ISIS Natural World Science Highlights

Natural World Science Highlights

Research at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source is also being used to answer current questions about the Earth's natural environment. Neutrons provide a unique tool for the understanding of both surface and deep Earth processes. In the former case, which is dominated by the effects of water, the sensitivity of neutrons to hydrogen allows precise measurements to be made of the structure, synthesis and dynamics of hydrous mineral phases.

In the latter case, which utilises the penetrating power of neutrons to study large volume samples coupled with the sensitivity of neutrons to light atoms, the field can be subdivided into either petrophysics, the understanding of the properties of rocks at high temperatures and pressures, or mineral physics, the detailed study of the individual constituent mineral phases.

ISIS has been at the forefront in the application of neutrons to both fields with the first ever rock deformation experiments and the first in-situ studies of the ordering of cations into rock-forming minerals being made on Polaris. These early experiments have been extended into detailed studies of the texture and rheological behaviour of complex multicomponent rocks using Gem and Engin-X and studies of the changes in crystal structure of rock-forming silicates with temperature using HRPD and Polaris, and in pressure, using PEARL.Browse all our natural world science highlights below:

Tracking carbon capture & utilisation in real time
An international collaboration between academia and industry have designed and successfully tested a new experimental setup for the capture, conversion and utilisation of carbon dioxide.
Could the first synthetic pigment be on a revival tour?
Researchers from the Aveiro Institute of Materials and ISIS created a new model of cuproriviate, commonly known as Egyptian Blue, through experimental and computational methods.
How cooking emissions from olive oil could provide valuable insight for development of models for the air we breathe
Research into the molecular arrangement of olive oil droplets could aid the development of models for the atmosphere which can be used to advise government policies.
Cycle Highlights - Summer 2023
As always, this ISIS experimental cycle has been an incredible, varied display of scientific experiments! Let us take a look back at some of the work our users were investigating this time…
Society Impact Award 2023
Royal Holloway’s Professor Martin King has been awarded the societal impact award by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council’s ISIS neutron and muon source for his work investigating real-world atmospheric pollutants using neutron reflectometry.
Meteorite or meteor-wrong?
An Italian research collaboration has developed a new approach to characterise stony meteorites to investigate the formation of the solar system.
Cycle Highlights!
During our last cycle the users were pulling out all the stops in every corner of science. Here are just a few select highlights of the research we have had going on at the facility during the last couple of months.
Sticky slime studied using SANS
Velvet worms create projectile slime to defend themselves and catch their prey. Using small angle neutron scattering, researchers have been able to look inside the slime and study its structure.
Using neutrons to understand atmospheric aerosols and their impact on air pollution, health and modern climate change
Neutron scattering and, in particular, neutron reflectometry (NR) is increasingly being used at ISIS for atmospheric chemistry research.
A Sustainable Fluid for Fake Falling Snow
Fundamental insights into the interfacial structure of polymers and surfactants leads to world-leading eco-friendly artificial falling snow
Life Under Pressure
Biophysicists from the University of Leeds have been using neutrons to unravel the mechanisms behind survival under extreme pressures.
Raman on Mars – not noodles but vibrations!
Researchers have fully characterised the structure of the material rozenite to act as a reference for space scientists studying rocks from Mars to look for signs of water.
‘Real’ atmospheric samples covering pollution particles analysed using neutrons for the first time
A new approach of studying the behaviour of surface films covering particles taken directly from the atmosphere has been developed by scientists.
Neutron imaging reveals never-before-seen 3D muscle structure in rare Jurassic ammonite fossil
For the first time, details of the soft tissues in an exceptionally preserved fossil have been revealed in 3D using IMAT, throwing new light on creatures that thrived in the oceans 165 million years ago
TOSCA hunts the dynamics of the elusive cubic ice Ic
After initial characterisation on HRPD, researchers have used other neutron techniques to understand an unusual type of ice.
Neutron experiments confirm the existence of new form of ice
Using diffraction experiments on HRPD, Austrian researchers have confirmed the existence of an exotic form of ice: Ice XIX.
Does it matter if shellfish food is left-handed or right-handed?
Scientists from Evonik Nutrition & Care, Evonik Operations GmbH and the University of Reading have used inelastic neutron scattering alongside other techniques to study the differences between two forms of a new feed supplement for marine organisms.
Water surprise: how two molecules can have the same, but also the opposite, effect
TMAO and magnesium perchlorate perturb water structure in an opposing manner, yet surprisingly have an additive effect in slowing water dynamics.
What damage does bleaching cause to your hair?
Neutron experiments have been used to study the effect of bleaching on human hair at the atomic level.
Fibre formation in meat analogues measured using neutron spectroscopy
Kew measures spores on IRIS to understand seed storage
After an encounter at a conference, researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, visited the IRIS instrument to trial a technique that could help them determine how long they can store seeds for.
IMAT measures Martian meteorites
A collaboration of scientists from Lund, Glasgow and the Natural History Museum came to IMAT last week to map the hydrous phases of Martian meteorites in 3D.
Investigating marine aerosols at night
New insights into planet formation using NIMROD
Iron meteorites allow us to probe the formation of our Solar System
Uncovering the effect of pesticides on the waxy layer of plants
A team from the University of Manchester, ISIS and Syngenta, have been using a combination of analytical techniques in order to study the efficiency of pesticides in the development of agri-sprays, which are commonly used in the agricultural industry.
Getting to the root of it using neutron and X-ray imaging
Researchers from the University of Southampton alongside scientists from ISIS and Diamond Light Source are developing a robust method to study the interactions between plant roots and soil.
Cereal research takes roots on IMAT
Neutrons have been used to map the root structure of wheat plants in life-like soil conditions for the first time, and the researchers have returned to study rice, with the help of a new research greenhouse on the IMAT beamline.
Probing the strange properties of hydrothermal water
A team of scientists using ISIS are investigating these fluids in the hope that as well as shedding light on the mechanisms that power the planet, we might learn how to exploit them in the fight against climate change.
ISIS ice research is a hot topic
A publication based on experiments at ISIS has been selected by the journal editors as a ‘hot article’ to appear in their online rolling collection of featured articles.
Neutron studies of cellulose fibres
A team of Portuguese researchers has used neutrons to characterise the structure and packing of cellulose fibrils and their bundles.
Non-Destructive investigations of iron meteorites using neutron diffraction
Scientists from Universita degli Studi di Firenze and Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi are using neutron diffraction to non-destructively study iron meteorites to reveal conditions during the early formation of the solar system.
Plant superfood turned extraordinary surface glue: Neutrons reveal all
New research using the INTER reflectometer at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source has revealed how plant proteins can be used to stick particles to solid surfaces, opening up a plethora of potential industrial applications.
Inhibiting the growth of the world’s largest gas resource
Natural gas hydrates may be a vast untapped energy resource but they cause severe problems in oil and gas pipelines and are potent greenhouse gases. To improve our understanding of these problematic compounds methane hydrate was studied using neutrons.
Neutron imaging study dives deep into pearls
A non-destructive neutron technique has been used to study the inner morphology of one of mankind’s most precious biological samples – the pearl.
New insights into planet formation using NIMROD
Scientists from The Open University and Technical University Braunschweig are using NIMROD to study the structural properties of micrometer-sized icy particles – analogues of interstellar ice – to gain insight into processes that lead to planet formation.
SANDALS diffractometer sheds light on the enigma of Martian channel formation
In collaboration with ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, a team led by Dr Lorna Dougan at the University of Leeds have used neutron diffraction to study the structure of a mimetic of Martian water known as magnesium perchlorate aqueous solution.
Fish-eye view into cryopreservation
Scientists from the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source have solved the mechanism behind the long-term freeze storage technique ‘cryopreservation’ that is used to preserve the embryos of species that are in danger of extinction.
Every cloud has a lipid lining
Floating on ships in the Indian Ocean, researchers noticed that clouds drifting downwind of a city had different reflectivity to clouds which didn’t come downwind of a city.
Understanding the deep Earth
Studies at ISIS reveal important information about the behaviour of a post-perovskite.
From outer space volcanoes to nanotechnology
Neutron scattering conducted at ISIS and the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) has discovered that methanol crystals that may be found in outer solar system ‘ice lavas’ have unusual expansion properties.
Getting on top of calcite
Calcite is an extremely important mineral in sedimentary deposits and in many industrial processes. This is particularly evident in water heating where it forms ‘scale’ in hard water areas due to its retrograde solubility (solubility falls on heating).
Managing nanoparticle waste in sewage
A new discovery about nanoparticle behaviour in sewage treatment plants could improve the environmental management of nanoparticle wastes from foods, cosmetics, medicines, cleaners and personal care products.
Atmospheric oxidation of organic pollution in cloud droplets - a climate effect?
Atmospheric aerosol affects global climate both directly, by absorbing and scattering solar radiation, and indirectly, by influencing cloud formation and growth.
A clear view through muddy water
In recent years water quality scientists have become increasingly aware of the significance of nanoparticles (defined as <100 nm in size) in the transport of pollutants and their potential impacts on the ecology and health of streams and rivers.
Gate-keepers holding on to the water in clay
Even in a barren and hot desert, clays can contain a significant fraction of water that is normally unavailable to plants.
Asphaltene aggregation in the presence of laponite clay
Asphaltenes are known as the ‘cholesterol’ of crude oil.They precipitate, adhere to surfaces and, in the worst cases, cause costly pipe blockages
Stopping pollution in its tracks
When we bury our waste in landfill sites, the site often has a clay liner to prevent toxic chemicals from escaping and contaminating groundwater.
Ice cold in Titan
Neutrons explore the materials thought to makeup the mantles of the icy moons of the Solar System.
Oxidation of organic films on cloud droplets
Using neutron reflection to study the formation of clouds.
Nitric acid hydrates : constituents of ice clouds
Inelastic neutron scattering studies on solid cloud particles
Holey hematite!
Transforming magnetism in a-Fe2O3 through mesostructure.
Case study: Clear as muddy water
ISIS studies river water samples to help researchers understand and improve water resources across the European Union.