Physics
press releases.

Physics13 Dec 2023

Minor wavelength optimization causes large power improvement

Recent attention has been devoted to develop high-power mid-infrared fiber lasers due to their applications in free-space communication, atmospheric remote sensing, and high-resolution spectroscopy. With the “0.98 μm+2 μm” dual-wavelength pumping scheme, mid-infrared laser emission at 3.5 μm can be obtained from Er-doped fluoride fiber laser. However, an intrinsic excited state absorption (ESA) also exhibits absorption at 2 μm pump wavelength, which reduces the pump quantum efficiency. Even worse, the ESA starts from the upper ...

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Physics12 Dec 2023

UCF researcher discovers new technique for photon detection

University of Central Florida researcher Debashis Chanda, a professor at the NanoScience Technology Center, has developed a new technique to detect photons — elementary particles that span from visible light to radio frequencies and are instrumental in carrying cellular communication. The advancement could lead to more precise and efficient technologies in various fields, from improving medical imaging and communication systems to enhancing scientific research and even potentially bolstering security measures. Photon detection has typically relied on change/modulation of voltage or ...

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Physics12 Dec 2023

Spinning up control: Propeller shape helps direct nanoparticles, researchers say

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Self-propelled nanoparticles could potentially advance drug delivery and lab-on-a-chip systems — but they are prone to go rogue with random, directionless movements. Now, an international team of researchers has developed an approach to rein in the synthetic particles. Led by Igor Aronson, the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry and Mathematics at Penn State, the team redesigned the nanoparticles into a propeller shape to better control their movements and increase their functionality. ...

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Physics12 Dec 2023

Stability in physical and political science

In a Perspective, a biophysical chemist, Kenneth J. Breslauer, and his brother, a political scientist, George W. Breslauer, explore the parallelisms between the concept of stability as it is used in their respective fields. The workings of a cell or molecule are generally understood to be reducible to physics, but social and political events are thought to be structured by human agency and a generous helping of chance. However, both molecular systems and socio-political organizations can be said to exhibit stability, instability, or so-called “metastability,” a state of precarious and kinetic stability. For example, a chemical system can be metastable when molecules ...

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Physics8 Dec 2023

Advisory panel issues field-defining recommendations for US government investments in particle physics research

The High Energy Physics Advisory Panel (HEPAP) to the High Energy Physics program of the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation’s Division of Physics has released a new Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) report, which outlines particle physicists’ recommendations for research priorities in a field whose projects — such as building new accelerator facilities — can take years or decades, contributions from thousands of scientists, and billions of dollars. The 2023 P5 report represents the major activity in the field of particle physics that ...

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Physics8 Dec 2023

BNL: Advisory panel issues field-defining recommendations for U.S. government investments in particle physics research

The following news release on the 2023 Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) report is based on one issued today by the American Physical Society (APS) with added content specific to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory. For more information about Brookhaven Lab’s research in particle physics, contact: Karen McNulty Walsh, kmcnulty@bnl.gov, (631) 344-8350. For APS media inquiries, contact Anna Torres, torres@aps.org, (301) 209-3605. WASHINGTON, ...

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Physics8 Dec 2023

Advisory panel issues field-defining recommendations for investments in particle physics research

Contributions from Argonne will drive innovation in particle physics and shed light on outstanding mysteries in the field. Yesterday marked the release of a highly anticipated report from the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5), unveiling an exciting new roadmap for unlocking the secrets of the cosmos through particle physics. The report was released by the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel to the High Energy Physics program of the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and ...

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Physics7 Dec 2023

Princeton Chemistry develops catalyst for electronically controlled C–H functionalization

The Chirik Group at the Princeton Department of Chemistry is chipping away at one of the great challenges of metal-catalyzed C–H functionalization with a new method that uses a cobalt catalyst to differentiate between bonds in fluoroarenes, functionalizing them based on their intrinsic electronic properties. In a paper published this week in Science, researchers show they are able to bypass the need for steric control and directing groups to induce cobalt-catalyzed borylation that is meta-selective. The lab’s research ...

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Physics6 Dec 2023

Fear of falls is associated with less physical activity for people in their nineties, who averaged around 3,000 daily steps per activity tracker data

Fear of falls is associated with less physical activity for people in their nineties, who averaged around 3,000 daily steps per activity tracker data ### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294817 Article Title: Accelerometer-measured physical activity and sedentary behavior in nonagenarians: Associations with self-reported physical activity, anthropometric, sociodemographic, health and cognitive characteristics Author Countries: Finland Funding: The NONAGINTA – Memory and Health in 90-year-olds – study was supported by the ...

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Physics5 Dec 2023

Picking up good vibrations: The surprising physics of the didjeridu #Acoustics23

SYDNEY, Dec. 6, 2023 – Australia’s most iconic sound is almost certainly the didjeridu. The long wooden tube-shaped instrument is famous for its unique droning music and has played a significant role in Australian Aboriginal culture for thousands of years. Despite the instrument’s simple design, the playing technique can be highly complex. Joe Wolfe and John Smith from the University of New South Wales conducted acoustic experiments to study the didjeridu’s unusual and complicated performance techniques. Smith will be presenting their work on Dec. 6 at 8:20 a.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time, as part of Acoustics 2023 Sydney, ...

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Physics5 Dec 2023

Argonne physicist recognized for “Top Cited Paper” by Institute of Physics

A paper co-authored by physicist Filip Kondev of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has earned a “Top Cited Paper Award” from IOP Publishing, the publishing arm of the Institute of Physics. The paper, “The NUBASE2020 evaluation of nuclear physics properties,” provides researchers with recommended values of the basic nuclear physics properties for all known atomic nuclei. These data are provided for each nucleus in its ground state, its lowest energy level, and in its excited, isomeric state, a higher energy level that lives longer than what is typical. These data constitute the fundamental ...

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Physics5 Dec 2023

Diamonds and rust help unveil ‘impossible’ quasi-particles

Researchers have discovered magnetic monopoles – isolated magnetic charges – in a material closely related to rust, a result that could be used to power greener and faster computing technologies. Researchers led by the University of Cambridge used a technique known as diamond quantum sensing to observe swirling textures and faint magnetic signals on the surface of hematite, a type of iron oxide. The researchers observed that magnetic monopoles in hematite emerge through the collective behaviour of many spins (the angular momentum of a particle). These monopoles glide across the swirling textures on the surface of the hematite, like tiny ...

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Physics4 Dec 2023

Placing nanoparticles in the palm of your hand

Nanoparticles are super tiny―as small as one nanometer, or one billionth of a meter―and are of keen interest to materials scientists for their unique physical and chemical properties. They cannot be detected by the naked eye and require a highly specialized electron microscope to be seen. In fact, advancements in imaging technologies through the 1990s and early 2000s are what made the field of nanoscience possible, says Anne Bentley, a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. “I ...

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Physics1 Dec 2023

Auburn University invites aspiring physicists to PhD program information meeting

Auburn University's Department of Physics is hosting a special meeting targeting college students passionate about pursuing a PhD in Physics. This engaging event is set for December 8 at 2 PM Central Time. Interested individuals can join the session virtually via Zoom at https://aub.ie/faKH5W. Studying Physics at Auburn University is an immersive journey into the universe's fundamental principles. Our PhD program offers a robust foundation in physics and promotes groundbreaking research and discovery. Known for small class sizes and personalized ...

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Physics1 Dec 2023

One of the largest magnetic storms in history quantified: Aurorae covered much of the night sky from the Tropics to the Polar Regions

In early November of this year, aurora borealis were observed at surprisingly low latitudes, as far south as Italy and Texas. Such phenomena indicate the impacts of a solar coronal mass ejection on the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. Far more dramatic than this recent light show was, it was nothing compared to a huge solar storm in February 872. The resulting auroral display from that event ringed the globe and produced auroras observed in sites as close to the equator as Bombay and Khartoum. An international team consisting of scientists from nine counties has now published a detailed study of this historically important event, tracing its ...

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Physics1 Dec 2023

Physicians, scientists agree increased East-West travel has negative impacts on student-athletes through sleep and circadian disruption

Announcements in June 2022 of possible realignments of major east-west athletic conferences raised concern among many sleep and circadian physicians and scientists across the United States. As a result of such changes, student-athletes would suffer the negative consequences of increased travel—especially with travel that that crosses time zones and induces jet lag. Because of the concern over the demise of the Pac12, leading to more east-west trips, a group of sleep and circadian scientists and physicians have published a white paper ...

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Physics30 Nov 2023

Researchers extend non-line-of-sight imaging towards longer wavelengths

WASHINGTON — Emerging technologies for non-line-of-sight imaging can detect objects even if they are around a corner or behind a wall. In new work, researchers use a new type of detector to extend this method from visible light into near and mid-infrared wavelengths, an advance that could be especially useful for unmanned vehicles, robotic vision, endoscopy and other applications. “Infrared non-line-of-sight imaging can improve the safety and efficiency of unmanned vehicles by helping them detect and navigate around obstacles that are not directly visible,” said Xiaolong Hu from Tianjin University in China. His team collaborated with a group ...

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Physics28 Nov 2023

Gaining more control over the fabrication of surface micro/nano structures using ultrafast lasers

Surface functionalization via micro/nano structuring is not only a thriving research area inspired by bionics but also of great importance for various practical applications. The key to achieving various surface functions is the fabrication of surface micro/nano structures with controlled dimensions, hierarchies, and compositions, which is driving the continuous progress of micro/nano fabrication techniques. Researchers from the Laser Materials Processing Research Center at the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Tsinghua University, China, have spent years in developing laser-enabled fabrication ...

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Physics22 Nov 2023

UTA, DOE lab partner to prove new atomic cooling techniques

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded associate professor of physics Benjamin Jones a $540,000 grant to initiate a new collaborative research partnership between The University of Texas at Arlington and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington. The project aims to prove a new atomic cooling approach required for the next generation of neutrino mass research. Neutrinos are the most abundant particles with mass in the universe. Every time atomic nuclei come together (in the case of stars like the sun) or break apart (such as in nuclear ...

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Physics21 Nov 2023

Unraveling autism spectrum disorder mechanisms through rigid-autonomous phase sequences

This study delves into the behavioral complexities of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by introducing the rigid-autonomous phase sequence (RAPS) formation concept. RAPS are may be responsible for the cognitive, sensory-motor, and memory-related challenges faced by individuals with ASD. By uniting these insights under a single theoretical framework, this research paves the way for innovative treatments, promising a brighter future for those with ASD. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neuropsychiatric condition, marked ...

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Physics20 Nov 2023

Physicists answer question of Supergalactic Plane’s absent spiral galaxies

Astrophysicists say they have found an answer to why spiral galaxies like our own Milky Way are largely missing from a part of our Local Universe called the Supergalactic Plane. The Supergalactic Plane is an enormous, flattened structure extending nearly a billion light years across in which our own Milky Way galaxy is embedded. While the Plane is teeming with bright elliptical galaxies, bright disk galaxies with spiral arms are conspicuously scarce. Now an international team of researchers, co-led by Durham University, UK, and the University of Helsinki, Finland, say different distributions of elliptical and disk ...

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Physics20 Nov 2023

Infertility and risk of autism spectrum disorder in children

About The Study: In this study of 1.3 million children from Ontario, Canada, a slightly higher risk of autism spectrum disorder was observed in children born to individuals with infertility, which appears partly mediated by certain obstetrical and neonatal factors. To optimize child neurodevelopment, strategies should further explore these other factors in individuals with infertility, even among those not receiving fertility treatment. Authors: Maria P. Velez, M.D., Ph.D., of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, is the corresponding author. To access the ...

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Physics15 Nov 2023

Physician burnout reduced with peer support, study finds

A new Kaiser Permanente physician peer support program designed to reduce burnout helped improve doctors’ well-being and had a positive impact on the culture of the medical departments that took part in the program, Kaiser Permanente researchers found. The study, published November 1 in PLOS ONE, analyzed the impact of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) Peer Outreach Support Team (POST) program in 2 KPNC hospitals. POST is now active in 10 KPNC hospitals, and 3 more hospitals intend to launch POST programs over the next few months. Uniquely, the POST program allows for third-party referrals — ...

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Physics15 Nov 2023

New laser setup probes metamaterial structures with ultrafast pulses

Metamaterials are products of engineering wizardry. They are made from everyday polymers, ceramics, and metals. And when constructed precisely at the microscale, in intricate architectures, these ordinary materials can take on extraordinary properties. With the help of computer simulations, engineers can play with any combination of microstructures to see how certain materials can transform, for instance, into sound-focusing acoustic lenses or lightweight, bulletproof films. But simulations can only take a design so far. To know for sure whether a metamaterial will stand up to expectation, physically testing them is a must. But there’s been no reliable way to push and pull ...

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Physics14 Nov 2023

Tandem single atom electrocatalyst realizes reduction of CO2 to ethanol

The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) into carbon-based fuels provides a promising strategy to mitigate CO2 emission and promotes the utilization of renewable energy. The Cn (n≥2) liquid products are desirable because of their high energy densities and ease of storage. However, manipulation of C-C coupling pathway remains a challenge due to the limited mechanistic understanding. Recently, a research group led by Profs. ZHANG Tao and HUANG Yanqiang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has developed a Sn-based tandem electrocatalyst (SnS2@Sn1-O3G), which could reproducibly yield ethanol ...

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