Institute of Atmospheric Physics Reveals Impact of Tibetan Plateau Surface Sensible Heating on Cloud Cover and Surface Radiation Budget in Surrounding Asian Regions
Recently, Dr. Li Jiandong from the State Key Laboratory of Earth System Numerical Modeling and Application at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), together with collaborators, conducted carefully designed climate model experiments to investigate the impact of Tibetan Plateau surface sensible heating on cloud cover and surface radiation budget in surrounding Asian regions. The results show that surface sensible heating over the Tibetan Plateau significantly alters cloud cover and surface radiation budget over the plateau and its surrounding Asian areas through circulation responses, an effect that is particularly important under the current climate background of accelerated plateau warming. This research provides new insights into the climatic impact of Tibetan Plateau surface heating from the perspective of clouds and energy budget, expanding the scope of plateau climate effect studies. The research received technical support from the Earth System Science Numerical Simulator Facility (EarthLab), and the findings have been published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.
Source: Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
SECUF Supports Ultrafast Electron Microscopy in Revealing Stacking-Sequence-Regulated Interlayer Sliding Shear Phonon Mode Conversion in Two-Dimensional Materials
Recently, a research team from the Laboratory “Advanced Materials & Electron Miscropy” at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences / Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, utilized the variable-temperature ultrafast electron microscope at the D4 Ultrafast Electron Microscopy Experimental Station of the Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF) to observe laser-induced coherent interlayer sliding shear phonon mode switching regulated by stacking sequence in two-dimensional MoTe₂. In addition, the A5 and F2 experimental stations of SECUF provided variable-temperature Raman and transport measurement data for this study, confirming that the sample underwent a T′-to-Td phase transition near 250 K. This achievement not only provides an effective method for characterizing ultrafast structural phase transitions in low-symmetry two-dimensional layered materials, but also lays an experimental and theoretical foundation for developing ultrafast functional materials and topological quantum devices through stacking engineering.
Source: Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility (SECUF)
Institute of Biophysics and Collaborators Explore Novel Membrane Damage Pattern Mediated by 2’3’-cGAMP
Recently, the Gao Pu research team from the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with collaborators, focused on the bacterial anti-phage immune system CBASS, systematically revealing the generation mechanism of 2’3’-cGAMP in prokaryotes, the activation mechanism of downstream transmembrane effector proteins, and how this signaling leads to cell membrane destruction and cell death. By linking biochemical identification, cryo-electron microscopy, correlative light and electron microscopy, and in situ electron microscopy into a complete chain of evidence, the study defined for the first time the molecular mechanism by which CBASS transmembrane effector proteins execute immune defense through “longitudinal membrane shearing.” Electron microscopy sample preparation and cryo-electron microscopy data collection were completed at the Multimode Trans-Scale Biomedical Imaging Facilities / Interdisciplinary Center for Biointelligence of the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Center for Biological Imaging (CBI), Core Facilities for Protein Science. The findings have been published online in Cell.
Source: Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Institute of Physics Makes Progress in Achieving Thermal Runaway-Free Sodium-Ion Batteries
Recently, a research team from the Clean Energy Laboratory at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences / Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, together with collaborators, proposed a new polymerizable flame-retardant electrolyte system. Based on a dual-salt system of sodium tetrafluoroborate and sodium hexafluorophosphate, they optimized the solvation structure and constructed a B-containing cathode electrolyte interphase and a PO₂⁻-rich anode electrolyte interphase, particularly resolving the compatibility challenge with hard carbon anodes. While maintaining excellent electrochemical performance, the triethyl phosphate solvent’s endothermic property at high temperatures and “thermally induced self-polymerization” characteristics enable rapid solidification during abnormal temperature rise, thereby blocking crosstalk between the cathode and anode and eliminating thermal runaway reactions. The findings have been published in Nature Energy.
Source: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Institute of Physics Discovers New Mechanism of Nuclear Quantum Effect-Driven Solid Attosecond Electron Dynamics Fluctuations
Recently, Researcher Meng Sheng from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences / Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, together with postdoctoral fellow Hu Shiqi and Ph.D. student Chen Qing, used the typical two-dimensional material graphene as a model system to systematically study the impact of nuclear quantum effects on solid high-harmonic generation (HHG). The study demonstrates that high-harmonic spectra can serve as an “all-optical probe” for detecting charge distribution changes driven by nuclear quantum effects. This result breaks through the conventional understanding in solid HHG research that treats atomic nuclei as classical particles, showing that nuclear quantum effects are non-negligible ultrafast dynamic factors. It provides new insights into understanding nuclear-electronic quantum dynamics at ultrafast timescales and offers new pathways for future quantum state detection and manipulation based on light fields. The findings have been published in Physical Review Letters.
Source: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Research Team from National Space Science Center Achieves Important Progress in Understanding Impact of Energetic Oxygen Ions on Magnetopause Magnetic Reconnection Diffusion Region and Reconnection Rate
Recently, CAS Member Wang Chi’s research team from the State Key Laboratory of Solar Activity and Space Weather at the National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, utilized high-resolution data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission satellites to successfully obtain, for the first time, observational evidence of the impact of energetic O⁺ ions on the ion diffusion region dynamics of magnetopause magnetic reconnection during the extreme geomagnetic storm of 2024. The results show that under superstorm conditions, heavy ions can significantly modulate the physical processes of magnetopause magnetic reconnection. By confirming that enhanced O⁺ ion abundance during magnetic storms can alter the diffusion region structure, particle energization characteristics, and magnetic reconnection rate, this study significantly deepens the understanding of magnetopause magnetic reconnection mechanisms. The findings have been published in Geophysical Research Letters.
Source: National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences