Scientists have demonstrated a way to reach dramatically smaller focal sizes for hard X-rays, opening the door to research with hard X-rays at atomic-scale.

An international team of scientists has created the highest static pressure ever achieved in a lab: Using a special high pressure device, the researchers investigated the behavior of the metal osmium at pressures of up to 770 Gigapascals — more than twice the pressure in the inner core of the Earth. Surprisingly, osmium does not change its crystal structure, but the core electrons of the atoms come so close to each other that they can interact.

Believe it or not: X-ray works a lot better on rocks than on paper. This has been a problem for conservators trying to save historical books and letters. They frankly did not know what they were up against once fungi started to spot the surface of their documents. Now an imaging specialist has managed to get a first look at how fungus goes about infesting paper.

A new X-ray imaging technique yields unprecedented measurements of nanoscale structures ranging from superconductors to solar cells.

Using cutting-edge X-ray techniques, researchers have uncovered cellular-level detail of what happens when bone bears repetitive stress over time, visualizing damage at smaller scales than previously observed. Their work could offer clues into how bone fractures could be prevented.