- Number 312 |
- May 24, 2010
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Evidence for significant matter-antimatter asymmetry
Scientists of the DZero collaboration at DOE's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory have found evidence for significant violation of matter-antimatter symmetry in the behavior of particles containing bottom quarks beyond what is expected in the current theory, the Standard Model of particle physics.
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Detangling algae for future fuels
Environmentalists dream of a world that runs on hydrogen, but cranking out the gas is expensive and often uses precious metals. But now scientists conducting research at DOE's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory's Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource have uncovered insights into how a complicated enzyme that naturally produces hydrogen gas is assembled in nature.
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Creating a captivating cage for carbon
A tough, tiny particle called nZIF-8 that might be the answer to trapping carbon dioxide impurities in natural gas was designed by scientists at DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Similar capture materials available today are very delicate, unable to tolerate exposure to water and air. But, nZIF-8 is able to withstand a far greater range of conditions. In addition, nZIF-8 meets much of the natural gas industries wish list.
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INL research probes microbes’ potential to clean up groundwater
In most people’s minds, microbes and drinking water don’t go well together. But research at DOE's Idaho National Laboratory is showcasing the potential of bacteria to cleanse our water rather than foul it. INL environmental microbiologist Hope Lee is pioneering the use of molecular techniques to gauge the cleanup capabilities of naturally occurring microbes.
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Plasma propulsion art in itself
A stunning image of a plasma plume won DOE Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory post-doctoral intern Jerry Ross the top prize at Princeton University's Art of Science competition. Ross received first place for "Xenon Plasma Accelerator," which depicts the exhaust plume from a Hall thruster, a plasma-based propulsion system for both near-earth and deep space travel.