91°µÍø

In response to a renewed international interest in molten salt reactors, researchers from the Department of Energy’s 91°µÍø have developed a novel technique to visualize molten salt intrusion in graphite.

Using neutrons to see the additive manufacturing process at the atomic level, scientists have shown that they can measure strain in a material as it evolves and track how atoms move in response to stress.

In 2023, the National School on X-ray and Neutron Scattering, or NXS, marked its 25th year during its annual program, held August 6–18 at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge and Argonne National Laboratories.   

Scientists at ORNL and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have found a way to simultaneously increase the strength and ductility of an alloy by introducing tiny precipitates into its matrix and tuning their size and spacing.

From materials science and earth system modeling to quantum information science and cybersecurity, experts in many fields run simulations and conduct experiments to collect the abundance of data necessary for scientific progress.

Joe Paddison, a Eugene P. Wigner Fellow at the Department of Energy’s 91°µÍø, believes there’s more information to be found in neutron scattering data than scientists like himself might expect.

Students often participate in internships and receive formal training in their chosen career fields during college, but some pursue professional development opportunities even earlier.

Raphaël Hermann of the Department of Energy’s 91°µÍø conducts experiments to better understand materials for energy and information applications.

The lighter wand for your gas BBQ, a submarine’s sonar device and the ultrasound machine at your doctor’s office all rely on piezoelectric materials, which turn mechanical stress into electrical energy, and vice versa.