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18-Sep-2020
Naturally occurring radiation limits superconducting qubit coherence times
DOE/US Department of Energy
Two new experiments have demonstrated the correlation between natural radiation levels and the duration of qubit coherence. Radiation breaks pairs of electrons in a superconductor, producing excess unpaired electrons that tend to destroy the prepared state of a qubit. If radiation cannot be mitigated, it will limit the coherence time of qubits to a few milliseconds.
10-Sep-2020
Probing the "equation of state" of neutron matter--the stuff that neutron stars are made of
DOE/US Department of Energy
To predict the properties of matter in a neutron star, physicists consider a theoretical model that consists of an infinite system of pure neutrons that interact by the strong nuclear force. This allows them to calculate the neutron matter equation of state and thus how much weight the star can support before gravity crushes it into a black hole.
10-Sep-2020
A pioneering exploration of exotic nuclei
DOE/US Department of Energy
The nuclei of some isotopes with a specific number of protons and neutrons are more tightly bound than isotopes with more or fewer protons or neutrons. Scientists have now gained a new understanding of the nucleus of mercury-207, an isotope with just two protons less than the magic number 82 and one neutron more than the magic number 126.
8-Sep-2020
An Innovation for Fusion Device Walls May Have Unexpected Benefits for the Core
DOE/US Department of Energy
Instabilities in tokamak confinement fields can damage reactor walls by exposing them to plasma. Resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) suppresses instabilities, but it was thought to impair confinement. New research shows that RMP has no effect on confinement and actually improves tokamak operation.
4-Sep-2020
The mystery of the neutron lifetime
DOE/US Department of Energy
When scientists use two different techniques to measure the neutron lifetime, they get two different results. While it may be experimental uncertainties, it may also be a sign of new physics. With the Department of Energy's support, scientists are working to figure out why this discrepancy exists.
3-Sep-2020
AI helps scientists quantify irradiation effects
DOE/US Department of Energy
Nuclear materials scientists have developed new artificial intelligence computer vision models that automate the detection of defects in alloys used for nuclear power plant reactors. This tool provides defect quantification to better understand the effects of irradiation damage on materials performance.
26-Aug-2020
OSTP, NSF, and DOE announce over $1 billion in awards for AI and QIS research
DOE/US Department of EnergyGrant and Award Announcement
Today, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced over $1 billion in awards for the establishment of 12 new artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum information science (QIS) research institutes nationwide.
24-Aug-2020
Victoria Orphan: Then and Now
DOE/US Department of Energy
Victoria Orphan is the James Irvine Professor of Environmental Science and Geobiology in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences at the California Institute of Technology.
24-Aug-2020
Martin Centurion: Then and Now
DOE/US Department of Energy
Martin Centurion is the Susan J. Rosowski Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.