通过核磁共振寻找核废料储存容器上的漏孔

通过核磁共振发现核废料储存容器上的漏孔

一种曾被捧为有存储放射性废料潜力的陶瓷材料其实只具有比之前想象少得多的抗辐射损伤能力。英国物理学家使用高分辨率的核磁共振(NMR)成像技术表明阿耳法粒子能够对锆合金材料造成严重的损伤，无法保证长时间存储核废料的安全。他们认为NMR技术能够帮助从其它潜在的陶瓷材料里发现具有长期存储能力的材料，因为NMR使我们能够了解发生在更深的、原子尺度上的辐射损伤。

NMR finds holes in nuclear waste storage (Jan 10)
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/11/1/5

A ceramic material touted for its potential to store radioactive waste
is much less resilient to radiation damage than previously thought.
Physicists in the UK used a high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance
(NMR) technique to show that alpha-radiation causes too much damage in
zircon to ensure safety over long timescales. They now claim the NMR
technique will help to assess the long-term durability of other
potential ceramics by providing a deeper, atomic-scale understanding of
damage events (Nature 445 190).

通过纳米同轴"光"缆对光进行挤压

美国物理学家创造了世界上第一个用于光传输的纳米尺度同轴"光"缆。与用于传输电视和收音机信号的同轴电缆的类似，同轴"光"缆可以传送波长将近4倍于其直径(200nm)的光信号。研究人员还声称，在小于波长的距离上对光进行控制的能力可能会有利于制作更好的光学显微镜，更小的计算机芯片以及更有效的太阳能电池等。

Light squeezes through nano coax (Jan 10)
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/11/1/6

Physicists in the US have created the first nanoscale coaxial cables for
the transmission of light. Operating much like the coaxial cables used
to distribute television and radio signals, the cables can transmit
light with wavelengths nearly four times their 200 nm diameter. The
researchers claim that the ability to control light over sub-wavelength
distances could lead to better optical microscopes, smaller computer
chips and more efficient solar panels (Appl Phys Lett 90 021104)