CHESS is a high-intensity X-ray source, primarily supported by the National Science Foundation, that provides users with state-of-the-art synchrotron radiation facilities for research in physics, chemistry, biology and environmental and materials sciences.
Encompassing both didactic lectures and tutorials as well as “hands-on” experiment time at C-line, the workshop focused on giving participants a thorough background in both the practical and theoretical aspects of x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and high energy resolution fluorescence detected x-ray absorption spectroscopy (HERFD XAS).
Following through on intentions outlined in our 2012 NSF proposal, our team sowed the seeds and fanned the flames that ultimately led to the founding of a dedicated drop-in space where kids can build and cultivate an identity in science. Opened last October at a new low-income housing facility, Ithaca’s Free Science Workshop is providing self-directed exploration, experimentation, and engineering to these families.
Our 8th BioSAXS Essentials training workshop drew a wide-ranging and enthusiastic crowd of 36 students, including 6 from University of Puerto Rico, 1 from Korea, 2 from Estonia and 1 from Canada. About half of the students had never collected data at a synchrotron before!
Participants from 23 institutions and companies joined the meeting in person on the Cornell campus and online via YouTube live.
An international collaboration of the Physics Department at Technical University of Munich has established a novel and versatile approach to fine-tune the morphology and hence the functionality of thin polymer films. Prof. Christine Papadakis and coworkers changed the nano-structure of these films by annealing the films at elevated temperature and with mixtures of two solvent vapors.
A cross-campus collaboration led by Ulrich Wiesner, the Spencer T. Olin Professor of Engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, addresses this demand with a novel energy storage device architecture that has the potential for lightning-quick charges.
These blended geographic features serve as a metaphor for the evolving college community, where Native American students and those of European descent have converged to obtain a higher education at Fort Lewis College, FLC, one of the top ranked public liberal arts institutions in the country.
MHPs are unique in that they combine low-cost solution processability with superb electronic quality that is comparable to, or surpasses, that of the state-of-the-art epitaxial grown semiconductors. What is particularly exciting about MHPs is that they can be manufactured into lightweight flexible solar cells that can provide power in locations that are difficult for traditional solar cells - drones, cars, soldiers and backpackers.
What did the Scientists Discover?
The outreach team visited the 8th grade classroom of physical science teacher, Anne Gleed, for a full week of demonstrations and activities. Demonstrations included current carrying wires and their effect on permanent magnets and looking at magnetic fields around permanent magnets with the help of iron filings. Activities included wrapping coils of wire (hooked up to a battery) that would “hop” when placed near magnets and looking at a loudspeaker that had been taken apart to spot the coil and permanent magnet inside.