From GoPros to self-driving tractors, many industries are benefitting from JPL technology.
Ringed Structures of the HD 163296 Protoplanetary Disk Revealed by ALMA
Author(s): Andrea Isella, Greta Guidi, Leonardo Testi, Shangfei Liu, Hui Li, Shengtai Li, Erik Weaver, Yann Boehler, John M. Carperter, Itziar De Gregorio-Monsalvo, Carlo F. Manara, Antonella Natta, Laura M. Pérez, Luca Ricci, Anneila Sargent, Marco Tazzari, and Neal Turner
Images of gaps in the dust and gas around a young star provide the best evidence to date that these gaps host newly formed planets.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 251101] Published Mon Dec 12, 2016
Ringed Structures of the HD 163296 Protoplanetary Disk Revealed by ALMA
Author(s): Andrea Isella, Greta Guidi, Leonardo Testi, Shangfei Liu, Hui Li, Shengtai Li, Erik Weaver, Yann Boehler, John M. Carperter, Itziar De Gregorio-Monsalvo, Carlo F. Manara, Antonella Natta, Laura M. Pérez, Luca Ricci, Anneila Sargent, Marco Tazzari, and Neal Turner
Images of gaps in the dust and gas around a young star provide the best evidence to date that these gaps host newly formed planets.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 251101] Published Mon Dec 12, 2016
Solar snowstorm
Space Science Image of the Week: This snowstorm-like scene is the result of a powerful solar flare swamping the Sun-watching SOHO satellite
The brightest supernova might not have been the brightest after all
A team of researchers say the bright light could have been caused by a black hole
Astronomers examined weather on a scorching hot exoplanet
This is the first observation of planetary weather outside our solar system
A few simple classroom experiments with a permanent U-shaped magnet
A few simple experiments in the magnetic field of a permanent U-shaped magnet are described. Among
them, pin oscillations inside the magnet are particularly interesting. These easy to perform and
amusing measurements can help pupils understand magnet…
Erratum: Measuring the RC time constant with Arduino (2016 Phys. Educ. 51 [http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0031-9120/51/6/065007] 065007 )
Description unavailable
Design of a solar tracking interactive kiosk
A two-axis solar tracker and its interactive kiosk were designed by an interdisciplinary team of
students and faculty. The objective was to develop a publicly accessible kiosk that would facilitate
the study of energy usage and production on campus. …
Dusting off the Lecher lines
Experiments with Lecher Lines have always been important in the physics curriculum for demonstrating
standing waves and the important concept that waves can be guided as well as being emitted into
space. A system operating at low power (less than 10 …
A bullet fired in dry water: an investigative activity to learn hydrodynamics concepts
In this paper we report an investigative activity on hydrodynamics, in the context of an
inquiry-based learning project. The aim is to analyse the experiment of a bullet shot underwater.
Using Tracker , a video analysing and modelling software, the d…
A bullet fired in dry water: an investigative activity to learn hydrodynamics concepts
In this paper we report an investigative activity on hydrodynamics, in the context of an
inquiry-based learning project. The aim is to analyse the experiment of a bullet shot underwater.
Using Tracker , a video analysing and modelling software, the d…
A few simple classroom experiments with a permanent U-shaped magnet
A few simple experiments in the magnetic field of a permanent U-shaped magnet are described. Among
them, pin oscillations inside the magnet are particularly interesting. These easy to perform and
amusing measurements can help pupils understand magnet…
Erratum: Measuring the RC time constant with Arduino (2016 Phys. Educ. 51 [http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0031-9120/51/6/065007] 065007 )
Description unavailable
Dusting off the Lecher lines
Experiments with Lecher Lines have always been important in the physics curriculum for demonstrating
standing waves and the important concept that waves can be guided as well as being emitted into
space. A system operating at low power (less than 10 …
Design of a solar tracking interactive kiosk
A two-axis solar tracker and its interactive kiosk were designed by an interdisciplinary team of
students and faculty. The objective was to develop a publicly accessible kiosk that would facilitate
the study of energy usage and production on campus. …
NASA Juno Mission Prepares for December 11 Jupiter Flyby
On Sunday, December 11, at 9:04 a.m. PST (12:04 p.m. EST, 17:04 UTC) NASA’s Juno spacecraft will make its third science flyby of Jupiter.
NASA Juno Mission Prepares for December 11 Jupiter Flyby
On Sunday, December 11, at 9:04 a.m. PST (12:04 p.m. EST, 17:04 UTC) NASA’s Juno spacecraft will make its third science flyby of Jupiter.
Golden Probe of Electroweak Symmetry Breaking
Author(s): Yi Chen, Joe Lykken, Maria Spiropulu, Daniel Stolarski, and Roberto Vega-MoralesFour-lepton decays of the Higgs boson could be used to probe a key parameter of electroweak symmetry breaking.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 241801] Published Fri Dec 09…
How Bright is the Proton? A Precise Determination of the Photon Parton Distribution Function
Author(s): Aneesh Manohar, Paolo Nason, Gavin P. Salam, and Giulia ZanderighiThe distribution of photons inside the proton can be determined in a model-independent way from electron-proton scattering data.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 242002] Published Fri De…
Golden Probe of Electroweak Symmetry Breaking
Author(s): Yi Chen, Joe Lykken, Maria Spiropulu, Daniel Stolarski, and Roberto Vega-MoralesFour-lepton decays of the Higgs boson could be used to probe a key parameter of electroweak symmetry breaking.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 241801] Published Fri Dec 09…
How Bright is the Proton? A Precise Determination of the Photon Parton Distribution Function
Author(s): Aneesh Manohar, Paolo Nason, Gavin P. Salam, and Giulia ZanderighiThe distribution of photons inside the proton can be determined in a model-independent way from electron-proton scattering data.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 242002] Published Fri De…
Week In Images
Our week through the lens: 5-9 December 2016
Week In Images
Our week through the lens: 5-9 December 2016
NASA now has GIFs to show off its work
Time to sign up for Pinterest and GIPHY if you haven’t already
What’s inside the world’s biggest airborne observatory?
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s SOFIA!
NASA Announces First Geostationary Vegetation, Atmospheric Carbon Mission
NASA has selected a first-of-its-kind Earth science mission that will extend our nation’s lead in measuring key greenhouse gases and vegetation health from space.
JPL Remembers John Glenn
Senator and NASA astronaut John Glenn was, without question, an American hero.
JPL Remembers John Glenn
Senator and NASA astronaut John Glenn was, without question, an American hero.
NASA Announces First Geostationary Vegetation, Atmospheric Carbon Mission
NASA has selected a first-of-its-kind Earth science mission that will extend our nation’s lead in measuring key greenhouse gases and vegetation health from space.
Earth from Space
Join us Friday, 9 December, at 10:00 CET for the ‘Earth from Space’ video programme. This week features a Sentinel-2 image of Australia’s Wolfe Creek Crater
Teaching an old satellite new tricks
XMM-Newton is one of Europe’s longest-flying and most productive orbiting observatories, investigating the hot X-ray Universe. Thanks to teamwork and technical innovation, it’s on track to keep flying for a long time yet.
Teaching an old satellite new tricks
XMM-Newton is one of Europe’s longest-flying and most productive orbiting observatories, investigating the hot X-ray Universe. Thanks to teamwork and technical innovation, it’s on track to keep flying for a long time yet.
An old meteor yields a new surprise: a never-before-seen material
The quasiperiod crystal manages to grow in non-repeating patterns.
An amateur astronomer just made a stellar discovery about pulsars
A companion star’s magnetic field may be switching a “black widow” pulsar on and off
John Glenn, the last remaining Mercury astronaut, dies at age 95
From war hero to astronaut to senator to presidential candidate, the man lived a full life.
Could these Earth fossils give clues to life in outer space?
Life in unusual places may give hints to what life on Mars, Enceladus, or Europa could look like.
Space selfie
Operations image of the week: XMM-Newton delivers a selfie to mark 17 years of X-ray science success
Europe’s next space chip
Technology image of the week: a close-up of the GR740 next-generation microprocessor set to serve a wide variety of future European space missions
How persistent are the misconceptions about force and motion held by college students?
The purpose of this work is to study the effectiveness of our introductory mechanics instructions in
changing students’ misconceptions about Newtonian concepts. We gave the force concept inventory
(FCI) test to 341 of our students twice, before and…
Analysis of the optimum fulcrum position of a trebuchet
Models of working trebuchets are reasonably simple to build but the analysis of their dynamics can
be very complex. In this short paper, we look at how to optimise the position of the fulcrum in
order to achieve maximum speed for the ballistic, when …
Millisecond measurements without equipment: time of collision of a ping-pong ball with a table
We describe a simple experiment giving the opportunity to estimate the time of collision of a freely
falling ping-pong ball and a table. The method is based on the ball deformation measurement and uses
just elementary geometry and kinematics.
Estimation of the solar constant with simple bolometer
There are only a few experiments in astrophysics that can be done in the high school environment.
Some astronomical observations leading to the estimate of determining the values of various
astronomical parameters (radius of the Earth, the Earth–Mo…
Students’ conceptions of radiation and what to do about them
For good science teaching, it is necessary to have knowledge of your students’ preconceptions.
Numerous studies have been conducted about typical ideas that students bring to the science
classroom in science education research. Unfortunately the do…
Self-diagnosis as a tool for supporting students’ conceptual understanding and achievements in physics: the case of 8th-graders studying force and motion
I examined the impact of a self-diagnosis activity on students’ conceptual understanding and
achievements in physics. This activity requires students to self-diagnose their solutions to
problems that they have solved on their own—namely, to ident…
Reflection on solutions in the form of refutation texts versus problem solving: the case of 8th graders studying simple electric circuits
This study compared students’ learning in troubleshooting and problem solving activities. The
troubleshooting activities provided students with solutions to conceptual problems in the form of
refutation texts; namely, solutions that portray common …
The influence of the application of personal response systems on the effects of teaching and learning physics at the high school level
We report on the effectiveness of using interactive personal response systems in teaching physics in
secondary schools. Our research were conducted over the period of 2013–2016 using the system called
clickers. The idea is based on a reciprocal int…
Teaching energy using an integrated science approach
Despite its relevance to all scientific domains, the debate surrounding the teaching of energy is
still open. The main point remains the problems students have in understanding some aspects of the
energy concept and in applying their knowledge to the…
Measuring the speed of light in classroom
The speed of light is commonly known as c = 300 000 km s −1 . But rarely people have in mind that
this value is only for vacuum conditions. Using a laser distance meter we can calculate the speed of
light in different transparent mater…
A simple DPSS laser setup and experiments for undergraduates
Advanced optical concepts are often thought to be out of reach when it comes to an experimental
demonstration for undergraduates and secondary school students. This is not always true. Here, we
discuss the use of a diode-pumped solid state (DPSS) las…
Vortex beam generation and other advanced optics experiments reproduced with a twisted-nematic liquid-crystal display with limited phase modulation
In this work we propose the use of twisted-nematic liquid-crystal spatial light modulators
(TN-LC-SLM) as a useful tool for training students in the manipulation of light beams with
phase-only masks. In particular, we focus the work on the realizatio…
The influence of the application of personal response systems on the effects of teaching and learning physics at the high school level
We report on the effectiveness of using interactive personal response systems in teaching physics in
secondary schools. Our research were conducted over the period of 2013–2016 using the system called
clickers. The idea is based on a reciprocal int…
A data acquisition system for water heating and cooling experiments
This work presents a simple analogue waterproof temperature probe design and its electronic
interfacing with a computer to compose a data acquisition system for water temperature measurement.
It also demonstrates the system usage through an experimen…
Analysis of the optimum fulcrum position of a trebuchet
Models of working trebuchets are reasonably simple to build but the analysis of their dynamics can
be very complex. In this short paper, we look at how to optimise the position of the fulcrum in
order to achieve maximum speed for the ballistic, when …
Estimation of the solar constant with simple bolometer
There are only a few experiments in astrophysics that can be done in the high school environment.
Some astronomical observations leading to the estimate of determining the values of various
astronomical parameters (radius of the Earth, the Earth–Mo…
Students’ conceptions of radiation and what to do about them
For good science teaching, it is necessary to have knowledge of your students’ preconceptions.
Numerous studies have been conducted about typical ideas that students bring to the science
classroom in science education research. Unfortunately the do…
How persistent are the misconceptions about force and motion held by college students?
The purpose of this work is to study the effectiveness of our introductory mechanics instructions in
changing students’ misconceptions about Newtonian concepts. We gave the force concept inventory
(FCI) test to 341 of our students twice, before and…
Teaching energy using an integrated science approach
Despite its relevance to all scientific domains, the debate surrounding the teaching of energy is
still open. The main point remains the problems students have in understanding some aspects of the
energy concept and in applying their knowledge to the…
Measuring the speed of light in classroom
The speed of light is commonly known as c = 300 000 km s −1 . But rarely people have in mind that
this value is only for vacuum conditions. Using a laser distance meter we can calculate the speed of
light in different transparent mater…
A simple DPSS laser setup and experiments for undergraduates
Advanced optical concepts are often thought to be out of reach when it comes to an experimental
demonstration for undergraduates and secondary school students. This is not always true. Here, we
discuss the use of a diode-pumped solid state (DPSS) las…
Vortex beam generation and other advanced optics experiments reproduced with a twisted-nematic liquid-crystal display with limited phase modulation
In this work we propose the use of twisted-nematic liquid-crystal spatial light modulators
(TN-LC-SLM) as a useful tool for training students in the manipulation of light beams with
phase-only masks. In particular, we focus the work on the realizatio…
Reflection on solutions in the form of refutation texts versus problem solving: the case of 8th graders studying simple electric circuits
This study compared students’ learning in troubleshooting and problem solving activities. The
troubleshooting activities provided students with solutions to conceptual problems in the form of
refutation texts; namely, solutions that portray common …
Self-diagnosis as a tool for supporting students’ conceptual understanding and achievements in physics: the case of 8th-graders studying force and motion
I examined the impact of a self-diagnosis activity on students’ conceptual understanding and
achievements in physics. This activity requires students to self-diagnose their solutions to
problems that they have solved on their own—namely, to ident…
Millisecond measurements without equipment: time of collision of a ping-pong ball with a table
We describe a simple experiment giving the opportunity to estimate the time of collision of a freely
falling ping-pong ball and a table. The method is based on the ball deformation measurement and uses
just elementary geometry and kinematics.
ESA to supply Service Module for first crewed Orion mission
ESA and NASA are extending their collaboration in human space exploration following confirmation that Europe will supply a second Service Module to support the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft.
ESA to supply Service Module for first crewed Orion mission
ESA and NASA are extending their collaboration in human space exploration following confirmation that Europe will supply a second Service Module to support the first crewed mission of the Orion spacecraft.
Quasi-Many-Body Localization in Translation-Invariant Systems
Author(s): N. Y. Yao, C. R. Laumann, J. I. Cirac, M. D. Lukin, and J. E. Moore
In spin ladder systems, a single characteristic length scale controls the behavior of the spin polarization.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 240601] Published Wed Dec 07, 2016
Wetting Effect on Torricelli’s Law
Author(s): J. Ferrand, L. Favreau, S. Joubaud, and E. FreyssingeasThe speed at which water drains out of a tank depends on the affinity of water with the outside surface of the orifice through which it drains.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 248002] Published We…
Observation of von Kármán Vortex Street in an Atomic Superfluid Gas
Author(s): Woo Jin Kwon, Joon Hyun Kim, Sang Won Seo, and Y. Shin
A flow pattern dubbed the von Kármán vortex street, which is renowned for its aesthetic beauty and extreme power, has been created in a superfluid.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 245301] Published Wed Dec 07, 2016
First Liquid Layer Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions at the National Ignition Facility
Author(s): R. E. Olson et al.
A laser-based fusion experiment demonstrates that liquid fuel capsules could rectify problems encountered with ice-based fuel capsules.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 245001] Published Wed Dec 07, 2016
Constraints on Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic-Ray Sources from a Search for Neutrinos above 10 PeV with IceCube
Author(s): M. G. Aartsen et al. (IceCube Collaboration)
IceCube has put the tightest constraints on the cosmogenic neutrino flux—neutrinos produced when ultrahigh energy cosmic rays scatter from the cosmic microwave background. In the process the collaboration has also detected the highest energy neutrino to date.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 241101] Published Wed Dec 07, 2016
Dynamics of a Ground-State Cooled Ion Colliding with Ultracold Atoms
Author(s): Ziv Meir, Tomas Sikorsky, Ruti Ben-shlomi, Nitzan Akerman, Yehonatan Dallal, and Roee OzeriExperiments show that the energy scale of atom-ion interactions is determined by the force the atom exerts on the ion during a collision.[Phys. Rev. L…
Quasi-Many-Body Localization in Translation-Invariant Systems
Author(s): N. Y. Yao, C. R. Laumann, J. I. Cirac, M. D. Lukin, and J. E. Moore
In spin ladder systems, a single characteristic length scale controls the behavior of the spin polarization.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 240601] Published Wed Dec 07, 2016
Wetting Effect on Torricelli’s Law
Author(s): J. Ferrand, L. Favreau, S. Joubaud, and E. FreyssingeasThe speed at which water drains out of a tank depends on the affinity of water with the outside surface of the orifice through which it drains.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 248002] Published We…
Observation of von Kármán Vortex Street in an Atomic Superfluid Gas
Author(s): Woo Jin Kwon, Joon Hyun Kim, Sang Won Seo, and Y. Shin
A flow pattern dubbed the von Kármán vortex street, which is renowned for its aesthetic beauty and extreme power, has been created in a superfluid.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 245301] Published Wed Dec 07, 2016
First Liquid Layer Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions at the National Ignition Facility
Author(s): R. E. Olson et al.
A laser-based fusion experiment demonstrates that liquid fuel capsules could rectify problems encountered with ice-based fuel capsules.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 245001] Published Wed Dec 07, 2016
Constraints on Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic-Ray Sources from a Search for Neutrinos above 10 PeV with IceCube
Author(s): M. G. Aartsen et al. (IceCube Collaboration)
IceCube has put the tightest constraints on the cosmogenic neutrino flux—neutrinos produced when ultrahigh energy cosmic rays scatter from the cosmic microwave background. In the process the collaboration has also detected the highest energy neutrino to date.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 241101] Published Wed Dec 07, 2016
Dynamics of a Ground-State Cooled Ion Colliding with Ultracold Atoms
Author(s): Ziv Meir, Tomas Sikorsky, Ruti Ben-shlomi, Nitzan Akerman, Yehonatan Dallal, and Roee OzeriExperiments show that the energy scale of atom-ion interactions is determined by the force the atom exerts on the ion during a collision.[Phys. Rev. L…
Google honors Ole Rømer in Google Doodle
Today’s Google homepage pays homage to the first man who measured the speed of light.
Oh great, so Alpha Centauri isn’t Alpha Centauri anymore
The IAU recently made the name Rigil Kentaurus official, but kept the name Proxima Centauri for its dim companion.
Is time on our side?
Time travel — long a staple of science fiction — may not be too far from reality.
Astronaut app
Human spaceflight and robotic exploration image of the week: Space Station EveryWear experiment testing an astronaut app for everyday life
Galileo timelapse
Timelapse video showing the Galileo satellites 15–18, from final preparations to liftoff on an Ariane 5 launcher
Galileo timelapse
Timelapse video showing the Galileo satellites 15–18, from final preparations to liftoff on an Ariane 5 launcher
A simple wind tunnel to analyse Bernoulli’s principle
This paper describes two simple classroom experiments in which students can use their personal
mobile device to illustrate a variant on the Bernoulli effect.
A ‘sparkling’ low-cost revisitation of the historical Hertz’s experiment
Electromagnetic phenomena involve abstract concepts and models that are particularly problematic for
students, especially in the field of electromagnetic (EM) waves. In particular, for these abstract
topics it is difficult to plan real experiments th…
A zero cost experiment on the ‘impulse-momentum theorem’
Impulse-momentum theorem is a basic matter of the mechanics. A zero cost experiment can be used in
the classroom, without any apparatus, in order to verify the fundamental relationship between an
impulsive force and the linear momentum variation. Usi…
Using smartphone pressure sensors to measure vertical velocities of elevators, stairways, and drones
We measure the vertical velocities of elevators, pedestrians climbing stairs, and drones (flying
unmanned aerial vehicles), by means of smartphone pressure sensors. The barometric pressure obtained
with the smartphone is related to the altitude of th…
A teaching module about stellar structure and evolution
In this paper, we present a teaching module about stellar structure, functioning and evolution.
Drawing from literature in astronomy education, we designed the activities around three key ideas:
spectral analysis, mechanical and thermal equilibrium, …
Approaching the brachistochrone using inclined planes—striving for shortest or equal travelling times
The classical brachistochrone problem asks for the path on which a mobile point M just driven by its
own gravity will travel in the shortest possible time between two given points A and B . The
resulting curve, the cycloid, will also be the tautochro…
Simulating satellite and space probe motion at high school with spreadsheets
This paper gives an account of an experiment in which thirty-three high school students of ages
17–19 developed spreadsheet numerical models of satellite and space probe motion. The models are
free to download. A survey was carried out to find out …
Utilisation of the magnetic sensor in a smartphone for facile magnetostatics experiment: magnetic field due to electrical current in straight and loop wires
This paper reports on the result of a research into the utilisation of a smartphone for the study of
magnetostatics on the basis of experiments. The use of such a device gives great measurement result
and thus it can replace magnetic sensor tools tha…
Locating gravitational potential energy
Where does gravitational potential energy reside when a ball is in the air? The perfectly correct
answer is that it is located in the ball-Earth system. Still, mechanical energy conservation
problems are routinely solved by assigning a potential ener…
Interactive physics apparatus: influence on interest of secondary school students in pursuing a career path in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
In this article, we present results of our endeavours as physics educators to facilitate and support
pedagogical change and development in the educational system of a developing country, the
Philippines. We have discovered that the interaction of jun…
The photoluminescence of a fluorescent lamp: didactic experiments on the exponential decay
The lifetimes of the photoluminescent compounds contained in the coating of fluorescent compact
lamps are usually measured using specialised instruments, including pulsed lasers and/or
spectrofluorometers. Here we discuss how some low cost apparatuse…
Learning about A level physics students’ understandings of particle physics using concept mapping
This paper describes a small-scale piece of research using concept mapping to elicit A level
students’ understandings of particle physics. Fifty-nine year 12 (16- and 17 year-old) students from
two London schools participated. The exercise took pla…
How to delude your senses
There are many video recordings of experiments available on the web that look like magic tricks.
These experiments can be very attractive for pupils. However, their explanation can be missing,
wrong or may lead to misconceptions. One of these is a vi…
Ramp it up and down
We describe a simple experiment about sliding friction of an object moving with non-constant speed
along an inclined plane. This experiment can be used to study the entire dynamical process of force
and motion in various ways, depending on the mathem…
A simple wind tunnel to analyse Bernoulli’s principle
This paper describes two simple classroom experiments in which students can use their personal
mobile device to illustrate a variant on the Bernoulli effect.
A ‘sparkling’ low-cost revisitation of the historical Hertz’s experiment
Electromagnetic phenomena involve abstract concepts and models that are particularly problematic for
students, especially in the field of electromagnetic (EM) waves. In particular, for these abstract
topics it is difficult to plan real experiments th…