Scientists directly observe bound states of elementary magnets in ferromagnetic quantum crystals
Simulating solid state properties with precisely controlled quantum systems is an important goal of the Quantum Many-Body Systems Division at MPQ. Now the team around Professor Immanuel Bloch (Chair for Experimental ...
Nanoparticles, 'pH phoresis' could improve cancer drug delivery
(Phys.org) —Researchers have developed a concept to potentially improve delivery of drugs for cancer treatment using nanoparticles that concentrate and expand in the presence of higher acidity found in tumor cells.
National study of nanomaterial toxicity sets stage for policies to address health risks
For the first time, researchers from institutions around the country have conducted an identical series of toxicology tests evaluating lung-related health impacts associated with widely used engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). ...
New technique traces ejected electrons back to atomic shells
(Phys.org) —In a detailed study of how intense light strips electrons from atoms, researchers used an X-ray laser, SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), to measure and sort the ejected electrons and ...
Long-stressed Europa likely off-kilter at one time
(Phys.org) —By analyzing the distinctive cracks lining the icy face of Europa, NASA scientists found evidence that this moon of Jupiter likely spun around a tilted axis at some point.
Research update: Atomic motions help determine temperatures inside Earth
(Phys.org)—In December 2011, Caltech mineral-physics expert Jennifer Jackson reported that she and a team of researchers had used diamond-anvil cells to compress tiny samples of iron—the main element of the e ...
Flexible polymer opals
A synthetic material which mimics the brightest and most vivid colours in nature, and changes colour when twisted or stretched, has been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, and could have important ...
NASA successfully tests hypersonic inflatable heat shield
A large inflatable heat shield developed by NASA's Space Technology Program has successfully survived a trip through Earth's atmosphere while travelling at hypersonic speeds up to 7,600 mph.
Bacteria with vuvuzelas: Microbes use a channel protein as a syringe for toxins
The bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens is a constant companion of some roundworms. These worms assault insect larvae, thereby infecting them with the bacteria; the pathogens then attack the cells of their ...
Scientists use X-rays to connect mantle chemistry with carbon cycle
(Phys.org) —Study at NSLS may help reveal the role of mantle oxidation states in understanding the Earth's deep interior.
Researchers unravel structure of 'Sputnik' virus, could have implications for treatment
(Phys.org)—An international team of researchers has determined key structural features of the Sputnik virus, thought to play a role in illnesses caused by eating raw fish.
Viruses act like 'self-packing suitcases'
Researchers at the University of Leeds have identified a crucial stage in the lifecycle of simple viruses like polio and the common cold that could open a new front in the war on viral disease.
Acidic Europa may eat away at chances for life
The ocean underneath the icy shell of Jupiter's moon Europa could be too acid to support life, due to compounds that may regularly migrate downward from its surface, researchers find.
Image: Hubble's 'smoky' shells
(Phys.org)—Located in a relatively vacant region of space about 4,200 light-years away and difficult to see using an amateur telescope, the lonesome planetary nebula NGC 7354 is often overlooked. However, ...