Scientific Highlights
When electrons dress up in light
Light – the Fifth Element of Materials Science?
Active learning-assisted neutron spectroscopy with log-Gaussian processes
Neutron scattering experiments at three-axes spectrometers (TAS) investigate magnetic and lattice excitations by measuring intensity distributions to understand the origins of materials properties. The high demand and limited availability of beam time for TAS experiments however raise the natural question whether we can improve their efficiency and make better use of the experimenter’s time.
Quality control of future transistors: Tackling the challenge of looking at atoms buried in silicon without moving them
Tackling the challenge of looking at atoms buried in silicon without moving them
X-rays make 3D metal printing more predictable
Insights into the microscopic details of 3D printing from the Swiss Light Source SLS could propel the technology toward wider application
SDU: Software for high throughput automated data collection at SLS MX
The Smart Digital User (SDU) software for unattended data collection has been deployed at the macromolecular crystallography beamlines at the Swiss Light Source.
Calcium sensor helps us to see the stars
New insight into how the protein calmodulin interacts with an ion channel in the eye could explain how our eyes achieve remarkable sensitivity to dim light.
Amyloid-polysaccharide interfacial coacervates as therapeutic materials
Coacervation via liquid-liquid phase separation provides an excellent oppor- tunity to address the challenges of designing nanostructured biomaterials with multiple functionalities. Protein-polysaccharide coacervates, in particular, offer an appealing strategy to target biomaterial scaffolds, but these systems suffer from the low mechanical and chemical stabilities of protein-based condensates. Here we overcome these limitations by transforming native proteins into amyloid fibrils and demonstrate ...
Mobility of Dissolved Gases in Smectite under Saturated Conditions
Mobility of water, sodium and gas molecules within a smectite nanopore
Various gases are produced by metal corrosion and organic material degradation in deep gelological repository for nuclear waste. To ensure repository safety, it's important to demonstrate that gases can be dissipated by diffusion in host rocks and prevent pressure buildup in repository near field. Smectite mineral particles form a pore network that is usually saturated with water, making gas diffusion the primary transport mechanism. Molecular simulations have shown that the diffusion of gases through the pore network depends on various factors, including pore size and temperature. For instance, smaller pores and lower temperatures tend to reduce gas diffusion. Interestingly, hydrogen and helium have been found to diffuse faster than argon, carbon dioxide, and methane, possibly due to interactions with the clay surface and water molecules. Ultimately, the diffusion coefficients for different gases and pore sizes can be predicted using an empirical relationship, which is useful for macroscopic simulations of gas transport.
The Hercules School visits PSI
20 international students visited PSI as part of the renowned Hercules School to learn about our state-of-the-art techniques and methodologies at our large scale facilities.
Latest Version of "Mobiltool" Released
How do you get from A to B in the most environmentally friendly way? This question can now be answered quite easily with the latest version of the "mobitool". Read the article to learn more.