Science Highlights

A research team at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory created a novel advanced microscopy tool to “write” with atoms, placing those atoms exactly where they are needed to give a material new properties.

Scientists are conducting experiments in search of a critical point in the Quantum Chromodynamics  phase diagram. The main signatures of this point involve changes in the number of particles produced in heavy ion collisions. Modeling these observables requires an extension of the standard fluid dynamic framework. Scientists have now developed an algorithm for performing simulations of a critical fluid and tested those simulations.

Scientists have a limited understanding of the effects of cavitation in microscopic devices. In this research, scientists took high-speed images of microscale cavitating fuel jets to understand the motion of liquid jets from high-pressure fuel injectors like those used in vehicle engines. Analysis of the results showed that cavitation enhances the energy conversion efficiency of the fuel injection.

A new toolkit helps researchers build optimal superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities that form the backbone of advanced particle accelerators. The cavities’ cleanliness, shape, and roughness of their inner surfaces contribute to their efficiency. In tests of the toolkit, scientists found that smoother cavities function more efficiently.

In a game-changing study, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists developed a deep learning model — a type of artificial intelligence that mimics human brain function — to analyze high-speed videos of plasma plumes during a process called pulsed laser deposition, or PLD. The PLD technique uses powerful laser pulses to vaporize a target material, creating a cloud-like stream of atoms and particles — the plasma plume — which then settles onto a target surface to form ultrathin films. This method is crucial for creating advanced materials used in electronics and energy technologies.

Understanding and controlling heat flow is critical for many applications, especially for electronics. As these devices become smaller, the interfaces between materials often become the bottleneck to removing heat. In this research, scientists uncovered a new mechanism for the transfer of energy across these interfaces that involves the coupling between electrons and atomic vibrations.

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) show promise as a way to trap toxic molecules and mitigate their harmful effects. In this research, scientists studied how the structure of MOFs can be tuned to enhance and optimize trapping of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide.

Scientists have developed a blueprint for producing ultrabright and ultrashort pulses of electron beams for the next generation of particle accelerators, plasma wakefield accelerators (PWFA). This could enable new scientific tools such as X-ray free-electron-lasers (XFELs) that can see matter at smaller scales and faster speeds than now possible. It could also lead to compact accelerators.