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Fundamental Research Division
The DRF at the CEA assemble approximately 6,000 scientists since January 2016.
Researchers from the CEA Frédéric-Joliot Institute have identified photosynthesis mechanisms that protect plants from excessive sunlight, with the idea of mimicking them to optimize solar technologies.
By studying the iridates, a family of materials with strongly correlated electrons, researchers from IRAMIS unexpectedly highlighted a profound analogy between these compounds and high-temperature cuprate superconductors (YBaCuO). Besides their very promising potential, notably in spintronics, these materials could provide valuable clues to understand, at last, the origin of unconventional superconductivity in cuprates.
The massive rural exodus currently occurring in China is accompanied by a moderate decline in fine particulate matter emissions throughout the country, with the exception of megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Such is the counter-intuitive conclusion of an international study involving LSCE.
Using new computer simulations, a collaboration involving scientists from IRFU explained why the Sun's magnetic field changes polarity every 11 years. This groundbreaking discovery of a scaling law on the duration of the magnetic cycle of stars will lead to a better understanding of the risks associated with space weather forecasting.
In a cohort of 100 patients at the Saint-Louis Hospital in Paris (Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris), researchers from CEA and Paris-Diderot University have demonstrated that the level of certain immune cells in the blood is a predictor for bladder cancer recurrence and tumor progression. They suggest using this patented blood test to predict recurrence for other types of cancer.
A team of scientists has managed to couple a semiconductor quantum dot and a vibrating wire. The quantum dot detects the mechanical oscillations of the wire with high sensitivity. This work, completed as part of a collaboration between the University of Basel and INAC, opens new perspectives for the development of original sensors and for fundamental studies.
A collaboration led by IRAMIS has demonstrated that the graphite in Li-ion batteries electrodes can be advantageously replaced by a material made of nitrogen-doped tin oxide nanoparticles.
Based on observations by the space telescope, Hubble, an international study led by IRFU has shown that, in the sample under scrutiny, the galaxies that host an active supermassive black hole are on average more compact than others. This discovery sheds new light on the growth of black holes in the heart of distant galaxies.
Building upon a laboratory experiment, researchers from IRAMIS and LSCE have proposed a set of three "simple" equations to represent a very turbulent flow. These equations lead to an extremely chaotic behavior, which could be qualified as a "super-butterfly effect". Their results are a good starting point to describe complex atmospheric phenomenon, such as clouds or rainfalls.
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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.