Physicists have been attempting to create a vortex in a dilute Bose condensate since these systems were first created in 1995. In principle, atomic condensates are ideal systems in which to study vortices because they can now be created and probed routinely using lasers and microwaves (see Physics World August 1999). However, a direct demonstration […]
Investment in “knowledge”, which is defined as research and development, software and public spending on education, now accounts for 8% of the OECD’s total gross domestic product (GDP). Expenditure on knowledge is highest in Scandinavia and France (9-10% of GDP), and lowest in Italy and Japan (6-7%). OECD countries also invested an average of 7% […]
The survey is similar to a study of engineering research being undertaken by the Royal Academy of Engineering and will draw on existing data, assessments from a body of selected international experts, and site visits. The exercise will cover all physics research carried out by or for the research councils in universities, central laboratories and […]
Light is emitted from a quantum cascade laser when an electron falls from an excited energy level in a quantum well to a lower level. The quantum wells are defined by alternating layers of semiconductors with different energy gaps. When an appropriate voltage is applied to the device the electron then tunnels from this lower […]
Like ESA’s recent Hipparcos mission, FAME will use the parallax method to determine the stars’ positions: as the telescope and the Earth orbit the sun, the position of the stars will change slightly. The smaller the change, the further the star is from the Earth. FAME will also look in two directions at once to […]
As the highly energetic particles pass through conventional carbon-rich rocks, they would form carbon-60 molecules in their wake. The fact that these geological detectors have been “collecting data” for millions of years, combined with the stability of carbon-60 molecules, could give this geological approach to particle physics a “winning edge” according to Collar. Another bonus […]
Read article: Magnetic resonance sees the heart beat
Ultrasound is commonly used to look at the heart, but it is unsuitable for the 10-20% of the population that have breathing difficulties (emphysema) or who are medically obese. In both techniques, patients are given drugs to speed up their hearts and promote vigorous pumping. In a healthy heart both sides of the heart contract […]
The treaty will only come into effect if the 44 countries that have the capability to develop nuclear weapons ratify it. Although 26 countries, including France and the UK, have ratified the treaty, Russia, China and the US have not. “This decision is a serious blow to the entire system of agreements in the field […]
The Vienna team sent a collimated beam of carbon-60 molecules through a slit made of silicon nitride and detected the interference pattern by ionizing the molecules with a laser and then counting the ions. The slits in the diffraction grating were 50 nanometres wide and the grating had a period of 100 nanometres. The team […]
