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Categories: Environmental: Wildfires, Physics: Optics
Published Pancake stack of films on a balloon most accurate gamma-ray telescope
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A pancake stack of radioactivity-sensitive films carried through the sky by a balloon was able to take the world's most accurate picture of a neutron star's gamma ray beam. To achieve this, researchers combined the oldest method of capturing radioactive radiation with the newest data capturing techniques and a clever time-recording device.
Published Blue PHOLEDs: Final color of efficient OLEDs finally viable in lighting
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Lights could soon use the full color suite of perfectly efficient organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs, that last tens of thousands of hours. The new phosphorescent OLEDs, commonly referred to as PHOLEDs, can maintain 90% of the blue light intensity for 10-14 times longer than other designs that emit similar deep blue colors. That kind of lifespan could finally make blue PHOLEDs hardy enough to be commercially viable in lights that meet the Department of Energy's 50,000-hour lifetime target. Without a stable blue PHOLED, OLED lights need to use less-efficient technology to create white light.
Published 360-degree head-up display view could warn drivers of road obstacles in real time
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Researchers have developed an augmented reality head-up display that could improve road safety by displaying potential hazards as high-resolution three-dimensional holograms directly in a driver's field of vision in real time.
Published Aerogel can become the key to future terahertz technologies
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High-frequency terahertz waves have great potential for a number of applications including next-generation medical imaging and communication. Researchers have shown that the transmission of terahertz light through an aerogel made of cellulose and a conducting polymer can be tuned. This is an important step to unlock more applications for terahertz waves.
Published Snowflakes swirling in turbulent air as they fall through a laser light sheet
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A winter wonderland calls to mind piles of fluffy, glistening snow. But to reach the ground, snowflakes are swept into the turbulent atmosphere, swirling through the air instead of plummeting directly to the ground. Researchers found that regardless of turbulence or snowflake type, acceleration follows a universal statistical pattern that can be described as an exponential distribution.
Published Gentle x-ray imaging of small living specimens
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Researchers all over Germany have developed a new system for X-ray imaging, which is suited for both living specimens and sensitive materials. The system records images of micrometer resolution at a minimum radiation dose. In a pilot study, the researchers tested their method on living parasitic wasps and observed them for more than 30 minutes.
Published Spike in dermatology visits for skin problems seen during summer of wildfires
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New research suggests that air pollution may contribute to the development or worsening of skin conditions. The work points to the need to improve air quality to lower the burden of skin disease, especially for vulnerable communities.
Published First observation of how water molecules move near a metal electrode
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A collaborative team of experimental and computational physical chemists has made an important discovery in the field of electrochemistry, shedding light on the movement of water molecules near metal electrodes. This research holds profound implications for the advancement of next-generation batteries utilizing aqueous electrolytes.
Published Wildfires increasing across Eastern U.S.
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Researchers examined 36 years of wildfire data in the eastern United States, focusing on fires that burned large areas. The overall trend for the region showed an increase in fire size, frequency, and shifts in seasonality and highlights a need for proactive management and individual preparedness for those living in this populous part of the country.
Published Ultrafast lasers map electrons 'going ballistic' in graphene, with implications for next-gen electronic devices
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Research reveals the ballistic movement of electrons in graphene in real time. The observations could lead to breakthroughs in governing electrons in semiconductors, fundamental components in most information and energy technology.
Published A promising pairing: Scientists demonstrate new combination of materials for quantum science
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For the first time, scientists publish results on a new chip composed of diamond and lithium niobate. The results demonstrate the combination as a promising candidate for quantum devices.
Published This next generation blue light could potentially promote or hinder sleep on command
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Blue light from LED lamps and consumer electronics can mess with your sleep because it disrupts production of the natural sleep hormone melatonin. Tinted glasses or displays in night mode can mask, but don't remove, a portion of the disruptive wavelengths. But now, researchers report that they have designed more 'human-centric' LEDs that could potentially enhance drowsiness or alertness on command.
Published Researchers create stable hybrid laser by 3D printing micro-optics onto fibers
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For the first time, researchers have shown that 3D-printed polymer-based micro-optics can withstand the heat and power levels that occur inside a laser. The advance enables inexpensive compact and stable laser sources that would be useful in a variety of applications, including the lidar systems used for autonomous vehicles.
Published Wildfires also impact aquatic ecosystems
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Researchers have shown that the effects of wildfires are not limited to terrestrial ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems are also undergoing rapid changes. The study found that fire debris transforms lakes and other aquatic ecosystems, with implications for fisheries and water quality.
Published Twenty-year study confirms California forests are healthier when burned -- or thinned
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A 20-year experiment in the Sierra Nevada confirms that different forest management techniques -- prescribed burning, restoration thinning or a combination of both -- are effective at reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire in California. These treatments also improve forest health, making trees more resilient to stressors like drought and bark beetles, and they do not negatively impact plant or wildlife biodiversity within individual tree stands, the research found.
Published In a new light -- new approach overcomes long-standing limitations in optics
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When you look up at the sky and see clouds of wondrous shapes, or struggle to peer through dense, hazy fog, you're seeing the results of 'Mie scattering', which is what happens with light interacts with particles of a certain size. There is a growing body of research that aims to manipulate this phenomenon and make possible an array of exciting technologies. Researchers have now developed a new means of manipulating Mie scattering from nanostructures.
Published Chance twists ordered carbon nanotubes into 'tornado films'
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Scientists have developed two new methods to create ordered carbon nanotube films with either a left- or right-handed chiral pattern.
Published Conjoined 'racetracks' make new optical device possible
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Kerry Vahala and collaborators from UC Santa Barbara have found a unique solution to an optics problem.
Published Climate change will increase wildfire risk and lengthen fire seasons
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Wildfires are some of the most destructive natural disasters in the country, threatening lives, destroying homes and infrastructure, and creating air pollution. In order to properly forecast and manage wildfires, managers need to understand wildfire risk and allocate resources accordingly.
Published Hybrid device significantly improves existing, ubiquitous laser technology
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Researchers have developed a chip-scale laser source that enhances the performance of semiconductor lasers while enabling the generation of shorter wavelengths. This pioneering work represents a significant advance in the field of photonics, with implications for telecommunications, metrology, and other high-precision applications.