Category Physics

Physical picture of the applied magnetic field lines (blue lines) and the magnetic field lines (red lines) modified by the plasma flow, i.e., sum of the applied and plasma-induced magnetic fields. The plasma decreases the axial field component at the upstream side of the magnetic nozzle and increases it at the downstream side of the nozzle as described by the insets, where the transition between these two states are identified as shown by the upper left inset. Credit: Kazunori Takahashi

Researchers from Tohoku University have been trying to find out how the plasma flow is influenced by its environment via laboratory experiments. And in doing so, have made headway on research towards creating an electrodeless plasma thruster used to propel spacecraft.

The universe is made up of plasma – a g...

Electron microscope images of visible-NIR light responsible photocatalyst composed with black phosphorous (BP), lanthanum titanate (LA2Ti2O7, LTO), and gold nanoparticles (Au).
Credit: © Zhu M, Cai X, Fujitsuka M, Zhang J, Majima T, Angewandte Chemie: International Edition 56 (2017)

Osaka University researchers create new material based on gold and black phosphorus to produce clean hydrogen fuel using the full spectrum of sunlight. Hydrogen can be generated by splitting H2O, but this uses more energy than the produced hydrogen can give back. Water splitting is often driven by solar power, so-called “solar-to-hydrogen” conversion...

Glaucio Paulino, a professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Jerry Qi, a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, hold objects 3-D printed that use tensegrity, a structural system of floating rods in compression and cables in continuous tension. (Credit: Rob Felt)

A team from Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a way to use 3D printers to create objects capable of expanding dramatically that could someday be used in applications ranging from space missions to biomedical devices. The new objects use tensegrity, a structural system of floating rods in compression and cables in continuous tension. The researchers fabricated the struts from shape memory polymers that unfold when heated.

“Tensegrity st...

The researchers performed the characterization of graphene-based molecular electronic devices at room-temperature and demonstrated that molecules covalently attached to mechanically robust graphene substrates are ideal candidates for next-generation molecular electronic devices. Credit: © Alexander Rudnev, University of Bern

An international team led by the University of Bern and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has revealed a new way to tune the functionality of next-generation molecular electronic devices using graphene. The results could be exploited to develop smaller, higher-performance devices for use in a range of applications including molecular sensing, flexible electronics, and energy conversion and storage, as well as robust measurement setups for resistance standards.

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