May the force be with the atomic probe

New models suggest devising means of probing a surface at a sub-micrometric level as this will help us understand how electrons' diffusion affects long-range attractive forces.

Proteins feel long-range attractive forces

(Phys.org)—Proteins embedded in the lipid membranes of cells feel long-range attractive forces in specific patterns that mediate the proteins' behavior—for example, assisting in the clumping sequences in response to allergens, ...

Cosmology in a Petri dish

Scientists have found that micron-size particles which are trapped at fluid interfaces exhibit a collective dynamic that is subject to seemingly unrelated governing laws. These laws show a smooth transitioning from long-ranged ...

A new way to go from nanoparticles to supraparticles

(PhysOrg.com) -- Controlling the behavior of nanoparticles can be just as difficult trying to wrangle a group of teenagers. However, a new study involving the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has ...

Chemists make first molecular binding measurement of radon

Even in trace quantities, the radioactive gas radon is very dangerous; it is second only to cigarette smoking as a cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States. The expense and precautions necessary to study it safely ...

Osmosis in colloidal suspensions

(PhysOrg.com) -- It is very difficult to overestimate the importance of colloidal suspensions. Besides being an integral part of our everyday life (food, cosmetics, drugs), they also serve as an excellent model system for ...

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