Latest news with #ORNL
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
US scientists simulate how tens of thousands of electrons move in materials in real time
Scientists have developed a simulation that can predict how tens of thousands of electrons move in materials in real time, or natural time rather than compute by a team from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in collaboration with North Carolina State University, the model combines ORNL's expertise in time-dependent quantum methods with NCSU's advanced quantum simulation revealed that the latest effort is vital in designing new technologies such as advanced photovoltaic cells and emerging information systems. They underlined that by directly observing thousands of electrons in real-time, scientists gain powerful insights into how materials respond at the quantum in the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, the team developed a real-time, time-dependent density functional theory, or RT-TDDFT, capability within the open-source Real-space Multigrid, or RMG, code to model systems of up to 24,000 is a quantum mechanical method that allows researchers to simulate how electrons move and interact in materials over time, once they are excited by an external stimulus. It works by calculating how the electron density in materials changes in response to the application of electric and electromagnetic fields (i.e. light), for instance. Researchers highlighted that the real-time, time-dependent describes the real-time evolution of the wavefunction or quantum-mechanical property. 24,000 electrons is about the same size as treating 4,000 carbon atoms or 2,400 water molecules treating the time evolution of all their electrons. "Think of it like watching a slow-motion replay of all the electrons in a tiny piece of metal responding to a flash of light, but at an incredibly detailed, quantum level," said ORNL's Jacek Jakowski."Our calculations are so large that they require one of the world's fastest supercomputers to run them in 'real time'. By capturing these electron movements at scale, we can predict how new materials will behave, potentially leading to more efficient photovoltaic cells, faster computers, and better quantum technologies." The study revealed that their method offers insights into nonequilibrium dynamics and excited states across a diverse range of systems, from small organic molecules to large metallic nanoparticles. Benchmarking results demonstrate excellent agreement with established TDDFT implementations and showcase the superior stability of our time integration algorithm, enabling long-term simulations with minimal energy drift. Researchers also highlighted that metallic nanoparticles, or metals with dimensions within 1-100 nanometers, have unique optical properties caused by the way thousands of electrons within these metals interact with incoming light. It's critical for researchers to understand the ways these electrons move under a range of conditions to advance these new technologies. The challenge in moving these technologies forward has been capturing these ultrafast electron dynamics in realistic nanoscale materials, or materials where at least one dimension is on the scale of nanometers, according to a press release. The study underlined that the achievement enables the design of novel materials with tunable optical, electronic and magnetic properties and opens the door to new innovations in optical and quantum information devices. "These developments hold great promise for creating novel devices with tailored electronic, optical and magnetic properties," said Professor Bernholc. "Ultimately, we hope our real-time approach will guide experimental efforts and accelerate breakthroughs in areas ranging from spintronics to quantum information science." Next steps for the project include simulating even more complex scenarios to discover new physics in quantum systems and enhancing efficiency and accuracy to handle larger, more intricate simulations, as per the release.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘A county of stories' Anderson County's rich history revealed through archival records
CLINTON, Tenn. (WATE) — Anderson County is among the oldest counties in East Tennessee, with a rich history that has made a footprint across the world. In the hallways of Clinton's courthouse, Anderson County records archivist Zach Foster holds the keys to the rich history of where he grew up. If you need to know something about your family in Anderson County, Foster has you covered. 'I did have someone from California once reach out to me, needing to see her ancestor's will from right around the turn of the century. And we actually had it, which was fantastic,' said Foster. Foster can tell you all about Anderson County's roots too. It was initially Cherokee land, and was later claimed by people coming over from Virginia in the late 1700's. Emory Valley Center continues to serve disabled community in Anderson County 'The three biggest things for Anderson County: agriculture when we were first founded, that moved into pearling of all things in the 1890s, and, of course, that moved into coal industry,' said Foster. That's right, finding pearls along the Clinch River was rather lucrative. 'The pearling industry was so big because we had people come as far away as Chicago, they would get off on Market Street. That is where the actual merchants would come and buy pearls up from the local guys like crazy. Some of the pearls made it as far as Paris, France to be showcased for how fantastic they were,' said Foster. The county's history can be found throughout the area, including at the David Hall Cabin, which sits just outside of town. It was built in 1799. 'Well, it was built on Emory Road. So, all the pioneers and gunslingers would go right in front of it, so I supposed it was quite popular,' said Libby Bumgardner. The cabin has been in Bumgardner's family for generations, with documents and artifacts dating back to the Civil War found inside. 'When we got in it and found all those receipts and letters it just told a story, told a history. And I had to save it,' said Bumgardner. ORNL innovation leading the way for over 80 years Between Bumgardner and Foster, the rich history of Anderson County is not hard to find. 'There's countless stories in Anderson County, we're a county of stories. And I guess I'm kind of the steward of that, which is a huge honor,' said Foster. Foster jokes he is related to everyone in Anderson County, but has time to learn everyone's names, eventually. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Oak Ridge High gets $225,000 donation supporting new high-tech tools
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — UT-Battelle donated $225,000 to Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation for a project called 'Giants of Oak Ridge.' The money is to fund a student-run project that uses generative AI, advanced manufacturing and software from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Students will use the tools to design statues of prominent historical figures to be installed throughout the city. UT-Battelle is also paying up to $250,000 for lab staff to work alongside Oak Right High School students, training them to use the equipment. London, Kentucky couple recounts huddling in basement as tornado destroyed home 'What keeps America a great country is the investment that we make in public education and the way that we support our kids who grow up and be the leaders of tomorrow,' said Stephen Streiffer from ORNL. 'One of the things we often say at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is 'The people that will make up the workforce 10 years from now are the kids that are at the high school, middle schools and elementary [schools] now.' Streiffer said this will help students learn how to move into the workforce. He emphasized that the equipment the students will be using is the same as is used at ORNL. TWRA, Appalachian Bear Rescue working to boost cooperation, increase transparency UT-Battelle is a nonprofit company established to manage and operate ORNL. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New Oak Ridge grad places third at national symposium with autism research project
Brandon Bonamarte, now an Oak Ridge High School graduate, placed third at the 63rd annual National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) held on April 22-26. The event welcomed 239 of the brightest high school STEM students from across the country, their teachers, and JSHS university partners. Esteemed judging panels of scientists from the Department of Defense selected the top presenters in each of the eight categories. Brandon was awarded a scholarship for his placement in the oral presentation category. Bonamarte presented his research experience building a program to diagnose patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder based on data from the Social Responsiveness Scale, according to a news release from Oak Ridge Schools. Bonamarte and his research partner, new ORHS grad Cailyn Lawson, worked with Rick Archibald at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to determine that SRS is a good predictor of an ASD diagnosis. "Our program has the potential to streamline the diagnostic process by reducing the amount of data required to make an accurate diagnosis,' said Bonamarte. 'This research experience played a significant role in inspiring me to pursue the study of mathematics and its real-world applications in college.' Bonamarte and Lawson were able to conduct research at ORNL as part of the Math, Science Thesis course at Oak Ridge High School under the guidance of thesis advisors Deanna Pickel and Jessica Williams. 'We're incredibly fortunate to be part of a unique, STEM-focused community where our students are provided the opportunity to work alongside some of the nation's leading scientists,' said Williams. 'We are grateful for our longstanding partnership with ORNL and their willingness to enrich student learning in this way.' Bonamarte is the son of Robert and Joy Bonamarte, and Lawson is the daughter of Justin and Carol Lawson all of Oak Ridge. Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) is a Department of Defense sponsored STEM program (U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense and the U.S. Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force) that encourages high school students to conduct original research in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and publicly recognizes students for outstanding achievement. By connecting talented students, their teachers, and research professionals at affiliated symposia and by rewarding research excellence, JSHS aims to widen the pool of trained talent prepared to conduct research and development vital to our nation. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: New Oak Ridge grad places at symposium with autism research project
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Preparing an Oak Ridge fission production lab for demolition
The U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) notched a significant cleanup achievement after crews finished characterizing all 21 hot cells at a Cold War facility, This is a complex task that informs plans to safety remove waste and prepare the structure for demolition, according to a news release from cleanup contractor UCOR. As part of the characterization work, OREM and UCOR identified the types and levels of contamination in the former Fission Production Development Lab, known as Building 3517, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 'Completing this phase sets the stage for some much bigger accomplishments,' Steve Clemmons, OREM's acting ORNL portfolio federal project director, said in the news release. 'This is one of the most difficult facilities we're responsible for addressing, and it's eventual removal will be a meaningful risk reduction in ORNL's central campus area.' OREM and UCOR's progress is steadily reducing the number of high-risk excess contaminated facilities at ORNL, clearing away hazards and opening space for researchers to advance innovation and make their next big discovery. Crews could not enter the hot cells to conduct the characterization work due to the extremely high radiation and contamination levels inside them. Hot cells are heavily shielded rooms designed to safely contain highly radioactive material during operations. Operating from 1958 through 1989, Building 3517 was built to recover large quantities of fission products from waste generated in reactor fuel reprocessing operations. It also supported processing and recovery of other reactor-produced isotopes. Crews drilled through concrete covers to access each cell, and those openings allowed them to gather remote video footage and perform initial radiological surveys. The team also created a mobile enclosure that served as a containment area and proved to be incredibly helpful during drilling and data collection. Employees were able to move the enclosure as they progressed from one cell to the next. 'This is an outstanding effort by our workforce to complete investigation and initial characterization of these hot cells,' UCOR ORNL Cleanup Area Project Manager Chad York stated. 'For this team to execute this high-risk work scope, encountering significant levels of contamination daily, and perform the work without incident speaks volumes to the experience and knowledge this team has.' OREM has also successfully removed ORNL's single largest source of legacy radioactivity material, which was located at Building 3517. A partnership with private industry removed a 500-watt radioisotope thermoelectric generator from storage to be recycled into a source of energy for new power systems used by the U.S. Department of Defense. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Preparing an Oak Ridge fission production lab for demolition
