ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

---

• Jupiter's youthful travels redefined solar system
• Scanning the skies for debris hazards
• Finding answers century-old questions about platinum's catalytic properties
• Imaging of surface plasmons may be a lot easier than previously thought
• Applying conductive nanocoatings to textiles
• New supernova shows signs of atypical composition
• Material turns hard or soft at the touch of a button
• Research creates nanoparticles perfectly formed to tackle cancer
• Graphene-based polarizer can broaden bandwidth of optical fiber-based telecommunications
• Novel geothermal technology packs a one-two punch against climate change
• Astrophysicists use X-ray fingerprints to study eating habits of giant black holes

Jupiter's youthful travels redefined solar system Posted: 06 Jun 2011 02:14 PM PDT Jupiter's travels profoundly influenced the solar system, changing the nature of the asteroid belt and making Mars smaller than it should have been. These details are based on a new model of the early solar system developed by an international team that includes NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Scanning the skies for debris hazards Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:17 AM PDT Today, orbiting satellites are threatened by over 700 000 pieces of debris. Avoiding them requires knowing where they are, and that means surveillance with radar and telescopes. The European Space Agency is designing a system to catalog debris and warn satellite operators when to take evasive action.

Finding answers century-old questions about platinum's catalytic properties Posted: 06 Jun 2011 09:22 AM PDT Researchers now understand more about why platinum is so efficient at producing power in hydrogen fuel cells.

Imaging of surface plasmons may be a lot easier than previously thought Posted: 06 Jun 2011 09:18 AM PDT An unusual observation turned into a scientific breakthrough when researchers investigating the optical properties of nanomaterials discovered that so-called surface plasmons leave imprints on the surface of the nanostructures. This led to a new type of high resolution microscopy for imaging the electric fields of nanostructures.

Applying conductive nanocoatings to textiles Posted: 06 Jun 2011 08:34 AM PDT Imagine plugging a USB port into a sheet of paper, and turning it into a tablet computer. It might be a stretch, but ideas like this have researchers examining the use of conductive nanocoatings on simple textiles -- like woven cotton or even a sheet of paper.

New supernova shows signs of atypical composition Posted: 06 Jun 2011 08:31 AM PDT An exploding star, in nearby galaxy M51, shows signs of an unusual composition. The material thrown into space in the explosion contains a wide variety of elements -- a mix that is atypical of supernova events at such an early stage of the explosion, researchers say.

Material turns hard or soft at the touch of a button Posted: 06 Jun 2011 08:31 AM PDT A world premiere: A material which changes its strength, virtually at the touch of a button. This transformation can be achieved in a matter of seconds through changes in the electron structure of a material; thus hard and brittle matter, for example, can become soft and malleable. What makes this development revolutionary, is that the transformation can be controlled by electric signals.

Research creates nanoparticles perfectly formed to tackle cancer Posted: 06 Jun 2011 08:28 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a way to load up nanoparticles with large numbers of light-sensitive molecules to create a more effective form of photodynamic therapy for treating cancer.

Graphene-based polarizer can broaden bandwidth of optical fiber-based telecommunications Posted: 06 Jun 2011 08:28 AM PDT Researchers in Singapore have invented a graphene-based polarizer that can broaden the bandwidth of prevailing optical fiber-based telecommunication systems. The research team invented an ultra-slim broadband polarizer that uses graphene, a single-atomic-layer crystallized carbon, to convert light beam into polarized light. This is the first experimental demonstration of using graphene as an ultrathin waveguide to couple and modulate light.

Novel geothermal technology packs a one-two punch against climate change Posted: 06 Jun 2011 06:27 AM PDT Researchers have developed an innovative approach to tapping heat beneath Earth's surface. The method is expected to not only produce renewable electricity far more efficiently than conventional geothermal systems, but also help reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide -- dealing a one-two punch against climate change.

Astrophysicists use X-ray fingerprints to study eating habits of giant black holes Posted: 06 Jun 2011 06:27 AM PDT By studying the X-rays emitted when superheated gases plunge into distant and massive black holes, astrophysicists have provided an important test of a long-standing theory that describes the extreme physics occurring when matter spirals into these massive objects.

You are subscribed to email updates from ScienceDaily: Top Technology News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610