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Archive for the ‘energy’ category: Page 15

Jul 13, 2024

US Army Selects RCADE to Solve Highly Complex Problems Across Domains

Posted by in categories: business, energy

Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC) Futures and Concepts Center (FCC) to conduct theater level concept experimentation and mission analysis to support agile learning of the future battlefield. Under the contract, a Raytheon team will use its Rapid Campaign Analysis and Demonstration Environment, known as RCADE, to develop large-scale theater scenarios to help FCC leaders assess concepts of operations in a multi-domain conflict. Quantitative data and findings from the scenarios will help identify capabilities needed to succeed in future conflicts.

RCADE is part of Raytheon’s integrated ecosystem of modeling and simulation capabilities that are fed by real-world analytics, models, and data. It creates an experimentation environment where customers can explore battlefield scenarios, assess how different variables impact mission outcomes and quickly iterate their options with greater speed. In tandem with RCADE, the technical expertise provided by Raytheon engineers will complement the U.S. Army’s analysis enterprise. They will work together to meet the challenge of the future and solve complex evolving threats.

“RCADE helps our customers look at some of the most difficult missions and evaluate how to change the outcome for the positive. Our team of highly trained experts power this groundbreaking capability, enabling it to deliver credible, unbiased solutions,” said Colin Whelan, president of Advanced Technology at Raytheon.

Jul 12, 2024

China: Quantum tech cracks subatomic code, beats supercomputers

Posted by in categories: energy, quantum physics, supercomputing

A Chinese research team has achieved a significant milestone in quantum computing by successfully building a device that can simulate the movement of electrons within a solid-state material.

This research, published in the journal Nature, showcases the potential of quantum computers to surpass even the most powerful supercomputers.

Understanding electron behavior is crucial for scientific advancements, particularly in the fields of magnetism and high-temperature superconducting materials. These materials could revolutionize electricity transmission and transportation, leading to significant energy savings and technological progress.

Jul 11, 2024

Starlink Mini is now widely available and doesn’t need a residential subscription

Posted by in categories: energy, internet

You can now get a Starlink Mini in the US, wherever you are and even if you’re not paying for a residential subscription. SpaceX started offering select users the new Starlink dish model that’s small enough to fit in a backpack in late June. Despite its small size that makes it easy to transport and carry around, the Mini used to require an existing $150 standard service plan — you could only tack on the Mini Roam service for an additional fee of $30 a month. Now, you can get it on its own with a roaming service.

The mobile regional plan costs $150 a month and will give you access to unlimited data. It’s probably the better option if you live in an RV or travel to remote locations for extended periods of time. Meanwhile, the Mini Roam plan costs $50 a month and will give you access to 50GB of data, which is likely enough if you don’t live on the road full time. Take note that you can use Mini Roam in motion anytime, as long as you’re on land. The mobile regional plan has limited in-motion use and only works when you’re going slower than 10mph, though you can choose to add data meant for in-motion use on a per-GB basis.

Like Starlink’s other terminals, you’ll have to pay for the Mini up front. It will cost you $599 for the kit, which includes a kickstand, a pipe adapter, a power supply and a cord with a USB-C connector on one end and a barrel jack on the other. (As The Verge notes, you can plug it into a 100W USB-PD power bank if you don’t have access to other power sources.) There’s no Wi-Fi router with the kit, because it’s already integrated into the dish, giving you one less component to carry.

Jul 11, 2024

New method for determining the exchange energy of 2D materials

Posted by in categories: energy, nanotechnology

Ferromagnetism is an important physical phenomenon that plays a key role in many technologies. It is well-known that metals such as iron, cobalt and nickel are magnetic at room temperature because their electron spins are aligned in parallel — and it is only at very high temperatures that these materials lose their magnetic properties.

Researchers led by Professor Richard Warburton of the Department of Physics and the Swiss Nanoscience Institute of the University of Basel have shown that molybdenum disulfide also exhibits ferromagnetic properties under certain conditions. When subjected to low temperatures and an external magnetic field, the electron spins in this material all point in the same direction.

In their latest study, published in the journal Physical Review Letters (“Exchange energy of the ferromagnetic electronic ground state in a monolayer semiconductor”), the researchers determined how much energy it takes to flip an individual electron spin within this ferromagnetic state. This “exchange energy” is significant because it describes the stability of the ferromagnetism.

Jul 11, 2024

Photons from quantum dot emitters violate Bell inequality in new study

Posted by in categories: energy, quantum physics

A new study in Nature Physics demonstrates a novel method for generating quantum entanglement using a quantum dot, which violates the Bell inequality. This method uses ultra-low power levels and could pave the way for scalable and efficient quantum technologies.

Jul 10, 2024

Study investigates the nature of very-high energy gamma-ray source TeV J2032+4130

Posted by in categories: energy, space

Using the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory, an international team of astronomers has observed a very-high energy gamma-ray source designated TeV J2032+4130. Results of the observational campaign, presented July 3 on the preprint server arXiv, provide crucial information regarding the nature of this source.

Sources emitting with between 100 GeV and 100 TeV are called very-high energy (VHE) gamma-ray sources, while those with photon energies above 0.1 PeV are known as ultra-high energy (UHE) gamma-ray sources. The nature of these sources is still not well understood; therefore, astronomers are constantly searching for new objects of this type to characterize them, which could shed more light on their properties in general.

TeV J2032+4130 was identified in 2005 by the High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy (HEGRA) experiment as the first VHE gamma-ray source in the TeV range with no lower-energy counterpart. Previous observations of TeV J2032+4130 have revealed that it consists of two sources, namely HAWC J2030+409 and HAWC J2031+415, which is coincident with a pulsar wind nebula (PWN).

Jul 10, 2024

AO: AO GIS Site Selection Software makes renewable energy farm development simple with capacity and land data paired with an intuitive mapping platform

Posted by in categories: energy, food, mapping, sustainability

GIS Site Selection Software makes renewable energy farm development simple with capacity and land data paired with an intuitive mapping platform.

Jul 10, 2024

Getting bacteria into line

Posted by in categories: energy, nanotechnology, physics

Researchers at Finland’s Aalto University have found a way to use magnets to line up bacteria as they swim. The approach offers more than just a way to nudge bacteria into order – it also provides a useful tool for a wide range of research, such as work on complex materials, phase transitions and condensed matter physics.

The findings have been reported in Communications Physics (“Magnetically controlled bacterial turbulence”).

Bacterial cells generally aren’t magnetic, so the magnets don’t directly interact with the bacteria. Instead, the bacteria are mixed into a liquid with millions of magnetic nanoparticles. This means the rod-shaped bacteria are effectively non-magnetic voids inside the magnetic fluid. When the magnets are switched on, creating a magnetic field, the bacteria are nudged to line up with the magnetic field because any other arrangement takes more energy – it’s harder to keep the rod-shaped holes at an angle to the magnetic field.

Jul 9, 2024

Mini “Chariots” Steered by Algae Could Assist Environmental Research

Posted by in categories: energy, engineering, transportation

Researchers have created tiny, vehiclelike structures which can be maneuvered by microscopic algae. The algae are caught in baskets attached to the micromachines, which have been carefully designed to allow them enough room to continue swimming. Two types of vehicles were created: the “rotator,” which spins like a wheel, and the “scooter,” which was intended to move in a forward direction but in tests moved more surprisingly. The team is planning to try different and more complex designs for their next vehicles. In the future, these mini algae teams could be applied to assist with micro-level environmental engineering and research.

You’ve likely heard of horsepower, but how about algae power? Like a sled drawn by a team of dogs or a plough pulled by oxen, researchers have created microscopic machines which can be moved by lively, tiny, single-celled green algae.

“We were inspired to try and harness Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a very common algae found all over the world, after being impressed by its swift and unrestricted swimming capabilities,” said Naoto Shimizu, a student from the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo (at the time of the study), who initiated the project. “We’ve now shown that these algae can be trapped without impairing their mobility, offering a new option for propelling micromachines which could be used for engineering or research purposes.”

Jul 8, 2024

Beyond Borders: Applying Modern Conflict Laws as Framework for Outer Space Governance

Posted by in categories: energy, finance, governance, law, military, satellites, surveillance

Moreover, the concept of limitation, which dictates that the means and methods of warfare are not unlimited, can help prevent the escalation of conflicts in space by imposing restrictions on the use of certain weapons or tactics that could cause indiscriminate harm or result in long-term consequences for space exploration and utilization. Given a growing number of distinct weapons systems in orbit – from missile defense systems with kinetic anti-satellite capabilities, electronic warfare counter-space capabilities, and directed energy weapons to GPS jammers, space situational awareness, surveillance, and intelligence gathering capabilities – legal clarity rather than strategic ambiguity are crucial for ensuring the responsible and peaceful use of outer space.

Additionally, the principle of humanity underscores the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect, including astronauts, cosmonauts, and civilians who may be affected by conflicts in space. By upholding this principle, outer space law can ensure that human rights are protected and preserved, particularly in the profoundly challenging environment of outer space. Moreover, with civilians on the ground increasingly tethered to space technologies for communication, navigation, banking, leisure, and other essential services, the protection of their rights becomes a fundamental imperative.

The modern laws of armed conflict (LOAC) offer a valuable blueprint for developing a robust legal framework for governing activities in outer space. By integrating complementary principles of LOAC or international humanitarian law with the UN Charter into outer space law, policymakers can promote the peaceful and responsible use of outer space while mitigating the risks associated with potential conflicts in this increasingly contested domain.

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