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Ultrafast science RSS feed

SLAC is the world’s leading center for developing “ultrafast” X-ray, laser and electron beams that allow us to see atoms and molecules moving in just millionths of a billionth of a second. We can even create stop-action movies of these tiny events.

DOE explains...Ultrafast science

This illustration shows how the first experiment at SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source X-ray laser stripped away electrons from neon atoms. (SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory)

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Researchers have uncovered new insights about tungsten's ability to conduct heat, which could lead to materials advancements for fusion reactor and aerospace technologies.

tungsten
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Scientists report the first look at electrons moving in real-time in liquid water; findings open up a whole new field of experimental physics

IDREAM
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The research could lead to a better understanding of how metals behave under extreme conditions, which will aid in the development of more resilient...

MEC
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The results  could lead to a better understanding of reactions with vital roles in chemistry and biology. 

MeV-UED
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A new experiment suggests that this exotic precipitation forms at even lower pressures and temperatures than previously thought and could influence the unusual magnetic...

Diamond rain
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Teams at SLAC installed new experimental hutches with cutting-edge instruments that will harness the upgraded facility’s new capabilities and expand the breadth of research...

SLAC's linac at sunrise, looking east.
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LaserNetUS funding will allow scientists to explore fundamental plasma science and inertial fusion energy research and technology.

Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) Hutch 6, located in the LCLS Far Experimental Hall.
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New research has implications for understanding Earth's evolution, interpreting unusual seismic signals and the study of exoplanets.

Illustration of earth with laser
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The research reveals the potential for machine learning in understanding the complex behavior of quantum materials.

machine learning
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An international team has uncovered details about the formation of DNA's building blocks, paving the way  for potential medical and therapeutic applications.

radical
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Scientists developed a new method to unlock the secrets of RNA. The implications are wide-reaching, from better understanding diseases to designing new therapeutics. 

CXI hutch
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A groundbreaking study shows defects spreading through diamond faster than the speed of sound 

Shocking a diamond with a high-power laser produced defects that propagated faster than the speed of sound.