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Fundamental Research Division
The DRF at the CEA assemble approximately 6,000 scientists since January 2016.
Thanks to the ALMA European interferometer in Chile, an international team involving IRFU has detected ionized CH+ molecules in distant galaxies for the first time. Their observations reveal the unsuspected existence of large turbulent reservoirs of gas surrounding these young galaxies. The findings explain the persistently high star formation rate observed in galaxies known as "starburst galaxies".
Through the study of model systems, physicists from IRAMIS are gaining a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in the irradiation of a crystalline surface with "swift" ions. Ion beams can be produced by small accelerators and make it possible to shape surfaces on the atomic scale, including high-quality incisions or bends in a monoatomic layer of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) or graphene.
In collaboration with peers from the Frédéric-Joliot Institute at CEA, researchers from BIAM have discovered an enzyme that allows microalgae to convert some of their fatty acids into hydrocarbons using light energy.
For the first time, IRAMIS researchers have isolated complex ion pairs in the gas phase and were able to characterize them using UV and infrared spectroscopy. This original experimental approach will deepen the scientists' understanding of extremely diverse physicochemical processes in media as varied as biological cells and batteries.
After four years of study, the Luminescent Underground Molybdenum Investigation for Neutrino mass and nature (LUMINEU) collaboration has selected lithium molybdate for the manufacture of scintillating bolometers. These ultrasensitive particle detectors will be used for neutrinoless double-beta-decay searches. Should evidence of the latter be highlighted, neutrinos would merge with their antiparticle and the absolute mass of the neutrino would become accessible.
Physicists from IRFU have announced that no "big brother" of the Higgs boson has been detected at the ATLAS experiment at CERN's LHC. Their results rely on new analyzes with higher sensitivity.
Several decades after its discovery, dark matter remains enigmatic. Researchers from IRFU have tested three models of dark matter in which the formation of large structures was modeled using supercomputing. The reconstruction of large structures from observations of quasar spectra favors the hypothesis of a standard "cold" dark matter and sets some of the strongest constraints on these invisible masses.
Researchers at CEA-BIG have developed a web application called ChloroKB, a software that will facilitate the quantitative and predictive modeling of plant metabolism.
A European collaboration involving IRAMIS has described the fabrication of nanoporous graphene sheets that are both robust and easy to handle. The process, which can be used for large area fabrication, uses a copper/graphene/polymer 'sandwich' exposed to heavy swift-ion beam irradiation. It paves the way for numerous applications, including filtration for DNA sequencing and desalination of seawater.
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CEA is a French government-funded technological research organisation in four main areas: low-carbon energies, defense and security, information technologies and health technologies. A prominent player in the European Research Area, it is involved in setting up collaborative projects with many partners around the world.