How do piezoelectric actuators perform under extreme conditions such as high temperatures, strong vibrations, and nanoscale precision tasks?

In a review published in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, researchers examine their use in five major areas including positioning and alignment, biomedical devices, microrobotics, vibration mitigation, and advanced manufacturing.

The study highlights recent progress in materials, control methods, and system design that could support the development of more reliable and efficient precision technologies.

Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have solved a 60-year-old mystery in bacterial cell envelope biology, defining the primary function of an important protein complex responsible for maintaining the stability of the outer membrane (OM).

An unexpectedly strong solar storm rocked our planet on April 23, 2023, sparking auroras as far south as southern Texas in the U.S. and taking the world by surprise. 

Two days earlier, the Sun blasted a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a cloud of energetic particles, magnetic fields, and solar material — toward Earth. But the CME wasn’t especially fast or massive, suggesting the storm would be minor. But it became severe.

Using NASA heliophysics missions, new studies of this storm and others are helping scientists learn why some CMEs have more intense effects — and better predict the impacts of future solar eruptions on our lives.