A recent study  utilized the capability of Beamline 6.1.2 to study nanoscale magnetization dynamics for understanding how one can control the spin circulation separately. It was found that the dynamic reversal process is controlled by far-from equilibrium gyrotropic precession of the vortex core and a reversal can be achieved at significantly reduced field amplitudes compared to static switching. This study sets an important milestone towards the realization of magnetic vortex structures in novel magnetic devices.

Plants transport water through elongated cells called xylem. Data generated using x-ray microtomography reveals the 3D spatial organization of fern xylem networks, revealing that that xylem organization in ferns is finely tuned to the environment and other physiological traits that allow each species to successfully compete for light, water, and nutrients.

Elemental and chemical imaging analyses showed that sea salt particles react with water-soluble organic acids in the atmosphere through a unique mechanism which had been overlooked in atmospheric chemistry. The reactions release volatile hydrogen chloride into the atmosphere and leave behind sea salt particles drained of chloride.

Advanced ceramic composites can withstand the ultrahigh operational temperatures projected for hypersonic jet and next generation gas turbine engines, but real-time analysis of the mechanical properties of these space-age materials at ultrahigh temperatures has been a challenge – until now. Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley researchers have developed the first testing facility at ALS Beamline 8.3.2 that enables CT-scanning of ceramic composites under controlled loads at ultrahigh temperatures and in real-time.

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(Left) Schematic illustration of the in situ ultrahigh temperature tensile test rig for synchrotron x-ray computed microtomography now being used at ALS Beamline 8.3.2. (Right) CT scans showing the formation of microcracks in ceramic composites under applied tensile loads at 1,750 degrees Celsius.

Diamondoids are nanoparticles made of only a handful of carbon atoms, arranged in the same way as in diamond, forming nanometer sized diamond crystals. A new study shows how they could enable the development of a new generation of electron emitters.

Amyloids are insoluble fibrous protein aggregates sharing specific structural traits. Amyloid diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and the prion conditions, are each associated with a particular protein in fibrillar form. These amyloid fibrils were long suspected to be the disease agents, but evidence now suggests that small, transient, polymorphic oligomers are the toxic entities.

Sea urchin spicules are an ideal system for studying biomineral formation mechanisms because they contain 99.9% calcite. For the first time, researchers have directly observed spicules caught in the act of crystalizing, gaining a tremendous amount of information about the process and even some unexpected results.

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a normal process for most cells in multicellular organisms. Inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins suppress apoptosis and are over-expressed in human cancer cells, causing resistance to cytotoxic therapies.

A research team has acquired nanoscale, element-specific images of a crystallographic boundary in an a new magnetic shape memory compound. Knowledge about these magnetostructural domain boundaries will be useful in adapting these compounds for robotic and medical applications.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin and the ALS conducted the first demonstration of quantitative Polarization-dependent Imaging Contrast (PIC) mapping on the prismatic layer of a mollusk shell, revealing multiply-oriented nanocrystals.

Professor Nitash Balsara and his team at the University of California, Berkeley have developed nanostructured electrolytes for use in lithium batteries that have the potential to increase the energy density of the batteries and make them safer.

Due to drought and limited freshwater supplies, the increased accumulation of naturally occurring salts, boron (B), and selenium (Se) has worsened in some agricultural areas. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture used ALS Beamline 10.3.2 to study the utilization of Se-biofortified crops in these “semiretired lands."

Working through the Collaborative Crystallography program at the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology, University of Washington researchers recently published a structural analysis of a voltage-gated ion channel, a type of protein that controls the flow of ions across a cell membrane in response to electrical potential.

In autophagy, a double-membrane structure called an ‘autophagosome’ engulfs portions of a cell's cytoplasm, directing them for degradation. Research performed at ALS Beamlines 8.2.2 and 12.3.1 reveals a central mechanism in autophagy, as well as a unique mode of enzyme binding.

Researchers performing resonant soft x-ray scattering on polymer/fullerene bulk heterojunction solar cells at ALS Beamline 11.0.1 have uncovered what makes these organic photovoltaics some of the most promising technologies for next-generation solar energy conversion.