Science Highlights

The fusion of two nuclei is a complex process influenced by the relative energy and angular momentum of the nuclei and how their structures evolve as they collide. In this study, the researchers performed the most comprehensive computation to date of fusion reaction processes. The results indicate differences between the simulation results and experimental measurements which point to the presence of presently unaccounted for phenomena in fusion models.

Because of the number and density of neutrinos involved, it is nearly impossible to calculate the movement of neutrinos from compact astrophysical systems such as core-collapse supernovae and neutron star mergers. Researchers have now examined a potential way to solve this challenge by expanding traditional methods of calculating neutrino movement to include quantum mechanical flavor change. This reduces the complexity of the calculations.

Scientists use collisions of heavy ions to produce quark-gluon plasma containing large numbers of the heavy charm and bottom quarks. The recombination of freely moving charm and bottom quarks facilitates the production of Bc mesons. In this study, researchers carried out theoretical simulations of charm and bottom quarks diffusing through the quark gluon plasma and found that these quarks’ recombination can enhance the production of Bc mesons.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists have developed a method leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate the identification of environmentally friendly solvents for industrial carbon capture, biomass processing, rechargeable batteries and other applications.

Groups of three quarks form stable composite particles called baryons (such as protons and neutrons), while pairs of quarks form unstable mesons. New measurements from the Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) experiment show surprising variations in the rate at which baryons are produced, defying previous expectations. This finding helps to explain the creation of the first stable particles in the early universe.

New research finds that ab initio methods using effective field theory can be used to study the scattering of protons and neutrons off atomic nuclei. The research specifically examined the scattering of protons from carbon-12 and oxygen-16 at low energies.

To produce biofuels from nonedible plants, researchers can use cellulase to break down plant cellulose into glucose, which can be fermented to generate bioethanol. Researchers have now used a specialized optical microscope to visualize single cellulase enzymes interacting with different forms of cellulose. This allowed them to investigate enzyme function in the presence of the product of the reaction and other components of plant biomass.

New findings about chitinases, enzymes found naturally in plants, could allow farmers to address fungal infections sooner and more efficiently.