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Fundamental Research Division
The DRF at the CEA assemble approximately 6,000 scientists since January 2016.
The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST experiment) has ruled out the existence of axions in an energy range that had been unreachable in previous experiments. Axions are light hypothetical particles that would only interact very weakly with ordinary matter, and could constitute dark matter. The unique performances of the Micromegas detector developed at IRFU have contributed to this result.
Within the framework of the LASERLAB-EUROPE project, CEA is working towards sharing and opening up laser and photonics infrastructure to European scientists. Today, Laserlab is an important tool for the development of laser metrology and laser-based instrumentation for a wide range of applications and societal needs in the fields of health, security, environment, etc.
An international team from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has carried out the first large-scale spectroscopic analysis of quasars, and was able to create a full 3D map of the universe and its large structures as it was 6 billion years ago. For now, the standard model of Cosmology, based upon Einstein's general theory of relativity, is confirmed.
A team from INAC has developed “nanotweezers” operating through remote actuation by an external magnetic field. Inspired from microelectronics techniques, they may collect microscopic biological samples for analysis—biopsies in particular.
A collaboration between Japanese researchers and a team from the Frédéric-Joliot Institute at CEA has shown that liver lesions can be characterized from their elastic properties as estimated virtually using diffusion MRI.
Root-knot nematodes are devastating species to global agriculture; those that reproduce asexually are especially thriving. Researchers from CEA-Genoscope and their partners proposed a hypothesis to explain this extraordinary success.
Researchers from INAC have modeled spin wave sources using base metals. They showed that the presence of the interaction called Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya in these materials, combined with a judicious choice of system geometry, allows for the obtaining of a spin wave source that is unidirectional.
In 2007, the Von-Karman-Sodium (VKS) experiment in Cadarache showed that a macroscopic magnetic field can emerge spontaneously within a turbulent conductive liquid (by “dynamo” effect). New high-definition simulations of VKS highlight the influence of liquid resistivity and the nature of the turbines that agitate the liquid. These recent simulations contribute to a better understanding of the magnetic field of stars and certain planets.
Researchers from IBS have patented a method of biological welding based on their study of pneumococcal pili.
Scientists from INAC and Institut Néel have developed a new technique to precisely map the position of semiconductor quantum dots integrated in a photonic structure.
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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.