A New Discovery Answers an Old Question

January 25, 2012

Understanding the high-pressure behavior of the transition-metal monoxide FeO is important for both solid-state physics and Earth science. Despite considerable study over the past 30 years, the origin of the well-known and important ferroic transition has been not well understood. Now the first imaging of this transition has been reported by researchers utilizing the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory.

Peering into the Interfaces of Nanoscale Polymeric Materials

January 6, 2012

The development of polymer nanostructures and nanoscale devices for a wide variety of applications could emerge from new information about the interplay between nanoscale interfaces in polymeric materials, thanks to research carried out at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory.

Ironing Out the Details of the Earth's Core

January 3, 2012

The highest-pressure vibrational spectrum of iron has been obtained by researchers working at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, providing important new clues to the behavior of iron in the Earth’s core.

Structural Snapshots of Tankyrase, a Protein Involved in a Rare Genetic Disorder and Potential Cancer Target

December 15, 2011

A discovery made with the help of x-rays from the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory provides researchers with a greater understanding of the protein Tankyrase, which is linked to the bone development disorder cherubism and involved in a myriad of cellular processes, and may also lead to the development of new designer drugs to treat cancer.

The Road to Ultrahigh-Resolution X-ray Spectrometers

November 22, 2011

Two recent developments at the Advanced Photon Source explore paths to routine use of sub-meV x-rays to probe low-energy excitations in matter. The first is a remarkable experimental demonstration of an x-ray optical scheme that produces x-ray beams with sub-meV linewidths (FWHM) and elimination of the normal Lorentzian tails. The second is a proposal for an alternate optical scheme that may achieve comparable x-ray bandwidths with less demanding optics.

How Atoms Behave: Characteristics of Microstructural Avalanches

November 17, 2011

Investigating how atoms move and rearrange themselves is fundamental to our understanding of the behavior of materials, in particular efforts aimed at engineering materials with enhanced functionality. Researchers using the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory have obtained new information about the phenomenon known as microstructural “avalanches” that is revealing important spatial characteristics.

Iodate Refuses to Intimidate

November 11, 2011

Whether creating a catalyst for petroleum-free fuel or designing better drug therapies, scientists must accurately characterize and ions' actions in water in order to control it. A new study by researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Pacific Northwest and Argonne national laboratories, aided by the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne, answers a fundamental question about the behavior of large, negatively charged ions with multiple atoms, called polyoxyanions.

Creating the Heart of a Planet in the Heart of a Gem

October 27, 2011

Although materials scientists have theorized for years that a form of super-dense aluminum exists under the extreme pressures found inside a planet’s core, no one had ever actually seen it. Until now, that is. Using a new table-top laser device in Japan and x-rays from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science’s Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, an international team of researchers has found a novel form of aluminum.