Aerogels have numerous applications due to their high surface area and low densities. However, creating aerogels from a large variety of materials has remained an outstanding challenge. Here, we report a new methodology to enable aerogel production with a wide range of materials. The method is based on the assembly of anisotropic nano-objects (one-dimensional (1D) nanotubes, nanowires, or two-d...

We describe a new aerogel threshold Cherenkov detector installed in the HMS spectrometer in Hall C at Jefferson Lab. The Hall C experimental program in 2003 required an improved particle identification system for better identification of π/K/p, which was achieved by installing an additional threshold Cherenkov counter. Two types of aerogel with n = 1.03 and n = 1.015 allow one to reach ∼ 10 pro...

We present data for energy dissipation factor (Q−1) over a broad temperature range at various pressures of a torsion pendulum setup used to study He confined in a 98% open silica aerogel. Values for Q−1 above Tc are temperature independent and have weak pressure dependence. Below Tc, a deliberate axial compression of the aerogel by 10% widens the range of metastability for a superfluid Equal Sp...

Silica aerogel possesses an ultra-low thermal conductivity by virtue of its nano-structure. Owing to the fragility monolithic aerogel, development and production aerogel-based insulation materials involve incorporation granular with other form composite materials. In present study, application silica-aerogel-incorporated cement paste as render on roof-top surface is coupled installation a novel...

Electromagnetic induction (EMI) is a mechanism of classical physics that can be utilized to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy or electrical to mechanical energy. This mechanism has not been exploited fully because of lack of a material with a sufficiently low force constant. We here show that carbon nanotube (CNT) aerogel sheets can exploit EMI to provide mechanical actuation at ve...

Introduction: Dust from comet Wild 2 was collected by the Stardust mission and returned to Earth in 2006 [1]. Low-density silica aerogel served as primary capture medium to facilitate gentle deceleration of cometary matter at a sampling velocity of 6.1 km/s [2]. However, the majority of the cometary matter captured by Stardust ended up in so-called bulbous aerogel tracks, where most of the mass...

Glass states formed in the superfluid 3 He confined in aerogel are discussed. If the short range order corresponds to the A-phase state, the glass state is nonsuperfluid in the long wave length limit. The superfluidity can be restored by application of a small mass current. Transitions between the superfluid and nonsuperfluid glass states can be triggered by small magnetic field and by the chan...

Introduction: In 2006, NASA’s Stardust mission returned a capsule to Earth with particles collected from the coma of comet 81P/Wild 2. Cometary particles were collected by impact into low-density silica aerogel at a relative velocity of 6.1 km/s [1]. Upon impacting the aerogel, particles left behind tracks of melted and compressed aerogel and void space, shedding material along the way. In orde...

Although silica aerogel is expected to be the material for energy savings, the lack of the strength prevents from commercial applications such as to low-density thermal insulators and acoustic absorbents. To improve mechanical properties, methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) and dimethyldimethoxysilane (DMDMS) are used as the co-precursor of aerogels in this study because the network becomes flexible ...