Neutron beams help shed light on Alzheimer’s disease
University of Waterloo scientists are putting together pieces of the molecular puzzle behind Alzheimer’s disease by examining the role of disease-related biomolecules in model brain cell membranes.
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New user facilities at McMaster University provide access to neutron beams for materials research and education
Researchers from across Canada are now making use of the emerging neutron beam user program at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor to train students and acquire new knowledge about materials.
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Neutron beams help to advance the 3D printing industry
After using neutron beams to gather data on why 3D printing sometimes fails, one industry–university collaboration is now offering more reliable printing algorithms.
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Lowering the cost of energy-saving technology for cars and airplanes
Dalhousie University engineers use neutron beams to develop inexpensive ways to process lightweight actuators that fold airplane wings during flight—just one of many possible energy-saving aerospace and automotive applications for shape memory alloys.
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Developing transferrable skills through the exploration of quantum magnetic materials
Access to neutron beams enables graduate students to conduct experiments in quantum magnetism—and thereby to develop advanced experimental and computational skills that can be readily applied to future careers in science and industry.
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Transferrable skills: Materials research fosters analytical skills that reach well beyond the laboratory
By studying soft and biological materials with sophisticated tools like neutron beams, graduate students in biophysics are able to develop advanced analytical skills that can be transferred to a wide range of professional careers in all areas of Canada’s econo...
Neutrons aid investigations into hydrogen technology for sustainable transportation
Tomorrow’s trucks, trains, ships, and airplanes could be powered with clean hydrogen technology that exists today—and discoveries made by Canadian physicists could help make this sustainable technology even safer and more efficient.
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Neutron beams provide insights into bio-molecular diffusion
Memorial University physicists are using neutron beams to shed light on the molecular behaviours that are fundamental to the inner workings of living cells.
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Neutron experiments add confidence to nuclear reactor safety
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is a leader in sciences that are foundational to reactor safety—including the ability to predict the lifetimes of critical components used in nuclear power stations around the world, especially those in CANDU reactors.
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Neutrons Aid the Development of Cancer-Killing Nanoparticles
A University of Manitoba physicist is part of an international research team developing a cancer treatment method that uses magnetic nanoparticles to kill tumours with heat. (more…)
Neutrons Reveal Secrets about the Materials Needed for the ‘Internet of Things’
The super-ambitious ‘Internet of Things’ would allow smart devices everywhere to gather, share, and respond to data—and one Simon Fraser University chemist is making breakthroughs in understanding the materials that have just the right electro-mechanical prope...
Ensuring oil and gas pipeline integrity using neutron beams
The Canadian energy sector has developed standard practices to ensure that oil and gas pipelines remain safe as they age. For the past decade, these standard practices have been influenced by a team of researchers, including one University of Alberta professor...
Using neutrons to increase extractable oil and gas and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
One University of Calgary geoscientist is demonstrating how to use neutron beams to determine the manner in which the pores in shale deposits store oil and gas—knowledge that could be used to select the best extraction method for maximizing oil and natural gas...
Neutrons help to remove barriers standing in the way of safer, better batteries for electric vehicles
After using neutron beams to better understand materials required for safer energy storage, University of Calgary chemists and their international collaborators were able to demonstrate a prototype battery that showed major improvements to performance.
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Clean Energy Storage Research Using Neutrons
One of the University of Waterloo’s top scientists uses neutron beams to help develop the energy storage technology needed to power electric vehicles—and to reduce the need for fossil fuels to back up wind turbines.
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Neutrons assist in the development of sustainable electricity grids
With sponsorship from Tesla Motors, one ‘Gold medal’ Canadian scientist is using neutron beams in the quest to reduce the cost of energy storage technologies, which is vital for the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources and electric vehicles.
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Science to solve world hunger: Neutron research with plants
University of Saskatchewan scientists use neutron beams to observe plant roots in soil to aid breeding of drought-resistant crops.
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Developing the Ultimate Lightweight Alloy for Cleaner Cars
Engineers from the University of Waterloo applied neutron beams in the development of a promising new magnesium alloy. In addition to being cost-effective, the material’s alloying elements ensure increased ductility and strength—paving the way for lighter, mor...
Neutrons are essential in the search for new spintronic materials
Université de Montréal scientists use neutron beams in their search for materials that could have revolutionary applications in computing technology. Their search was made possible by fundamental discoveries that were recognized by the 2016 Nobel Prize in Phys...
Understanding Cholesterol as an Essential Nutrient
An international research team led by a Brock University scientist used neutron beams to resolve a scientific controversy over how cholesterol behaves when surrounded by unsaturated fatty acids such as “omega-3’s” and “omega-6’s” within cell membranes. (more&h...
Developing Technology for Repairing Advanced Jet Engines
Government and academic researchers use neutron beams to test a new repair technology capable of supporting the aerospace industry to adopt more fuel-efficient jet engines. (more…)
Designing New Permanent Magnets for Wind Turbines and Electric Vehicles
McGill University researchers are developing a method for predicting the magnetic properties of new materials even before they are made. This method could help scientists design new low‑cost magnets for more efficient wind turbines and electric vehicles.
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Boosting the Fuel Efficiency of Jet Engines
Rolls‑Royce has applied for a patent for a new material for use in higher-efficiency jet engines, after collaborating with University of Cambridge scientists to study new alloys using neutron beams.
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Basic Research Sheds Light on New Materials for Energy Applications
Scientists regularly access neutron beams to gain fundamental insights into the inner workings of new materials, including some with potential for clean energy applications.
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