Hidden Rotational Symmetries in Magnetic Domain Patterns While ubiquitous in nature, symmetry is not always evident. The first observation of hidden rotational symmetries in a magnetic system gives scientists a toolbox for discovering hidden symmetries in diverse material systems. Read more… Contact: Keoki Seu Borrowing from Nature to Produce Highly Structured Biomimetic Materials Researchers haveRead More Read more »

Resonant Soft X-Ray Scattering of Tri-Block Copolymers Tri-block copolymers can serve as scaffolds and templates for a vast number of novel and useful nanostructures. Resonant soft x-ray scattering at the ALS, a unique, powerful tool for examining complex, multi-component systems, has revealed a new phase of ABC tri-block copolymer with complicated morphology. Read more… Contact:Read More Read more »

Ultrafast Spectroscopy of Warm Dense Matter So-called “warm dense matter” (neither solid, liquid, gas, nor plasma) tends to be drastically transient and difficult to study in the laboratory. Researchers have now demonstrated that, at the ALS, fast-changing electron temperatures of matter under extreme conditions can be determined with picosecond resolution. Read more… Contact: Byoung-Ick Cho GenomeRead More Read more »

A Better Anode Design to Improve Lithium-Ion Batteries A new kind of anode has been developed for use in lithium-ion batteries that is eight times as absorbent as current designs and has maintained its greatly increased energy capacity after many hundreds of charge-discharge cycles. Read more… Contact: Gao Liu Lensless Imaging of Magnetic Nanostructures TheRead More Read more »

A Microscopic Double-Slit Experiment In a new twist on Young’s classic double-slit experiment, researchers have shown that the double slits can be replaced by electron-emitting diatomic molecules and that traces of electron-wave interference can be directly observed in measurements of the vibrationally resolved photoionization spectra. Read more… Contact: Sophie Canton Signal Recognition Particle-Receptor Complex StructureRead More Read more »

Direct Kinetic Measurements of a Criegee Intermediate “Criegee intermediates” are elusive molecules that play a pivotal role in atmospheric chemistry and are also byproducts of key combustion reactions. At the Chemical Dynamics Beamline, the reaction rates of one form of Criegee intermediate was directly measured for the first time, with some surprising results. Read more…Read More Read more »

Dynein’s Motor Domain Shows Ring-Shaped Motor, Buttress Following a previous study that revealed the structure of dynein’s microtubule binding domain, a new study from ALS Beamline 8.3.1 now shows details of dynein’s motor domain. In addition to defining a large, ring-shaped motor, researchers found an intriguing and unanticipated feature called the buttress which may beRead More Read more »

2011 ALS User Meeting Draws Record Numbers Siegfried S. Hecker regales the audience with stories from his visits to North Korea, working with plutonium. A record 461 people registered for the 2011 ALS User Meeting, packing the plenary sessions, workshops, and meals. Berkeley Lab Deputy Director Horst Simon welcomed guests to the meeting, touching onRead More Read more »

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Bioactive Glass Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration Natural materials are renowned for their unique combination of outstanding mechanical properties and exquisite microstructure. Researchers at Beamline 8.3.2 have created bioactive glass scaffolds that mirror nature’s efficient materials and may provide a means for previously problematic bone regeneration in large, load-bearing limbs. Read more… Contact:  Q. Fu DirectRead More Read more »