Science Highlights

So-called “XYZ states” defy the standard picture of particle behavior and have given rise to several attempts to understand their nature. But researchers with the Center for Theoretical and Computational Physics (Theory Center) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility say there is a simpler way to explain the abundance of exotic charmonium particles using lattice quantum chromodynamics.

Batteries in electric vehicles can fail quickly, sometimes catching fire without much warning. Sandia National Laboratories is working to detect these failures early and provide sufficient warning time to vehicle occupants.

The inner crust of a neutron star is characterized by the presence of a neutron superfluid. To accurately predict the properties of neutron matter in this state, researchers make theoretical calculations that typically assume that neutrons form “Cooper pairs.” This study used artificial neural networks to make accurate predictions without relying on this assumption.

Researchers have taken direct images of the Wigner molecular crystal, a new quantum phase of an electron solid. The breakthrough may advance future technologies for quantum simulations.

To build nanostructures, researchers need  to probe these structures’ internal architecture at various states of assembly in three dimensions. This project used several methods to produce X-ray computed tomography (CT) scans that provided record-setting, 7-nanometer resolution and information on the elements in the materials. The researchers then constructed 3-D frameworks to reveal the nanostructures’ imperfections and interfaces.

Layered assembly of 2D materials such as graphene have potential roles in the development of new electronic devices. Manufacturing these materials at a large scale while making them atomically clean is a major challenge. In this study, researchers used a special robotic system to assemble graphene heterostructures into large sheets with atomically clean interfaces.

The new Belle II experiment recently made a world-leading measurement of the lifetime of a particular charmed baryon, a particle that is produced and decays very quickly under very high energy levels similar to the universe shortly after the Big Bang. This demonstrates the experiment’s ability to make the extremely precise measurements of the sort needed to discover physics beyond the Standard Model of Particle Physics.

Argonne researchers developed and demonstrated an innovative set of methods to evaluate long-term aging in real-world battery cells.