Science

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How many gold atoms make gold metal?

Researchers at the Nanoscience Center at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have shown that dramatic changes in the electronic properties of nanometre-sized chunks of gold occur in well-defined size range. Small gold nanoclusters could be used, for instance, in short-term storage of energy or electric charge in the field of molecular electronics. Funded by the Academy of Finland, the researchers have been able to obtain new information which is important, among other things, in developing bioimaging and sensing based on metal-like clusters.

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Nanogold is different from macroscopic gold. The small 102-gold atom cluster (right) behaves like a giant molecule, but slightly larger 144-gold atom cluster is like a metal.

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Quantum physics -- hot and cold at the same time: Measurements at the Vienna University of Technology show that a cloud of quantum particles can have several temperatures at once; the experiment provides new insight into the behavior of large quantum syst

Temperature is a very useful physical quantity. It allows us to make a simple statistical statement about the energy of particles swirling around on complicated paths without having to know the specific details of the system. Scientists from the Vienna University of Technology together with colleagues from Heidelberg University have now investigated, how quantum particles reach such a state where statistical statements are possible. The result is surprising: a cloud of atoms can have several temperatures at once. This is an important step towards a deeper understanding of large quantum systems and their exotic properties. The results have now been published in the journal "Science".

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This is the atom chip for capturing and cooling clouds of atoms.

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Researchers Test Smartphones for Earthquake Warning

Crowdsourced Smartphone Data Could Give Advance Notice for People in Quake Zones

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Cell phones can detect ground motion and warn others before strong shaking arrives

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Graphene looking promising for future spintronic devices

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have discovered that large area graphene is able to preserve electron spin over an extended period, and communicate it over greater distances than had previously been known. This has opened the door for the development of spintronics, with an aim to manufacturing faster and more energy-efficient memory and processors in computers. The findings will be published in the journal Nature Communications.

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In graphene, electrons keep their magnetization, their spin (the pink arrows in the picture) much longer than they do in ordinary conductors such as copper and aluminum. This characteristic of graphene may enable spintronics to become a complement to traditional electronics, which only utilizes one of the electron´s degrees of freedom, namely their charge.

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Forest Service Maps Aid Fire Recovery

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The 2013 Rim fire in and near Yosemite National Park, California, was the third largest in the state's history, burning more than 250,000 acres. Almost two years later, forest restoration efforts are still ongoing.

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Smartphones Could Be Early Warning System for Earthquakes

Technology could detect problems and alert people in developing countries.

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Iranian Scientists Use Ultrasound Waves to Produce Fullerene

Iranian researchers from Kashan University used a simple, fast and effective method to produce fullerene nanostructures by applying ultrasound waves.

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Carnegie Mellon chemists create tiny gold nanoparticles that reflect nature's patterns

Our world is full of patterns, from the twist of a DNA molecule to the spiral of the Milky Way. New research from Carnegie Mellon chemists has revealed that tiny, synthetic gold nanoparticles exhibit some of nature's most intricate patterns.

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The x-ray crystallographic structure of the gold nanoparticle is shown. Gold atoms = magenta; sulfur atoms = yellow; carbon atoms = gray; hydrogen atoms = white.

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Cheap Nanocomposite with Electrocatalytic Application in Fuel Cells Synthesized in Iran

Iranian researchers succeeded in the production of a nanocatalyst that is proper to be used in fuel cells.

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Researchers of Tartu develop ‘space grease’

The Estonian Materials Technologies Competence Centre (MATECC) has just signed an agreement with the European Space Agency. Researchers of the centre and of the University of Tartu will start to develop a nanotechnology lubricant suitable for extreme conditions.

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PhD student Triinu Taaber working in the laboratory of physics of nanostructures.

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