Monday 4 August 2014

Researchers demonstrate novel, tunable nanoantennas

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An interdisciplinary research team at the University of Illinois has developed a novel, tunable nanoantenna that paves the way for new kinds of plasmonic-based optomechanical systems whereby plasmonic field enhancement can actuate mechanical motion. Illustration of the pillar-based Au bowtie nanoantenna arrays undergoing selective actuation due to an electromagnetic-induced force. “Recently, there has been a lot of interest in fabricating metal-based nanotextured surfaces that are pre-programmed to alter the properties of light in a specific way after incoming light interacts with it,” explained Kimani Toussaint, an associate professor of mechanical science and engineering who led the research. “For our approach, one can take a nanoarray structure that was already fabricated and further reconfigure the plasmonic, and hence, optical properties of select antennas. Therefore, one can decide after fabrication, rather than before, how they want their nanostructure to modify light.” The researchers developed a novel, metal, pillar-bowtie nanoantenna (p-BNA)  array template on 500-nanometer tall glass pillars (or posts). In doing so, they demonstrated that the gap size for either individual or multiple p-BNAs can be tuned down to approximately 5 nm (approx. 4x smaller than what is currently achievable using conventional electron-beam lithography techniques). “On a fundamental level, our work demonstrates electron-beam based manipulation

The post Researchers demonstrate novel, tunable nanoantennas has been published on Technology Org.

 
#materials 
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Celestial Traveler, Closing on Mars

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On its first visit to the inner solar system, Comet Siding Spring will pass within 82,000 miles of the planet, offering a first-time view of so close an encounter.















via New York Times

Now I like the sound of this!

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Now I like the sound of this!
Popping plasma particles possibly power prototypes...

 #outerspace #funandrandom

 » see original post https://plus.google.com/116000959328274308893/posts/Usdr1LAXiYL
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Carl Sagan - Pale Blue Dot Poster

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


tagged with: carl, sagan, earth, science, astronomy, space, exploration, cosmos

This poster has Carl Sagan holding a globe with the Pale Blue Dot picture and his famous quote.

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Baby Universe picture brought closer to theory

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The Planck Telescope allowed physicists to draw the most detailed map of the first light emitted after the Big Bang. Some of its features do not entirely fit the standard cosmological theory, but scientists have discovered that these anomalies could be explained by how the data was processed.

via Science Daily

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NASA Mars rover Curiosity nears mountain-base outcrop

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As it approaches the second anniversary of its landing on Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover is also approaching its first close look at bedrock that is part of Mount Sharp, the layered mountain in the middle of Mars' Gale Crater.

via Science Daily

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This week I learned the moon might be littered with dinosaur fossils, and more

Science Focus

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Read more about the facts mentioned:

The Moon Could be Littered With Fossils From Earth (Popular Science)

Study finds that like yawning, sniffing is contagious (Discover)

Elephants appear to be super sniffers (Student Science)

Physicist create ice cream that changes colors as it's licked (Phys.org)

Listen to more of The Week's mini podcasts:

  • Why I hate cupcakes
  • How I learned to love the evil-looking earwig
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 » see original post http://theweek.com/article/index/265645/this-week-i-learned-the-moon-might-be-littered-with-dinosaur-fossils-and-more
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Growth factor restores insulin response in diabetic mice

Science Focus

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In Type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system destroys the cells that produce insulin, leaving your body unable to make it. In Type 2 diabetes, the body continues to produce insulin, but organs don't respond to it efficiently. As a result, insulin injections, which effectively treat Type 1, don't do as much to help people with Type 2 diabetes.

There is a class of drugs called thiazolidinediones that help restore the body's ability to respond to insulin. Unfortunately, these drugs also cause a variety of side effects, including weight gain, bone density loss, and heart problems, so the search for a less problematic treatment has continued.

Now, working with mice, researchers have found that a well-known growth factor also restores the body's sensitivity to insulin and does so without any of the side effects associated with existing drugs. And they show that a modified form of the growth factor can still work effectively while reducing the risk of unforeseen consequences. This doesn't mean that using this method as a treatment will be free of side effects, but it does provide a promising avenue for further experiments.

Read 8 remaining paragraphs | Comments

 
#science 
 » see original post http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/science/~3/rrP8phQrbXQ/
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CMS closes major chapter of Higgs measurements

Science Focus

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Since the discovery of a Higgs boson by the CMS and ATLAS Collaborations in 2012, physicists at the LHC have been making intense efforts to measure this new particle’s properties. The Standard Model Higgs boson is the particle associated with an all-pervading field that is believed to impart mass to fundamental particles via the Brout-Englert-Higgs mechanism. Awaited for decades, the 2012 observation was a historical milestone for the LHC and led to the award of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics to Peter Higgs and François Englert. An open question arising from the discovery is whether the new particle is the one of the Standard Model – or a different one, perhaps just one of many types of Higgs bosons waiting to be found. Since the particle’s discovery, physicists at the LHC have been making intense efforts to answer this question. Figure 1: Combined diphoton mass spectrum illustrating the significance of the observed excess, where events are weighted by the expected signal-to-background ratio. The corresponding background-subtracted distribution is shown in the lower panel. This week, at the 37th International Conference on High Energy Physics, a bi-annual major stage for particle physics, which in 2014 is held in Valencia, Spain, the CMS Collaboration is presenting a

The post CMS closes major chapter of Higgs measurements has been published on Technology Org.

 
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 » see original post http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TechnologyOrgPhysicsNews/~3/8Z5IOT4zQTE/
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A Starburst Galaxy - Messier 82 (Cigar Galaxy) Stickers

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


tagged with: envelope sealers, monogram initials, galaxies and stars, hubble, messier 82, cigar galaxy, active galaxies, starburst galaxy, nasa esa, sbglxymet

Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series This mosaic image of the magnificent starburst galaxy, Messier 82 (aka Cigar Galaxy) is a really sharp wide-angle view of M82. It is a galaxy remarkable for its webs of shredded clouds and flame-like plumes of glowing hydrogen blasting out from its central regions where young stars are being born 10 times faster than they are inside in our Milky Way Galaxy.

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image code: sbglxymet

Image credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team STScI/AURA). Acknowledgment: J. Gallagher (University of Wisconsin), M. Mountain (STScI) and P. Puxley (NSF).

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Shadows and Plumes Across Enceladus

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Zazzle Space Gifts for young and old

Hubble Maps the Cosmic Web Cover For iPad

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!


tagged with: galaxy, space, universe, travel, exploration, science, sun, astronomy, phenomena, hubble maps the cosmic web, stars, planets, the milky way, telescope images, moons, supernovas, cosmos, cosmology, nebula, star cluster, solar system, space shuttle, nasa, space images, themilkyway, hubble, maps, cosmic, web

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Flying the flag for Gaia

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Space science image of the week: Gaia flag changes hands as science mission begins

via ESA Space Science

http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/08/Handover_of_the_Gaia_flag_to_mark_start_of_science_operations

Nanoscale details of electrochemical reactions in electric vehicle battery materials

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Using a new method to track the electrochemical reactions in a common electric vehicle battery material under operating conditions, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have revealed new insight into why fast charging inhibits this material's performance. The study also provides the first direct experimental evidence to support a particular model of the electrochemical reaction. The results, published August 4, 2014, in Nature Communications, could provide guidance to inform battery makers' efforts to optimize materials for faster-charging batteries with higher capacity.



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Cosmic Calendar Poster

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


tagged with: cosmic calendar, science, educational, classroom, school, biology, astronomy, history, evolution, cosmos

The 13.8 billion year history of the universe scaled down to a single year. The time scale helps put cosmology, evolution, and written history in context. Perfect for any classroom!

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