http://www.esrf.eu News items, Press Releases, Spotlight on Science, Time Out Interviews. daily 1 2006-03-24T12:28:19Z http://www.esrf.eu/news/spotlight/spotlight102/spotlight102 Magnetic imaging with nanoscale domain resolution is now possible thanks to a new way of carrying out soft X-ray holography. The key feature of this microscopy-like imaging technique is a movable field-of-view that can be freely positioned on the sample. The microscope allows imaging of extended samples with some tens of nanometres resolution and provides chemical as well as magnetic contrast. 2010-03-09 07:45:00 No publisher admans 2010-03-09T07:54:34Z News Item http://www.esrf.eu/news/general/materialsenergy The March issue of the ESRFnews will devote most of its space to research on materials that contribute to a greener future. Fuel cells, hydrogen storage materials, or the design of the batteries of the future are some examples of the stories in this issue. 2010-03-08 14:17:12 No publisher capellas 2010-03-08T13:17:12Z News Item http://www.esrf.eu/news/spotlight/spotlight101/spotlight101 Solid carbon dioxide undergoes a radical change from a molecular solid to a non-molecular “polymeric” state at elevated pressures and temperatures [1]. The polymeric state is characterised by the disappearance of the double bonds between the carbon and oxygen atoms and the formation of new single bonds. Whether this transformation occurs as a result of solid-state chemical reactions between molecules reaching a critical separation, or via intermediate states where molecules gradually distort as pressure increases, remains unknown. To solve this mystery, researchers from Université Pierre et Marie Curie have determined the structure of CO2 in the high-pressure phase IV, the ultimate molecular phase before its polymerisation into phase V. 2010-02-23 07:45:00 No publisher admans 2010-02-22T09:00:07Z News Item http://www.esrf.eu/news/general/tendons Tendons are multi-level fibre composite materials that transfer muscle forces to the bones. They are made up of collagen and have a hierarchical structure. In daily activity, tendons modulate fluctuating physiological loads through a time-dependent mechanical response. This can relieve stress under constant strain (an effect called stress-relaxation) or increase strain under constant force. An international team of scientists has studied how this time-dependent response arises due to the structure of tendon through multiple levels of the hierarchy. 2010-02-22 00:05:00 No publisher capellas 2010-02-12T16:08:55Z News Item http://www.esrf.eu/news/general/new-look-users2019-meeting-attracts-more-users The ESRF Users’ Meeting has always been a forum for the users and the management, where new scientific challenges are discussed and recent achievements are presented. This year there have been more talks in different fields in order to cater for a wider scientific audience. Feedback sessions were also new in the programme and their goal was to boost the communication between communities and the ESRF. The new 2-day approach responds to an initiative by the Users’ Organisation, and the 321 participants show that the success is notable. 2010-02-12 10:28:17 No publisher capellas 2010-02-12T09:32:54Z News Item http://www.esrf.eu/news/general/labs-on-esrf-site-join-forces The Institut Laue Langevin, the Grenoble outstation of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the ESRF, already physically close to each other, are now even closer. The site where they are all based is now called European Photon and Neutron science campus, or EPN science campus. A recently created website is the first tangible result of this new union. 2010-02-10 18:06:38 No publisher capellas 2010-02-10T17:06:38Z News Item http://www.esrf.eu/news/spotlight/spotlight100/spotlight100 A [2+2] photo-cycloaddition reaction in an organic crystal film was triggered by a fast laser pulse and studied with X-ray diffraction. This reaction and its thermally-activated reverse reaction were followed on the picosecond timescale, and intricate details of the reaction kinetics were revealed. 2010-02-09 13:23:59 No publisher admans 2010-02-22T08:30:40Z News Item http://www.esrf.eu/news/general/platinum PRESS RELEASE - The oxidation of toxic carbon monoxide (CO) to carbon dioxide occurs every day in millions of cars. Despite being one of the most studied catalytic processes, the exact mechanism of interaction between the carbon monoxide molecule and the catalyst, often platinum, is not fully understood. An important step in the reaction is the adsorption of CO on the surface of the catalyst. A team of scientists from the ESRF and the ETH in Zurich (Switzerland) has managed to see how the electrons in the platinum reorganize as the adsorption is taking place and why catalysts are “poisoned”, i.e. why their activity is reduced. It is the first time that this type of experiment is carried out at the same high temperatures and pressures as in a real car exhaust catalyst. 2010-02-09 10:45:12 No publisher capellas 2010-02-09T10:52:38Z News Item http://www.esrf.eu/news/general/germany-meets-grenoble On 27 and 28 January 2010, the European research institutes in Grenoble ESRF, ILL and EMBL hosted the 1st Innovation Forum Germany @ Grenoble, organised on behalf of Germany’s Research Ministry, BMBF. Nearly 40 managers of German SMEs, technology transfer companies and research centres gathered for two days of presentations, visits and exchange with experts from eight institutes located in Grenoble. 2010-01-29 17:46:21 No publisher capellas 2010-01-29T16:46:21Z News Item