Earth

Nearly half of the world population is fed by the industrial N2 fixation, i. e., the Harbor-Bosch process. Although exergonic in nature, NH3 synthesis from N2 and H2 catalyzed by the fused Fe has to be conducted at elevated temperatures and high pressures. It consumes over 1% of the world's annual energy supply. Developing efficient catalysts that enable NH3 synthesis under mild conditions is a grand scientific challenge and is of great practical need.

For the first time in the world, a research group led by Osaka University, Japan, clarified the crystal structure of hydrogen sulfide in its superconducting phase at the high temperature of -70°C. This was achieved by conducting a combination of experiments at one of the world's largest synchrotron radiation facilities, SPring-8 in Japan. These results mark a huge step towards developing room-temperature superconductors, which may provide promising solutions to energy problems.

Researchers from North Carolina State University, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a novel approach to materials characterization, using Bayesian statistical methods to glean new insights into the structure of materials. The work should inform the development of new materials for use in a variety of applications.

Shrink rays may exist only in science fiction, but similar effects are at work in the real world at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

After successfully miniaturizing both clocks and magnetometers based on the properties of individual atoms, NIST physicists have now turned to precision gyroscopes, which measure rotation.

Tropical Storm Gaston was forming in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean as NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead and captured a visible image of the storm.

Scientists and engineers striving to create the next machine-age marvel--whether it be a more aerodynamic rocket, a faster race car, or a higher-efficiency jet engine--depend on reliable analysis and feedback to improve their designs.

A new study challenges the long-held belief that asbestos fibers cannot move through soil. The findings have important implications for current remediation strategies aimed at capping asbestos-laden soils to prevent human exposure of the cancer-causing material.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have invented a new flexible smart window material that, when incorporated into windows, sunroofs, or even curved glass surfaces, will have the ability to control both heat and light from the sun. Their article about the new material will be published in the September issue of Nature Materials.

In a tiny quantum prison, electrons behave quite differently as compared to their counterparts in free space. They can only occupy discrete energy levels, much like the electrons in an atom - for this reason, such electron prisons are often called "artificial atoms". Artificial atoms may also feature properties beyond those of conventional ones, with the potential for many applications for example in quantum computing. Such additional properties have now been shown for artificial atoms in the carbon material graphene.

Fresh understanding of West Antarctica has revealed how the region's ice sheet could become unstable in a warming world.

Scientists studying the region's landscape have determined how it reacted to a period of warming after the coldest point of the most recent Ice Age, some 21,000 years ago.

As the Earth warmed, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet reached a tipping point after which it thinned relatively quickly, losing 400m of thickness in 3,000 years, researchers found. This caused sea levels around the world to increase by up to two metres.

A careful balance of the ingredients in carbon-capture materials would maximize the sequestration of greenhouse gases while simplifying the processing -- or "sweetening" -- of natural gas, according to researchers at Rice University.

The lab of Rice chemist Andrew Barron led a project to map how changes in porous carbon materials and the conditions in which they're synthesized affect carbon capture. They discovered aspects that could save money for industry while improving its products.

Researchers at Queen's University Belfast and ETH Zurich, Switzerland, have created a new theoretical framework which could help physicists and device engineers design better optoelectronics, leading to less heat generation and power consumption in electronic devices which source, detect, and control light.

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Tropical Storm Fiona as it was being weakened by wind shear in the Central Atlantic Ocean.

According to the basic laws of thermodynamics, if you leave a warm apple pie in a winter window eventually the pie would cool down to the same temperature as the surrounding air.

Physicists and technicians of the TSU and Institute of Strength Physics and Materials Science SB RAS are developing experimental samples of ceramics that are resistant to extreme temperatures. The scientists aim to invent a material that can withstand up to 3,000 degrees Celsius. The new product will be used in the space industry and in the manufacture of aircraft engines. Samples of the material were presented at the Second International Conference and Expo on Ceramics and Composite Materials, held 25-26 July in Berlin.