Nanoparticle Quilt (IMAGE) North Carolina State University Caption This is an orientation map of a spin-cast array of FePt nanoparticles. Most nanoparticles are enclosed by a hexagon of six neighboring nanoparticles. Each nanoparticle was color coded according to the angle (in degrees) of the hexagon's orientation. Nanoparticles colored white were identified as defects, because they had four, five, seven or eight "nearest neighbors" -- rather than six. Credit Dr. Joe Tracy, North Carolina State University Usage Restrictions Credit must be given. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.