Tag Archives: atomic

Destroyer World Review: Frank Close’s New Book Offers a Fresh Perspective on the Atomic Age

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WHA2R6 Frederick and Irene Joliet Curie's Paris Institute

Irène Joliot-Curie and her husband Frédéric Joliot managed to observe neutrons during their experiments.

Smith Archives/Alamy

Destroyers of the World
Frank Close (Allen Lane (UK); Basic Books (US)

Upon receiving a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2023, particle physicist and Oxford University professor emeritus Frank Close underwent three weeks of radiation therapy, which provided him with a new understanding of radiation’s capabilities.

His 10-year-old grandson shared a detailed account of Emperor Bomba, a 50-megaton nuclear device tested by the Soviet Union in 1961, marking the most powerful human-made explosion. This prompted Close to elucidate the complexities of nuclear energy, highlighting its dual nature as both a power source and a peril.

A three-time winner of the British Science Writers Association Award, Close is well-versed in the intricacies of subatomic physics. His latest work, Destroyers of the World: Deep History of the Nuclear Age 1895-1965, starts with the Trinity Test Blast in July 1945, signifying the moment chemical explosions transitioned to nuclear ones. He takes readers on a historical journey beginning with 1896, when the first atomic traces sparked interest in the nuclear age.

The narrative features 19th-century scientist William Crookes, who delved into spiritualism after his brother’s death, observing “bright green clouds” in a gas-filled, charged vacuum tube. He believed he had synthesized external organisms and discovered phantoms. Theoretical physicist George Gamow is also mentioned, demonstrating that uranium can release charged alpha particles without contradicting energy conservation principles.

Close’s primary focus, however, revolves around the often-overlooked contributions of female physicists in the nuclear arena. He discusses Lise Meitner, who, despite holding a PhD, was banned from a male-only room at the University of Vienna. This didn’t thwart her efforts alongside Otto Hahn to provide X-rays for World War I injuries or her 1917 discovery of protactinium, element 91. In 1925, she was awarded the Lieven Prize, which marked a significant academic achievement.

He also highlights Elaine Joliot-Curie, the daughter of Marie Curie and Pierre Curie, who possessed her parents’ scientific prowess. In a notable scandal in 1910, Marie faced exclusion from the French Academy of Sciences due to her relationship with a married physicist. Elaine sought to defend her family’s legacy, underscoring work she conducted with her husband, Frédéric Joliot. The 1932 announcement of the neutron by James Chadwick shifted the course of nuclear physics.

Furthermore, Close examines the contributions of chemist Aida Noddack, who argued that uranium nuclei could be split into lighter isotopes but faced backlash from a male-dominated field. Noddack’s position as an industrial chemist challenged the established norms of elite nuclear physics.

In Destroyers of the World, Close also addresses the enigma surrounding Ettore Majorana, a theoretical physicist revered by Enrico Fermi, who mysteriously vanished in 1938. Speculation about Majorana’s fate has ranged from suicide to escaping fascism in Italy, but as with many similar cases, certainty eludes us.

As we navigate through the radioactive haze, one fact remains evident: many extraordinary individuals played pivotal roles in unleashing the Nuclear Demon from its confines.

George Bass is a writer based in Kent, UK.

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Atomic scientists set the ‘Doomsday Clock’ closer to midnight than ever before

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WASHINGTON – Atomic scientists on Tuesday pushed the “Doomsday Clock” closer to midnight than ever before, warning Russia's nuclear weapons actions amid the invasion of Ukraine, nuclear-armed Israel's war in Gaza, and worsening climate change on a global scale. cited as a factor causing the crisis. A disaster.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, as it did last year, set the clock to 90 seconds to midnight, the theoretical extinction point. Scientists set the clock based on “existential” risks to the planet and its people, such as nuclear threats, climate change, and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and new biotechnologies.

“Conflict hotspots around the world threaten nuclear escalation, climate change is already causing death and destruction,” Rachel Bronson, the magazine's president and CEO, told Reuters. “Disruptive technologies such as AI and biological research are advancing faster than safeguards.” He added that the fact that there is no change from the previous year “does not indicate that the world is stable.”

A staff member shows the position of the minute hand of the “Doomsday Clock” in Washington, DC, on January 23, 2024. Jacqueline Martin/Associated Press

The Chicago-based nonprofit created the clock in 1947 to warn the public of how close humanity was to global destruction.

Russian massive invasion of Ukraine is set to celebrate its second anniversary next month, and tensions with the West have escalated to the most dangerous levels since the Cold War.

“A permanent end to Russia’s war in Ukraine seems far away, and the possibility that Russia will use nuclear weapons in that conflict remains serious. Over the past year, Russia has sent a number of alarming nuclear signals. '' Bronson said.

Bronson quoted the Russians President Vladimir Putin To be determined in February 2023 Suspend Russia's participation In the New START Treaty with the United States, which limits both countries' strategic nuclear weapons. The United States and Russia possess nearly 90% of the world's nuclear warheads, enough to destroy the Earth multiple times.

Bronson also referenced President Putin's March 2023 announcement regarding Russia's weapons deployment. tactical nuclear weapons Belarusian and Russian parliaments pass laws in October 2023 withdraw ratification A global treaty banning nuclear weapons testing. Russian analyst Sergei Karaganov also spoke last year about the need to threaten nuclear strikes in Europe to intimidate and “calm down” Moscow's enemies.

Israel has so far at war with Hamas According to an Israeli tally, about 1,200 people have been killed since the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic extremist group launched attacks in southern Israel in October 2023. More than 25,000 people have been killed in the Israeli military offensive, according to Gaza health authorities.

“As a nuclear-armed state, Israel's actions are clearly relevant to the Doomsday debate. Of particular concern is the possibility of a broader escalation of conflict in the region, leading to larger conventional wars and more “It could draw in nuclear or near-nuclear states,” Bronson said.

When watches were first made, the greatest danger came from nuclear weapons. climate change It was first considered as a factor in 2007.

“The world in 2023 has been hit by a major disaster and has entered uncharted territory. hottest year on record And global greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise,” Bronson said. “Global and North Atlantic sea surface temperatures both broke records, and Antarctic sea ice reached its lowest daily area since the advent of satellite data.”

Bronson said 2023 was also a record year for clean energy, with $1.7 trillion in new investment. But this was offset by nearly $1 trillion in fossil fuel investments, Bronson added.

“This shows that current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while promising, are far from sufficient to avoid the dangerous human and economic impacts of climate change, and that Changes disproportionately affect the world's poorest people,” Bronson said.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded in 1945 by scientists such as Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer. It relies on a panel of experts in nuclear technology and climate science to set the clock each year. This watch was first introduced during the Cold War tensions following World War II.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Hidden Secrets of Atomic Structure Uncovered by Scientists

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Groundbreaking research led by Professor Motoki Shiga has unraveled the complex atomic structure of glass, revealing its unique patterns and anisotropy. This research paves the way for advanced exploration of glass materials using AI and machine learning techniques.Credit: Motoki Shiga

Glass is an essential material in our daily life and serves a variety of purposes, such as insulating our homes and forming the screens of our computers and smartphones. However, its widespread historical use stands in contrast to the scientific mystery posed by its disordered atomic structure. This puzzling arrangement of atoms complicates efforts to fully understand and manipulate the structural properties of glasses. Therefore, designing effective functional materials from glass remains a difficult challenge for scientists.

Advances in glass research

To further elucidate the structural regularities hidden in glassy materials, the research group focused on the ring shape of the chemically bonded glass network. A research group including Professor Motoki Shiga of Tohoku University’s unprecedented scale data analysis center has developed a new method to quantify the three-dimensional structure of the ring and the symmetry of the structure, “roundness” and “roughness.”

Spatial atomic density around rings of silica crystal (left) and glass (right). Blue and red regions indicate areas with high density of silicon and oxygen atoms, respectively.Credit: Motoki Shiga et al.

Breakthroughs and future directions

“Structural units and structural order beyond chemical bonds have long been inferred through experimental observations, but until now scientists have avoided identifying them,” Professor Shiga says. “Furthermore, our successful analysis contributes to the understanding of phase transitions such as vitrification and crystallization in materials and provides the necessary mathematical explanations to control the structure and material properties of materials.”

Looking to the future, Shiga and his colleagues plan to use these techniques to devise procedures for exploring glass materials, procedures based on data-driven approaches such as: machine learning And AI.

Reference: “Ring-derived anisotropy of local structural order in amorphous and crystalline silicon dioxide” by Motoki Shiga, Akihiko Hirata, Yohei Onodera, and Hirokazu Masai, November 3, 2023. Communication materials.
DOI: 10.1038/s43246-023-00416-w

Source: scitechdaily.com

The use of 3D atomic revelations revolutionizes alloy engineering

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UCLA scientists have accomplished a groundbreaking feat by mapping medium- and high-entropy alloys in 3D for the first time, revealing their unique combination of toughness and flexibility. This advancement has the potential to revolutionize the field of alloy design and utilization.

This study represents a significant achievement in alloy research, providing the first 3D mapping of medium- and high-entropy alloys. These materials have the potential to enhance toughness and flexibility, presenting a new approach to alloy design.

These types of alloys, which combine three or more metals in approximately equal amounts, have stable properties that blend hardness and flexibility not typically found in traditional alloys. In comparison, traditional alloys are predominantly comprised of one metal with smaller proportions of others. The discovery is based on the counterintuitive fact that small structural defects make metals and alloys stronger. The research team focused on a type of structural defect called a twin boundary, which is a key factor in the unique combination of toughness and flexibility of medium and high entropy alloys.

The researchers created nanoparticles using a series of metals, including nickel, palladium, platinum, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, silver, iridium, and more. The nanoparticles were then imaged using an innovative technique called atomic electron tomography.

The researchers found that the more atoms of different elements or categories of elements are mixed together, the more likely it is that the structure of the alloy will change and contribute to the harmonization of toughness and flexibility.

The study, published in the journal Nature, represents a significant step forward in understanding the structure and properties of medium- and high-entropy alloys. The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and conducted at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry.

This advancement has the potential to change the way alloys are designed and utilized. The possibility of avoiding the longstanding trade-offs inherent in most materials has the potential to significantly impact a wide range of applications, from buildings and transportation to appliances and tools.

Source: scitechdaily.com