PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Copper shock: An atomic-scale stress test

2013-10-22
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Andy Freeberg
afreeberg@slac.stanford.edu
650-926-4359
DOE/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Copper shock: An atomic-scale stress test

Scientists used the powerful X-ray laser at the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to create movies detailing trillionths-of-a-second changes in the arrangement of copper atoms after an extreme shock. Movies like these will help researchers create new kinds of materials and test the strength of existing ones.

This work, published Oct. 11 in Science, pinpointed the precise breaking point when the extreme pressures began to permanently deform the copper structure, or lattice, so it could no longer bounce back to its original shape. Such experiments provide a direct test of complex computer simulations that model the behavior of many millions of atoms within tiny samples of material.

Such simulations are used to design stronger, more durable materials – such as shielding for satellites to withstand high-speed pelting by space debris – but they have been hard to test in the lab because of the tiny samples and short timescales involved.

VIDEO: A sequence of X-ray diffraction images, 10 trillionths of a second apart, shows how a shock impacts the crystal structure, or lattice, of copper at the atomic scale.
Click here for more information.

"The results enable a number of materials experiments that can be compared to simulations at the same scales," said Despina Milathianaki, a staff scientist at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) who led the experiment. "This and future experiments, designed to provide a direct comparison with simulations, will help us to accurately predict the strength of materials in extreme conditions."

In this experiment, researchers shocked a layer of copper about 1 thousandth of a millimeter, or 1 micron thick with optical laser pulses, and then probed the copper's lattice with ultrabright X-ray pulses. They compiled the X-ray images into atomic-scale movies that detail how the lattice responded at various times after the shock, including the moment the copper reached its breaking point.

"The demand for research time at LCLS is already at a premium, and these results demonstrate yet another new technique that we believe will open the door to a host of new experiments," said Sebastien Boutet, who leads LCLS's Coherent X-ray Imaging (CXI) Department, where the measurements were performed.

The same research team – composed mostly of SLAC scientists, with collaborators from University of Oxford, Stanford University and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory – also shocked other metals, including iron and titanium, and is analyzing the data obtained from those samples.

Follow-up research scheduled at LCLS in March seeks to extend the research to additional materials and to enlist other x-ray scattering techniques, which may provide more details about the origins of the damage in the lattice.



INFORMATION:

SLAC is a multi-program laboratory exploring frontier questions in photon science, astrophysics, particle physics and accelerator research. Located in Menlo Park, California, SLAC is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. To learn more, please visit http://www.slac.stanford.edu.

This research was supported by the Linac Coherent Light Source's (LCLS) in-house research effort. SLAC's LCLS is the world's most powerful X-ray free-electron laser. A DOE national user facility, its highly focused beam shines a billion times brighter than previous X-ray sources to shed light on fundamental processes of chemistry, materials and energy science, technology and life itself. For more information, visit lcls.slac.stanford.edu.

DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.

Citation: D. Milathianaki et al., Science, 11 Oct 2013 (10.1126/science.1239566)



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

'A permanent talent underclass': UConn researcher's report charts 'excellence gap' among American students

2013-10-22
'A permanent talent underclass': UConn researcher's report charts 'excellence gap' among American students STORRS, Conn. – The circle of high-achieving American students is becoming a preserve for the white and well-off, with potentially severe consequences for the ...

NASA sees hint of Typhoon Lekima's rapidly intensification

2013-10-22
NASA sees hint of Typhoon Lekima's rapidly intensification Tropical Storm Lekima intensified quickly early on Oct. 22 while traveling over the open waters of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The day before the rapid intensification, NASA's TRMM satellite passed overhead ...

Opioids for chronic pain: Study looks at how patients and their doctors talk about risks

2013-10-22
Opioids for chronic pain: Study looks at how patients and their doctors talk about risks INDIANAPOLIS -- Although the popular press -- from entertainment news to the crime blotter -- has paid significant attention to the dangers of hydrocodone, oxycodone and other opioids, ...

Low-priced plastic photovoltaics

2013-10-22
Low-priced plastic photovoltaics Article in 'The Journal of Chemical Physics' describes new approach to making cheaper, more efficient solar panels WASHINGTON, D.C. Oct. 22, 2013 -- Photovoltaic devices, which tap the power of the sun and convert it to electricity, ...

Hydrogel implant enables light-based communication with cells inside the body

2013-10-22
Hydrogel implant enables light-based communication with cells inside the body As researchers develop novel therapies based on inducing specific cells to do specific things, getting the right message to the right group of cells at the right time remains ...

Classification system proposed for green roofs

2013-10-22
Classification system proposed for green roofs Green roofs (or living roofs) are becoming a growing trend in North America – and have been long established in Europe – for their value in conserving energy, improving air quality, managing storm water runoff, beautifying ...

Supernatural experiences trigger religious donations, Baylor study shows

2013-10-22
Supernatural experiences trigger religious donations, Baylor study shows People who have had what they believe to be supernatural experiences are more likely to be "religious givers," with their behavior based on cost-benefit principles that apply in other transactions ...

GW researcher conducts review of most successful outside interventions in reducing ED use

2013-10-22
GW researcher conducts review of most successful outside interventions in reducing ED use WASHINGTON (Oct. 22, 2013) – In recent years, many groups, including policy makers and health systems, have looked for ways to reduce the number of visits to the emergency ...

Shifting winds in turbine arrays

2013-10-22
Shifting winds in turbine arrays New model described in 'Physics of Fluids' shows changing air flows can transfer energy to wind turbines from both above and below the blades WASHINGTON, D.C. Oct. 22, 2013 -- Researchers modeling how changes in air flow ...

NASA sees Atlantic depression become Tropical Storm Lorenzo

2013-10-22
NASA sees Atlantic depression become Tropical Storm Lorenzo It took six hours for the thirteenth tropical depression of the Atlantic Ocean hurricane season to organize and strengthen into Tropical Storm Lorenzo. NASA's Aqua satellite captured a "before" image and ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

What drives sleep problems in long-term care facilities?

New antibiotic for drug-resistant bacteria found hiding in plain sight

New mapping identifies urgent opportunities to strengthen Singapore’s children’s mental health ecosystem

New research reveals significant prevalence of valvular heart disease among older Americans

Outdoor air pollution linked to higher incidence of breast cancer

Thiophene-doped fully conjugated covalent organic frameworks for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production

Earth’s ‘boring billion years’ created the conditions for complex life

Health data for 57 million people in England show changing patterns of heart diseases before, during and after the pandemic

Cycling ‘near misses’ in London worst at rush hour and on roads without dedicated infrastructure

Roots in the dark: Russian scientists uncover hidden carbon dioxide uptake in plant roots

Biochar and hydrochar show contrasting climate effects in boreal grasslands

Turning trash into treasure: Scientists transform waste plastics into high-value carbon materials

Boys don’t cry? How picture books can teach gendered ideas about pain

In global collaboration, IU scientists unlock secrets to the building blocks of the universe

Young adults fear mass shootings but don’t necessarily support gun control

How unlocking ‘sticky’ chemistry may lead to better, cleaner fuels

Cutting balloon treatment prior to stent placement comparable to intravascular lithotripsy for patients with calcified coronary artery disease

Novel sirolimus-eluting balloon appears noninferior to conventional therapies for treatment of in-stent restenosis

Nearly half of US workers don’t know work experience could count toward a degree, according to University of Phoenix survey

Super-high-pressure non-compliant balloons for treatment of calcified coronary lesions noninferior to intravascular lithotripsy

Saudi Native Dr. Hani K. Najm named next vice president of the American College of Cardiology

Getting steps in one long walk a day cuts risk of death and CVD better than multiple short walks

The way you walk: 10–15 minute bouts of walking better for your cardiovascular health than shorter strolls

Beyond electronics: harnessing light for faster computing

Researchers find possible cause for increasing polarization

From soft to solid: How a coral stiffens its skeleton on demand

New software tool MARTi fast-tracks identification and response to microbial threats

Rare brain cell may hold the key to preventing schizophrenia symptoms

A new tool to find hidden ‘zombie cells’

New Cleveland Clinic research finds up to 5% of Americans carry genetic mutations associated with cancer risk

[Press-News.org] Copper shock: An atomic-scale stress test