Author(s): Lior Michaeli, Shay Keren-Zur, Ori Avayu, Haim Suchowski, and Tal EllenbogenA 30-fold increase in second harmonic emission is reported from an array of split-ring resonators. The enhancement is attributed to two sources: the Rayleigh-Wood an…
Dimensional, Geometrical, and Physical Constraints in Skull Growth
Author(s): Johannes Weickenmeier, Cedric Fischer, Dennis Carter, Ellen Kuhl, and Alain GorielyA model predicts skull growth patterns based on mechanical effects, rather than biology, and could help surgeons treating patients with head growth problems.[…
Week In Images
Our week through the lens: 12-16 June 2017
Thar Desert
Earth observation image of the week: a Sentinel-2 false-colour image over northwest India, also featured on the Earth from Space video programme
ESA bird’s-eye view
Operations image of the week: ESA’s mission control centre seen from the air, nestled on the edge of 500 million years of history
Observation of Topological Bloch-State Defects and Their Merging Transition
Author(s): Matthias Tarnowski, Marlon Nuske, Nick Fläschner, Benno Rem, Dominik Vogel, Lukas Freystatzky, Klaus Sengstock, Ludwig Mathey, and Christof Weitenberg
A new method is proposed and demonstrated for detecting topological phenomena in cold atoms confined in optical lattices.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 240403] Published Thu Jun 15, 2017
Observation of Topological Bloch-State Defects and Their Merging Transition
Author(s): Matthias Tarnowski, Marlon Nuske, Nick Fläschner, Benno Rem, Dominik Vogel, Lukas Freystatzky, Klaus Sengstock, Ludwig Mathey, and Christof Weitenberg
A new method is proposed and demonstrated for detecting topological phenomena in cold atoms confined in optical lattices.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 240403] Published Thu Jun 15, 2017
Earth from Space
Join us Friday, 16 June, at 10:00 CEST for the ‘Earth from Space’ video programme
Rover in a spin
Technology image of the week: ESA’s Rover Autonomy Testbed vehicle does a twirl during night time testing in Tenerife
Researchers simulate a black hole in the bath
Studying waves in a water bath has revealed significant clues about the processes that take place around black holes.
Stars may all be born in pairs and lose their siblings later
Our poor, lonely Sun.
Keeping the rhythm in space
Space is an inhospitable environment for the human body but we adapt remarkably well. Within hours, the brain adjusts to the lack of an up or down, as if floating is all it has ever known. Now researchers are learning how our internal clock similarly adjusts to the restrictions of space. An ESA-sponsored experiment has found that while you can take the body out of Earth, you can’t take an Earth-based rhythm out of the body.
Keeping the rhythm in space
Space is an inhospitable environment for the human body but we adapt remarkably well. Within hours, the brain adjusts to the lack of an up or down, as if floating is all it has ever known. Now researchers are learning how our internal clock similarly adjusts to the restrictions of space. An ESA-sponsored experiment has found that while you can take the body out of Earth, you can’t take an Earth-based rhythm out of the body.
Why do they not answer and do they really learn? A case study in analysing student response flows in introductory physics using an audience response system
In this paper we investigate teaching with a classroom response system in introductory physics with
emphasis on two issues. First, we discuss retention between question rounds and the reasons why
students avoid answering the question a second time. A…
‘PhysTrack’: a Matlab based environment for video tracking of kinematics in the physics laboratory
In the past two decades, several computer software tools have been developed to investigate the
motion of moving bodies in physics laboratories. In this article we report a Matlab based video
tracking library, PhysTrack, primarily designed to investi…
Space shuttle’s liftoff: a didactical model
The pedagogical aim of the present paper, thought for an undergraduate audience, is to help students
to appreciate how the development of elementary models based on physics first principles is a
fundamental and necessary preliminary step for the beha…
Magnetic safety matches
In addition to the main ingredients; sulfur, potassium chlorate and carbon, ordinary safety matches
contain various dyes, glues etc, giving the head of the match an even texture and appealing color.
Among the common reddish-brown matches there are se…
Why do they not answer and do they really learn? A case study in analysing student response flows in introductory physics using an audience response system
In this paper we investigate teaching with a classroom response system in introductory physics with
emphasis on two issues. First, we discuss retention between question rounds and the reasons why
students avoid answering the question a second time. A…
‘PhysTrack’: a Matlab based environment for video tracking of kinematics in the physics laboratory
In the past two decades, several computer software tools have been developed to investigate the
motion of moving bodies in physics laboratories. In this article we report a Matlab based video
tracking library, PhysTrack, primarily designed to investi…
Space shuttle’s liftoff: a didactical model
The pedagogical aim of the present paper, thought for an undergraduate audience, is to help students
to appreciate how the development of elementary models based on physics first principles is a
fundamental and necessary preliminary step for the beha…
Magnetic safety matches
In addition to the main ingredients; sulfur, potassium chlorate and carbon, ordinary safety matches
contain various dyes, glues etc, giving the head of the match an even texture and appealing color.
Among the common reddish-brown matches there are se…
Solving the Quantum Many-Body Problem via Correlations Measured with a Momentum Microscope
Author(s): S. S. Hodgman, R. I. Khakimov, R. J. Lewis-Swan, A. G. Truscott, and K. V. Kheruntsyan
A microscope that images the momenta of atoms in a Bose-Einstein condensate could solve quantum many-body problems
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 240402] Published Wed Jun 14, 2017
Solving the Quantum Many-Body Problem via Correlations Measured with a Momentum Microscope
Author(s): S. S. Hodgman, R. I. Khakimov, R. J. Lewis-Swan, A. G. Truscott, and K. V. Kheruntsyan
A microscope that images the momenta of atoms in a Bose-Einstein condensate could solve quantum many-body problems
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 240402] Published Wed Jun 14, 2017
Orion frame work
Human spaceflight and robotic exploration image of the week: Working on Europe’s contribution to the Orion spacecraft
A Taste of Space 4.0
ESA Director General Jan Woerner met students at ‘Libreria AsSaggi’ in Rome on 15 June, to discuss the future of Europe’s space activities. Watch the replay
Life on TRAPPIST-1 could hitch a ride on meteors between worlds
It’s a trap!
Jupiter has two new moons
And five lost ones have been found.
Total eclipse of a planet
Can total solar eclipses happen on other planets?
NuSTAR’s First Five Years in Space
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of NASA’s NuSTAR space mission, the mission’s lead scientist, Fiona Harrison of Caltech, talks about some of her favorite images.
NuSTAR’s First Five Years in Space
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of NASA’s NuSTAR space mission, the mission’s lead scientist, Fiona Harrison of Caltech, talks about some of her favorite images.
Real-Time Observation of Internal Motion within Ultrafast Dissipative Optical Soliton Molecules
Author(s): Katarzyna Krupa, K. Nithyanandan, Ugo Andral, Patrice Tchofo-Dinda, and Philippe GreluPairs of solitons traveling in an optical fiber behave like a vibrating molecule.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 243901] Published Tue Jun 13, 2017
Real-Time Observation of Internal Motion within Ultrafast Dissipative Optical Soliton Molecules
Author(s): Katarzyna Krupa, K. Nithyanandan, Ugo Andral, Patrice Tchofo-Dinda, and Philippe GreluPairs of solitons traveling in an optical fiber behave like a vibrating molecule.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 243901] Published Tue Jun 13, 2017
California slide
Satellite radar shows unstable ground ahead of the massive landslide that covered part of California’s iconic Highway 1
Galaxies are locked in place by their surroundings
Astronomers have traced the alignment of galaxies in massive clusters back 10 billion years.
Get a sneak peak of August’s total solar eclipse
This website simulates what the eclipse will look like from your location.
Satellites forewarn of locust plagues
Satellites are helping to predict favourable conditions for desert locusts to swarm, which poses a threat to agricultural production and, subsequently, livelihoods and food security.
Satellites forewarn of locust plagues
Satellites are helping to predict favourable conditions for desert locusts to swarm, which poses a threat to agricultural production and, subsequently, livelihoods and food security.
Extracting the Boltzmann constant from a hot diode
A rarely looked into aspect, heating and its effect on the results of the diode experiment are
discussed. The error introduced in parameters such as the Boltzmann constant is also highlighted.
The skin effect: a fresh look
Based on network analysis, a simple method has been suggested to explain the skin effect to
undergraduate students. The mathematics required is an elementary idea of calculus giving a
surprising insight into how nature behaves.
Analysing the physics learning environment of visually impaired students in high schools
Although visually impaired students attend regular high school, their enrolment in advanced science
classes is dramatically low. In our research we evaluated the physics learning environment of a
blind high school student in a regular Dutch high scho…
How to use 3D shadows for simple microscopy and vibrometry
In 2014, we reported that shadows can be displayed in 3D using a stereoscopic setup. We now report
that the 3D shadows can also be used to perform simple measurements, which are suitable for physics
education in schools and colleges. Two different ty…
How do we know what is ‘inside the atom’?—Simulating scattering experiments in the classroom
The idea of the indivisible atom, held since the time of the ancient Greeks, was smashed just over
100 years ago. Ernest Rutherford and his team of scientists in the UK used scattering experiments to
discover that atoms have a very dense and extremel…
Extracting the Boltzmann constant from a hot diode
A rarely looked into aspect, heating and its effect on the results of the diode experiment are
discussed. The error introduced in parameters such as the Boltzmann constant is also highlighted.
The skin effect: a fresh look
Based on network analysis, a simple method has been suggested to explain the skin effect to
undergraduate students. The mathematics required is an elementary idea of calculus giving a
surprising insight into how nature behaves.
Analysing the physics learning environment of visually impaired students in high schools
Although visually impaired students attend regular high school, their enrolment in advanced science
classes is dramatically low. In our research we evaluated the physics learning environment of a
blind high school student in a regular Dutch high scho…
How to use 3D shadows for simple microscopy and vibrometry
In 2014, we reported that shadows can be displayed in 3D using a stereoscopic setup. We now report
that the 3D shadows can also be used to perform simple measurements, which are suitable for physics
education in schools and colleges. Two different ty…
How do we know what is ‘inside the atom’?—Simulating scattering experiments in the classroom
The idea of the indivisible atom, held since the time of the ancient Greeks, was smashed just over
100 years ago. Ernest Rutherford and his team of scientists in the UK used scattering experiments to
discover that atoms have a very dense and extremel…
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Signature of the Spin-Nematic Phase in LiCuVO_{4} at High Magnetic Fields
Author(s): A. Orlova, E. L. Green, J. M. Law, D. I. Gorbunov, G. Chanda, S. Krämer, M. Horvatić, R. K. Kremer, J. Wosnitza, and G. L. J. A. Rikken
Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements strengthen the case that spins in a copper oxide exhibit nematic order similar to that found in liquid crystals.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 247201] Published Mon Jun 12, 2017
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Signature of the Spin-Nematic Phase in LiCuVO_{4} at High Magnetic Fields
Author(s): A. Orlova, E. L. Green, J. M. Law, D. I. Gorbunov, G. Chanda, S. Krämer, M. Horvatić, R. K. Kremer, J. Wosnitza, and G. L. J. A. Rikken
Nuclear magnetic resonance measurements strengthen the case that spins in a copper oxide exhibit nematic order similar to that found in liquid crystals.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 247201] Published Mon Jun 12, 2017
Hubble spies on nearby brown dwarfs
After three years, astronomers have ruled out a third body in this close-by star system.
ESA at Le Bourget
ESA at the International Paris Air and Space Show 2017
ESA at Le Bourget
ESA at the International Paris Air Show 2017
Solar power to Mercury
Space Science Image of the Week: BepiColombo’s carrier craft unfolds its solar wings
NASA Data Suggest Future May Be Rainier Than Expected
Global climate models may underestimate the amount of rain that will fall in the tropics as our planet continues to warm.
NASA Finds Evidence of Diverse Environments in Curiosity Samples
NASA has found diverse minerals in rocks examined by the Curiosity rover on lower Mount Sharp, Mars. These suggest that wet environmental conditions there changed over time.
NASA Finds Evidence of Diverse Environments in Curiosity Samples
NASA has found diverse minerals in rocks examined by the Curiosity rover on lower Mount Sharp, Mars. These suggest that wet environmental conditions there changed over time.
NASA Data Suggest Future May Be Rainier Than Expected
Global climate models may underestimate the amount of rain that will fall in the tropics as our planet continues to warm.
Week In Images
Our week through the lens: 5-9 June 2017
Giant Paramagnetism-Induced Valley Polarization of Electrons in Charge-Tunable Monolayer MoSe_{2}
Author(s): Patrick Back, Meinrad Sidler, Ovidiu Cotlet, Ajit Srivastava, Naotomo Takemura, Martin Kroner, and Atac Imamoğlu
Optical spectroscopy experiments demonstrate that even moderate magnetic fields lead to near-complete valley polarization of electrons in a monolayer dichalcogenide.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 237404] Published Fri Jun 09, 2017
Recoil-Sensitive Lithium Interferometer without a Subrecoil Sample
Author(s): Kayleigh Cassella, Eric Copenhaver, Brian Estey, Yanying Feng, Chen Lai, and Holger Müller
A new atom interferometer works at less extreme temperatures and with lighter atoms than previous designs, opening up a new route to precision measurements of fundamental constants.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 233201] Published Fri Jun 09, 2017
Giant Paramagnetism-Induced Valley Polarization of Electrons in Charge-Tunable Monolayer MoSe_{2}
Author(s): Patrick Back, Meinrad Sidler, Ovidiu Cotlet, Ajit Srivastava, Naotomo Takemura, Martin Kroner, and Atac Imamoğlu
Optical spectroscopy experiments demonstrate that even moderate magnetic fields lead to near-complete valley polarization of electrons in a monolayer dichalcogenide.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 237404] Published Fri Jun 09, 2017
Recoil-Sensitive Lithium Interferometer without a Subrecoil Sample
Author(s): Kayleigh Cassella, Eric Copenhaver, Brian Estey, Yanying Feng, Chen Lai, and Holger Müller
A new atom interferometer works at less extreme temperatures than previous designs, opening up a new route to precision measurements of fundamental constants.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 233201] Published Fri Jun 09, 2017
The xenon connection
Rosetta’s detection of xenon provides the first link between comets and our atmosphere
When art and astronomy mix
The two artists who created representations of the TRAPPIST-1 system give us a look at the process.
The future of the Orion constellation
A new video, based on measurements by ESA’s Gaia and Hipparcos satellites, shows how our view of the Orion constellation will evolve over the next 450 000 years.
The future of the Orion constellation
A new video, based on measurements by ESA’s Gaia and Hipparcos satellites, shows how our view of the Orion constellation will evolve over the next 450 000 years.
Sound and vision: visualization of music with a soap film
A vertical soap film, freely suspended at the end of a tube, is vibrated by a sound wave that
propagates in the tube. If the sound wave is a piece of music, the soap film ‘comes alive’: colours,
due to iridescences in the soap film, swirl, split …
Sound and vision: visualization of music with a soap film
A vertical soap film, freely suspended at the end of a tube, is vibrated by a sound wave that
propagates in the tube. If the sound wave is a piece of music, the soap film ‘comes alive’: colours,
due to iridescences in the soap film, swirl, split …
The Art of Exoplanets
How do you visualize distant worlds that you can’t see? A team of artists uses scientific data to imagine exoplanets and other astrophysical phenomena.
The Art of Exoplanets
How do you visualize distant worlds that you can’t see? A team of artists uses scientific data to imagine exoplanets and other astrophysical phenomena.
Topological Insulators in Amorphous Systems
Author(s): Adhip Agarwala and Vijay B. ShenoyTopological insulators, so far only identified in materials with an ordered crystal structure, could potentially be found in amorphous materials.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 236402] Published Thu Jun 08, 2017
Topological Insulators in Amorphous Systems
Author(s): Adhip Agarwala and Vijay B. ShenoyTopological insulators, so far only identified in materials with an ordered crystal structure, could potentially be found in amorphous materials.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 236402] Published Thu Jun 08, 2017
Earth from Space
Join us Friday, 09 June, at 10:00 CEST for the ‘Earth from Space’ video programme
The TRAPPIST-1 system may have formed pebble-by-pebble
New research suggests a gradual accumulation of dirt and ice made the seven icy planets.
Window to a watery past on Mars
This 70 km-wide crater and its surrounds offer a window into the watery past of the Red Planet.
Window to a watery past on Mars
This 70 km-wide crater and its surrounds offer a window into the watery past of the Red Planet.
Eye on oceans
Every year, 8 June marks World Oceans Day. Satellites continue to monitor our water bodies to help us better understand and protect these natural resources
Galileo grows: two more satellites join working constellation
Two further satellites have formally become part of Europe’s Galileo satnav system, broadcasting timing and navigation signals worldwide while also picking up distress calls across the planet.
Galileo grows: two more satellites join working constellation
Two further satellites have formally become part of Europe’s Galileo satnav system, broadcasting timing and navigation signals worldwide while also picking up distress calls across the planet.
Misleading points in the teaching of Millikan’s experiment on the photoelectric effect
The photoelectric effect is a fundamental subject taught as a part of physics courses in both high
schools and universities. It is a phenomenon relating to the ejection of electrons from a metal
surface by the action of light (or electromagnetic radi…
The effect of shape on drag: a physics exercise inspired by biology
As part of a biomechanics course aimed at upper-division biology and physics majors, but applicable
to a range of student learning levels, this laboratory exercise provides an insight into the effect
of shape on hydrodynamic performance, as well an i…
The ISOLDE LEGO ® robot: building interest in frontier research
An outreach programme centred around nuclear physics making use of a LEGO ® Mindstorm ® kit is
presented. It consists of a presentation given by trained undergraduate students as science
ambassadors followed by a workshop where the target audience …
Misleading points in the teaching of Millikan’s experiment on the photoelectric effect
The photoelectric effect is a fundamental subject taught as a part of physics courses in both high
schools and universities. It is a phenomenon relating to the ejection of electrons from a metal
surface by the action of light (or electromagnetic radi…
The effect of shape on drag: a physics exercise inspired by biology
As part of a biomechanics course aimed at upper-division biology and physics majors, but applicable
to a range of student learning levels, this laboratory exercise provides an insight into the effect
of shape on hydrodynamic performance, as well an i…
The ISOLDE LEGO ® robot: building interest in frontier research
An outreach programme centred around nuclear physics making use of a LEGO ® Mindstorm ® kit is
presented. It consists of a presentation given by trained undergraduate students as science
ambassadors followed by a workshop where the target audience …
New Clues to Boomerang Nebula Mystery
An ancient, red giant star in the throes of a frigid death has produced the coldest known object in the cosmos: the Boomerang Nebula.
New Clues to Boomerang Nebula Mystery
An ancient, red giant star in the throes of a frigid death has produced the coldest known object in the cosmos: the Boomerang Nebula.
Dark rover
Technology image of the week: Testing a rover in near darkness to simulate exploration of the Moon’s poles
Astronomers weigh a white dwarf using gravitational lensing
The result confirms our current theory of white dwarf physics.
Gravitational lenses reveal the universe’s brightest galaxies
These extreme galaxies will show us how stars formed in the early universe.
Do stellar flares damage exoplanets?
A new database will help astronomers determine whether flares affect planet habitability.
Measuring charged particle multiplicity with early ATLAS public data
We study 100 images of early LHC collisions that were recorded by the ATLAS experiment and made
public for outreach purposes, and extract the charged particle multiplicity as a function of
momentum for proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass e…
Electric polarizability in the three-dimensional problem and the solution of an inhomogeneous differential equation
In previous publications, we illustrated the effectiveness of the method of the inhomogeneous
differential equation in calculating the electric polarizability in the one-dimensional problem. In
this paper, we extend our effort to apply the method to …
Measuring charged particle multiplicity with early ATLAS public data
We study 100 images of early LHC collisions that were recorded by the ATLAS experiment and made
public for outreach purposes, and extract the charged particle multiplicity as a function of
momentum for proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass e…
Electric polarizability in the three-dimensional problem and the solution of an inhomogeneous differential equation
In previous publications, we illustrated the effectiveness of the method of the inhomogeneous
differential equation in calculating the electric polarizability in the one-dimensional problem. In
this paper, we extend our effort to apply the method to …
Flares May Threaten Planet Habitability Near Red Dwarfs
Data from the GALEX spacecraft suggest that planets around cool dwarf stars may be subjected to intense flares.
Flares May Threaten Planet Habitability Near Red Dwarfs
Data from the GALEX spacecraft suggest that planets around cool dwarf stars may be subjected to intense flares.
Watch live
Follow us via live webstream on 8 June from 9:15 CEST for ESA’s Grand Challenge Innovation Exchange to shape the future of resources management in space
Satellite trails
Space Science Image of the Week: Tracing the shifting gaze of ESA’s XMM-Newton as it swings between X-ray sources
Phoning home
Human spaceflight image of the week: ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet calls loved ones after landing safely back on Earth.