Matter & Energy

Bosons and fermions, the two classes into which all particles -- from the sub-atomic to atoms themselves -- can be sorted, behave very differently under most circumstances. While identical bosons like to congregate, identical fermions tend…

Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, used a sophisticated physical model to simulate the behavior of fluids moving through pipes. By including the possibility of shear-induced bubble formation, they…

Professor Ronny Thomale holds a chair for theoretical condensed matter physics, the TP1, at the Julius-Maximilian University of Würzburg. The discovery and theoretical description of new quantum states of matter is a prime objective of his…

The interaction between biotin and streptavidin is a well-established experimental tool in bionanotechnology. Physicists have now shown that the mechanical stability of the complex is dependent on the precise geometry of the interface.…

The remaining "bound water" on cotton surfaces cross-link single fibers of cotton, causing hardening after natural drying, according to a new study conducted by Kao Corporation and Hokkaido University. This provides new insight into unique…

There may be a small answer to one of the biggest problems on the planet. German researchers report in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology that they have identified and characterized a strain of bacteria capable of degrading some of the…

When searching through theoretical lists of possible new materials for particular applications, such as batteries or other energy-related devices, there are often millions of potential materials that could be considered, and multiple…

You know how you leave space in a water bottle before you pop it in the freezer -- to accommodate the fact that water expands as it freezes? Most metal parts in airplanes face the more common opposite problem. At high altitudes (low…

Eighty-five percent of the universe is composed of dark matter, but we don't know what, exactly, it is. A new study from the University of Michigan, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and University of California, Berkeley…

Shortages of respiratory protective devices for healthcare personnel are major concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. A team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Emory University, the University of Texas Health Science Center at…