Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)
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In a first, researchers identify reddish coloring in an ancient fossil – a 3-million-year-old mouse
X-rays reveal an extinct mouse was dressed in brown to reddish fur on its back and sides and had a tiny white tummy.
Capturing the behavior of single-atom catalysts on the move
Scientists precisely control where single-atom catalysts sit on their support structures, and show how changing their position affects their reactivity.
A day in the life of a midnight beam master
In SLAC’s accelerator control room, shift lead Ben Ripman and a team of operators fine-tune X-ray beams for science experiments around the clock.
A mile-long graveyard of Jurassic fossils sparks a new international science collaboration
Researchers will use SLAC’s X-ray light source to probe 150 million-year-old dinosaur fossils at the atomic level.
Cause of Cathode Degradation Identified for Nickel-rich Materials
Combination of research methods reveals causes of capacity fading, giving scientists better insight to design advanced batteries for electric vehicles
Untangling a strange phenomenon that both helps and hurts lithium-ion battery performance
New research offers the first complete picture of why a promising approach of stuffing more lithium into battery cathodes leads to their failure. A better understanding of this phenomenon could be the key to smaller phone batteries and electric cars that drive farther between charges.
Study shows single atoms can make more efficient catalysts
Detailed observations of iridium atoms at work could help make catalysts that drive chemical reactions smaller, cheaper and more efficient
X-rays show how periods of stress changed an ice age hyena to the bone
Researchers mapped trace elements within Pleistocene fossils to learn about the life of a long-extinct subspecies of spotted hyena.
Researchers create most complete high-res atomic movie of photosynthesis to date
In a major step forward, SLAC’s X-ray laser captures all four stable states of the process that produces the oxygen we breathe, as well as fleeting steps in between. The work opens doors to understanding the past and creating a greener future.
Dancing atoms in perovskite materials provide insight into how solar cells work
A new study is a step forward in understanding why perovskite materials work so well in energy devices and potentially leads the way toward a theorized “hot” technology that would significantly improve the efficiency of today’s solar cells.
