News by Subject Chemistry & Physics

University of Washington researchers have developed a method that uses a gaming graphics card to control plasma formation in their prototype fusion reactor.

Using time- and spin-resolved methods at BESSY II, the physicists explored how, after optical excitation, the complex interplay in the behavior of excited electrons in the bulk and on the surface results in unusual spin dynamics. The work is an important step on the way to spintronic devices based on topological materials for ultrafast information processing.

This is the first ever capture of the ultrafast motions of a high intensity laser produced plasma on a solid surface, simultaneously at different spatial locations. It achieves an experimental leap in Doppler spectrometry and is important for tracking the flow of heat and energy along the surface and watching the growth of plasma instabilities, all very important for understanding laser plasma science and pushing forward applications of high intensity, femtosecond laser driven laser plasmas.

A new study shows that it is possible to use mechanical force to deliberately alter chemical reactions and increase chemical selectivity - a grand challenge of the field.

Research team created new glasses for protection against X-ray and gamma radiation. Scientists could select new components that improved the characteristics of the samples and allowed to reduce the amount of lead in the glass composition.

The absorption of energy from laser light by free electrons in a liquid has been demonstrated for the first time. Until now, this process was observed only in the gas phase. The findings, led by Graz University of Technology, open new doors for ultra-fast electron microscopy.