Experts reject Bush astronomy shake-up
NASA and the NSF could work more closely to integrate ground- and space-based astronomy
Author archive
X marks the spot for our local black hole
Galactic X-rays pinpoint our local black hole 1500 times more accurately than earlier studies
From femtochemistry to attophysics
Physicists are developing sources that emit ultrashort bursts of X-rays to study and control the motion of electrons inside atoms, says Ferenc Krausz
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Taming light with cold atoms
The ability to stop light in its tracks by passing it through a cloud of ultracold atoms could lead to new techniques for optical storage
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Ultrafast cameras streak ahead
According to the old adage, “a picture paints a thousand words”. And in many scientific disciplines ultrahigh-speed imaging is the only reliable way to visualize the countless physical and mechanical processes that occur on microsecond timescales. Such processes include ballistics, the propagation of cracks in materials, flame fronts in combustion research, the generation of shock […]
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A new twist for magnetic moments
First discovered in experiments on ions in the early 1920s, the understanding of magnetic moments played a central role in theoretical physics during the 20th century. In the case of free electrons, comparisons between theory and experiments of ever-increasing accuracy continue to provide one of the most significant tests of the theory of quantum electrodynamics. […]
PhDs are worth more for women
With the new academic year about to begin, undergraduate students will soon be thinking about whether to apply for a PhD. Doing a doctorate can, of course, be a very rewarding experience. It allows students to mature as independent scientists and to experience cutting-edge research – both within their own departments and at prestigious international […]
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Returning to the Fermi level
There is no doubt that Italy is a world force in physics. When the nations of the world are ranked by the number of physics papers that they publish, Italy is sixth. It also makes the top ten when nations are ranked by the impact of their papers as measured by citations in other publications. […]
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Rewriting the laws of optics
New experiments are pushing our understanding of light and optics to the limit and are also opening up new areas of physics and novel applications
Read article: Rewriting the laws of optics
The quest for the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights is a well researched biographical tale of the Norwegian physicist and genius Kristian Birkeland, whose life was spent exclusively in pursuit of the scientific goal of understanding solar-terrestrial relationships. The author, Lucy Jago, has turned his life into a highly compelling story that keeps the reader interested, and also learning, as the […]
Read article: The quest for the Northern Lights
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