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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

Ancient crater could hold clues about moon's mantle

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 03:11 PM PST

Researchers have found evidence of diverse mineralogy in the moon's South Pole Aitken basin, a giant crater left by an impact 4 billion years ago. The findings could mean that some minerals dug up during that ancient impact remain intact within the basin. If that's true, then the basin could hold vital clues about the makeup of the moon's mantle.

First radiation measurements from the surface of Mars

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 03:11 PM PST

In the first 300 days of the Mars Science Laboratory's surface mission, the Curiosity rover cruised around the planet's Gale Crater, collecting soil samples and investigating rock structures while the onboard Radiation Assessment Detector made detailed measurements of the radiation environment on the surface of Mars. The radiation on Mars is much harsher than on Earth for two reasons: Mars lacks a global magnetic field and the Martian atmosphere is much thinner than Earth's, providing little shielding to the surface.

Scientists offer new insights on controlling nanoparticle stability

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 03:11 PM PST

Chemists studying the structure of ligand-stabilized gold nanoparticles have captured fundamental new insights about their stability.

Engineering researchers report on nanoscale energy-efficient switching devices

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 01:08 PM PST

Researchers have built nanoscale electromechanical switches and logic gates that operate more energy-efficiently than those now used by the billions in computers, tablets and smart phones. The switches are fast and light and have proved durable and heat tolerant, with no current leakage.

How light affects individual atoms

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:33 AM PST

Scientists are unraveling how atoms vibrate and change when hit with intense bursts of light.

Hidden details revealed in nearby starburst galaxy

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:32 AM PST

Astronomers have captured never-before-seen details of the nearby starburst galaxy M82. These new data highlight streamers of material fleeing the disk of the galaxy as well as concentrations of dense molecular gas surrounding pockets of intense star formation.

More light shed on possibility of life on Mars

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 10:24 AM PST

Humankind is by nature inquisitive, especially about the prospect of life on other planets and whether or not we are alone. The aptly named Curiosity, a NASA Mars rover, has been scouring that planet's surface as a potential habitat for life, either past or present. Now there are some exciting new findings.

World's highest quantum efficiency UV photodetectors created

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 09:41 AM PST

New technology could aid in the detection of missiles and chemical and biological threats.

Solar cells made thin, efficient and flexible

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 09:41 AM PST

Scientists may be one step closer to tapping into the full potential of solar cells. The team found a way to create large sheets of nanotextured, silicon micro-cell arrays that hold the promise of making solar cells lightweight, more efficient, bendable and easy to mass produce.

Scientists scale terahertz peaks in nanotubes

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 09:41 AM PST

Scientists find plasmons at the root of a terahertz peak seen in carbon nanotubes, but only in certain types. The discovery opens up the possibility of using nanotubes in terahertz-based optoelectronics.

Morphing material has mighty potential: Composite may find use in bioscaffolds, optics, drugs

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 09:41 AM PST

The shape of a new composite material changes with the temperature in highly controllable ways. The material may be useful for biological, optical and pharmaceutical applications.

IRIS provides unprecedented images of sun

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 09:35 AM PST

The region located between the surface of the sun and its atmosphere has been revealed as a more violent place than previously understood, according to images and data from NASA's newest solar observatory, the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS.

Solar cell degradation observed directly for the first time

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 07:53 AM PST

Researchers have, for the first time, watched organic solar cells degrade in real time. This work could open new approaches to increasing the stability of this highly promising type of solar cell.

Recycled plastic proves effective in killing drug-resistant fungi

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 07:52 AM PST

Researchers have discovered a new, potentially life-saving application for polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is widely used to make plastic bottles. They have successfully converted PET into a non-toxic biocompatible material with superior fungal killing properties.

A stopwatch for electron flashes: duration of energetic electron pulses measured using laser fields

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 07:50 AM PST

A stopwatch made of light can determine the duration of extremely brief electron flashes. Scientists have, for the first time, succeeded in measuring the lengths of ultrashort bursts of highly energetic electrons using the electric fields of laser light. Such electron pulses, which behave like ultrashort matter waves, provide time-resolved recordings of processes taking place in molecules and atoms, enabling elementary particles to be "filmed" in four dimensions.

Harvesting electricity: Triboelectric generators capture wasted power

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 07:49 AM PST

Researchers are developing a family of generators that provide power for portable electronic devices and sensors by harnessing the triboelectric effect to capture mechanical energy that would otherwise be wasted.

3-D printing used as a tool to explain theoretical physics

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 06:25 AM PST

Students may soon be able to reach out and touch some of the theoretical concepts they are taught in their physics classes thanks to a novel idea.

No longer stumped: secrets of the skilled batsman

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 06:09 AM PST

Though the discovery might have come too late to help Australia win this week's Second Test match, a team of scientists from Down Under has revealed what techniques give skilled batsmen an edge over their less able teammates – and opponents.

Polymers can behave like insulators, semiconductors and metals -- as well as semimetals

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 06:07 AM PST

Polymers can behave like insulators, semiconductors and metals – as well as semimetals.

Pioneering path to electrical conductivity in 'Tinker Toy' material (MOF)

Posted: 09 Dec 2013 05:41 AM PST

Researchers have devised a novel way to realize electrical conductivity in metal-organic framework (MOF) materials, a development that could have profound implications for the future of electronics, sensors, energy conversion and energy storage.

Stripped mobile phone camera turned into mini-microscope for low-cost diagnostics

Posted: 05 Dec 2013 03:55 PM PST

Simple imaging devices modified to inexpensive mini-microscopes are the new weapon in fight against tropical infectious diseases, show researchers.

Welcome guests: Added molecules allow metal-organic frameworks to conduct electricity

Posted: 05 Dec 2013 02:18 PM PST

Scientists have added something new to a family of engineered, high-tech materials called metal-organic frameworks: the ability to conduct electricity. Conductive MOFs have the potential for use in a variety of applications including sensors for detecting gases and toxic substances.
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