Filter News
Area of Research
- (-) Fusion Energy (8)
- (-) Materials (11)
- (-) Materials for Computing (4)
- Advanced Manufacturing (4)
- Biology and Environment (14)
- Building Technologies (2)
- Clean Energy (32)
- Computational Biology (1)
- Computational Engineering (2)
- Computer Science (6)
- Energy Sciences (1)
- Fusion and Fission (2)
- Isotopes (1)
- Mathematics (1)
- National Security (3)
- Neutron Science (24)
- Nuclear Science and Technology (7)
- Nuclear Systems Modeling, Simulation and Validation (1)
- Supercomputing (8)
News Topics
- (-) Advanced Reactors (6)
- (-) Biomedical (3)
- (-) Clean Water (1)
- (-) Fusion (6)
- (-) Neutron Science (5)
- (-) Summit (1)
- (-) Sustainable Energy (6)
- 3-D Printing/Advanced Manufacturing (8)
- Bioenergy (1)
- Buildings (1)
- Chemical Sciences (5)
- Composites (4)
- Computer Science (4)
- Coronavirus (3)
- Critical Materials (5)
- Decarbonization (1)
- Energy Storage (7)
- Environment (1)
- Frontier (1)
- Isotopes (2)
- Materials (18)
- Materials Science (25)
- Microscopy (8)
- Molten Salt (1)
- Nanotechnology (11)
- Nuclear Energy (6)
- Physics (2)
- Polymers (7)
- Quantum Computing (1)
- Quantum Science (2)
- Space Exploration (1)
- Transportation (7)
Media Contacts
![Heat is typically carried through a material by vibrations known as phonons. In some crystals, however, different atomic motions — known as phasons — carry heat three times faster and farther. This illustration shows phasons made by rearranging atoms, shown by arrows. Credit: Jill Hemman/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2023-02/23-G01840_Phason_Manly_proof3_0.png?h=10d202d3&itok=3NpjriWi)
Warming a crystal of the mineral fresnoite, ORNL scientists discovered that excitations called phasons carried heat three times farther and faster than phonons, the excitations that usually carry heat through a material.
![Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory probed the chemistry of radium to gain key insights on advancing cancer treatments using radiation therapy. Credit: Adam Malin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2022-09/radium_0.jpg?h=dbdf53bf&itok=dMlhyVKO)
Researchers at ORNL explored radium’s chemistry to advance cancer treatments using ionizing radiation.
![ORNL researchers observed that atomic vibrations in a twisted crystal result in winding energetic waves that govern heat transport, which may help new materials better manage heat. Credit: Jill Hemman/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2021-11/21-G02214_Helix_0.png?h=3e3883a3&itok=VkEO_bRp)
A discovery by Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers may aid the design of materials that better manage heat.
![An ORNL research team is investigating new catalysts for ethanol conversion that could advance the cost-effective production of renewable transportation. Credit: Unsplash](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2021-07/catalyst_story_tip_0.jpg?h=78aab1d8&itok=0ieRdqRo)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed a new catalyst for converting ethanol into C3+ olefins – the chemical
![self-healing elastomers](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2021-01/Buildings%20-%20Unbreakable%20bond-%20small.png?h=5ded6b27&itok=Du9vTz_5)
![Shown here is an on-chip carbonized electrode microstructure from a scanning electron microscope. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2020-10/Lavrik%20Story%20Tip_0.jpg?h=33192216&itok=nNMwVUtU)
Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee designed and demonstrated a method to make carbon-based materials that can be used as electrodes compatible with a specific semiconductor circuitry.
![Fuel pellets sometimes degrade to a sandlike consistency and can disperse into the reactor core if a rod’s cladding bursts. ORNL researchers are studying how often this happens and what impact it has, in order to let reactors operate as long as possible without increasing risk.](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2020-08/X2001338_FuelFragmentation_GraphicUpdate_Bumpus_jnj-02_0.jpg?h=049a2720&itok=mzNfF2cS)
A developing method to gauge the occurrence of a nuclear reactor anomaly has the potential to save millions of dollars.
![Using the ASGarD mathematical framework, scientists can model and visualize the electric fields, shown as arrows, circling around magnetic fields that are colorized to represent field magnitude of a fusion plasma. Credit: David Green/ORNL](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2020-08/Max1_t5e-1_EB_0.png?h=35bae166&itok=iRtx2TVM)
Combining expertise in physics, applied math and computing, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists are expanding the possibilities for simulating electromagnetic fields that underpin phenomena in materials design and telecommunications.
![The 1250 ton cyrostat base is positioned over the ITER tokamak pit for installation. This base is the heaviest lift of tokamak assembly. Credit: ITER Organization](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2020-06/Photo%203.%20Base%20over%20pit_1.jpg?h=e4f440a4&itok=pu1dRVe3)
ITER, the world’s largest international scientific collaboration, is beginning assembly of the fusion reactor tokamak that will include 12 different essential hardware systems provided by US ITER, which is managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
![Batteries - The 3D connection](/sites/default/files/styles/list_page_thumbnail/public/2020-05/Batteries_3D%20story%20tip_2.jpg?h=aeb34e32&itok=puhZ_584)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed a thin film, highly conductive solid-state electrolyte made of a polymer and ceramic-based composite for lithium metal batteries.