Matter and energy from Science Daily Feed

Theoretical physicists along with an experimental team have found evidence of a quantum spin liquid in a material known as pyrochlore cerium stannate. They achieved this by combining state-of-the-art experimental techniques, including neutron scattering at extremely low temperatures, with theoretical analysis. By measuring the way in which neutrons interact magnetically with the electron spin in pyrochlore, the researchers observed the collective excitations of spins interacting strongly with light-like waves.

Scientists have leveraged fundamental features of chemical building blocks to transform chemical reaction analysis from minutes to milliseconds.

Canada should focus on building mass utility-scale solar mega-projects to kickstart its green energy transition, according to a new report. The recommendation comes from a new article which looks at the current state of solar power and compares the benefits of both mass-scale projects and smaller, decentralized approached like individual homes and commercial buildings installing their own solar panels.

An interdisciplinary team has created tiny bubble-like microrobots that can deliver therapeutics right where they are needed and then be absorbed by the body.

Researchers developed a non-invasive imaging technique that enables laser light to penetrate deeper into living tissue, capturing sharper images of cells. This could help clinical biologists study disease progression and develop new medicines.

Researchers have designed a new compound to remove nitrogen oxides, which constitutes a step towards the development of a system to purify the air under real conditions.

Just like we recycle waste, repurposing excess CO2 from the atmosphere could be one way to abate the worsening climate crisis. In electrochemical reduction, CO2 is converted into industrial products like carbon monoxide, methane, or ethanol. However, scientists have difficulty tailoring the reaction to produce specific products. Now, an international research team has harnessed the versatility of copper to find a solution to this conundrum.

The Sun generates its tremendous energy through the process of nuclear fusion. At the same time it releases a continuous stream of neutrinos -- particles that serve as messengers of its internal dynamics. Although modern neutrino detectors unveil the Sun's present behavior, significant questions linger about its stability over periods of millions of years. Finding answers to this is the goal of the LORandite EXperiment (LOREX).

Industry -- particularly the pharmaceutical industry -- is deeply reliant on bacteria in their production. Now, researchers present a 'superman suit' to put on the bacteria, so that they can produce chemicals with less energy, fewer solvents, and reduced waste.

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries power everything from electric vehicles to wearable devices. But new research suggests that a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative may lie in zinc-based batteries.

DNA stores the instructions for life and, along with enzymes and other molecules, computes everything from hair color to risk of developing diseases. Harnessing that prowess and immense storage capacity could lead to DNA-based computers that are faster and smaller than today's silicon-based versions. As a step toward that goal, researchers report a fast, sequential DNA computing method that is also rewritable -- just like current computers.

Street art takes many forms, and the vibrant murals on the Berlin Wall both before and after its fall are expressions of people's opinions. But there was often secrecy around the processes for creating the paintings, which makes them hard to preserve. Now, researchers have uncovered information about this historic site from paint chips by combining a handheld detector and artificial intelligence (AI) data analysis.

With dual lasers, researchers have accelerated a high-quality beam of electrons to 10 billion electronvolts in just 30 centimeters. The experiment gives scientists a 'frame-by-frame' look at how a petawatt laser interacts with a long plasma channel, knowledge that's crucial for building future compact particle accelerators.

Researchers have pioneered a new technique called X-ray linear dichroic orientation tomography, which probes the orientation of a material's building blocks at the nanoscale in three-dimensions. First applied to study a polycrystalline catalyst, the technique allows the visualization of crystal grains, grain boundaries and defects -- key factors determining catalyst performance. Beyond catalysis, the technique allows previously inaccessible insights into the structure of diverse functional materials, including those used in information technology, energy storage and biomedical applications.

A new class of magnetism called altermagnetism has been imaged for the first time in a new study. The findings could lead to the development of new magnetic memory devices with the potential to increase operation speeds of up to a thousand times.

Researchers discovered that three-layer graphene can naturally self-organize into specific stacking patterns (ABA/ABC domains) during growth on silicon carbide, eliminating the need for manual manipulation. This breakthrough could enable scalable production of quantum devices.

For the first time, scientists have observed a collection of particles, also known as a quasiparticle, that's massless when moving one direction but has mass in the other direction. The quasiparticle, called a semi-Dirac fermion, was first theorized 16 years ago, but was only recently spotted inside a crystal of semi-metal material called ZrSiS. The observation of the quasiparticle opens the door to future advances in a range of emerging technologies from batteries to sensors, according to the researchers.

A team of scientists has solved a long-standing problem in thermal imaging, making it possible to capture clear images of objects through hot windows.

As the demand for lithium-ion batteries escalates with the proliferation of mobile phone, electric vehicles and even pacemakers, key components in these powerhouses, like cobalt, face significant ethical and environmental concerns related to their extraction. Now, scientists have pioneered a safer, more sustainable solution to separate cobalt from ores or recycled materials via precipitate.

A new biotechnological process shows how to break down and remove the matrix from carbon fiber reinforced polymers so that recovered carbon fiber plies exhibit mechanical properties comparable to those of virgin manufacturing substrates.