Physics and Astronomy News Archive: April 2016

Image: New state of water molecule discovered

New state of water molecule discovered

Source: ORNL   Posted: 4/29/16

Researchers have discovered a new state of water molecule using neutron scattering & computational modeling.
Image: A brand-new way to produce electron spin currents

A brand-new way to produce electron spin currents

Source: ColoState   Posted: 4/28/16

For the first time, scientists have used non-polarized light to produce what’s called a spin voltage – a unit of power produced from the quantum spinning of an individual electron.
Image: Mars surface revealed in unprecedented detail

Mars surface revealed in unprecedented detail

Source: UCL   Posted: 4/27/16

The surface of Mars – including the location of Beagle-2 – has been shown in unprecedented detail by scientists using a revolutionary image stacking and matching technique.
Image: Team builds first quantum cascade laser on silicon

Team builds first quantum cascade laser on silicon

Source: Eurekalert   Posted: 4/21/16

The advance may have applications that span from chemical bond spectroscopy and gas sensing, to astronomy and free-space communications.
Image: A New Way To Get Electricity From Magnetism

A New Way To Get Electricity From Magnetism

Source: UUtah   Posted: 4/20/16

By showing that a phenomenon dubbed the “inverse spin Hall effect” works in several organic semiconductors – including carbon-60 buckyballs - physicists changed magnetic “spin current” into electric current.
Image: New state of matter detected in a 2D material

New state of matter detected in a 2D material

Source: UCam   Posted: 4/9/16

Researchers have observed the ‘fingerprint’ of a mysterious new quantum state of matter in a two-dimensional material, in which electrons break apart.