Global Energy Awards

 Spinning Plasma Solves a Long-Standing Fusion Reactor Mystery For years, researchers have struggled to explain why plasma particles in tokamaks consistently strike the inner divertor more heavily than the outer one, a subtle but crucial imbalance for fusion reactor design. New simulations reveal that the answer lies not only in sideways particle drifts near the exhaust but also in the powerful rotation of the plasma core itself.  A persistent asymmetry in fusion exhaust has challenged researchers for years. New simulations show that plasma core rotation, working together with cross-field drifts, determines where particles land inside a tokamak. Tokamaks are often described as giant magnetic “doughnuts,” built to keep an ultra-hot soup of charged particles suspended long enough for atomic nuclei to fuse and release energy. But even in the best magnetic cages, some of that plasma leaks out. When it does, the particles race along magnetic field lines into a specially engineered ...

Researchers unlocked a new shortcut to quantum materials Scientists are learning how to temporarily reshape materials by nudging their internal quantum rhythms instead of blasting them with extreme lasers. By harnessing excitons, short-lived energy pairs that naturally form inside semiconductors, researchers can alter how electrons behave using far less energy than before. This approach achieves powerful quantum effects without damaging the material, overcoming a major barrier that has limited progress for years. Scientists have found a way to reprogram materials using internal quantum energy rather than powerful lasers. The breakthrough could make advanced quantum materials far easier to create and control. Credit: AI/ScienceDaily.com What if simply shining light on a material could give it entirely new abilities? That idea may sound like fantasy, but it sits at the heart of an emerging area of physics known as Floquet engineering. Researchers in this field study how repeating influen...

 Groundbreaking 2D Nanomaterial Rolls Into a New Dimension Drexel researchers have transformed flat MXenes into conductive nanoscrolls with a controllable, tubular structure that improves transport and mechanical performance. Credit: Shutterstock Nearly 15 years after identifying a versatile two-dimensional conductive nanomaterial known as MXene, researchers at Drexel University have unveiled a method to create its one-dimensional counterpart, called the MXene nanoscroll. These newly engineered structures are about 100 times thinner than a human hair and offer even greater electrical conductivity than flat MXene sheets. The team believes their unique properties could enhance technologies such as energy storage systems, biosensors, and wearable electronics. The results were recently published in the journal Advanced Materials and describe a scalable production technique that starts with conventional MXene flakes and transforms them into scrolls with tightly controlled shapes and che...

Scientists Discover Surprising Quantum Properties in Seemingly Ordinary Element Cobalt has long been considered a textbook ferromagnet, but new experiments reveal a hidden network of topological electronic states woven into its structure. Credit: Stock A well-known magnetic metal has emerged as a surprisingly versatile quantum platform. Cobalt has long been viewed as a textbook example of a ferromagnetic metal, with its structure and behavior thought to be thoroughly understood. Now, an international research team led by HZB physicist Dr. Jaime Sánchez-Barriga has revealed that this familiar element holds far more complexity than expected. Their experiments uncovered intricate topological features hidden within cobalt’s electronic structure.Using spin-resolved measurements of its band structure (spin-ARPES) at the BESSY II synchrotron, the scientists detected intertwined energy bands that intersect along extended pathways in specific crystallographic directions. Remarkably, these featu...

 New calcium-ion battery design delivers high performance without lithium Scientists at HKUST have unveiled a major leap forward in calcium-ion battery technology, potentially opening the door to safer, more sustainable energy storage for everything from renewable power grids to electric vehicles. By designing a novel quasi-solid-state electrolyte made from redox-active covalent organic frameworks, the team solved long-standing issues that have held calcium batteries back—namely poor ion transport and limited stability. Researchers have supercharged calcium-ion batteries with a new electrolyte that allows ions to move faster and last longer. The advance could pave the way for abundant, lithium-free batteries powering renewable energy and electric vehicles. Credit: Shutterstock Scientists at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have reported a major advance in calcium-ion battery (CIB) research that could reshape how energy is stored and used in daily life. By ...

 The mystery of nuclear 'magic numbers' has finally been resolved A special set of numbers has formed the backbone of nuclear physics research for decades, and now we finally know how it arises from the quantum mix of nuclear particles and forces. Nearly 80 years ago, physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer showed that when the nucleus of an atom contains certain numbers of protons and neutrons, such as 50 or 82, it becomes exceptionally stable. In the years since, researchers amassed evidence of more such “magic numbers”, which are found in the most stable, and therefore most abundant, elements in our universe. Global Energy Awards Nomination link: https://globalenergyawards.org/award-nomination/... Visit Our Website: globalenergyawards.org Contact Us: support@globalenergyawards.org