Fuel the future by joining ESA’s Innovation Exchange on 8 June to shape how we manage resources in space
Calling all experts
Fuel the future by joining ESA’s Innovation Exchange on 8 June to shape how we manage resources in space
Cassini encounters the ‘Big Empty’ during its first dive
Scientists were surprised by what they found, or the lack thereof.
If we successfully land on Mars, could we live there?
Landing is one thing. Thriving is another.
Printing bricks from moondust using the Sun’s heat
Bricks have been 3D printed out of simulated moondust using concentrated sunlight – proving in principle that future lunar colonists could one day use the same approach to build settlements on the Moon.
Printing bricks from moondust using the Sun’s heat
Bricks have been 3D printed out of simulated moondust using concentrated sunlight – proving in principle that future lunar colonists could one day use the same approach to build settlements on the Moon.
Controlling robots
Human spaceflight and robotic operations image of the week: Remotely controlling planetary rovers from space
Violating the Weak Cosmic Censorship Conjecture in Four-Dimensional Anti–de Sitter Space
Author(s): Toby Crisford and Jorge E. SantosLight could escape from highly curved regions embedded in four dimensional spacetimes of negative curvature, where gravitational forces are arbitrarily strong. This result provides a first possible counterexa…
Strong Modulation of Spin Currents in Bilayer Graphene by Static and Fluctuating Proximity Exchange Fields
Author(s): Simranjeet Singh, Jyoti Katoch, Tiancong Zhu, Keng-Yuan Meng, Tianyu Liu, Jack T. Brangham, Fengyuan Yang, Michael E. Flatté, and Roland K. Kawakami
The spin current of graphene is modulated by coupling it to a ferromagnetic film. This allows the spin current to be adjusted with much lower magnetic fields that other methods.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 187201] Published Tue May 02, 2017
Observation of Five New Narrow Ω_{c}^{0} States Decaying to Ξ_{c}^{+} K^{−}
Author(s): R. Aaij et al. (LHCb Collaboration)The discovery of five new baryonic states at the Large Hadron Collider could shed light on the strong nuclear force.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 182001] Published Tue May 02, 2017
Violating the Weak Cosmic Censorship Conjecture in Four-Dimensional Anti–de Sitter Space
Author(s): Toby Crisford and Jorge E. SantosLight could escape from highly curved regions embedded in four dimensional spacetimes of negative curvature, where gravitational forces are arbitrarily strong. This result provides a first possible counterexa…
Strong Modulation of Spin Currents in Bilayer Graphene by Static and Fluctuating Proximity Exchange Fields
Author(s): Simranjeet Singh, Jyoti Katoch, Tiancong Zhu, Keng-Yuan Meng, Tianyu Liu, Jack T. Brangham, Fengyuan Yang, Michael E. Flatté, and Roland K. Kawakami
The spin current of graphene is modulated by coupling it to a ferromagnetic film. This allows the spin current to be adjusted with much lower magnetic fields that other methods.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 187201] Published Tue May 02, 2017
Observation of Five New Narrow Ω_{c}^{0} States Decaying to Ξ_{c}^{+} K^{−}
Author(s): R. Aaij et al. (LHCb Collaboration)The discovery of five new baryonic states at the Large Hadron Collider could shed light on the strong nuclear force.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 182001] Published Tue May 02, 2017
How a hidden population of pulsars may leave the Milky Way aglow
Most people think dark matter is the culprit in this mysterious warm light — but the real answer may be much simpler.
Satellites track Antarctic ice loss over decades
Over two decades of observations by five radar satellites show the acceleration of ice loss of 30 glaciers in Western Palmer Land in the southwest Antarctic Peninsula.
Satellites track Antarctic ice loss over decades
Over two decades of observations by five radar satellites show the acceleration of ice loss of 30 glaciers in Western Palmer Land in the southwest Antarctic Peninsula.
Flute physics from a flutist’s perspective
The basic physics of the flute is presented from the perspective of a professional flutist. The
flutist can control loudness, pitch and to some extent timbre. Oscilloscope images are provided to
compare changes in these three fundamental sound charac…
Investigating comfort temperatures and heat transfer in sleeping bags
After many years of confusion, thermal performance of sleeping bags has now been quantified and
unified using expensive test techniques. Based on Newton’s law of cooling, we present a simple
inexpensive test and model to check manufacturers’ clai…
Flute physics from a flutist’s perspective
The basic physics of the flute is presented from the perspective of a professional flutist. The
flutist can control loudness, pitch and to some extent timbre. Oscilloscope images are provided to
compare changes in these three fundamental sound charac…
Investigating comfort temperatures and heat transfer in sleeping bags
After many years of confusion, thermal performance of sleeping bags has now been quantified and
unified using expensive test techniques. Based on Newton’s law of cooling, we present a simple
inexpensive test and model to check manufacturers’ clai…
Cassini Finds ‘The Big Empty’ Close to Saturn
As Cassini prepares for its second dive between Saturn and its rings, engineers are pleased that data from the mission’s April 26 dive show the region is largely dust-free.
Cassini Finds ‘The Big Empty’ Close to Saturn
As Cassini prepares for its second dive between Saturn and its rings, engineers are pleased that data from the mission’s April 26 dive show the region is largely dust-free.
Phase Shift in an Atom Interferometer due to Spacetime Curvature across its Wave Function
Author(s): Peter Asenbaum, Chris Overstreet, Tim Kovachy, Daniel D. Brown, Jason M. Hogan, and Mark A. Kasevich
The effect of the tidal force, which is directly related to the curvature of spacetime, on an individual particle’s wave function has been measured with an atom interferometer.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 183602] Published Mon May 01, 2017
Cavity Cooling of Many Atoms
Author(s): Mahdi Hosseini, Yiheng Duan, Kristin M. Beck, Yu-Ting Chen, and Vladan Vuletić
A cavity-based method of cooling single atoms or other objects has now been used to cool multiple atoms simultaneously.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 183601] Published Mon May 01, 2017
Cavity Cooling of Many Atoms
Author(s): Mahdi Hosseini, Yiheng Duan, Kristin M. Beck, Yu-Ting Chen, and Vladan Vuletić
A cavity-based method of cooling single atoms or other objects has now been used to cool multiple atoms simultaneously.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 183601] Published Mon May 01, 2017
Phase Shift in an Atom Interferometer due to Spacetime Curvature across its Wave Function
Author(s): Peter Asenbaum, Chris Overstreet, Tim Kovachy, Daniel D. Brown, Jason M. Hogan, and Mark A. Kasevich
The effect of the tidal force, which is directly related to the curvature of spacetime, on an individual particle’s wave function has been measured with an atom interferometer.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 183602] Published Mon May 01, 2017
Dark matter may be fuzzier than we thought
Recent Chandra observations test current theories of dark matter.
ShadowCam to join Korea’s first lunar exploration mission
This sensitive camera will help researchers get an idea of those permanently shadowed regions.
Sea of galaxies
Space Science Image of the Week: Hubble images a portion of sky awash with spiral galaxies
Spectrum of the Nuclear Environment for GaAs Spin Qubits
Author(s): Filip K. Malinowski, Frederico Martins, Łukasz Cywiński, Mark S. Rudner, Peter D. Nissen, Saeed Fallahi, Geoffrey C. Gardner, Michael J. Manfra, Charles M. Marcus, and Ferdinand Kuemmeth
The nuclear spin noise in a GaAs spin qubit is described by a classical spin diffusion model in both the high- and low-field regime, a result which calls for revisiting the numerical methods used to characterize these spin dynamics.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 177702] Published Fri Apr 28, 2017
Bound States and Field-Polarized Haldane Modes in a Quantum Spin Ladder
Author(s): S. Ward, M. Mena, P. Bouillot, C. Kollath, T. Giamarchi, K. P. Schmidt, B. Normand, K. W. Krämer, D. Biner, R. Bewley, T. Guidi, M. Boehm, D. F. McMorrow, and Ch. Rüegg
Singlet and triplet excitations are created in the spin ladder bis-piperidinium copper tetrachloride by applying a high magnetic field.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 177202] Published Fri Apr 28, 2017
Spectrum of the Nuclear Environment for GaAs Spin Qubits
Author(s): Filip K. Malinowski, Frederico Martins, Łukasz Cywiński, Mark S. Rudner, Peter D. Nissen, Saeed Fallahi, Geoffrey C. Gardner, Michael J. Manfra, Charles M. Marcus, and Ferdinand Kuemmeth
The nuclear spin noise in a GaAs spin qubit is described by a classical spin diffusion model in both the high- and low-field regime, a result which calls for revisiting the numerical methods used to characterize these spin dynamics.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 177702] Published Fri Apr 28, 2017
Bound States and Field-Polarized Haldane Modes in a Quantum Spin Ladder
Author(s): S. Ward, M. Mena, P. Bouillot, C. Kollath, T. Giamarchi, K. P. Schmidt, B. Normand, K. W. Krämer, D. Biner, R. Bewley, T. Guidi, M. Boehm, D. F. McMorrow, and Ch. Rüegg
Singlet and triplet excitations are created in the spin ladder bis-piperidinium copper tetrachloride by applying a high magnetic field.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 177202] Published Fri Apr 28, 2017
Week In Images
Our week through the lens: 24-28 April 2017
Week In Images
Our week through the lens: 24-28 April 2017
Australia floods
Sentinel-2 sees rivers in eastern Australia breach their banks following heavy rains
Australia floods
Sentinel-2 sees rivers in eastern Australia breach their banks following heavy rains
First look at Apollo Saturn V rocket set
Now you can have your own version of the famous rocket.
First look at Apollo Saturn V rocket set
Now you can have your own version of the famous rocket.
Bering Sea
Earth observation image of the week: a Sentinel-3 image of the Bering Sea, also featured on the Earth from Space video programme
Monitoring the airways
Astronauts in space are valuable sources of scientific data. Researchers collect blood and urine samples to understand what effects living in weightlessness has on their bodies. For one experiment, investigators are interested in their bre…
Monitoring the airways
Astronauts in space are valuable sources of scientific data. Researchers collect blood and urine samples to understand what effects living in weightlessness has on their bodies. For one experiment, investigators are interested in their bre…
Finding golden mean in a physics exercise
The golden mean is an algebraic irrational number that has captured the popular imagination and is
discussed in many books. Indeed, some scientists believe that it appears in some patterns in nature,
including the spiral arrangement of leaves and oth…
The Hall effect is not so easy to detect after all
In a previous paper we suggested a method to easily observe the Hall effect with a pencil and paper.
Upon delving deeper into the subject it turned out that some issues were overlooked in our original
work and we present our new findings here.
Concept confusion and concept discernment in basic magnetism using analogical reasoning
Analogical reasoning is central to all learning, whether in daily life situations, in the classroom
or while doing research. Although analogies can aid the learning process of making sense of
phenomena and understanding new ideas in terms of known id…
Finding the average speed of a light-emitting toy car with a smartphone light sensor
This study aims to demonstrate how the average speed of a light-emitting toy car may be determined
using a smartphone’s light sensor. The freely available Android smartphone application, ‘
AndroSensor ’, was used for the experiment. The classro…
Direct determination of the non-linear connection between tension and transverse amplitude for a vibrating string
A vibrating stretched string is one of the most fundamental physical systems where non-linear
effects play a central role. We describe results obtained with a new, dedicated experimental setup
that allows unverified details of the dynamics of this cl…
Minimum descent time along a set of connected inclined planes
The time required for a particle to slide frictionlessly down a set of ramps connected end to end
can be minimized numerically as a function of the coordinates of the connection points between ramps
and compared to the exact cycloidal solution of the…
Monitoring the biomechanics of a wheelchair sprinter racing the 100 m final at the 2016 Paralympic Games
The aim was to run a case study of the biomechanics of a wheelchair sprinter racing the 100 m final
at the 2016 Paralympic Games. Stroke kinematics was measured by video analysis in each 20 m split.
Race kinetics was estimated by employing an analyti…
Direct determination of the non-linear connection between tension and transverse amplitude for a vibrating string
A vibrating stretched string is one of the most fundamental physical systems where non-linear
effects play a central role. We describe results obtained with a new, dedicated experimental setup
that allows unverified details of the dynamics of this cl…
Minimum descent time along a set of connected inclined planes
The time required for a particle to slide frictionlessly down a set of ramps connected end to end
can be minimized numerically as a function of the coordinates of the connection points between ramps
and compared to the exact cycloidal solution of the…
Monitoring the biomechanics of a wheelchair sprinter racing the 100 m final at the 2016 Paralympic Games
The aim was to run a case study of the biomechanics of a wheelchair sprinter racing the 100 m final
at the 2016 Paralympic Games. Stroke kinematics was measured by video analysis in each 20 m split.
Race kinetics was estimated by employing an analyti…
Finding golden mean in a physics exercise
The golden mean is an algebraic irrational number that has captured the popular imagination and is
discussed in many books. Indeed, some scientists believe that it appears in some patterns in nature,
including the spiral arrangement of leaves and oth…
The Hall effect is not so easy to detect after all
In a previous paper we suggested a method to easily observe the Hall effect with a pencil and paper.
Upon delving deeper into the subject it turned out that some issues were overlooked in our original
work and we present our new findings here.
Concept confusion and concept discernment in basic magnetism using analogical reasoning
Analogical reasoning is central to all learning, whether in daily life situations, in the classroom
or while doing research. Although analogies can aid the learning process of making sense of
phenomena and understanding new ideas in terms of known id…
Finding the average speed of a light-emitting toy car with a smartphone light sensor
This study aims to demonstrate how the average speed of a light-emitting toy car may be determined
using a smartphone’s light sensor. The freely available Android smartphone application, ‘
AndroSensor ’, was used for the experiment. The classro…
NASA Spacecraft Dives Between Saturn and Its Rings
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is back in contact with Earth after its successful first-ever dive through the narrow gap between the planet Saturn and its rings on April 26, 2017.
NASA Spacecraft Dives Between Saturn and Its Rings
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is back in contact with Earth after its successful first-ever dive through the narrow gap between the planet Saturn and its rings on April 26, 2017.
Tiny sat, big ambitions
Operations image of the week: The engineering model of ESA’s new cubesat gets connected to an innovative ground control system for the first time
Earth from Space
Join us Friday, 28 April, at 10:00 CEST for the ‘Earth from Space’ video programme
The final days of Cassini
As the mission nears its end, NASA’s probe will plunge into Saturn and meet its doom. But it still has some work to do first.
The Postal Service is releasing special Total Solar Eclipse Forever stamps
These special stamps have a first-time one-of-a-kind feature
Cassini reconnects after first dive through Saturn’s rings
Only 21 more dives through the rings and the death plunge left for the spacecraft.
This cosmic Cold Spot challenges our current cosmological model
Astronomers have ruled out a likely explanation for the phenomenon, possibly hinting at a bizarre origin.
Dawn Observing Ceres; 3rd Reaction Wheel Malfunctions
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft is preparing to observe Ceres on April 29 from an “opposition” position, directly between the dwarf planet’s mysterious Occator Crater and the sun.
NASA Study Challenges Long-held Tsunami Formation Theory
A new NASA study is challenging a long-held theory that tsunamis form and acquire their energy mostly from vertical movement of the seafloor.
Dawn Observing Ceres; 3rd Reaction Wheel Malfunctions
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft is preparing to observe Ceres on April 29 from an “opposition” position, directly between the dwarf planet’s mysterious Occator Crater and the sun.
NASA Study Challenges Long-held Tsunami Formation Theory
A new NASA study is challenging a long-held theory that tsunamis form and acquire their energy mostly from vertical movement of the seafloor.
NASA Communications Honored with 2017 Webby Awards
NASA’s digital communications team will be honored at the 21st Annual Webby Awards on May 16 in New York.
NASA Communications Honored with 2017 Webby Awards
NASA’s digital communications team will be honored at the 21st Annual Webby Awards on May 16 in New York.
‘Iceball’ Planet Discovered Through Microlensing
Scientists have discovered a new planet with the mass of Earth, orbiting its star at the same distance that we orbit our sun.
Charge-Induced Force Noise on Free-Falling Test Masses: Results from LISA Pathfinder
Author(s): M. Armano et al. (LISA Pathfinder Collaboration)
Measurements of electrostatic forces on free-falling test masses–2 kg metal cubes–are carried out for the first time in an environment constructed for space-based gravitational wave detectors (a spacecraft 1.5 million km away from Earth).
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 171101] Published Wed Apr 26, 2017
Charge-Induced Force Noise on Free-Falling Test Masses: Results from LISA Pathfinder
Author(s): M. Armano et al. (LISA Pathfinder Collaboration)
Measurements of electrostatic forces on free-falling test masses–2 kg metal cubes–are carried out for the first time in an environment constructed for space-based gravitational wave detectors (a spacecraft 1.5 million km away from Earth).
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 171101] Published Wed Apr 26, 2017
A chance event reveals a frigid oddball planet
The Earth-sized world is the smallest planet ever seen through microlensing.
The way we were
Technology image of the week: Preparing ESA’s Geos-1 satellite for its launch back in April 1977
Cassini’s First Grand Finale Dive: Milestones
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is set to make its first dive through the narrow gap between Saturn and its rings on April 26, 2017.
Cassini’s First Grand Finale Dive: Milestones
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is set to make its first dive through the narrow gap between Saturn and its rings on April 26, 2017.
Realization of a Cascaded Quantum System: Heralded Absorption of a Single Photon Qubit by a Single-Electron Charged Quantum Dot
Author(s): Aymeric Delteil, Zhe Sun, Stefan Fält, and Atac Imamoğlu
Researchers have transferred quantum information from one quantum dot to another dot 5 m away using photonic qubits as the relay.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 177401] Published Tue Apr 25, 2017
Realization of a Cascaded Quantum System: Heralded Absorption of a Single Photon Qubit by a Single-Electron Charged Quantum Dot
Author(s): Aymeric Delteil, Zhe Sun, Stefan Fält, and Atac Imamoğlu
Researchers have transferred quantum information from one quantum dot to another dot 5 m away using photonic qubits as the relay.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 177401] Published Tue Apr 25, 2017
Countdown to Cassini’s Grand Finale
After nearly 13 years in orbit around Saturn, the international Cassini–Huygens mission is about to begin its final chapter: the spacecraft will perform a series of daring dives between the planet and its rings, leading to a dramatic final plunge into Saturn’s atmosphere on 15 September.
Countdown to Cassini’s Grand Finale
After nearly 13 years in orbit around Saturn, the international Cassini–Huygens mission is about to begin its final chapter: the spacecraft will perform a series of daring dives between the planet and its rings, leading to a dramatic final plunge into Saturn’s atmosphere on 15 September.
ESA boosting its Argentine link with deep space
Thanks to some high-tech improvements, ESA’s radio dish in Argentina will be ready to receive the rising torrent of scientific data beamed back by future missions exploring deep in our Solar System.
ESA boosting its Argentine link with deep space
Thanks to some high-tech improvements, ESA’s radio dish in Argentina will be ready to receive the rising torrent of scientific data beamed back by future missions exploring deep in our Solar System.
Cassini Completes Final — and Fateful — Titan Flyby
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has had its last close brush with Saturn’s hazy moon Titan and is now beginning its final set of 22 orbits around the ringed planet.
Cassini Completes Final — and Fateful — Titan Flyby
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has had its last close brush with Saturn’s hazy moon Titan and is now beginning its final set of 22 orbits around the ringed planet.
Titanic adventure
Space Science Image of the Week: A final close flyby of Saturn’s moon Titan puts Cassini–Huygens on course for its grand finale
Sisyphus Laser Cooling of a Polyatomic Molecule
Author(s): Ivan Kozyryev, Louis Baum, Kyle Matsuda, Benjamin L. Augenbraun, Loic Anderegg, Alexander P. Sedlack, and John M. DoyleThe successful laser cooling of a triatomic molecule paves the way towards the study of ultracold polyatomic molecules.[Ph…
Sisyphus Laser Cooling of a Polyatomic Molecule
Author(s): Ivan Kozyryev, Louis Baum, Kyle Matsuda, Benjamin L. Augenbraun, Loic Anderegg, Alexander P. Sedlack, and John M. DoyleThe successful laser cooling of a triatomic molecule paves the way towards the study of ultracold polyatomic molecules.[Ph…
Cassini concludes final fly by of Titan
Now the spacecraft is on to surfing through rings until its Grand Finale.
How does sound travel on Mars?
The Curiosity rover is scraping a rock along in its wheels, but what would that actually sound like to our ears?
Science record set on Space Station
If anything should break in space, let it be records. The astronauts of Expedition 50 have done just that by setting a new record for most time spent on scientific research on the International Space Station.
Science record set on Space Station
If anything should break in space, let it be records. The astronauts of Expedition 50 have done just that by setting a new record for most time spent on scientific research on the International Space Station.
Cosmic pairing
The Hubble Space Telescope celebrates 27 years with two close friends
New Look at 2004’s Martian Hole-in-One Site
A new observation from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captures the landing platform the rover Opportunity left behind in Eagle Crater more than 13 years and 27 miles ago.
New Look at 2004’s Martian Hole-in-One Site
A new observation from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captures the landing platform the rover Opportunity left behind in Eagle Crater more than 13 years and 27 miles ago.
Earth as a planet
Ahead of Earth Day, this special edition of Space takes us to Rome to explore the defining characteristics of our planet
Earth as a planet
Ahead of Earth Day, this special edition of Space takes us to Rome to explore the defining characteristics of our planet
Mass-Discrepancy Acceleration Relation: A Natural Outcome of Galaxy Formation in Cold Dark Matter Halos
Author(s): Aaron D. Ludlow, Alejandro Benítez-Llambay, Matthieu Schaller, Tom Theuns, Carlos S. Frenk, Richard Bower, Joop Schaye, Robert A. Crain, Julio F. Navarro, Azadeh Fattahi, and Kyle A. Oman
Analysis of the acceleration profiles of galaxies identified in simulations of a cold dark matter universe confirms a previous finding that total acceleration correlates strongly with the baryonic acceleration in rotationally supported galaxies.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 161103] Published Fri Apr 21, 2017
Spin-Hall Voltage over a Large Length Scale in Bulk Germanium
Author(s): F. Bottegoni, C. Zucchetti, S. Dal Conte, J. Frigerio, E. Carpene, C. Vergnaud, M. Jamet, G. Isella, F. Ciccacci, G. Cerullo, and M. Finazzi
Germanium produces a surprisingly large separation of electron spins in response to electric current—good news for spin-based devices, since germanium is highly compatible with silicon.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 167402] Published Fri Apr 21, 2017
Detector-Independent Verification of Quantum Light
Author(s): J. Sperling, W. R. Clements, A. Eckstein, M. Moore, J. J. Renema, W. S. Kolthammer, S. W. Nam, A. Lita, T. Gerrits, W. Vogel, G. S. Agarwal, and I. A. Walmsley
Criteria are formulated and experimentally verified for optical measurement schemes that probe nonclassical properties of light and are independent of the detector architecture used.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 163602] Published Fri Apr 21, 2017