Crystal structure

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In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. A crystal structure is composed of a motif, a set of atoms arranged in a particular way, and a lattice. Motifs are located upon the points of a lattice, which is an array of points repeating periodically in three dimensions. The points can be thought of as forming identical tiny boxes, called unit cells, that fill the space of the lattice. The lengths of the edges of a unit cell and the angles between them are called the lattice parameters. The symmetry properties of the crystal are embodied in its space group. A crystal's structure and symmetry play a role in determining many of its properties, such as cleavage, electronic band structure, and optical properties.

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News tagged with crystal structure


A sticky solution for identifying effective probiotics

Chemistry / Biochemistry

created Nov 24, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Scientists have crystallised a protein that may help gut bacteria bind to the gastrointestinal tract. The protein could be used by probiotic producers to identify strains that are likely to be of real benefit to people.





Search results for crystal structure


Dental delight! Tooth of sea urchin shows formation of biominerals

Dental delight! Tooth of sea urchin shows formation of biominerals

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Dec 21, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Some of the most common minerals in biology, including those in bones and shells, have a mysterious structure: Their crystals are positioned in the same orientation, making them behave as ...


Graphene

Researcher Uses Graphene Quilts to Keep Things Cool

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created Dec 21, 2009 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (17) | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- University of California, Riverside Professor of Electrical Engineering and Chair of Materials Science and Engineering Alexander Balandin is leading several projects to explore ways to use ...


Watching Proteins Direct Crystal Growth One Step at a Time (w/ Video)

Watching Proteins Direct Crystal Growth One Step at a Time (w/ Video)

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created Dec 16, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at Berkeley Lab's Molecular Foundry imaged the growth of protein-studded mineral surfaces with unprecedented resolution and provided a glimpse into how living systems engineer key ...


New structure could produce efficient semiconductor laser sources

New structure could produce efficient semiconductor laser sources

Physics / General Physics

created Dec 14, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers have achieved a nanoscale laser structure they anticipate will produce semiconductor lasers in the next two years that are more than twice as efficient ...


Vacuum flask

Scientists Create Material More Insulating than the Vacuum

Physics / General Physics

created Dec 10, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (57) | comments 27

(PhysOrg.com) -- With its complete lack of atoms, a vacuum is often considered to be the best known insulator. For this reason, vacuums are regularly used to reduce heat transfer, such as in the lining of ...


Entropy alone creates complex crystals from simple shapes, study shows

Entropy alone creates complex crystals from simple shapes, study shows

Chemistry / Materials Science

created Dec 09, 2009 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (21) | comments 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- In a study that elevates the role of entropy in creating order, research led by the University of Michigan shows that certain pyramid shapes can spontaneously organize into complex quasicrystals.


Sparkly Spiders and Photonic Fish

Sparkly Spiders and Photonic Fish

Physics / Optics & Photonics

created Dec 09, 2009 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists in Israel and the UK have uncovered the details of how certain fish and spiders create their iridescent scales and silvery skins.


Snowflake chemistry could give clues about ozone depletion

Snowflake chemistry could give clues about ozone depletion

Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry

created Dec 07, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

There is more to the snowflake than its ability to delight schoolchildren and snarl traffic.


Researchers put a new spin on atomic musical chairs

Researchers put a new spin on atomic musical chairs

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created Dec 02, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Naval Research Laboratory have developed a new way to introduce magnetic impurities in a semiconductor crystal by prodding it with ...


Scientists get up close to bacteria's toxic pumps

Scientists get up close to bacteria's toxic pumps

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Nov 30, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Scientists are building a clearer image of the machinery employed by bacteria to spread antibiotic resistance or cause diseases such as whooping cough, peptic stomach ulcers and legionnaires' disease.



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