Science Highlights

A new stellar process, the intermediate “i" process, has been proposed to explain new astronomical observations on nucleosynthesis. Scientists recently reported on the measurement of a nuclear reaction that affects the production of lanthanum in the i process. The measurement will help to improve scientific understanding of nucleosynthesis.

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.