Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, used the laboratory’s unique neutron-imaging and high-energy X-ray capabilities to expose the inner structures of the fossil skull of a 74-million-year-old tyrannosauroid dinosaur nicknamed “Bisti Beast.”
Researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, used the laboratory’s unique neutron-imaging and high-energy X-ray capabilities to expose the inner structures of the fossil skull of a 74-million-year-old tyrannosauroid dinosaur nicknamed “Bisti Beast.” The image, the highest-resolution scan of a tyrannosaur skull ever done, provides information about how these predators evolved over millions of years.
Ron Nelson, of the laboratory’s Experimental Physical Sciences Division, said in a statement that this scan was atypical of the scans usually done in the laboratory. “Normally, we look at a variety of thick, dense objects at Los Alamos for defense programs, but the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science was interested in imaging a very large fossil to learn about what’s inside,” he said. Nelson was part of a team that included Los Alamos National Laboratory, the museum, the University of New Mexico, and the University of Edinburgh. “It turns out that high energy neutrons are an interesting and unique way to image something of this size,” he said.
The Los Alamos team combined neutron and X-ray computed tomography (CT) to extract new anatomical information from the 40-inch skull, which was found in 1996 in the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area near Farmington, New Mexico. The thickness of the skull required higher energy X-rays than those typically available to penetrate the fossil. The laboratory’s microtron electron accelerator produced the high-energy X-rays.
The team also used a newly developed, high-energy neutron imaging technique with neutrons produced by the proton accelerator at the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center to gain an alternate view inside the skull. The neutrons interact with nuclei rather than electrons, as X-rays do, and as a result have different elemental sensitivity. The information provided is complementary to that obtained with X-rays. Los Alamos has the unique capability to perform both methods on samples ranging from the very small to the very large scale.
The scan results allowed the team to determine the skull’s sinus and cranial structure. Initial viewing of the X-ray CT slices showed preservation of un-erupted teeth, the brain cavity, internal structure in some bones, sinus cavities, pathways of some nerves and blood vessels, and other anatomical structures.
These imaging techniques have revolutionized the study of paleontology over the past decade, allowing paleontologists to gain essential insights into the anatomy, development, and preservation of important specimens.
Getting accurate IR spectra on monolayer of molecules
April 18th 2024Creating uniform and repeatable monolayers is incredibly important for both scientific pursuits as well as the manufacturing of products in semiconductor, biotechnology, and. other industries. However, measuring monolayers and functionalized surfaces directly is. difficult, and many rely on a variety of characterization techniques that when used together can provide some degree of confidence. By combining non-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM) and IR spectroscopy, IR PiFM provides sensitive and accurate analysis of sub-monolayer of molecules without the concern of tip-sample cross contamination. Dr. Sung Park, Molecular Vista, joined Spectroscopy to provide insights on how IR PiFM can acquire IR signature of monolayer films due to its unique implementation.
Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy Reveals Influence of Defects on 2D Semiconductor Devices
April 25th 2024A recent study used deep level transient spectroscopy to investigate the electrical response of defect filling and emission in monolayer metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)-grown materials deposited on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible substrates.