Filter News
Area of Research
- (-) Neutron Science (23)
- (-) Nuclear Science and Technology (11)
- Advanced Manufacturing (3)
- Biology and Environment (53)
- Building Technologies (1)
- Clean Energy (83)
- Climate and Environmental Systems (1)
- Computational Biology (1)
- Computational Engineering (3)
- Computer Science (15)
- Electricity and Smart Grid (3)
- Functional Materials for Energy (1)
- Fusion and Fission (27)
- Fusion Energy (13)
- Isotopes (1)
- Materials (59)
- Materials for Computing (12)
- Mathematics (1)
- National Security (41)
- Quantum information Science (9)
- Sensors and Controls (1)
- Supercomputing (134)
News Topics
- (-) Biotechnology (1)
- (-) Computer Science (15)
- (-) Cybersecurity (2)
- (-) Frontier (1)
- (-) Fusion (9)
- (-) Machine Learning (3)
- (-) Microscopy (3)
- (-) Quantum Science (7)
- 3-D Printing/Advanced Manufacturing (10)
- Advanced Reactors (11)
- Artificial Intelligence (6)
- Big Data (2)
- Bioenergy (7)
- Biology (5)
- Biomedical (13)
- Chemical Sciences (2)
- Clean Water (2)
- Climate Change (1)
- Composites (1)
- Coronavirus (9)
- Decarbonization (3)
- Energy Storage (6)
- Environment (8)
- Fossil Energy (1)
- High-Performance Computing (2)
- Isotopes (5)
- Materials (14)
- Materials Science (26)
- Mathematics (1)
- Molten Salt (4)
- Nanotechnology (10)
- National Security (2)
- Neutron Science (101)
- Nuclear Energy (38)
- Physics (10)
- Polymers (1)
- Quantum Computing (1)
- Security (2)
- Space Exploration (8)
- Summit (6)
- Sustainable Energy (3)
- Transformational Challenge Reactor (3)
- Transportation (5)
Media Contacts
Ionic conduction involves the movement of ions from one location to another inside a material. The ions travel through point defects, which are irregularities in the otherwise consistent arrangement of atoms known as the crystal lattice. This sometimes sluggish process can limit the performance and efficiency of fuel cells, batteries, and other energy storage technologies.
Researchers used neutron scattering at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Spallation Neutron Source to investigate bizarre magnetic behavior, believed to be a possible quantum spin liquid rarely found in a three-dimensional material. QSLs are exotic states of matter where magnetism continues to fluctuate at low temperatures instead of “freezing” into aligned north and south poles as with traditional magnets.
The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is collaborating with industry on six new projects focused on advancing commercial nuclear energy technologies that offer potential improvements to current nuclear reactors and move new reactor designs closer to deployment.
When it’s up and running, the ITER fusion reactor will be very big and very hot, with more than 800 cubic meters of hydrogen plasma reaching 170 million degrees centigrade. The systems that fuel and control it, on the other hand, will be small and very cold. Pellets of frozen gas will be shot int...