neutrons

Neutron experiments helped reveal the one-carbon enzymatic mechanism that synthesizes vital food sources for cancer cells that depend on vitamin B6, providing key insights into designing novel drugs to slow the spread of aggressive cancers. Credit: Jill Hemman/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of EnergyScientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are advancing cancer treatment research by designing drugs that target the metabolic pathways cancer cells rely on for growth. By mapping the structure of a key enzyme with neutrons and X-rays,…

Researchers at the Quantum Science Center have verified the presence of quantum spin liquid behavior in KYbSe2, a material structured in triangular lattices. This discovery, rooted in a hypothesis from 1973, shows significant potential for advancements in quantum computing and superconductors. The study combines theoretical and experimental approaches to demonstrate key characteristics of quantum spin liquids.A collaborative research team has confirmed quantum spin liquid behavior in the material KYbSe2, validating a…

A sample of Beelitz sandy soil containing fragments of thin polyethylene film (PET) was analyzed here. Such films are used in asparagus cultivation. The neutron tomography (in shades of gray) shows where the PET fragments are located. X-ray tomography of the sample (ochre) reveals the soil structure: superimposed on the neutron tomography, the PET particles (in blue) contained therein become visible. Credit: C. Tötzke / HZB / Uni Potsdam…

By U.S. Department of Energy June 10, 2023Neutrons, subatomic particles found in every atom except hydrogen, are used in scientific research for nondestructive analysis of materials through a method called neutron scattering. Discovered in 1932 and naturally present due to cosmic rays and Earth’s radioactivity, neutrons’ contributions have extended to diverse fields, including archaeology. Notably, the Department of Energy has supported breakthroughs in neutron science, leading to advancements in states of matter, vaccine…

Six animal coffins from Egypt—impressively still sealed after about 2,500 years—have been opened virtually by a team of researchers using a unique imaging technology.The coffins contained lizard remains, the scientists found, as well as textiles that may have once wrapped the small bodies and lead, which may have had magical connotations. The coffins’ insides were revealed using neutron tomography after several failed attempts to see inside the coffins with X-ray imaging. The team’s research is published today in…

A new form of sodium—the element that combines with chlorine to make salt—packs a whacking 28 neutrons in its atomic nucleus, along with the 11 protons that define its chemical identity. With more than double the 13 neutrons in natural sodium, the neutron-rich isotope of the element is so extreme that few theoretical models predicted its existence. “It’s a surprise that these neutrons keep on hanging on,” says Katherine Grzywacz-Jones, a nuclear physicist at the…