Physics in the News

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Cornell theorists continue the search for supersymmetry

The Tevatron, the particle accelerator used to find the oscillating Bs meson, has huge detectors surrounded by a cylindrical 'tracking chamber', shown here. (Credit: Fermilab)
The Tevatron, the particle accelerator used to find the oscillating Bs meson, has huge detectors surrounded by a cylindrical ‘tracking chamber’, shown here. (Credit: Fermilab)
via cornell

Planets with oddball orbits like Mercury could host life

On Mercury a solar day is about 176 Earth days long. During its first Mercury solar day in orbit the MESSENGER spacecraft imaged nearly the entire surface of Mercury to generate a global monochrome map at 250 meters per pixel resolution and a 1 kilometer per pixel resolution color map. (Credit: NASA/JHU APL/CIW)
On Mercury a solar day is about 176 Earth days long. During its first Mercury solar day in orbit the MESSENGER spacecraft imaged nearly the entire surface of Mercury to generate a global monochrome map at 250 meters per pixel resolution and a 1 kilometer per pixel resolution color map. (Credit: NASA/JHU APL/CIW)
via phys.org

Neutrino trident production may offer powerful probe of new physics

Parameter space for the Z’ gauge boson. The light gray area is excluded at 95% C.L. by the CCFR measurement of the neutrino trident cross section. The dark gray region with the dotted contour is excluded by measurements of the SM Z boson decay to four leptons at the LHC. The purple region is the area favored by the muon g-2 discrepancy that has not yet been ruled out, but future high-energy neutrino experiments are expected to be highly sensitive to this low-mass region. (Credit: Altmannshofer, et al. ©2014 American Physical Society)
Parameter space for the Z’ gauge boson. The light gray area is excluded at 95% C.L. by the CCFR measurement of the neutrino trident cross section. The dark gray region with the dotted contour is excluded by measurements of the SM Z boson decay to four leptons at the LHC. The purple region is the area favored by the muon g-2 discrepancy that has not yet been ruled out, but future high-energy neutrino experiments are expected to be highly sensitive to this low-mass region. (Credit: Altmannshofer, et al. ©2014 American Physical Society)
via phys.org

Viewpoint: Observing the great spin and orbital swap

The researchers observed for the first time coherent oscillations between two spin states: |e↑,g↓〉⇔|e↓,g↑〉. From the oscillation frequency, they determine the spin-exchange interaction strength. (Credit: APS/Ana Maria Rey)
The researchers observed for the first time coherent oscillations between two spin states: |e↑,g↓〉⇔|e↓,g↑〉. From the oscillation frequency, they determine the spin-exchange interaction strength. (Credit: APS/Ana Maria Rey)
via physics.aps

NASA inspector general blasts asteroid detection program

NASA has found about 95 per cent of the largest and potentially most destructive asteroids, those measuring about one kilometre or larger in diameter, but only 10 per cent of those 140 metres or larger in diameter. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Canadian Press)
NASA has found about 95 per cent of the largest and potentially most destructive asteroids, those measuring about one kilometre or larger in diameter, but only 10 per cent of those 140 metres or larger in diameter. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Canadian Press)
via cbslocal

Solar System Simulation Reveals Planetary Mystery

A montage of the planets and some of the moons in our solar system, not to scale. (Credit: NASA/JPL)
A montage of the planets and some of the moons in our solar system, not to scale. (Credit: NASA/JPL)
via spacedaily

Scientists explore landscape of absolute zero to probe quantum phase transitions

Rendering of the near–perfect crystal structure of the yttrium–iron–aluminum compound used in the study. The two–dimensional layers of the material allowed the scientists to isolate the magnetic ordering that emerged near absolute zero. (Credit:Brookhaven National Laboratory)
Rendering of the near–perfect crystal structure of the yttrium–iron–aluminum compound used in the study. The two–dimensional layers of the material allowed the scientists to isolate the magnetic ordering that emerged near absolute zero. (Credit:Brookhaven National Laboratory)
via azoquantum

 Ultrahard fullerite is almost twice as hard as diamond but new synthesis works at room temperature and lower pressure

Diamond anvils malformed during synthesis of ultrahard fullerite. Note the dent in the center. (Credit: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology)
Diamond anvils malformed during synthesis of ultrahard fullerite. Note the dent in the center. (Credit: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology)
via nextbigfuture

Calling all amateur astronomers

via skyandtelescope

Physics in the News

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Atomic clocks on the International Space Station will study time and space

NIST-F1, the nation's primary time and frequency standard, is a cesium fountain atomic clock developed at the NIST laboratories in Boulder, Colorado. NIST-F1 contributes to the international group of atomic clocks that define Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the official world time. Because NIST-F1 is among the most accurate clocks in the world, it makes UTC more accurate than ever before. (Credit: Time and Frequency Division of NIST's PML)
NIST-F1 contributes to the international group of atomic clocks that define Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the official world time. Because NIST-F1 is among the most accurate clocks in the world, it makes UTC more accurate than ever before. (Credit: Time and Frequency Division of NIST’s PML)
via guardianlv

Powerful solar flare reaching M5.9 erupted from Region 2149

via thewatchers

Solving Stephen Hawking’s black hole paradox

via davidreneke

In search of alien life? Seek out the smog

n this artist's conception, the atmosphere of an Earthlike planet displays a brownish haze — the result of widespread pollution. (Credit: Christine Pulliam/Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
Artist’s conception of the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet displaying a brownish haze as the result of widespread pollution. (Credit: Christine Pulliam/Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
via npr

Stellar snow globe mystery solved with Hubble’s help

This new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the globular cluster IC 4499. A cosmic archaeological dig has unfolded within a giant ball of stars some 55,000 light-years away. Credit: NASA)
This new NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the globular cluster IC 4499. A cosmic archaeological dig has unfolded within a giant ball of stars some 55,000 light-years away. (Credit: NASA)
via nationalgeographic

Squeezed light for advanced gravitational wave detectors and beyond(PDF)

Top: A typical set-up for squeezing injection in the first demonstrations of squeezing at GEO600 and LIGO, both using DC readout [36,37]. Proposed design for future detectors. This design features an in-vacuum OPO. The remainder of the squeezed light source remains outside of vacuum. (Credit: E. Oelker, L. Barsotti, S. Dwyer, D. Sigg, and N. Mavalvala)
Top: A typical set-up for squeezing injection in the first demonstrations of squeezing at
GEO600 and LIGO, both using DC readout [36,37]. Bottom: Proposed design for future detectors. This design features an in-vacuum OPO. The remainder of the squeezed light source remains outside of vacuum. (Credit: E. Oelker, L. Barsotti, S. Dwyer, D. Sigg, and N. Mavalvala)
via opticsinfobase

Mercury’s transit: An unusual spot on the sun

What’s that dot on the Sun? If you look closely, it is almost perfectly round. The dot is the result of an unusual type of solar eclipse that occurred in 2006. Usually it is the Earth’s Moon that eclipses the Sun. This time, the planet Mercury took a turn. (Credit: D. Cortner, NASA, K. Schmidt)
What’s that dot on the Sun? If you look closely, it is almost perfectly round. The dot is the result of an unusual type of solar eclipse that occurred in 2006. Usually it is the Earth’s Moon that eclipses the Sun. This time, the planet Mercury took a turn.
(Credit: D. Cortner, NASA, K. Schmidt)
 via spacefellowship

 The invisible galaxies: Radio images of the whirlpool galaxy and beyond

"Maybe we will see how galaxies are magnetically connected to intergalactic space. This is a key experiment in preparation for the planned Square Kilometre Array (SKA) that should tell us how cosmic magnetic fields are generated," says Rainer Beck, lead astronomer with the Max Planck Institute.
“Maybe we will see how galaxies are magnetically connected to intergalactic space. This is a key experiment in preparation for the planned Square Kilometre Array (SKA) that should tell us how cosmic magnetic fields are generated,” says Rainer Beck, lead astronomer with the Max Planck Institute.
via dailygalaxy
Researchers have developed a flexible structure that can sense ambient conditions and adjust its color to match them. At the moment, it only works in black and white. (Credit: PNAS, Timmer)
Researchers have developed a flexible structure that can sense ambient conditions and adjust its color to match them. At the moment, it only works in black and white. (Credit: PNAS, Timmer)
via arstechnica