Art of Science 2010

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Polymer Art Glass

An optical micrograph of a hybrid organic-organometallic block copolymer thin film cast on a silicon nitride membrane substrate. These materials are being explored for use in the low-cost fabrication of various nanoscale dot, post and wire arrays. By Seth Darling and Muruganathan Ramanathan (Argonne National Laboratory, Center for Nanoscale Materials) Published as Materials Today cover, September 2009. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.

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Polymer Art Glass
An optical micrograph of a hybrid organic-organometallic block copolymer thin film cast on a silicon nitride membrane substrate. These materials are being explored for use in the low-cost fabrication of various nanoscale dot, post and wire arrays. By Seth Darling and Muruganathan Ramanathan (Argonne National Laboratory, Center for Nanoscale Materials) Published as Materials Today cover, September 2009. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Methane-digesting enzyme
Methane-digesting Enzyme By A.C. Rosenzweig and R.L. Lieberman (Northwestern University) using Argonne National Lab's Advanced Photon Source Scientists used X-rays at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to characterize the first enzyme in the pathway that bacteria use to convert methane to methanol. This important breakthrough is helping researchers improve the synthesis of methanol—a process that would make natural gas a viable energy alternative to petroleum. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Buoyancy-Driven Turbulent Nuclear Combustion, Total Velocity
Buoyancy-driven Turbulent Nuclear Combustion Total Velocity Data by R. Bair and K. Riley (Argonne) and D. Townsley, R. Fisher, N. Hearn, D. Lamb (University of Chicago) Visualization by Brad Gallagher and Mike Papka Computer models use thousands of data points to create simulations that describe how stars explode. The mechanism of buoyancy-driven turbulent combustion, modeled here, is central to our understanding of Type Ia supernovae, which play a key role in our theories of the expansion of the universe and the nature of dark energy. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Rough Waters
By Seth Darling (Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory) and Steven Sibener (University of Chicago) In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. Above: An atomic force micrograph of a self-assembled monolayer of molecules composed of two different materials on a gold surface. These mixed monolayers enable one to tailor the interface chemistry of the surface and thereby tune properties such as wettability or biocompatibility. Physics Today, 62 (2009) 88 Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Nanoroses
Nanoroses By Vilas G. Pol These tiny crystalline “roses” of europium oxycarbonate are formed under intense heat and pressure in a controlled system. Under certain conditions, they emit bright red light. Scientists are working to investigate the material's luminescence intensity and decay time. Europium oxide, a related compound, has proven useful in lasers and high-density optical storage devices, and researchers hope to discover more about this unusual oxycarbonate compound and its potential applications. Previously published: Pol V.G. et al. Inorg. Chem. 2009, 48, 5569–5573 Argonne National Laboratory.
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SEM of Carbon Spheres
SEM of Carbon Spheres Vilas G. Pol This is what happens to an ordinary plastic grocery bag when it's cooked at 1,300° Farenheit for three hours. The identical, perfectly round spheres are composed of pure carbon. Each one is just 2.5 microns across—fifty times smaller than a human hair. Because they are conducting and paramagnetic, they can act as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, as ink components for printers and toners, or to reduce friction in tires. Read more » Previously published: Vilas G. Pol and P. Thiyagarajan Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2009, 48, 1484–1489 Argonne National Laboratory.
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Fuel injector flower
Fuel Injector Flower By Nicholaos Demas The nozzle of the fuel injector in a car sprays gasoline through tiny holes, designed to make as fine a mist as possible so that the fuel burns better. Researchers at Argonne, attempting to make the engine even more efficient, reduced the size of the holes to less than the size of a single human hair. This is a nozzle with eight holes—polished from the tip down to reveal a flower-like pattern—seen under a microscope. The yellow area is the iron nozzle, the black areas are epoxy used to hold the nozzle, and the petals are the nickel-phosphorous material used to reduce the size of the holes. More... The gas pedal in your car is connected to a valve that regulates how much air enters the engine. So the gas pedal is really the air pedal. When you step on the gas pedal, the throttle valve opens up more, letting in more air. The computer that controls all of the electronic components on your car engine "sees" the throttle valve open and increases the fuel rate in anticipation of more air entering the engine. It is important to increase the fuel rate as soon as the throttle valve opens; otherwise, when the gas pedal is first pressed, there may be a hesitation as some air reaches the cylinders without enough fuel in it. Sensors monitor the mass of air entering the engine, as well as the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. The computer uses this information to fine-tune the fuel delivery so that the air-to-fuel ratio is just right. A fuel injector is basically an electronically controlled valve. When the injector is supplied with -pressurized fuel it opens, allowing the pressurized fuel to squirt out through a nozzle. The nozzle of the fuel injector is designed to atomize the fuel to make as fine a mist as possible so that it can burn easily. There are different nozzle designs varying from single-hole to multi-hole and are typically made from a ferrous material. The size of the holes of a nozzle is critical for fuel atomization. A common method used to make the holes is a process called wire electrical discharge machining during which a thin metal wire removes material from the nozzle. After this process, we subjected the nozzle to an electroless Nickel plating process in order to reduce the size of the holes made by wire electrical discharge machining. Due to the size of the holes (less than 100 micrometers), in order to examine the plated layer’s uniformity and adhesion a microscope is necessary. The nozzle was mounted onto epoxy, mechanically polished and microscope images at various stages during the polishing process are taken. Due to precise vertical orientation and polishing to the specific height corresponding to this image a flower-like pattern was created. The main area is ferrous, the black areas are epoxy and the petals are the nickel-phosphorus layer of the EN plating process. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Electric Crystal
Electric Crystal By Ioan Botiz, Seth B. Darling (Argonne National Lab) and Rafael Verduzco (Rice University) Semi-conducting polymers have potential applications ranging from electronics to next-generation solar cells. This optical micrograph shows a growing crystal of a modified polymer that can be incorporated into organic photovoltaic devices. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Field of Flowers
By Paul Podsiadlo and Elena Shevchenko, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. ABOVE: The colorful, flower-like objects are tightly packed assemblies of 7.5-nanometer spherical lead sulfide nanoparticles. The assemblies average 50 micrometers in size, approximately 10,000 nanoparticles across. The images were obtained with an optical microscope. The colors result from differences in thicknesses of assemblies and light-interference effects. The assemblies have potential applications in solar cells, thermoelectricity and supercapacitors. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Lava Rocks
By Paul Podsiadlo and Elena Shevchenko, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. ABOVE: The objects seen in the pictures are assemblies of tightly packed semiconductor cadmium selenide nanoparticles. The assemblies average 70 micrometers in size, and the nanoparticles are only 4.6 nanometers in diameter. The images were obtained with polarized optical microscopy. The bright red regions are cracks created during drying of the assemblies, which have applications in solar cells, thermoelectric devices and supercapacitors. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Lagoon
By Paul Podsiadlo and Elena Shevchenko, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. ABOVE: The colorful pattern represents a film of 7.5-nanometer lead sulfide nanocrystals evaporated on top of a silicon wafer. The islands are formed by micron-size “supercrystals”—faceted 3-D assemblies of the same nanocrystals. The picture is a true, unaltered image, obtained with an optical microscope in reflected light mode. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Van Gogh at Play with Nanocrystals
By Paul Podsiadlo and Elena Shevchenko, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. ABOVE: The pattern represents a film of 7.5-nanometer lead sulfide nanocrystals evaporated on the surface of a silicon wafer. The branch is formed by “supercrystals”: faceted 3-D assemblies of the same nanocrystals, crystallized in a mechanically induced scratch. The supercrystals have shown preferential nucleation in scratches. The picture is a true, unaltered image, obtained with an optical microscope in reflected light mode. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Scalar potential of a point charge
Scalar Potential of a Point Charge Glenn Decker, Argonne National Lab Scalar potential of a point charge shortly after exiting a dipole magnet, moving left to right. One can see the synchrotron radiation wave front pull away from the electron (actually positron, since the scalar potential is positive). It's only moving 0.9 times the speed of light though. Otherwise the height of the wavefront diverges towards infinity while its width shrinks to zero. The observer is moving along with the positron, which is why it stays in the middle. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Myoglobin
Myoglobin Lee Makowski, Diane Rodi, Suneeta Mandava, David Minh, Robert Fischetti (Argonne) and David Gore (Illinois Institute of Technology) X-ray scattering from proteins provides information about the structure of proteins, including myoglobin, a protein which binds oxygen and iron and is found in the muscles of almost all mammals. The tumbling of proteins results in circularly symmetric patterns like the one shown here, interrupted only by the beam stop and its holder. Argonne's Advanced Photon Source, home of some of the brightest X-rays in the Western Hemisphere, provided the X-rays. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Natural Palette
By Seth Darling and Muruganathan Ramanathan In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. ABOVE: An optical micrograph of a hybrid organic/inorganic polymer film that exhibits both nanoscale and microscale structures due to a competition between self-assembly and crystallization. These materials provide fundamental insights into polymer science and have potential application in nanoscale pattern transfer processes. Previously published as cover image in Soft Matter, DOI: 10.1039/b902114k (2009). Argonne National Laboratory.
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Flash Simulation of a One-to-one Mass Ratio Galaxy Cluster Merger with an Impact Offset
Deep in space, giant galaxy clusters filled with vast clouds of hot, X-ray producing gas are assembled through supersonic collisions over billions of years. In order to better understand these astrophysical phenomena, called galaxy cluster mergers, scientists visualize them using supercomputers—resulting in this beautiful image. Above: Dark matter makes up the majority of the cluster material, up to 90% by mass, and the gravitational force of the dark matter dominates the physics of the merger. Most of the ordinary matter is in the form of a hot, diffuse plasma known as the intra-cluster medium. These gases interact directly, unlike the dark matter particles, whose motion is thought to be collisionless. However the mixing of the gas is completely driven by the violent orbital motion of the dark matter cores. Shown here are volume renderings of the gases (in blue and yellow) zoomed in so that detail of the structure involved in the mixing of the gases can be seen. Researchers: John Zuhone, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA; Donald Q. Lamb, University of Chicago Visualization: Brad Gallagher, University of Chicago Research supported by: DOE/NNSA ASC Alliance Flash Center, DOE/Office of Science INCITE Program Argonne National Laboratory.
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Polymer Flower
Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM). When metallic lithium enters in contact with any polar solvent, reduction of the solvent results in the formation of an elastomeric (i.e. elastic) polymer. Gas evolution, which also occurs as part of this reaction stretches the polymer generating all kinds of beautiful patterns. Artist/Reseacher: Carmen M. López Argonne National Laboratory.
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Simulation of Type Ia Supernovae DDT (Deflagration to Detonation Transition) Density and Temperature
Simulation of Type Ia Supernovae DDT (Deflagration to Detonation Transition) Density and Temperature A computer (FLASH) simulation of the "Deflagration to Detonation Transition" (DDT) model of a Type Ia supernova. The green surface approximates the surface of the white dwarf and the yellow/orange surface represents a flame surface behind which there is ash from the burning stellar material that has made its way to the surface of the star. The large smooth structures in the ash near the surface are regions where the flame has transitioned to a detonation in the model. Researchers: George Jordan and Donald Q. Lamb, University of Chicago Visualization: Brad Gallagher, University of Chicago Research supported by: DOE/NNSA ASC Alliance Flash Center, DOE/Office of Science INCITE Program Argonne National Laboratory.
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Tidal Pools
Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM). When metallic lithium enters in contact with any polar solvent, reduction of the solvent results in the formation of an elastomeric (i.e. elastic) polymer. Gas evolution, which also occurs as part of this reaction stretches the polymer generating all kinds of beautiful patterns. Artist/Reseacher: Carmen M. López Argonne National Laboratory.
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Crystals like jewels
Tartaric acid, dissolved in water with pH-indicating crystal violet, forms these beautiful images as crystals grow out of a supersaturated aqueous solution generated by evaporation of water. Originally yellow in the low-pH aqueous environment, the crystal violet changes colors as it becomes embedded in the crystals. The growth process can be watched live under the microscope and demonstrates complex phenomena of crystal formation such as nucleation, diffusion-limited growth, and formation of grain boundaries. Microphoto of a tartaric acid crystallized from a supersaturated solution with crystal violet dye added. Image corresponds to ca. 1.3 mm by 1 mm field of view. By Bernhard W. Adams (XSD, Argonne National Laboratory) Argonne National Laboratory.
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Crater
Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM). Polymer formed in the surface of lithium metal by reaction of tetramethylene sulfone and the lithium. Artist/Reseacher: Carmen M. López Argonne National Laboratory.
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Crystals I
Tartaric acid, dissolved in water with pH-indicating crystal violet, forms these beautiful images as crystals grow out of a supersaturated aqueous solution generated by evaporation of water. Originally yellow in the low-pH aqueous environment, the crystal violet changes colors as it becomes embedded in the crystals. The growth process can be watched live under the microscope and demonstrates complex phenomena of crystal formation such as nucleation, diffusion-limited growth, and formation of grain boundaries. Microphoto of a tartaric acid crystallized from a supersaturated solution with crystal violet dye added. Image corresponds to ca. 1 mm by 1.3 mm field of view. By Bernhard W. Adams (XSD, Argonne National Laboratory) Argonne National Laboratory.
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Aligned carbon nanotubes
Aligned carbon nanotubes with open-end structure. Artist/Researcher: Junbing Yang Argonne National Laboratory.
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Aligned carbon nanotubes
Controlled growth of aligned carbon nanotubes in different patterns. Artist/Researcher: Junbing Yang Argonne National Laboratory.
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Organic
In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. Here are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. This is a bright-field optical micrograph of a thin film of poly(styrene-block-ferrocmyldimethylsilane) block copolymer. The structure is formed by hybrid thermal/solvent annealing of the polymer. Crystallization of the PFS block competes with self-assembly of various nanoscale morphologies in a complex balance to produce these structures. Researchers/Artists: Seth Darling, Muruganathan Ramanathan Previously published in Wired Magazine, April 25, 2008, "Nano Photos Rival Modern Art" Argonne National Laboratory.
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Pixie Footprint
Scanning Electron Micrograph. Polyether sulfone polymer casted by solvent evaporation on the surface of a metallic lithium electrode. The casting solution also contains a lithium salt. The morphology of the polymer layer (i.e. the shape of its surface), strongly depends on the concentration of the lithium salt in the casting solution, therefore, changing the concentration of the salt produces various different patterns, some of them quite curious. Artist/Reseacher: Carmen M. López Argonne National Laboratory.
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Carbon-Coated TiO2 Nanoparticles
Scientists are seeking alternate anodes to improve lithium-ion battery performance, lifetime and safety. These studies often reach into the nano-level as researchers try to understand activity at the atomic scale in order to custom-design new materials for batteries. Above, electronically-Interconnected, carbon-encapsulated TiO2 nanoparticulate as a novel anode for lithium ion batteries. By Christopher Johnson and Vilas G. Pol. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Crystals II
Tartaric acid, dissolved in water with pH-indicating crystal violet, forms these beautiful images as crystals grow out of a supersaturated aqueous solution generated by evaporation of water. Originally yellow in the low-pH aqueous environment, the crystal violet changes colors as it becomes embedded in the crystals. The growth process can be watched live under the microscope and demonstrates complex phenomena of crystal formation such as nucleation, diffusion-limited growth, and formation of grain boundaries. Microphoto of a tartaric acid crystallized from a supersaturated solution with crystal violet dye added. Image corresponds to ca. 1.3 mm by 1 mm field of view. By Bernhard W. Adams (XSD, Argonne National Laboratory.) Argonne National Laboratory.
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Pumpkinhead
In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. Above: "Pumpkin, pumpkin, we love pumpkin..." That is why we assembled 4.6 nm CdSe nanoparticles into 3D supercrystals. Red and green emission originates from regimes of different coupling between nanoparticles. Artists/Researchers: Paul Podsialdo, Elena Shevchenko, Tijana Raih, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Red Epsilon Phase
Solid oxygen phases display spectacular colors. The figure shows the red epsilon phase under 38 GPa of pressure in a diamond anvil cell. Study: Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 105, 11640 (2008) Subjected to enormous pressures, oxygen transforms from a gas into a liquid and then from a liquid into a solid. But solid oxygen is not a simple thing. Under increasing pressure, its molecular structure changes as it goes through a series of distinct solid phases. It eventually becomes metallic and, at sufficiently low temperatures, superconducting. Using the GSECARS 13-ID and HP-CAT 16-ID-D beamlines at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, scientists have detailed some of the changes in molecular bonding that occur as oxygen molecules link up into the different geometrical arrangements corresponding to these phases. In particular, they find a mechanism that explains how four oxygen molecules form stable molecular clusters associated with one of the phases. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Field Emission SEM of Ni-Co-Mn Hydroxide
Self-assembled nanoplates of (Ni4/9Co1/9Mn4/9)(OH)2 precursor for lithium-ion battery cathode materials, synthesized by a coprecipitation method. By Sun-Ho Kang, Vilas G. Pol Argonne National Laboratory.
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Damselfly landing
A damselfly (River Jewelwing - Calopteryx aequabilis) landing on a piece of wood in the creek near the main gate access road of Argonne National Laboratory. By Bernhard W. Adams Argonne National Laboratory.
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Crystals like butterfly wings
Tartaric acid, dissolved in water with pH-indicating crystal violet, forms these beautiful images as crystals grow out of a supersaturated aqueous solution generated by evaporation of water. Originally yellow in the low-pH aqueous environment, the crystal violet changes colors as it becomes embedded in the crystals. The growth process can be watched live under the microscope and demonstrates complex phenomena of crystal formation such as nucleation, diffusion-limited growth, and formation of grain boundaries. Microphoto of a tartaric acid crystallized from a supersaturated solution with crystal violet dye added. Image corresponds to ca. 1 mm by 1.5 mm field of view. By Bernhard W. Adams (XSD, Argonne National Laboratory) Argonne National Laboratory.
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Simulating turbulent flow in next-generation nuclear reactors
Simulating turbulent flow in next-generation nuclear reactors By Paul Fischer, Argonne National Laboratory This image simulates flow into the upper plenum of an advanced recycling nuclear reactor. Red represents high velocity; blue, low. Coolant enters from hexagonal channels at the plenum as two jets and exits from a single rectangular channel at the top. Simulations provide insight into the flow’s thermal-hydraulic properties. This simulation was performed using the Nek5000 code with 68,826 spectral elements of order 7 and run on 8192 cores of the Blue Gene/P at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility. Argonne National Laboratory.
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3SEM of ZnO Nanomudan
Nano ZnO crystal growth during the RAPET (Reaction under autogenic Pressure at elevated temperature) of zinc acetate precursor yielded luminescent ZnO nanomudan. by Vilas G. Pol Argonne National Laboratory.
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SEM: TiO2 nanoparticles coated with carbon
Scientists are seeking alternate anodes to improve lithium-ion battery performance, lifetime and safety. These studies often reach into the nano-level as researchers try to understand activity at the atomic scale in order to custom-design new materials for batteries. Above: Electronically-Interconnected, Carbon-Encapsulated TiO2 Nanoparticulate as an Novel Anode for Lithium Ion Batteries By Christopher Johnson and Vilas G. Pol. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Field Emission SEM of Ni-Co-Mn Hydroxide
Scientists are seeking alternate anodes to improve lithium-ion battery performance, lifetime and safety. These studies often reach into the nano-level as researchers try to understand activity at the atomic scale in order to custom-design new materials for batteries. Above, self-assembled nanoplates of (Ni4/9Co1/9Mn4/9)(OH)2 precursor for lithium-ion battery cathode materials synthesized by a coprecipitation method. By Sun-Ho Kang, Vilas G. Pol Argonne National Laboratory.
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Flash Simulation of a One-to-one Mass Ratio Galaxy Cluster Merger with an Impact Offset
Deep in space, giant galaxy clusters filled with vast clouds of hot, X-ray producing gas are assembled through supersonic collisions over billions of years. In order to better understand these astrophysical phenomena, called galaxy cluster mergers, scientists visualize them using supercomputers—resulting in this beautiful image. ABOVE: Dark matter makes up the majority of the cluster material, up to 90% by mass, and the gravitational force of the dark matter dominates the physics of the merger. Most of the ordinary matter is in the form of a hot, diffuse plasma known as the intra-cluster medium. These gases interact directly, unlike the dark matter particles, whose motion is thought to be collisionless. However the mixing of the gas is completely driven by the violent orbital motion of the dark matter cores. Shown here are volume renderings of the gases (in blue and yellow) and trajectories of some of the dark matter particles from each cluster. Researchers: John Zuhone, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA; Donald Q. Lamb, University of Chicago Visualization: Brad Gallagher, University of Chicago Research supported by: DOE/NNSA ASC Alliance Flash Center, DOE/Office of Science INCITE Program Argonne National Laboratory.
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SEM of Luminescent ZnO Nanocrown
SEM of luminescent ZnO crown comprised of various self assembled nanofibers. by Vilas G. Pol Argonne National Laboratory.
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FAST students at the APS
The Southern University and A&M College FaST contingent readies their experiment sample inside the GSECARS 13-BM-C enclosure at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. Left to right are Maude Johnson, Riyadh Al-Raoush, Lindsey Thomas, and Meagan Pinkney. Three Southern University and A&M College (Louisiana) undergraduate students, under the tutelage of Southern U. Assistant Professor Riyadh Al-Raoush, spent the summer of 2008 doing research at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. Al-Raoush, Maude Johnson, Lindsey Thomas, and Meagan Pinkney embarked on a 10-week research project carried out at the GSECARS Sector 13 beamlines at the Advanced Photon Source. Their stay was sponsored by the Faculty and Student Teams (FaST) Program, a cooperative effort between the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Science and the National Science Foundation that “provides hands-on research opportunities in DOE national laboratories during the summer for faculty and students from colleges and universities with limited research facilities, and those institutions serving populations, women, and minorities under represented in the fields of science [and] engineering...” Argonne National Laboratory.
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Platinum nanoparticles on strontium titanate nanocubes
Scanning electron microscopy image of platinum nanoparticles grown by atomic layer deposition(ALD) on the faces of strontium titinate nanocubes. TheSrTiO3 single-crystal cubes are grown by hydrothermal methods to have 60-nm-long edges. Precise control over the Pt particle size, dispersion, and chemical state is achieved by controlling the number of ALD cycles. These nanostructured materials have applications in heterogenous catalysis. Artists/Researchers: Steven T. Christensen, Jeffrey W. Elam, Federico A. Rabuffetti, Qing Ma, Steven Weigand, Byeongdu Lee, Soenke Seifert, Peter C. Stair, Kenneth R. Poeppelmeier, Mark C. Hersam, Michael J. Bedzyk Published in Small 2008. More information on Argonne National Laboratory.
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High-speed fuel spray
High-pressure, high-speed fuel sprays are a critical technology for many applications, including engine fuel-injection systems where the structure and dynamics of the fuel sprays are key to increasing fuel efficiency and reducing pollutants. But because liquid sprays are difficult to image with conventional (optical) techniques, particularly in the region close to the nozzle, quantitative information the structure of these sprays has been elusive. Research on this critical subject has been ongoing at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory for several years. The primary technique for these investigations has been ultrafast x-radiography carried out mainly at the APS and at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, with microsecond x-ray tomography also being employed. Results, which have seen wide circulation in several peer-reviewed journals articles, have yielded information on quantitative fuel mass distribution and high-speed spray and combustion models. Perhaps the most (to date) intriguing result has been capturing the propagation of spray-induced shock waves in a gaseous medium. MacPhee et al., Science 295[5558], 1261 [2002] and Powell et al., J. Synchrotron Rad. 7, 356, [2000]; and Im et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. Argonne National Laboratory.
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AS snake
Self-assembled magnetic snake in far-from-equilibrium magnetic ensembles at the water-air interface. These structures are spontaneously created from magnetic microparticles as a result of intricate interplay between magnetic forces and water flows. Snakes are accompanied by water currents which often force them to swim. White objects in the picture correspond to nickel particles. One sees individual particles as well as linear chains formed by particles. Arrows and background colors designate the velocity field and magnitudes of the surface flows. Artist/Researchers: Alexey Snezhko, Maxim Belkin, Igor Aronson Published in Physical Review Letters 99, 158301 (2007). Argonne National Laboratory.
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Simulation of Type Ia Supernovae (Deflagration to Detonation Transition) Density and Flame Surface
Simulation of Type Ia Supernovae (Deflagration to Detonation Transition) Density and Flame Surface FLASH simulation of the pure deflagration model of Type Ia Supernova. The blue surface approximates the surface of the star and the yellow surface shows the flame front behind which there is ash from burning stellar material. Researchers: George Jordan and Donald Q. Lamb, University of Chicago Visualization: Brad Gallagher, University of Chicago Research supported by: DOE/NNSA ASC Alliance Flash Center, DOE/Office of Science INCITE Program Argonne National Laboratory.
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Nanodiamond Gateway Arch
Welding of an ultrananocrystalline diamond nanobelt (width: 1.5 um, thickness: 100 nm) at the two ends on the TEM grid by using focused ion beam. By Anirudha V. Sumant, Alexandra Imre, David Wang, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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3-D concentration distribution of swimming bacteria
The image shows three-dimensional concentration distribution of swimming bacteria Bacillus subtilis in thin liquid film obtained by optical coherence tomography. Artist/Researchers: Igor Aronson A. Sokolov, R. E. Goldstein, F. I. Feldchtein, and I, S. Aranson, “Enhanced Mixing and Spatial Instability in Concentrated Bacterial Suspensions”, /Physical Review E/, *80*, 031903 (2009). See also Physical Review Focus, "Bacteria Give Stirring Performance", focus.aps.org/story/v24/st10 More information on Argonne National Laboratory.
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A Rainbow amongst the Clouds
Gold-coated Anodized Aluminum Oxide sample next to a window on a stormy day. By Brian Zientek, MSD Guest Graduate Student Argonne National Laboratory.
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Electronic stripes on pristine oxide surface
Smooth and rough surfaces of fractured Nb-doped SrTiO3 are observed with scanning tunneling microscope. Smooth and rough surfaces exhibit different local density of states, originated from TiO2 and SrO terminated surface, respectively. Artists/Researchers: Nathan P. Guisinger, Tiffany S. Santos, Jeffrey R. Guest, Te-Yu Chien, Anand Bhattacharya, John W. Freeland, and Matthias Bode, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Liquid breakup of a high-density stream from a fuel injector
Sometimes the most common things are also the hardest to understand. That is definitely the case with liquid jets and sprays. They are examples of multiphase flow, and they are encountered every day when we turn on a faucet, squeeze a spray bottle, or watch a rainfall. While those examples occur at relatively low speeds, the same phenomena at much higher speeds occur in other important places, such as the engine of your car. Obviously, this is a phenomenon that is of more than passing interest, and understanding the dynamics of this common occurrence is a valuable goal from both theoretical and practical standpoints. Researchers used the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to aid in developing a new way of probing the dynamic structure and velocities of dense liquid sprays with a spatial and temporal resolution never before achieved. This new ability to see the previously unseeable will aid in the design of better fuel injection systems and other industrial tools, and find application in physiology, meteorology, and even geology. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Nano-Patterning on pristine oxide surface
Holes created on fractured Nb-doped SrTiO3 with scanning tunneling microscope tip controlled by selecting bias and duration of tip-sample pulses. The hole size is ~20 nm. Artists/Researchers: TeYu Chien; Tiffany S. Santos; Matthias Bode; Nathan P. Guisinger; and John W. Freeland, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Nano-lithography on pristine oxide surface
Nano-lithography done by adatom manipulation with scanning tunneling microscope tip on fractured Nb-doped SrTiO3 surface. The width of the line is ~20 nanometers. By TeYu Chien; Tiffany S. Santos; Matthias Bode; Nathan P. Guisinger; and John W. Freeland, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Nanotube-based MEA
In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. ABOVE: Aligned carbon nanotube (ACNT)-based membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for fuel cell applications. Our studies demonstrated that the ACNT-based MEA possessed improved performance and significantly higher stability than a commercial carbon black based MEA. Such improvements are attributed to the vertically aligned nano‐architecture and high graphiticity of the carbon nanotubes that enhanced the mass transfer of the reactant gases to the catalyst sites and water management over the ACNT electrode. Artist/Researcher: Junbing Yang Published: Yang, J.; Liu, D.‐J. Carbon 2007, 45, 2845. More information on Argonne National Laboratory.
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Water Drop
Water drop placed at the perfluorohexane/vapor interface has a dihedral angle of ~180°, indicating that perfluorohexane is super-hydrophobic. Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 076102 (2008) Theory predicts the occurrence of a vapor-like depletion layer at the interface between hydrophobic substances (those, such as oil, that repel water or cannot be completely dissolved in water) and an aqueous solution. However, recent experimental studies do not decisively agree as to whether such depletion layers exist or not. For example, recent evidence from x-ray and neutron scattering from the interface between hydrophobic solids and water indicates the presence of a depletion layer with a thickness of a few angstroms, though conflicting reports persist. Because of the importance of hydrophobic/aqueous interfaces to biological, chemical, and environmental processes, a group of researchers decided to experiment on the structure of two soft hydrophobic/aqueous interfaces. X-ray experiments at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory and the National Synchrotron Light Source produced data that are consistent with the nearness of water to soft hydrophobic materials under a length of a fraction of an angstrom. The researchers contend that a depletion layer does not exist at these soft interfaces. Such conclusions are important for further advances in hydrophobic/aqueous applications for many environmentally and industrially important surfaces. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Liquid breakup of a high-density stream from a fuel injector
Sometimes the most common things are also the hardest to understand. That is definitely the case with liquid jets and sprays. They are examples of multiphase flow, and they are encountered every day when we turn on a faucet, squeeze a spray bottle, or watch a rainfall. While those examples occur at relatively low speeds, the same phenomena at much higher speeds occur in other important places, such as the engine of your car. Obviously, this is a phenomenon that is of more than passing interest, and understanding the dynamics of this common occurrence is a valuable goal from both theoretical and practical standpoints. Researchers used the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to aid in developing a new way of probing the dynamic structure and velocities of dense liquid sprays with a spatial and temporal resolution never before achieved. This new ability to see the previously unseeable will aid in the design of better fuel injection systems and other industrial tools, and find application in physiology, meteorology, and even geology. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Nano Micro-containers
In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. ABOVE: Micro-containers from aligned carbon nanotubes. Artist/Researcher: Junbing Yang More information on Argonne National Laboratory.
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Picorna family virus
Salient features of the structure of SVV-001. (a) Subunit organization highlighting the important loop regions in VP1 (blue), VP2 (green), VP3 (red) and VP4 (yellow). (b) Organization of the above subunits in the assembled capsid. (c) Surface-rendered image of SVV-001 showing the most exposed residues in shades of yellow and the least in shades of blue. (d) Cutaway view showing the organization of RNA (magenta) in the SVV particle. Half of the protein subunits surrounding the RNA are shown as ribbons. Structure 16, 1555 (October 8, 2008) Viruses are small particles composed of protein and nucleic acid that are known for their ability to cause infectious diseases, such as the flu, and some cancers. What they are less known for is their ability to treat cancer. However, this possibility has been studied since the 1950s, when the first clinical trials investigating the use of viruses to treat cervical cancer were initiated. Research has progressed in this area and new viruses have been identified that can selectively kill tumor cells. One of these is the new picorna family virus, Seneca Valley Virus-001 (SVV-001), which is unique enough to be given its own genus. In recent work performed at the BioCARS 14-BM beamline at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory under biohazard safety level 2 (BSL2) conditions, researchers elucidated the three-dimensional structure of this remarkable RNA virus. This work produced important information about a new viral genus and may provide answers to the question of how some viruses specifically recognize and kill cancer cells. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Nanothatch
In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. ABOVE: This transmission electron micrograph of a hybrid organic-organometallic block copolymer film reveals nanostructures formed by self-assembly. These small, aligned structures can be used to fabricate various patterns on a broad variety of materials. This sort of lithography represents a low-cost and high-resolution alternative to traditional approaches. Researchers/Artists: Seth Darling, Muruganathan Ramanathan Argonne National Laboratory.
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Flash Simulation of a One-to-one Mass Ratio Galaxy Cluster Merger with an Impact Offset
Deep in space, giant galaxy clusters filled with vast clouds of hot, X-ray producing gas are assembled through supersonic collisions over billions of years. In order to better understand these astrophysical phenomena, called galaxy cluster mergers, scientists visualize them using supercomputers—resulting in this beautiful image. ABOVE: Dark matter makes up the majority of the cluster material, up to 90% by mass, and the gravitational force of the dark matter dominates the physics of the merger. Most of the ordinary matter is in the form of a hot, diffuse plasma known as the intra-cluster medium. These gases interact directly, unlike the dark matter particles, whose motion is thought to be collisionless. However the mixing of the gas is completely driven by the violent orbital motion of the dark matter cores. Shown here are volume renderings of the gases (in blue and yellow) zoomed in so that detail of the structure involved in the interaction of dark matter particles and the gases can be seen. Researchers: John Zuhone, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA; Donald Q. Lamb, University of Chicago Visualizations by Brad Gallagher, University of Chicago. Research supported by: DOE/NNSA ASC Alliance Flash Center, DOE/Office of Science INCITE Program Argonne National Laboratory.
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Aligned carbon nanotubes
In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. ABOVE: Nanofabrication of aligned carbon nanotubes in patterned structure. Artist/Researcher: Junbing Yang More information on Argonne National Laboratory.
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Ultrananocrystalline diamond nanowire
Fabrication of ultrananocrystalline diamond nanowire (width: 50 nm, thickness: 80 nm) by using e-beam lithography and reactive ion etching. By Anirudha V. Sumant, Leo Ocola, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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Alpha synuclein ring-like oligomer interacting with the amyloid-beta peptide
Alpha synuclein ring-like oligomer interacting with the amyloid-beta peptide: Elucidation of the molecular mechanism of combined Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Authors: I. F. Tsigelny, Y. Sharikov, E. Masliah The photograph shows interaction of the alpha-synuclein (aS) pentamer with amyloid-beta 1-42 peptide (orange) when penetrating to the cell membrane. Further penetration of the ring-like pentamer to the membrane leads to organization of the pore and farther uncontrolled influx of calcium ions leading to cell death. Presence of amyloid-beta peptide increases interaction of the pentamer with the membrane and consequently makes pores organization faster. Argonne National Laboratory.
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Rare LaCO3OH Luminescent Nanosuperstructures
In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. ABOVE: Lanthanum hydroxycarbonate luminescent (465 nm) superstructures Decorated with carbon spheres (Nanoflowers with water droplets) are synthesized by a solvent-free, one-pot Reactions under Autogenic Pressure at Elevated Temperature, dissociating a single lanthanum acetate hydrate precursor. By Vilas G. Pol Previously published: Vilas G. Pol et al. Inorg. Chem. 2009, 48, 6417–6424 Argonne National Laboratory.
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Field Emission SEM of Ni-Co-Mn Hydroxide
In order to invent new materials to use in better batteries, solar cells and other technological advances, scientists must delve deeply into the nanoscale—the nearly atomic scale where structures determine how materials react with each other. At the nanoscale, anything can happen; materials can change colors and form into astonishing structures. These are some of the results from studies at the nanoscale. ABOVE: Self-assembled nanoplates of (Ni4/9Co1/9Mn4/9)(OH)2 precursor for lithium-ion battery cathode materials synthesized by a coprecipitation method. By Sun-Ho Kang, Vilas G. Pol Argonne National Laboratory.
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Flash Simulation of a One-to-one Mass Ratio Galaxy Cluster Merger with an Impact Offset
Deep in space, giant galaxy clusters filled with vast clouds of hot, X-ray producing gas are assembled through supersonic collisions over billions of years. In order to better understand these astrophysical phenomena, called galaxy cluster mergers, scientists visualize them using supercomputers—resulting in this beautiful image. ABOVE: Dark matter makes up the majority of the cluster material, up to 90% by mass, and the gravitational force of the dark matter dominates the physics of the merger. Most of the ordinary matter is in the form of a hot, diffuse plasma known as the intra-cluster medium. These gases interact directly, unlike the dark matter particles, whose motion is thought to be collisionless. However the mixing of the gas is completely driven by the violent orbital motion of the dark matter cores. Shown here is a volume rendering of the degree of mixing in the gases (blue = unmixed red=mixed) and trajectories of some of the dark matter particles, from each cluster. Researchers: John Zuhone, Harvard-Smithsonian CfA; Donald Q. Lamb, Flash Center, University of Chicago Visualization: Brad Gallagher, University of Chicago Research supported by: DOE/NNSA ASC Alliance Flash Center, DOE/Office of Science INCITE Program Argonne National Laboratory.
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Random clusters on pristine oxide surface
SrO clusters randomly distributed on smooth TiO2 surface observed on fractured (pristine) Nb-doped SrTiO3 surface. Unit cell step height is observed at top-right and bottom-left corner. Artists/Researchers: TeYu Chien; Tiffany S. Santos; Matthias Bode; Nathan P. Guisinger; and John W. Freeland, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale Materials. (Accepted by Applied Physics Letters) Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
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The Man of the Face of the Polymer
Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM). Polyether sulfone polymer casted by solvent evaporation on the surface of a metallic lithium electrode. The casting solution also contains a lithium salt. The morphology of the polymer layer (i.e. the shape of its surface), strongly depends on the concentration of the lithium salt in the casting solution, therefore, changing the concentration of the salt produces various different patterns, some of them quite curious. Artist/Reseacher: Carmen M. López Argonne National Laboratory.
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Coherent x-ray speckle pattern
By observing changes in the coherent x-ray speckle pattern, researchers can investigate nanoscale dynamics of antiferromagnetic domain walls and observe a crossover from classical to quantum behavior. Nature 447, 68 (3 May 2007) Domain formation is inherent in most types of magnetic materials because of their crystal symmetry. In each domain, all of the electron spins are coupled together in a preferential direction, and thermal fluctuations can cause random movement of the boundary walls between domains. In the case of a ferromagnetic material such as iron, this “thermal noise” can be measured by detecting small jumps in the magnetization by using only a tiny coil of wire placed near a sample of the material. But measuring similar fluctuations in antiferromagnetic materials such as chromium (Cr) had not been possible because the magnetic moments of neighboring atoms point in opposite directions, preventing bulk magnetization and making it impossible to detect fluctuations in the domain walls of an antiferromagnet via the use of conventional magnetization probes. Researchers using a beam of coherent x-rays from two x-ray beamlines at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory discovered a way to eavesdrop on the antiferromagnetic domain walls in chromium. Argonne National Laboratory.