ScienceDaily: Top Technology News

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• Proximity of new planets stuns even astronomers
• Study of phase change materials could lead to better computer memory
• Researchers tune the strain in graphene drumheads to create quantum dots
• Could Mars have sustained life? Extensive water in Mars' interior
• Nano-infused paint can detect strain
• Graphene Research: Trapping light in a carbon net
• Microelectronics: Two at a time
• Toward super-size wind turbines: Bigger wind turbines do make greener electricity

Proximity of new planets stuns even astronomers Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:23 PM PDT One is a rocky planet 1.5 times the size of Earth. The other is a gaseous world nearly four times Earth's size. Together they form a spectacular system in which two planets orbit closer to each other than any yet discovered.

Study of phase change materials could lead to better computer memory Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT Memory devices for computers require a large collection of components that can switch between two states, which represent the ones and zeros of binary language. Engineers hope to make next-generation chips with materials that distinguish between these states by physically rearranging their atoms into different phases. Researchers have now provided new insight into how this phase change happens, which could help engineers make memory storage devices faster and more efficient.

Researchers tune the strain in graphene drumheads to create quantum dots Posted: 21 Jun 2012 12:15 PM PDT Researchers have shown that they can tune the strain in graphene suspended like drumheads over microscopic holes in a substrate of silicon oxide using the tip of an advanced scanning probe microscope and a conducting plate below the substrate. Tuning the strain enabled the group to create areas in the graphene where electrons behaved as though they were confined to quantum dots.

Could Mars have sustained life? Extensive water in Mars' interior Posted: 21 Jun 2012 11:14 AM PDT Until now, Earth was the only planet known to have vast reservoirs of water in its interior. Scientists analyzed the water content of two Martian meteorites and found that the amount of water in places of the Martian mantle is vastly larger than previous estimates and is similar to that of Earth's. The results affect our understanding about Martian geologic history, how water got to the Martian surface, and whether Mars could have sustained life.

Nano-infused paint can detect strain Posted: 21 Jun 2012 10:07 AM PDT Nanotube-infused paint can reveal strain in materials by its fluorescence. The material holds promise for detecting strain in aircraft, bridges and buildings.

Graphene Research: Trapping light in a carbon net Posted: 21 Jun 2012 08:33 AM PDT Graphene, an ordered monolayer of carbon, is the thinnest substance known, and yet has extraordinary mechanical strength. A new study shows that its two-dimensional network of atoms can even trap light.

Microelectronics: Two at a time Posted: 21 Jun 2012 07:18 AM PDT A new design reduces the areal footprint of nanowire transistors by a factor of two. Scientists have now integrated two transistors onto a single vertical silicon nanowire, pushing the areal density limit of nanowire transistors even further.

Toward super-size wind turbines: Bigger wind turbines do make greener electricity Posted: 20 Jun 2012 08:33 AM PDT In a study that could solidify the trend toward construction of gigantic windmills, scientists have concluded that the larger the wind turbine, the greener the electricity it produces.

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