Archive for the ‘Physics’ Category

Storm Studies: Low-Cost Instrument Developed by High School Students Could Aid Severe Weather Research

February 7, 2012 — Under the guidance of Georgia Tech researchers, a group of high school students has designed, built and tested a low-cost version of a device that monitors the buildup of electrical charge in clouds. A network of such devices, known as field mills, could be used to learn more about the lightning that is part of severe weather – while providing real-world science and engineering experience for the students.

MRS Medal: Regents’ Professor Zhong Lin Wang Receives Recognition for New Science and Innovative Technology from Zinc Oxide Nanostructures

December 1, 2011 — Regents’ professor Zhong Lin Wang has received a 2011 Materials Research Society Medal for his contributions in the discovery, controlled synthesis, and fundamental understanding of zinc oxide nanowires and nanobelts, and the design and fabrication of novel, nanowire-based nanosensors, piezotronic devices and nanogenerators for energy harvesting.

Defense Testing: Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) Opens New Compact Range for Antenna and Radar Cross Section Measurements

October 19, 2011 — The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has opened a new compact range that will be used for radar cross section measurements and antenna testing. The new facility, which is shielded against electromagnetic interference, will be used for GTRI’s defense-related research projects and collaborations with outside organizations.

Cloud Formation: Study Shows Insoluble Dust Particles Can Form Cloud Droplets that Affect Global and Regional Climate

October 13, 2011 — New information on the role of insoluble dust particles in forming cloud droplets could improve the accuracy of regional climate models, especially in areas of the world that have significant amounts of mineral aerosols in the atmosphere. A more accurate accounting for the role of these particles could also have implications for global climate models.

Growing Graphene: “Confinement Controlled Sublimation” Produces High Quality Graphene on Silicon Carbide by Controlling Silicon Evaporation

September 22, 2011 — Georgia Tech scientists have for the first time provided details of their “confinement controlled sublimation” technique for growing high-quality layers of epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide wafers. The technique relies on controlling the vapor pressure of gas-phase silicon in the high-temperature furnace used for fabricating the material.

Analyzing Plasmas: $2.5 Million Air Force Grant Funds Fundamental Studies of Plasma Interactions with Structures Containing Them

September 6, 2011 — Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Alabama have received a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) to conduct fundamental research into the ways in which plasmas interact with the walls of the structures containing them.

Simulated Atmosphere: Work of Georgia Tech Scientists Will Help NASA Interpret Data from the Juno Mission to Jupiter

August 3, 2011 — In August of 2016, when NASA’s Juno Mission begins sending back information about the atmosphere of the planet Jupiter, research done by Georgia Institute of Technology engineers using a 2,400-pound pressure vessel will help scientists understand what the data means.

Biological Interface Using Piezotronics: Resistive Switches Based on Piezoelectric Nanowires Allow Electrical Signals to be Produced from Mechanical Actions

July 25, 2011 — Taking advantage of the unique properties of zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have demonstrated a new type of piezoelectric resistive switching device in which the write-read access of memory cells is controlled by electromechanical modulation.

Writing Nanostructures: Heated AFM Tip Allows Plastic and CMOS-Compatible Direct Fabrication of Ferroelectric Piezoelectric Structures

July 18, 2011 — Using a technique known as thermochemical nanolithography (TCNL), researchers have developed a new way to fabricate nanometer-scale ferroelectric structures directly on flexible plastic substrates that would be unable to withstand the processing temperatures normally required to create such nanostructures.

Optimizing Eyesight: Research & Development Collaboration Focuses on Next-Generation System for Measuring and Improving Human Vision

July 13, 2011 — With research and development assistance from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and seed funding from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), an Atlanta-based company is developing what it hopes will be the next-generation instrument for optimizing eyesight for the hundreds of millions of people who wear glasses or contacts – or who are candidates for corrective surgery.