Projects

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed, synthesized and tested nontoxic but high-functioning lubricant additives for use in electrical turbines installed in aquatic environments, which will aid the adoption of marine energy.

The High Energy Nuclear Physics Group studies the features of both high temperature and low temperature Quantum Chromo Dynamics (QCD) in strongly interacting matter using ultra high energy collisions of p+p, p+Pb and Pb+Pb at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) with the A Large Ion Collider Experiment. (ALICE). Presently, the ORNL group leads a large collaboration of US groups conducting a central Barrel Tracking Upgrade (BTU) of the ALICE experiment for a new program of measurements on the Quark Gluon Plasma starting in 2002.

The synthesis of the heaviest nuclei and studies of their properties expands our understanding of the extent and structure of the atomic and nuclear worlds. Recently, ORNL was recognized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry for contributions to the discovery of two new elements, tennessine (atomic number 117) and moscovium (atomic number 115).

The COHERENT experiment makes use of the intense, high-quality neutrinos from the Spallation Neutron Source to measure neutrino-nucleus scattering. COHERENT made the first of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS) in 2017 and its ongoing program with multiple target nuclei will probe physics beyond the standard model, and address questions in nuclear physics and astrophysics.

The overarching goal of this project is to attain a fundamental, predictive understanding of key chemical processes in aqueous solutions, at mineral-water interfaces, and within geologic media that affect mineral nucleation, growth, and dissolution and drive changes in porosity, permeability and water quality.

The overarching goal of this research is to develop a fundamental understanding of the synergy between strong interactions at the ligand-metal binding site and weak interactions in the surrounding coordination sphere for the selective separations and stimuli-responsive release of lanthanides.

Development, validation, and distribution of external-parameter-free methods and open source codes to predict and understand the properties of functional materials, emphasizing those with strong electronic correlations, van der Waals and spin-orbit interactions.

Understand the formation, behavior, and enhancement of entangled quantum states in solid state quantum emitters through atomic-level control over dopant and vacancy position and material geometry enabled by electron beam-based atomic manipulation.