Astronomy

Ask Astro: What causes the pattern of diffraction spikes in astronomical images?

I learned in October 2022’s Breakthrough that the spikes of stars in high-power photos are called diffraction spikes. Why do they appear as two crosses at 45 degrees to each other? The diffraction ...
Ars Technica

Wave-particle duality in action—big molecules surf on their own waves

Wave-particle duality is a fundamental fact of the Universe. But we don’t see many objects moving around as waves. This is why it hurts when a golf ball hits you on the head: you and the golf ball are ...
AZoNano

How Can Nanocrystal Size Affect X-Ray Diffraction Results?

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a non-invasive method for determining that can be used in phase analysis investigations of crystalline materials. Image Credit: AgriTech/Shutterstock.com The essential idea ...
Nanowerk

2D-XRD (Two-Dimensional X-Ray Diffraction): Unlocking Material Secrets at the Nanoscale

2D-XRD, or two-dimensional X-ray diffraction, is a powerful analytical technique used to study the atomic and molecular structure of crystalline materials at the nanoscale. It provides detailed ...
Nanowerk

Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD): Unveiling the Microstructure of Materials at the Nanoscale

What is Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)? Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), also known as backscatter Kikuchi diffraction (BKD), is a powerful characterization technique used to analyze ...