Physicists discover a new kind of friction in the nanoworld

Whether in vehicle transmissions, hip replacements, or tiny sensors for triggering airbags: The respective components must slide against each other with minimum friction to prevent loss of energy and material wear. Investigating ...

Microwave oven cooks up solar cell material

University of Utah metallurgists used an old microwave oven to produce a nanocrystal semiconductor rapidly using cheap, abundant and less toxic metals than other semiconductors. They hope it will be used for more efficient ...

Researchers at IceCube detect record energy neutrinos

(Phys.org) —Researchers at the Antarctic research station IceCube are reporting that they've detected the highest ever energy neutrinos ever observed. In their paper they've uploaded to the preprint server arXiv, the team ...

LDCM satellite sees its birthplaces

Building and launching the Landsat Data Continuity Mission required teams of people across the United States. It is appropriate, then, that the satellite's early images include these views of the places that most contributed ...

Calculating quantum vacuum forces in nanostructures

(Phys.org)—One of the surprising predictions of quantum mechanics is that uncharged conductors can attract each other over small distances, even in empty space. While the resulting "Casimir force" has been accurately measured ...

At the nanoscale, graphite can turn friction upside down

(Phys.org)—If you ease up on a pencil, does it slide more easily? Sure. But maybe not if the tip is sharpened down to nanoscale dimensions. A team of researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) ...

Just hours after launch, RBSP takes first science steps

(Phys.org)—While the RBSP teams at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station celebrated a job well done following the 4:05 a.m. EDT launch of the Radiation Belt Storm Probes on Thursday, Aug. 30, ...

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