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    Category Physics

    Scientists are closer to solving the mystery of how Mars’ moon Phobos formed: Phobos in the mid- and far-ultraviolet

    March 1, 2016, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    Phobos as observed by MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph. Orange shows mid-ultraviolet (MUV) sunlight reflected from the surface of Phobos, exposing the moon's irregular shape and many craters. Blue shows far ultraviolet light detected at 121.6 nm, which is scattered off of hydrogen gas in the extended upper atmosphere of Mars. Phobos, observed here at a range of 300km, blocks this light, eclipsing the ultraviolet sky. Credit: CU/LASP and NASA

    Phobos as observed by MAVEN’s Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph. Orange shows mid-ultraviolet (MUV) sunlight reflected from the surface of Phobos, exposing the moon’s irregular shape and many craters. Blue shows far ultraviolet light detected at 121.6 nm, which is scattered off of hydrogen gas in the extended upper atmosphere of Mars. Phobos, observed here at a range of 300km, blocks this light, eclipsing the ultraviolet sky. Credit: CU/LASP and NASA

    At the end of 2015, NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission made a series of close approaches to the Martian moon Phobos, collecting data from within 300 miles of the moon. Among the data returned were spectral images of Phobos in the ultraviolet...

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    Stretchable Electronics that Quadruple in length

    February 29, 2016, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    Intrinsically stretchable biphasic gold–gallium thin films. A) False color scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) image of a slightly tilted cross-section of the biphasic gold–gallium film on a PDMS substrate. The blue, yellow and gray colors correspond to the PDMS substrate, the biphasic AuGa2/Ga film, and a gallium bulge in the background, respectively. Scale bar: 500 nm. B) False color SEM image of the surface of the biphasic gold–gallium film. The yellow and gray colors correspond to the AuGa2/Ga film and the liquid Gallium, respectively. Color mask was obtained from backscattered electron detector (BSE) image. Scale bar: 5 μm. C) X-ray diffraction pattern of a biphasic gold–gallium film deposited on a PDMS substrate clearly indicating the position of the peaks corresponding to AuGa2 intermetallic compound (ICDD PDF Card 01-072-5268). Inset: the increase in baseline signal around 35° is attributed to liquid gallium. D) Picture of a biphasic gold–gallium film patterned by photolithography with critical dimension of 100 μm on a 40 μm thick poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) elastomer membrane. Scale bar: 5 mm; Inset scale bar: 500 μm. E) Stretchable multilayered matrix of green surface mounted light emitting diodes interconnected and powered through biphasic gold–gallium conductors. Scale bar: 15 mm. Inset: the LEDs are interconnected with two biphasic conductor planes; scale bar: 2 mm.

    Intrinsically stretchable biphasic gold–gallium thin films. A) False color scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) image of a slightly tilted cross-section of the biphasic gold–gallium film on a PDMS substrate. The blue, yellow and gray colors correspond to the PDMS substrate, the biphasic AuGa2/Ga film, and a gallium bulge in the background, respectively. Scale bar: 500 nm. B) False color SEM image of the surface of the biphasic gold–gallium film. The yellow and gray colors correspond to the AuGa2/Ga film and the liquid Gallium, respectively. Color mask was obtained from backscattered electron detector (BSE) image. Scale bar: 5 μm...

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    Physicist discovers New 2D Material that could Upstage Graphene, advancing digital technology

    February 29, 2016, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics

    The atoms in the new structure are arranged in a hexagonal pattern as in graphene, but that is where the similarity ends. The three elements forming the new material all have different sizes; the bonds connecting the atoms are also different. As a result, the sides of the hexagons formed by these atoms are unequal, unlike in graphene. Credit: Madhu Menon

    The atoms in the new structure are arranged in a hexagonal pattern as in graphene, but that is where the similarity ends. The three elements forming the new material all have different sizes; the bonds connecting the atoms are also different. As a result, the sides of the hexagons formed by these atoms are unequal, unlike in graphene. Credit: Madhu Menon

    Truly flat and extremely stable, the material is made up of light, inexpensive and earth abundant elements. The new material is made up of silicon, boron and nitrogen. “We used simulations to see if the bonds would break or disintegrate – it didn’t happen,” said Madhu Menon,UK Center for Computational Sciences. “We heated the material up to 1,000 degree Celsius and it still didn’t break.”

    While graphene is touted as being the world’s stron...

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    Building Living, Breathing Supercomputers

    February 28, 2016, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Biology/Biotechnology

    Protein molecules travel around the circuit, forced in certain directions in directed ways, a bit like cars and trucks travelling through a city to arrive at desired results. Credit: Till Korten

    Protein molecules travel around the circuit, forced in certain directions in directed ways, a bit like cars and trucks travelling through a city to arrive at desired results. Credit: Till Korten

    Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides energy to all the cells in our bodies may also be able to power the next generation of supercomputers. The discovery opens doors to the creation of biological supercomputers that are about the size of a book. That is what an international team of researchers led by Prof. Nicolau, the Chair of the Department of Bioengineering at McGill, believe...

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