Physical Sciences

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Physical Sciences

New Products

See the new products, including Plasmatreat's HydroPlasma, a solution for the removal of stubborn contaminants from glass and metal surfaces; TDK Corporation's 3000-watt TDK-Lambda brand HWS3000G programmable AC-DC power supplies; Zircotec's new range of proprietary ceramic coatings; Thermo Fisher Scientific's expanded solutions for battery manufacturers; and more.

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Briefs
Aerospace

New Drone Will Mimic Albatross Flight

Albatrosses have 11-foot wingspans that carry them across oceans. But it’s how they use these wings that makes them world-class flyers, according to a University of Cincinnati aerospace engineering professor. UC Assistant Professor Sameh Eisa and his research partners hope to harness their amazing abilities for the next generation of drones. Read on to learn more.

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Articles
Test & Measurement

Physicists Measure a Key Aspect of Superconductivity in ‘Magic-Angle’ Graphene

Physicists at MIT and Harvard University have now directly measured superfluid stiffness for the first time in “magic-angle” graphene — materials that are made from two or more atomically thin sheets of graphene twisted with respect to each other at just the right angle to enable a host of exceptional properties, including unconventional superconductivity. Read on to learn more.

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Application Briefs
Defense

Robust Quantum Sensors Program

To address quantum sensors' barriers, DARPA is launching the Robust Quantum Sensors (RoQS) program. RoQS will seek to develop quantum sensors that are inherently resistant to environmental disruptions, ensuring they can operate reliably outside of a laboratory without sacrificing their sensitivity. Read on to learn more.

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Atomic Fountain for Research in Quantum Sensing Nears Completion of First Phase

Dr. Frank Narducci, Chair of the NPS Department of Physics, and his Ph.D. student U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jens Berdahl, are nearing completion of the first phase of construction in what will be a superlatively precise atomic-based instrument. Read on to learn more about it.

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NASA Spinoff
Green Design & Manufacturing

Cosmic Experiments Make Cosmetic Nutrients

The Rotary Cell Culture System invented by researchers at Johnson Space Center lets cells grow faster and healthier than they would in a dish. Brand Labs USA of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, uses secretions from plant stem cells grown in the devices to produce nutrient-rich skin care products. Read on to learn more.

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Articles
Materials

Making a Material Difference in Aerospace & Defense Electronics

Laminate materials are indispensable in the manufacture of boards and flexible circuitry for aerospace and defense electronics. Their unique properties address stringent demands, ensuring systems perform reliably under extreme conditions. Read on to learn more.

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Briefs
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Scientists Fuse Simulations and Machine Learning to Accelerate Novel Additively Manufactured Materials

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory have demonstrated a novel approach for applying machine learning to predict microstructures produced by a widely used additive manufacturing technique. Read on to learn more.

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Articles
Energy

Examining EV Battery Thermal Management

In this article, we'll discuss how modeling and simulation can be used to facilitate the design of thermal management systems for EV batteries – from the cell scale up. Read on to learn more.

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Articles
Physical Sciences

A New Look at Ignition: Refining Our Understanding of Combustion Dynamics in Gun Chambers

Every time a soldier pulls the trigger on a 7.62 rifle or pulls the wire of a 155 Howitzer, a complex chain reaction ensues over the next millisecond that we refer to as the ignition event. Read on to gain a new look at ignition.

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Cheaper and Safer Battery Storage

Researchers have developed a new technique to solve the problem of how to increase the capacity of sodium-ion batteries. Read on to learn more about it.

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Articles
RF & Microwave Electronics

This Laser Clock Could Transform Satellite Navigation Accuracy

A new laser clock from the German Aerospace Center has achieved a record level of accuracy for optical clocks with gas cells: in 30 million years, it would be off by just one second. Read on to learn more about it and what it could mean for satellite navigation accuracy.

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Articles
Physical Sciences

Developing Safer Batteries with Solid-State Polymer Electrolytes

A 100 percent solid-state, high-performance polymer electrolyte addresses issues with liquid electrolytes for safer battery cell designs. Read this article to learn more.

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Articles
Materials

Beyond Boundaries: Elevating Aerospace Design with Fluorosilicones

The introduction of fluorosilicones helped solve the immediate issues faced by the aerospace sector, but also set a new standard for material performance in challenging operational environments. Consequently, these types of silicones have become a critical component in the design and manufacturing of aircraft. Read on to learn more.

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Briefs
Materials

Enhancing the Performance of All-Solid-State Batteries

A research team from Pohang University has successfully enhanced the performance and durability of all-solid-state batteries. This breakthrough was made possible through the implementation of a novel approach known as bottom electrodeposition. Read on to learn more.

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Briefs
Energy

Designing Safer, Higher-Performance Lithium Batteries

Examining lithium metal batteries using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy may help in the design of new electrolytes and anode surfaces for high-performance batteries. Read on to learn more.

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Briefs
Materials

Sodium Battery Is Capable of Rapid Charging in Just a Few Seconds

A research team has developed a high-energy, high-power hybrid sodium-ion battery capable of rapid charging. The innovative hybrid energy storage system integrates anode materials typically used in batteries with cathodes suitable for supercapacitors. Read on to learn more.

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Briefs
Power

Next-Generation Binder for Lithium-ion Batteries

In a recent study published in the journal ACS Applied Energy Materials, researchers have utilized poly(vinylphosphonic acid) (PVPA) as a binder for a micro-SiO electrodes, achieving superior performance compared to conventional cells. Read on to learn more.

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Recyclable ‘Water Batteries’ That Won’t Catch Fire

A global team of researchers and industry collaborators led by RMIT University has invented recyclable ’water batteries’ that won’t catch fire or explode. Read on to learn more.

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Articles
Physical Sciences

Expanding Possibilities for Superconducting Qubits With Niobium

A group led by Stanford University’s David Schuster has demonstrated a way to create niobium-based qubits that rival their state-of-the-art counterparts.

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INSIDER
Test & Measurement

NASA Seeks Space Technologies for Suborbital and Orbital Flight Tests

NASA’s 2023 TechFlights solicitation is now open! Through TechFlights, researchers from U.S.-based industry, academia, and private research institutions can test...

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Briefs
Defense

Circuit Models for Robust, Adaptive Neural Control

This project seeks to reproduce the neural circuits used by the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans for locomotion. Caenorhabditis elegans is a small (~1.2 millimeter) nematode found in rotting...

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Briefs
Imaging

Space Debris Orbit and Attitude Prediction for Enhanced and Efficient Space Situational Awareness

This research deals with the problem of modelling the orbit and attitude motion of uncontrolled manmade objects in orbit about the Earth, which...

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INSIDER
Defense

New Grasses Neutralize Toxic Pollution From Bombs and Munitions

On military live fire training ranges, troops practice firing artillery shells, drop bombs on old tanks or derelict buildings and test the capacity of new weapons. But those...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Detecting Trace Levels of Explosives Using Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy

The threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to human life is grave, and countering this threat is a high priority for force protection during military...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Next-Generation Spectrometers for Rapid Analysis of Complex Mixtures

Molecules have internal motions that are characteristic of their structure and identity. These motions can be studied by spectroscopy in different regions of the...

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Briefs
Defense

Analysis of an In-Ear Dosimeter for a Single Hearing Protection Device

US national and many international hearing conservation programs (HCPs) have adopted a noise exposure criterion of 85 dBA for a time-weighted average of 8 hours, with a 3 dB...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Automatic-Alignment Fiber Optic Coupling System for Optimal Signal Transmission

Using the current method of characterizing waveguides manufactured for research in optical communications, it can take up to 8 hours to characterize the waveguides...

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Briefs
Physical Sciences

Detecting Maritime Radiological/Nuclear Threats with Hybrid Imaging

The SuperMISTI detection system is a hybrid detection, identification, and imaging system for sources of gamma-ray radiation at stand-off distances. The system is based on the...

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