(AGENPARL) – ven 26 aprile 2024 A weekly compendium of media reports on science and technology achievements
at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Though the Laboratory reviews
items for overall accuracy, the reporting organizations are responsible for
the content in the links below.
….. LLNL Report, April 26, 2024
Radioactive ions from the ATLAS accelerator at Argonne National Laboratory
are suspended in vacuum using an ion trap device.
… May the weak nuclear force be with you
https://www.techexplorist.com/new-method-characterize-properties-one-four-fundamental-forces-nature/83067/
The Standard Model of Particle Physics offers a better understanding of the
forces that describe the interaction between subatomic particles. The strong
nuclear force, weak nuclear force, electromagnetic force and gravity are the
four fundamental forces that define our universe and are described by the
Standard Model. 
Strong forces generally have far bigger impacts than weak nuclear forces,
making it difficult to study them. 
In a new study, researchers from Louisiana State University, Argonne National
Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory aim to enhance our
understanding of the weak nuclear force by analyzing beta decays of
“mirror” nuclei, such as lithium-8 and boron-8. In mirror nuclei, the
number of protons and neutrons is the same, but their arrangement is
different. For example, lithium-8 has three protons and five neutrons, but
boron-8 has five protons and three neutrons.
The study’s findings produced the most precise measurements and more
confidently validated the Standard Model’s predictions.
Read More
https://www.techexplorist.com/new-method-characterize-properties-one-four-fundamental-forces-nature/83067/
A bright flash of light from a FuZE (Fusion Z-pinch Experiment) plasma. Image
courtesy of Zap Energy.
… Pinch me, it’s hot in here

Zap Energy achieves 37-million-degree temperatures in a compact device

In the nine decades since humans first produced fusion reactions, only a few
fusion technologies have demonstrated the ability to make a thermal fusion
plasma with electron temperatures hotter than 10 million degrees Celsius,
roughly the temperature of the core of the sun.
Zap Energy’s unique approach, known as a sheared-flow-stabilized Z pinch,
has now joined those rarefied ranks, far exceeding this plasma temperature
milestone in a device that is a fraction of the scale of other fusion
systems.
A new research paper, published this month in /Physical Review Letters /and
including Lawrence Livermore authors,/ /details measurements made on Zap
Energy’s Fusion Z-pinch Experiment (FuZE) of 1-3 keV plasma electron
temperatures — roughly the equivalent of 11 to 37 million degrees Celsius
(20 to 66 million degrees Fahrenheit).
FuZE was originally funded for research at the University of Washington by
the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency –
Energy (ARPA-E). The device moved to Zap Energy’s dedicated R&D facilities
in 2020, soon after the company was founded. The results in this paper were
collected in 2022 in an ARPA-E funded collaboration with researchers from
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and University of California, San
Diego, who spearheaded the development of the measurement system used for
these results.
Read More

Zap Energy achieves 37-million-degree temperatures in a compact device

Opportunistic pathogenic species, such as acinetobacter, are prevalent in
combat wound infections and commonly found on the gear of U.S. military
service members. Image by Adobe Stock.
… Improving care for military service members
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-mitigating-infection-combat-injuries.html
The severely invasive nature of combat trauma creates massive regions of
injury, colonization and infection, requiring specialized diagnostic and
aggressive therapeutic approaches. Previous reports indicate an estimated
occurrence of wound infections in 18%–25% of combat-related injuries.
Hindering wound recovery are multidrug-resistant microorganisms, which have
been consistently observed in injured service members with reports throughout
the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
To support the early detection of potentially detrimental microbial factors,
researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have developed a
targeted panel for the capture and sequencing of microbial genomic signatures
relevant to wounds from combat injuries.
“Generating these datasets and analytical approaches results in a clearer
picture of microbes associated with military injury and their impact on
health outcomes,” said LLNL scientist Nicholas Be. “We’re focused on
developing and further applying these platforms to effectively predict risks
and improve care for military service members.”
Read More
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-mitigating-infection-combat-injuries.html
Lyme disease is an infectious bacterial infection that is spread by ticks,
characterized by a distinctive, expanding ‘bullseye’ redness and swelling
around the site of the tick bite. Photograph by Centers for Disease Control
and prevention.
… Lyme disease patients could get some relief
Scientists may have found a way to effectively counter the neurological
symptoms of Lyme disease.
A new study led by Tulane National Primate Research Center, School of
Medicine assistant professor Geetha Parthasarathy and edited by Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratory’s Amy Rasley presents a novel discovery that
could help pave the way for potential treatments for Lyme disease symptoms,
particularly the ones stemming from persistent neuroinflammation.
The study, published in /Frontiers of Immunology/, zeroed in on fibroblast
growth factor receptor inhibitors that are commonly used in cancer
treatment. The team learned that the cancer treatment component could
effectively reduce the manifestations of neurological symptoms in patients
struggling with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome.
Post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome is a condition marked by the lingering
symptoms of the disease after antibiotic treatment. The symptoms
are mostly neurological and include memory loss, fatigue and pain.
Read More
LLNL scientist Wenyu Sun is studying electrodes on vanadium redox flow
batteries  to extend the life for use in stationary grid energy storage.
Photo by Blaise Douros/LLNL.
… Going with the flow
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-electrodes-energy-storage-batteries.html
As a grid-scale energy storage system, flow batteries have gained increasing
attention as a means to address the challenges associated with fluctuations
and intermittency in renewable energy sources.
Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) have emerged as promising solutions for
stationary grid energy storage due to their high efficiency, scalability,
safety, near-room-temperature operation conditions and the ability to size
power and energy capacities independently. The redox reactions in a redox
flow battery occur at the surfaces of the electrodes in contact with the
electrolyte. Any modifications to the electrode surface can affect the
electrochemical activity and affect the overall battery performance.
In an effort to extend the lifespans of VRFBs, Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory scientists and collaborators from Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory have explored the surface functionality of carbon electrodes and
their propensity for degradation during electrochemical cycles.
Read More
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-electrodes-energy-storage-batteries.html
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