SLAC topics

Environmental science RSS feed

Where can we find clean drinking water? How can we remove excess carbon dioxide from the oceans? When can a contaminated site be declared clean? Molecular environmental scientists look for answers to big questions like these by zooming in on their smallest components: Chemical reactions taking place at the scale of molecules and atoms.

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Energy sciences

 Using X-ray techniques to target long-lived groundwater contamination at former uranium ore processing sites.

Illustration
Scientists have developed an AI-based method that helps gather data more efficiently in the search for new materials, allowing researchers...
self driving experiments
News Feature

The method could lead to the development of new materials with tailored properties, with potential applications in fields such as climate change, quantum computing...

self driving experiments
Press Release

With up to a million X-ray flashes per second, 8,000 times more than its predecessor, it transforms the ability of scientists to explore atomic-scale...

LCLS-II first light
News Feature

In our rapidly changing world, plants must adapt to new environments or die. Ritimukta Sarangi discusses how researchers and users at SSRL are tackling...

A graphic illustrating a plant and the many kinds of interactions it has with its environment.
News Feature

X-ray laser studies help researchers identify early steps in the freezing process to better understand how clouds make ice and their effect on climate.

supercooled water droplets
News Feature

Leora Dresselhaus-Marais, Claudio Emma,  Bernhard Mistlberger and Johanna Nelson Weker will pursue cutting-edge research into decarbonizing steel production, theoretical physics, generating more intense particle...

This photo shows all four recipients from SLAC and Stanford of the DOE's 2023 Early Career Award
Press Release

After decades of effort, scientists have finally seen the process by which nature creates the oxygen we breathe using SLAC’s X-ray laser.

Photosystem II
Animation

In photosystem II, the water-splitting center cycles through four stable states

Photosystem II baseball
News Feature

The SLAC-Stanford team pulled hydrogen directly from ocean waters. Their work could help efforts to generate low-carbon fuel for electric grids, cars, boats and...

This photograph shows ocean water funneling over rocks on about half of the photograph and deeper ocean water on the other part of the photograph. It is a view of the ocean from above, in the sky.
news collection

Two of the most urgent challenges of our time – clean energy and sustainability – require investigation at the atomic level.

Aerial image of workers installing solar panels on a home.
News Feature

A cellphone-sized device automatically adjusts a home's power use up or down to save the consumer money and increase the resiliency of the electric...

Aerial image of workers installing solar panels on a home.
News Feature

New research questions ‘whiff of oxygen’ in Earth’s early history.

Blue and purple image showing cracks where arsenic and copper entered a shale sample.