Tuesday 8 October 2013

Diamond 'super-Earth' may not be quite so precious

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An alien world believed to be the first-known planet to consist largely of diamond now appears less likely to be of such precious nature, according to a new analysis.

via Science Daily

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Researchers find that bright nearby double star Fomalhaut is actually a triple

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(Phys.org) —The nearby star system Fomalhaut – of special interest for its unusual exoplanet and dusty debris disk – has been discovered to be not just a double star, as astronomers had thought, but one of the widest triple stars known.



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New microscopy technique allows scientists to visualize cells through the walls of silicon microfluidic devices

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Scientists at MIT and the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) have developed a new type of microscopy that can image cells through a silicon wafer, allowing them to precisely measure the size and mechanical behavior of cells behind the wafer.



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Super-earth or mini-Neptune? Telling habitable worlds apart from lifeless gas giants

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Perhaps the most intriguing exoplanets found so far are those bigger than our rocky, oceanic Earth but smaller than cold, gas-shrouded Uranus and Neptune. This mysterious class of in-between planets—alternatively dubbed super-Earths or mini-Neptunes—confounds scientists because nothing like them exists as a basis for comparison in our solar system.



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Physicists 'entangle' microscopic drum's beat with electrical signals

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Extending evidence of quantum behavior farther into the large-scale world of everyday life, physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have "entangled"—linked the properties of—a microscopic mechanical drum with electrical signals.



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Improving lithium-ion batteries with nanoscale research

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New research led by an electrical engineer at the University of California, San Diego is aimed at improving lithium (Li) ion batteries through possible new electrode architectures with precise nano-scale designs. The researchers have presented nanowires that block diffusion of lithium across the wire's silicon surface and promote layer-by-layer axial lithiation of the nanowire's germanium core.



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The intergalactic medium in the young universe

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(Phys.org) —In its earliest years, the universe was so hot that electrons and protons could not bind together in neutral atoms: all of the gas in the cosmos was ionized. Then, after 380,000 years of expansion, the universe cooled enough for hydrogen atoms and some helium (about 25%) to form. Much later in cosmic history—the precise dating is an active area of current research but perhaps after a few hundred million years—the first generation of stars emerged from the vast expanses of atomic gas, and these stars emitted enough strong ultraviolet light to re-ionize the neutral hydrogen in their vicinity. As the universe continued to expand and evolve, newer generations of stars continued to re-ionize the hydrogen until at some time most gas between galaxies (the intergalactic medium) was ionized once again. The epoch of re-ionization is an important diagnostic tool because it traces when the first generations of stars were being made, and it provides crucial details about the early evolution of the universe.



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'Accelerator on a chip' demonstrated

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In an advance that could dramatically shrink particle accelerators for science and medicine, researchers used a laser to accelerate electrons at a rate 10 times higher than conventional technology in a nanostructured glass chip smaller than a grain of rice.



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Scientists directly observe bound states of elementary magnets in ferromagnetic quantum crystals

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Simulating solid state properties with precisely controlled quantum systems is an important goal of the Quantum Many-Body Systems Division at MPQ. Now the team around Professor Immanuel Bloch (Chair for Experimental Physics at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich and Director at MPQ) has come again a step closer to it – to be precise, to the understanding of processes in ferromagnetic solid state crystals in which elementary excitations, so-called magnons, can emerge. About 80 years ago the German physicist Hans Bethe deduced from a theoretical model that in one-dimensional ferromagnets two of those elementary magnetic excitations can form a bound state. Like two tiny bar magnets, two atoms can stick together and form a new particle that propagates in the crystal. The MPQ team has now succeeded to observe these most elementary mobile magnetic domains, the two-magnon states, directly and to resolve their dynamics with time-resolved measurements. This study complements conventional spectroscopy in solid state crystals which yields information on momentum and frequency of the magnetic excitations. Bound states of excitations can influence the thermal conductance properties of low-dimensional ferromagnets or the propagation speed of quantum information in magnetic wires.



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Observations reveal critical interplay of interstellar dust, hydrogen

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(Phys.org) —For astrophysicists, the interplay of hydrogen—the most common molecule in the universe—and the vast clouds of dust that fill the voids of interstellar space has been an intractable puzzle of stellar evolution.



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A first: Stanford engineers build computer using carbon nanotube technology

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A team of Stanford engineers has built a basic computer using carbon nanotubes, a semiconductor material that has the potential to launch a new generation of electronic devices that run faster, while using less energy, than those made from silicon chips.



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'Jekyll and Hyde' star morphs from radio to X-ray pulsar and back again

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Astronomers have uncovered the strange case of a neutron star with the peculiar ability to transform from a radio pulsar into an X-ray pulsar and back again. This star's capricious behavior appears to be fueled by a nearby companion star and may give new insights into the birth of millisecond pulsars.



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Scientists create never-before-seen form of matter

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Harvard and MIT scientists are challenging the conventional wisdom about light, and they didn't need to go to a galaxy far, far away to do it.



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Nanofabrication: Medical sensors improve with holey gold nanostructures

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Recent advances in nanotechnology are providing new possibilities for medical imaging and sensing. Gold nanostructures, for example, can enhance the fluorescence of marker dyes that are commonly used to detect biomolecules and diagnose specific diseases.



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Researchers devise means to combine scanning tunneling microscopy and infrared spectroscopy

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(Phys.org) —A team of researchers at the University of California with members also from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Stanford University has succeeded in combining tunneling microscopy and infrared spectroscopy to gain a better understanding of how molecules behave when they stick to a surface. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the team describes how they used a custom built laser to allow for performing infrared spectroscopy with scanning tunneling microscopy without heating its tip.



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Herschel throws new light on oldest cosmic light

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(Phys.org) —Cosmologists have achieved a first detection of a long-sought component in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). This component, known as B-mode polarisation, is caused by gravitational lensing, the bending of light by massive structures as it travels across the Universe. The result is based on the combination of data from the South Pole Telescope and ESA's Herschel Space Observatory. This detection is a milestone along the way to the possible discovery of another kind of B-mode signal in the polarised CMB - a signal produced by gravitational waves less than a second after the Universe began.



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Carina Nebula Hubble Space Room Decal

Here's a great wall decal featuring a beautiful image from deep space

so many products with fantastic designs on Zazzle... which to choose today? How about this one from AstronomyGiftShop,
another talented creative from the Zazzle community!


tagged with: carina nebula, nebula, astronomy, stars, nasa, mystic mountain, outer space, deep space, nature, cool astronomy, star formation, milky way, hh 901, hh 902, esa, universe, hubble telescope, hubble space telescope, hubble photo, cosmos, astronomical, cosmology, space, natural, science, space picture, space image, nebula picture, cool astronomy photo, cool space photo, nebula photo, nebula image

Hubble telescope photograph of the Carina Nebula

This photo of the Carina Nebula was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. It is reminiscent of a sci-fi/fantasy illustration, and shows an enormous mountainous pillar of dust and gas in rich orange tones, against a starlit deep blue background.

Credit: NASA, ESA, M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)

You can personalise the design further if you'd prefer, such as by adding your name or other text, or adjusting the image - just click 'Customize it' to see all the options. IMPORTANT: If you choose a different sized version of the product, it's important to click Customize and check the image in the Design view to ensure it fills the area to the edge of the product, otherwise white edges may be visible.

See more in my shop
If you like this product, you can find more like it in my store:

Click here to view all the other items with this design.

Click here to see a wide range of other astronomy & space designs.

»visit the AstronomyGiftShop store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Carina Nebula in Argo Navis constellation Sticker

Here's a great sheet of stickers featuring a beautiful image from deep space


tagged with: stars, galaxies, astronomy, peel off, carina nebula, argos navis constellation, carina the keel, star formation, gas clouds, carnebngcttst, ngc 3372

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series Hubble's view of the Carina Nebula shows star birth in a new level of detail. The fantasy-like landscape of the nebula is sculpted by the action of outflowing winds and scorching ultraviolet radiation from the monster stars that inhabit this inferno. In the process, these stars are shredding the surrounding material that is the last vestige of the giant cloud from which the stars were born. The immense nebula is an estimated 7,500 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina the Keel (of the old southern constellation Argo Navis, the ship of Jason and the Argonauts, from Greek mythology).
The original image is a mosaic of the Carina Nebula assembled from 48 frames taken with Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. The Hubble images were taken in the light of ionized hydrogen. Colour information was added with data taken at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Red corresponds to sulfur, green to hydrogen, and blue to oxygen emission.

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image code: carnebngcttst

Image credit: Hubble Space Telescope; colour data from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile

»visit the HightonRidley store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize.
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Simulations help researchers decide which technology would make a better solar collector, quantum dot or nanowire

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A trio of researchers at North Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota have turned to computer modeling to help decide which of two competing materials should get its day in the sun as the nanoscale energy-harvesting technology of future solar panels—quantum dots or nanowires.



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Engineers invent programming language to build synthetic DNA

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Similar to using Python or Java to write code for a computer, chemists soon could be able to use a structured set of instructions to "program" how DNA molecules interact in a test tube or cell.



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Evidence for densest galaxy in nearby universe

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Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory and telescopes on the ground may have found the most crowded galaxy in our part of the universe.



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Researchers publish enormous catalog of more than 300,000 nearby galaxies

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More than 83,000 volunteer citizen scientists. Over 16 million galaxy classifications. Information on more than 300,000 galaxies. This is what you get when you ask the public for help in learning more about our universe.



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Sensor provides new approach to molecule detection on silicon surfaces

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Alastair McLean and Benedict Drevniok from the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy and their collaborators have found a way to "feel" the surface of silicon molecules at the molecular level.



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Researchers make headway in quantum information transfer via nanomechanical coupling

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Fiber optics has made communication faster than ever, but the next step involves a quantum leap –– literally. In order to improve the security of the transfer of information, scientists are working on how to translate electrical quantum states to optical quantum states in a way that would enable ultrafast, quantum-encrypted communications.



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Simulation sets atoms shivering

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(Phys.org) —In "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (JK Rowling, 1997), Harry, Ron, and Hermione encounter a massive stone chessboard, one of many obstacles in their path. To advance, they must play, and win. Although the board and pieces are much larger than normal, and the circumstances a bit peculiar, one thing remains clear to them—this is a game of chess, with the same rules as always.



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Juno slingshots past Earth on its way to Jupiter

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NASA's Juno spacecraft will be passing within some 350 miles of Earth's surface Oct. 9 before it slingshots off into space on an historic exploration of Jupiter.

via Science Daily

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Major leap towards graphene for solar cells

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Scientists have shown that graphene retains its impressive set of properties when it is coated with a thin silicon film. These findings have paved the way for entirely new possibilities to use in thin-film photovoltaics.

via Science Daily

NGC-2264 Cone Nebula iPad Cover

Here's a great iPad case from Zazzle featuring a Hubble-related design. Maybe you'd like to see your name on it? Click to personalize and see what it's like!

what do you think of this one? I bumped into it and thought it was cool. By astrophotography,
another talented creative from the Zazzle community!


tagged with: ngc-2264,cone nebula,hubble,space,telescope,nebula,nasa

This amazingly detailed Hubble Space Telescope of the Cone Nebula (NGC-2264) was released to the public domain by NASA.

»visit the astrophotography store for more designs and products like this
The Zazzle Promise: We promise 100% satisfaction. If you don't absolutely love it, we'll take it back!

Physicists use blind quantum computing to verify results of quantum computer

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(Phys.org) —A team of researchers working at the University of Vienna, has developed a technique for verifying results produced by a quantum computer. In their paper published in the journal Nature Physics, the researchers explain how their method uses one simple quantum computer to verify results produced by another that is far more powerful.



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First ever evidence of a comet striking Earth

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The first ever evidence of a comet entering Earth’s atmosphere and exploding, raining down a shock wave of fire which obliterated every life form in its path, has been discovered by a team of South African scientists and international collaborators.

via Science Daily

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Folding batteries increases their areal energy density by up to 14 times

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(Phys.org) —By folding a paper-based Li-ion battery in a Miura-ori pattern (similar to how some maps are folded), scientists have shown that the battery exhibits a 14x increase in areal energy density and capacity due to its smaller footprint. Paper-based batteries are already attractive due to their low cost, roll-to-roll fabrication methods, and flexibility. The advantages of folding them into smaller sizes adds to these features and could lead to high-performance batteries for various applications.



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Diamond 'super-Earth' may not be quite as precious, graduate student finds

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(Phys.org) —An alien world reported to be the first known planet to consist largely of diamond appears less likely to be of such precious nature, according to a new analysis led by UA graduate student Johanna Teske.



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In quantum computing, light may lead the way

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(Phys.org) —Light might be able to play a bigger, more versatile role in the future of quantum computing, according to new research by Yale University scientists.



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Boomerang Nebula Hubble Astronomy Wall Decals

Here's a great wall decal featuring a beautiful image from deep space

sometimes it's difficult to choose what to feature from amongst the fantastic designs on Zazzle. I finally settled on this great design by AstronomyGiftShop,
another talented creative from the Zazzle community!


tagged with: boomerang nebula, nebula, stars, nasa, astronomy, universe, outer space, hubble telescope, nature, cool space, nebulae, esa, hubble space telescope, hubble photo, cosmos, astronomical, astrophotography, cosmology, deep space, space, natural, science, space picture, space photo, space image, nebula picture, nebula photo, nebula image, blue, cool astronomy

Hubble photograph of the Boomerang Nebula

This photograph of the Boomerang Nebula was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1998. It shows the bow-tie-shaped nebula in beautiful bright blue and white colours, against a dark starry background.

Credit: NASA, ESA, R. Sahai and J. Trauger (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and the WFPC2 Science Team

You can personalise the design further if you'd prefer, such as by adding your name or other text, or adjusting the image - just click 'Customize it' to see all the options. IMPORTANT: If you choose a different sized version of the product, it's important to click Customize and check the image in the Design view to ensure it fills the area to the edge of the product, otherwise white edges may be visible.

See more in my shop
If you like this product, you can find more like it in my store:

Click here to view all the other items with this design.

Click here to see a wide range of other astronomy & space designs.

»visit the AstronomyGiftShop store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Apollo 15 Poster

Here's a great poster featuring a beautiful image from deep space

so many products with fantastic designs on Zazzle... which to choose today? How about this one from artofspace,
another talented creative from the Zazzle community!


tagged with: space, nasa, apollo, astronaut, moon, lunar, kennedy, astronomy, science, awesome, future, mars

Men have walked on the moon. You can reflect on that fact every day when you hang this poster up in your home or apartment.

»visit the artofspace store for more designs and products like this
Click to customize with size, paper type etc.
via Zazzle Astronomy market place

Scientists observe competing quantum effects on the kinetic energy of protons in water

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(Phys.org) —Quantum mechanics plays an important role in determining the structure and dynamics of water, down to the level of the atomic nuclei. Sometimes, nuclear quantum effects (NQEs) along different molecular axes compete with each other and partially cancel each other out. This phenomenon is thought to play a role in determining the melting and boiling temperatures of water. Now for the first time, scientists have experimentally observed that two large components of NQEs partially cancel each other out to result in a small net effect on the melting and boiling points of water.



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Carina Nebula Mystic Mountain iPad case

Here's a great iPad case from Zazzle featuring a Hubble-related design. Maybe you'd like to see your name on it? Click to personalize and see what it's like!

it's always a pleasure to choose a design from photobippy,
another talented creative from the Zazzle community!


tagged with: carina, nebula, mystic, mountain, nasa, hubble, space, telescope, cosmos, general sky images

Amazing image of "Mystic Mountain" in the Carina Nebula taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit NASA and the Hubble team for this public domain image.

»visit the photobippy store for more designs and products like this
The Zazzle Promise: We promise 100% satisfaction. If you don't absolutely love it, we'll take it back!

Tiny antennas let long light waves see in infrared

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(Phys.org) —University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers have developed arrays of tiny nano-antennas that can enable sensing of molecules that resonate in the infrared (IR) spectrum.



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Spinning CDs to clean sewage water

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Audio CDs, all the rage in the '90s, seem increasingly obsolete in a world of MP3 files and iPods, leaving many music lovers with the question of what to do with their extensive compact disk collections. While you could turn your old disks into a work of avant-garde art, researchers in Taiwan have come up with a more practical application: breaking down sewage. The team will present its new wastewater treatment device at the Optical Society's (OSA) Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics (FiO) 2013, being held Oct. 6-10 in Orlando, Fla.



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Carbon nanotube logic device operates on subnanowatt power

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(Phys.org) —Researchers have demonstrated a new carbon nanotube (CNT)-based logic device that consumes just 0.1 nanowatts (nW) in its static ON and OFF states, representing the lowest reported value by 3 orders of magnitude for CNT-based CMOS logic devices. The device could serve as a building block for large-area, ultralow-power CNT logic circuits that can be used to realize a variety of nanoelectronics applications.



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Promising new alloy for resistive switching memory

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Memory based on electrically-induced "resistive switching" effects have generated a great deal of interest among engineers searching for faster and smaller devices because resistive switching would allow for a higher memory density.



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Densest array of carbon nanotubes grown to date

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Carbon nanotubes' outstanding mechanical, electrical and thermal properties make them an alluring material to electronics manufacturers. However, until recently scientists believed that growing the high density of tiny graphene cylinders needed for many microelectronics applications would be difficult.



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Building bridges between nanowires

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Place a layer of gold only a few atoms high on a surface bed of germanium, apply heat to it, and wires will form of themselves. Gold-induced wires is what Mocking prefers to call them. Not 'gold wires', as the wires are not made solely out of gold atoms but also contain germanium. They are no more than a few atoms in height and are separated by no more than 1.6 nanometres (a nanometre is one millionth of a millimetre). Nanotechnologists bridge this small 'gap' with a copper-phthalocyanine molecule. A perfect fit. This molecule was found to be able to rotate if the electrons coursing towards it possess sufficient energy, allowing it to function as a switch. What's more: the copper atom of this molecule floats in the vacuum above the gap - fully detached. This might allow researchers to identify new properties the nanowires may possess.



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Researchers make flexible, transparent e-paper from silicon

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(Phys.org) —In the growing area of flexible, transparent electronic devices, silicon has not played much of a role. Instead, materials such as indium tin oxide, carbon nanotubes, and others are often used to make bendable electronics.



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ALMA discovers large 'hot' cocoon around a small baby star

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International research team, led by researcher at the University of Electro-Communication observed an infrared dark cloud G34.43+00.24 MM3 with ALMA and discovered a baby star surrounded by a large hot cloud. This hot cloud is about ten times larger than those found around typical solar-mass baby stars. Hot molecular clouds around new-born stars are called "Hot Cores" and have temperature of – 160 degrees Celsius, 100 degrees hotter than normal molecular clouds. The large size of the hot core discovered by ALMA shows that much more energy is emitted from the central baby star than typical solar-mass young stars. This may be due to the higher mass infall rate, or multiplicity of the central baby star. This result indicates a large diversity in the star formation process.



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Making Martian clouds on Earth: Cloud-chamber experiments show that clouds on Mars form in much more humid conditions than clouds on Earth

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Cloud-chamber experiments show that clouds on Mars form in much more humid conditions than clouds on Earth.

via Science Daily

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