfolk with previous machine learning and physics-based simulations. Their peer-reviewed work uses data from roughly 17,000 street segments covering 400-plus miles of roadway to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of surrogate models. The research was carried out as part of the Joint Institute on Advanced Computing for Environmental Studies, a unique partnership between the lab and ODU.

Spin is an intrinsic property of the electron. When electrons spin in the same direction at a given time, the quantity is called polarization. Understanding polarization helps examine the structure of nuclei of heavy elements. Now, nuclear physicists have measured the polarization of an electron beam more precisely than ever before. The result will aid in ongoing studies to refine and expand the Standard Model of particle physics.

Scientists have identified a new way to improve the process for using light to make a liquid fuel from carbon dioxide. Research shows that three-dimensional silicon scaffolds on photoelectrodes improve the yield of the desired products of chemical reactions, even converting carbon dioxide to methanol.

Experiment findings will help nuclear industry model, design and construct clean nuclear energy systems, and continue an impressive safety legacy.

Scientists have for the first time mechanically detected individual nuclear decays occurring in a microparticle. The research used a new technique. Rather than detecting the radiation emitted by the nuclei, the researchers detected the occurrence of decay by measuring the tiny “kick” to the entire microparticle that contained the decaying nucleus as this radiation escaped.