As on Earth, so in space. A four-satellite mission that is studying magnetic reconnection—the breaking apart and explosive reconnection of the magnetic field lines in plasma that occurs throughout the universe—has found ...
Plasma Physics
Dec 7, 2018
0
189
What drives cells to live and engines to move? It all comes down to a quantity that scientists call "free energy," essentially the energy that can be extracted from any system to perform useful work. Without this available ...
General Physics
Jun 8, 2018
0
131
Reactions in solar panels, catalytic converters, and other devices are governed by the quick motion of electrons. To capture the movement of these electrons, scientists use pulses of extremely high energy x-rays. The challenge ...
Optics & Photonics
Apr 10, 2018
0
12
Photons with energy higher than the band gap of the semiconductor absorbing them give rise to what are known as hot electrons. The extra energy in respect to the band gap is lost very fast, as it is converted into heat and ...
Condensed Matter
Jan 16, 2018
2
63
For the first time, physicists have developed a technique that can peer deep beneath the surface of a material to identify the energies and momenta of electrons there.
General Physics
Nov 16, 2017
0
922
"The sun is a solution," concluded Prof. Arno Smets in his inaugural address given at TU Delft on Wednesday, 28 September. Smets and his group at TU Delft envisage all energy provision being based on sustainable energy sources ...
Energy & Green Tech
Oct 5, 2016
0
0
Enzymes play a crucial role in most biological processes—controlling energy transduction, as well as the transcription and translation of genetic information and signaling. They possess a remarkable capacity to accelerate ...
Biochemistry
May 10, 2016
0
31
Scientists can only offer a partial explanation of how radioactivity damages biological cells. The current research focuses on the effect of so-called secondary particles. When radiation penetrates the body, it knocks out ...
General Physics
Mar 31, 2016
0
76
Proteins are the molecules of life. They are chemically programmed by their amino acid sequence to fold into highly organized conformations that underpin all of biological structure (e.g., hair, scales) and function (e.g., ...
General Physics
Mar 21, 2016
0
427
Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, have an ingenious system to prepare themselves for the coming daylight when it is dark by setting up a large 'antenna'. This antenna helps them capture light energy in an efficient ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 17, 2015
0
15
