Scientific Highlights
Realizing topological stability of magnetic helices in exchange-coupled multilayers for all-spin-based system
Topologically stabilized spin configurations like helices in the form of planar domain walls (DWs) or vortex-like structures with magnetic functionalities are more often a theoretical prediction rather than experimental realization. In this paper we report on the exchange coupling and helical phase characteristics within Dy-Fe multilayers. The magnetic hysteresis loops with temperature show an exchange bias field of around 1.0 kOe at 10 K.
Infrared imaging sheds new light on the condensation/evaporation process
Researcher at PSI (NES/LRT) have brought modern infrared technologies into their large thermal-hydraulic facility, called LINX, to obtain insights into condensation/evaporation process occurring under thermodynamic conditions resembling those of a nuclear power plant containment during a severe accident scenario. In such a scenario, condensation is of prime importance to control the thermodynamic state of the containment. It affects the pressure history, the overall gas (steam, hydrogen) and fission product distribution within this last barrier. Better understanding of these phenomena under accident conditions is essential to properly predict the accident evolution.
Investigating the Role of Strain toward the Oxygen Reduction Activity on Model Thin Film Pt Catalysts
Environmentally friendly energy conversion devices such as fuel cells are becoming more and more attractive. However, major impediments to large-scale application still arise on the material side, related to the cost and poor performance of the cathode catalyst. State-of-the-art electrocatalysts are all Pt-based materials, suffering from poor electrochemical oxygen reduction kinetics.
POLAR experiment successfully launched on Chinese spacecraft
The second Chinese space laboratory satellite Tian Gong 2 was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on September 15th, 2016 at 22:04 BTC (UTC+8h). Among more than ten instruments onboard it also brought to space the only non-Chinese experiment POLAR - the hard X-ray polarimeter.
Robust metastable skyrmions and their triangular–square lattice structural transition in a high-temperature chiral magnet
Skyrmions, topologically protected nanometric spin vortices, are being investigated extensively in various magnets. Among them, many structurally chiral cubic magnets host the triangular-lattice skyrmion crystal (SkX) as the thermo- dynamic equilibrium state. However, this state exists only in a narrow temperature and magnetic-field region just below the magnetic transition temperature Tc, while a helical or conical magnetic state prevails at lower temperatures.
Blocking Gastric Lipase Adsorption and Displacement Processes with Viscoelastic Biopolymer Adsorption Layers
Delayed fat digestion might help to fight obesity. Fat digestion begins in the stomach by adsorption of gastric lipases to oil/water interfaces. In this study we show how biopolymer covered interfaces can act as a physical barrier for recombinant dog gastric lipase (rDGL) adsorption and thus gastric lipolysis.
Establishing nonlinearity thresholds with ultraintense X-ray pulses
The advent of X-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) is opening the ability to reach extremely high photon numbers within ultrashort X-ray pulse durations and is leading to a paradigm shift in our ability to explore nonlinear X-ray signals.
First acceleration with the SwissFEL C-band module
On Thursday 08/09/2016, the first C-band module boosted an electron beam from 150MeV to 390 MeV. This is the first beam acceleration test of a C-band module in PSI and is an important milestone for the project, since the main accelerator consists of 26 C-band modules of the same kind.
Completion of SwissFEL LINAC
On September 13th, the last two modules of the linear accelerator were installed in the SwissFEL tunnel. This means that 26 accelerating modules are installed now. One accelerating module consists of four accelerating structures. In total there are 104 accelerating structures, with a lenght of 2 m each.
21st International Conference on Cyclotrons and their Applications
The 21st conference in this series takes place from September 12 to 16, 2016 at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich. The cyclotron is a simple and efficient particle accelerator and its invention for the purpose of performing fundamental research dates back to 1929. Ernest Lawrence received the Nobel Prize for his idea in 1939. Today cyclotrons are used in a broad range of applications from large and complex facilities for basic research to highly optimized and cost effective solutions for industrial and medical applications. The series of cyclotron conferences provides a forum for the world leading experts to meet and to discuss technological and physics advancements in the field.