General Physics news

Spin polarization achieved in room temperature silicon

Physics / General Physics

17 hours ago | 4.8 / 5 (12) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- A group in The Netherlands has achieved a first: injection of spin-polarized electrons in silicon at room temperature. This has previously been observed only at extremely low temperatures, ...

Superconductor magnet spacecraft heat shield being developed

Physics / General Physics

Nov 26, 2009 | 5 / 5 (24) | 22

(PhysOrg.com) -- European space agencies and an aerospace giant are developing a new re-entry heat shield that will use superconductor magnets to generate a magnetic field strong enough to deflect the superhot ...

Plasma produces KO cocktail for MRSA

Physics / General Physics

Nov 26, 2009 | 4.9 / 5 (13) | 2

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) and other drug-resistant bacteria could face annihilation as low-temperature plasma prototype devices have been developed to offer safe, quick, easy and un ...

Large Hadron Collider sends beams in 2 directions

Physics / General Physics

Nov 23, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (12) | 0

(AP) -- The world's largest atom smasher made another leap forward Monday by circulating beams of protons in opposite directions at the same time in the $10 billion machine after more than a year of repairs, ...

Visual assistance for cosmic blind spots

Physics / General Physics

Nov 23, 2009 | 4.3 / 5 (3) | 0

A bit of imagination on the part of a measuring instrument wouldn't be a bad thing. It could help to add data from areas where the instrument is unable to measure. However, it must do so constructively. In ...

A mechanical model of vocalization

Physics / General Physics

Nov 23, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

When people speak, sing, or shout, they produce sound by pushing air over their vocal folds -- bits of muscle and tissue that manipulate the air flow and vibrate within it. When someone has polyps or some other problem with ...

Predicting the fate of underground carbon

Physics / General Physics

Nov 23, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

A team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed a new modeling methodology for determining the capacity and assessing the risks of leakage of potential underground carbon-dioxide reservoirs.

Nuclear weapons: Predicting the unthinkable

Physics / General Physics

Nov 22, 2009 | 2.6 / 5 (5) | 4

If a nuclear weapon were detonated in a metropolitan area, how large would the affected area be? Where should first responders first go? According to physicist Fernando Grinstein, we have some initial understanding to address ...

Generating electricity from air flow

Physics / General Physics

Nov 22, 2009 | 3.3 / 5 (10) | 2

A group of researchers at the City College of New York is developing a new way to generate power for planes and automobiles based on materials known as piezoelectrics, which convert the kinetic energy of motion into electricity. ...

Aquatic creatures mix ocean water

Physics / General Physics

Nov 22, 2009 | 5 / 5 (4) | 1

Understanding mixing in the ocean is of fundamental importance to modeling climate change or predicting the effects of an El Niño on our weather. Modern ocean models primarily incorporate the effects of winds and tides. However, ...

Butterfly proboscis to sip cells

Physics / General Physics

Nov 22, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

A butterfly's proboscis looks like a straw -- long, slender, and used for sipping -- but it works more like a paper towel, according to Konstantin Kornev of Clemson University. He hopes to borrow the tricks of this piece ...

Restored machine to explore mysteries of Big Bang

Physics / General Physics

Nov 21, 2009 | 4.6 / 5 (18) | 26

(AP) -- Scientists are preparing the world's largest atom smasher to explore the depths of matter after successfully restarting the $10 billion machine following more than a year of repairs.

CERN atom-smasher restarts after 14-month hiatus: official

Physics / General Physics

Nov 20, 2009 | 4.7 / 5 (23) | 0

The world's biggest atom-smasher, shut down after its inauguration in September 2008 amid technical faults, restarted on Friday, a spokesman for the European Organisation for Nuclear Research said.

Ultra-Powerful Laser Reproduces How Star's Jets Travel through Interstellar Space

Physics / General Physics

Nov 20, 2009 | 4.5 / 5 (8) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- A multi-trillion-watt laser at the University of Rochester has simulated a stellar jet -- an outpouring of matter from a fledgling star -- with unprecedented realism.

Tapering a Free-Electron Laser to Extract More Juice

Physics / General Physics

Nov 20, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from the NSLS and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) have demonstrated a technique that could be used to significantly improve the quantity and quality of light ...

Giant atom-smasher set to restart this weekend: CERN

Physics / General Physics

Nov 20, 2009 | 4.4 / 5 (7) | 8

The world's biggest atom-smasher, which was shut down soon after its inauguration amid technical faults, is set to restart this weekend, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research said on Friday.

Doubts raised on nuclear industry viability

Physics / General Physics

Nov 19, 2009 | 3 / 5 (22) | 19

(PhysOrg.com) -- The investment in nuclear power has been growing around the world over the last few years, being viewed as a means for countries to control their energy security, avoid the price fluctuations ...

Turning heat to electricity... efficiently

Physics / General Physics

Nov 18, 2009 | 4.8 / 5 (62) | 9

(PhysOrg.com) -- In everything from computer processor chips to car engines to electric powerplants, the need to get rid of excess heat creates a major source of inefficiency. But new research points the way ...