Technique has potential to find planets that cannot be found by other methods
Researchers at the University of Michigan found a new dwarf planet
The new dwarf planet was discovered in a unique way.
A new initiative seeks to find an Earth-like planet around the nearest Sun-like star
Our Alpha Centauri dreams may soon come true — and we may have the photos to prove it.
Simultaneity of signal transmission in an accelerated spaceship: addendum to ‘The ‘twin paradox’ in relativistic rigid motion’
The issue of the condition for simultaneous arrival of light signals emitted simultaneously from the
opposite ends of a rigidly accelerating spaceship, raised in Ben-Ya’acov (2016 Eur. J. Phys. 37
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0143-0807/37/5/055601] 0…
Earth from Space
Join us Tuesday, 11 October, at 14:00 CEST as ESA’s new Director of Earth Observation Programmes, Josef Aschbacher, joins the show to discuss the future of Earth observation in ESA
Nebula with spiral arms
The spiral arms in this Hubble picture may remind you of a Milky-Way-like galaxy, but they are remnants of a dying star
The newest weird solar systems: lonely hot Earths
The weird worlds may be the remnants of larger “hot Jupiters”
NASA’s opportunity rover will explore a gully on Mars
Opportunity will drive down a Mars gully to investigate possible traces of water.
Hidden circuits and argumentation
Despite the relevance of DC circuits in everyday life and schools, they have been shown to cause
numerous learning difficulties at various school levels. In the course of this article, we present a
flexible method for teaching DC circuits at lower se…
Newton?s cradle in billiards and croquet
When an object collides head-on and in line with two balls in contact, the outcome is not generally
easy to predict. We consider three simple examples. One is Newton?s cradle with only three balls.
Another is a billiard cue colliding with the two bal…
Newton’s cradle in billiards and croquet
When an object collides head-on and in line with two balls in contact, the outcome is not generally
easy to predict. We consider three simple examples. One is Newton’s cradle with only three balls.
Another is a billiard cue colliding with the two b…
Interactive modeling activities in the classroom—rotational motion and smartphone gyroscopes
The wide-spread availability of smartphones makes them a valuable addition to the measurement
equipment in both the physics classroom and the instructional laboratory, encouraging an active
interaction between measurements and modeling activities. In…
Electrostatics experiments with sharp metal points
In this paper we examine the phenomena that arise around an electrically charged sharp metal spike
and present numerous experiments that can be used in the teaching of electrostatics. The experiments
are quite spectacular and attention-grabbing while…
Can students draw lines of best fit?
Students are often called upon to draw lines of best fit by hand, without the process being well
defined. For example, the line might be linear, but with no information as to the size or direction
of any error bars, or the line might be curved but in…
NASA’s Opportunity Rover to Explore Mars Gully
NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover will drive down a gully carved long ago by a fluid that might have been water, according to the latest plans for the mission.
NASA’s Kepler Gets the ‘Big Picture’ of Comet 67P
NASA’s Kepler spacecraft studied comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for two weeks in September, complementing the view from the Rosetta spacecraft.
NASA JPL Satellites Dissect Powerful Hurricane Matthew
Hurricanes like Matthew are a lot more than meets the “eye.” Images from several JPL satellites and instruments give scientists a wealth of information to analyze the storm.
NASA JPL Satellites Dissect Powerful Hurricane Matthew
Hurricanes like Matthew are a lot more than meets the “eye.” Images from several JPL satellites and instruments give scientists a wealth of information to analyze the storm.
NASA’s Opportunity Rover to Explore Mars Gully
NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover will drive down a gully carved long ago by a fluid that might have been water, according to the latest plans for the mission.
NASA’s Kepler Gets the ‘Big Picture’ of Comet 67P
NASA’s Kepler spacecraft studied comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for two weeks in September, complementing the view from the Rosetta spacecraft.
Researchers Night
ESA 2016 European Researchers’ Night in Italy, 30 September
Eye of the storm
This image, from the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite, shows the temperature at the top of Hurricane Matthew as it approached the US this morning
Recombination-Enhanced Surface Expansion of Clusters in Intense Soft X-Ray Laser Pulses
Author(s): Daniela Rupp, Leonie Flückiger, Marcus Adolph, Tais Gorkhover, Maria Krikunova, Jan Philippe Müller, Maria Müller, Tim Oelze, Yevheniy Ovcharenko, Benjamin Röben, Mario Sauppe, Sebastian Schorb, David Wolter, Rolf Mitzner, Michael Wöstmann, Sebastian Roling, Marion Harmand, Rolf Treusch, Mathias Arbeiter, Thomas Fennel, Christoph Bostedt, and Thomas Möller
Nanoplasmas, formed by irradiating xenon clusters with short intense soft x-ray pulses, undergo a previously unnoticed heating process due to electron-ion recombination within the plasma.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 153401] Published Fri Oct 07, 2016
Limits on Active to Sterile Neutrino Oscillations from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments
Author(s): P. Adamson et al. (Daya Bay Collaboration, MINOS Collaboration)An analysis of data from the MINOS, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 experiments places stringent limits on the mass and mixing of a hypothetical sterile neutrino.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 151…
Recombination-Enhanced Surface Expansion of Clusters in Intense Soft X-Ray Laser Pulses
Author(s): Daniela Rupp, Leonie Flückiger, Marcus Adolph, Tais Gorkhover, Maria Krikunova, Jan Philippe Müller, Maria Müller, Tim Oelze, Yevheniy Ovcharenko, Benjamin Röben, Mario Sauppe, Sebastian Schorb, David Wolter, Rolf Mitzner, Michael Wöstmann, Sebastian Roling, Marion Harmand, Rolf Treusch, Mathias Arbeiter, Thomas Fennel, Christoph Bostedt, and Thomas Möller
Nanoplasmas, formed by irradiating xenon clusters with short intense soft x-ray pulses, undergo a previously unnoticed heating process due to electron-ion recombination within the plasma.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 153401] Published Fri Oct 07, 2016
Limits on Active to Sterile Neutrino Oscillations from Disappearance Searches in the MINOS, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 Experiments
Author(s): P. Adamson et al. (Daya Bay Collaboration, MINOS Collaboration)An analysis of data from the MINOS, Daya Bay, and Bugey-3 experiments places stringent limits on the mass and mixing of a hypothetical sterile neutrino.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 151…
India’s Mars orbiter photos got a great touch-up thanks to the Planetary Society
Emily Lawdawalla, senior editor, processed the images and brought out the best definition.
The Sky This Week for October 7 to October 16
The first quarter Moon, shooting stars, and other beautiful things to look for in the sky this week.
Call for media: ExoMars arrives at the Red Planet
The ExoMars 2016 mission will enter orbit around the Red Planet on 19 October. At the same time, its Schiaparelli lander will descend to the surface. Representatives of traditional and social media are invited to attend a two-day event at ESA’s ESOC control centre in Darmstadt, Germany.
Shanghai
Earth observation image of the week: a Sentinel-2 image of Shanghai, also featured in the 200th edition of the Earth from Space video programme
Schiaparelli readied for Mars landing
This week, the commands that will govern the Schiaparelli lander’s descent and touchdown on Mars were uploaded to ESA’s ExoMars spacecraft, enroute to the Red Planet.
Hubble Detects Giant ‘Cannonballs’ Shooting from Star
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has detected superhot blobs of gas, each twice as massive as the planet Mars, being ejected near a dying star.
An Infrared Look at Hurricane Matthew from NASA’s AIRS
A JPL-developed advanced atmospheric sounding system aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite is providing important insights into the inner workings of dangerous Hurricane Matthew.
An Infrared Look at Hurricane Matthew from NASA’s AIRS
A JPL-developed advanced atmospheric sounding system aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite is providing important insights into the inner workings of dangerous Hurricane Matthew.
Hubble Detects Giant ‘Cannonballs’ Shooting from Star
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has detected superhot blobs of gas, each twice as massive as the planet Mars, being ejected near a dying star.
Coherent Control of the Exciton-Biexciton System in an InAs Self-Assembled Quantum Dot Ensemble
Author(s): Takeshi Suzuki, Rohan Singh, Manfred Bayer, Arne Ludwig, Andreas D. Wieck, and Steven T. CundiffA spectroscopy method can identify quantum dots within an ensemble based on their size and emission frequency.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 157402] Publ…
Coherent Control of the Exciton-Biexciton System in an InAs Self-Assembled Quantum Dot Ensemble
Author(s): Takeshi Suzuki, Rohan Singh, Manfred Bayer, Arne Ludwig, Andreas D. Wieck, and Steven T. CundiffA spectroscopy method can identify quantum dots within an ensemble based on their size and emission frequency.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 157402] Publ…
Week In Images
Our week through the lens: 3-7 October 2016
Automating sample testing thanks to space
A miniaturised biotech unit developed for the International Space Station is improving medical diagnoses on Earth with affordable automation of small-scale diagnostics.
Last command
Operations image of the week: Last command being sent to Rosetta
Earth from Space
Join us Friday, 7 October, at 10:00 CEST for the 200th ‘Earth from Space’ video programme. This week features a Sentinel-2 image of Shanghai
Print on demand
Technology image of the week: 3D printing demonstrated in the NL Space Tent at ESA’s Open Day in the Netherlands
Hot worlds shine in brilliant colors
Warm Neptunes and Hot Jupiters have a crayon-like assortment of hues.
Hubble finds fireballs shooting from star
The Hubble Telescope has found hot blobs of gas being launched near a star.
Fermi’s golden rule: its derivation and breakdown by an ideal model
Fermi’s golden rule is of great importance in quantum dynamics. However, in many textbooks on
quantum mechanics, its contents and limitations are obscured by the approximations and arguments in
the derivation, which are inevitable because of the ge…
Specification of multiple image characteristics viewed through a grating
When a person observes an object, illuminated incoherently by a quasi-monochromatic source, through
a grating, he will see more than one image. Angular positions of these images are derived in terms
of wavelength, period of the grating, separation be…
Small oscillations of two interacting particles in a magnetic field
The classical behavior of two interacting particles in the presence of a uniform magnetic field is
studied in the small oscillations approximation. Using the Lagrangian formalism, the equations of
motion are derived, as are their solutions and const…
How the instant collapse of a spatially-extended quantum state is consistent with the relativity of simultaneity
A thought experiment is considered on the observation of the instantaneous collapse of an extended
wave packet. According to the relativity of simultaneity, such a collapse being instantaneous in
some reference frame must be a lasting process in othe…
Trusted Ariane 5 lays foundations for Ariane 6
With 74 successful launches in a row, Ariane 5 now matches the reliability of Ariane 4 – while an experiment is helping the development of Ariane 6.
NASA-Produced Maps Help Gauge Italy Earthquake Damage
A NASA-funded program provided valuable information for the response to the strong August earthquake in central Italy.
Study Predicts Next Global Dust Storm on Mars
Global dust storms on Mars could soon become more predictable — which would be a boon for future astronauts there — if the next one follows a pattern suggested by the past.
Study Predicts Next Global Dust Storm on Mars
Global dust storms on Mars could soon become more predictable — which would be a boon for future astronauts there — if the next one follows a pattern suggested by the past.
NASA-Produced Maps Help Gauge Italy Earthquake Damage
A NASA-funded program provided valuable information for the response to the strong August earthquake in central Italy.
Demonstration of Cosmic Microwave Background Delensing Using the Cosmic Infrared Background
Author(s): Patricia Larsen, Anthony Challinor, Blake D. Sherwin, and Daisy MakResearchers demonstrate a method for removing gravitational lensing effects that distort maps of the cosmic microwave background.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 151102] Published Wed …
Search for Structure in the B_{s}^{0} π^{±} Invariant Mass Spectrum
Author(s): R. Aaij et al. (LHCb Collaboration)Data from LHCb does not confirm the exotic four-quark hadron recently evidenced by the D0 collaboration.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 152003] Published Wed Oct 05, 2016
Defect Interactions in Anisotropic Two-Dimensional Fluids
Author(s): R. Stannarius and K. Harth
Experiments exploring the behavior of disclinations in liquid crystals interacting via long-range elastic forces indicate that previous theoretical models don’t correctly capture their dynamics.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 157801] Published Wed Oct 05, 2016
Defect Interactions in Anisotropic Two-Dimensional Fluids
Author(s): R. Stannarius and K. Harth
Experiments exploring the behavior of disclinations in liquid crystals interacting via long-range elastic forces indicate that previous theoretical models don’t correctly capture their dynamics.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 157801] Published Wed Oct 05, 2016
Search for Structure in the B_{s}^{0} π^{±} Invariant Mass Spectrum
Author(s): R. Aaij et al. (LHCb Collaboration)Data from LHCb does not confirm the exotic four-quark hadron recently evidenced by the D0 collaboration.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 152003] Published Wed Oct 05, 2016
Demonstration of Cosmic Microwave Background Delensing Using the Cosmic Infrared Background
Author(s): Patricia Larsen, Anthony Challinor, Blake D. Sherwin, and Daisy MakResearchers demonstrate a method for removing gravitational lensing effects that distort maps of the cosmic microwave background.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 151102] Published Wed …
40 million views
We’re proud to have passed a big milestone on our YouTube channel – thanks for watching!
The oldest government computer is in space
Voyagers 1 and 2 are still going strong after almost 40 years.
Telescope looks past dust and finds new stars
Researchers have seen newborn red stars dimly shining from the cocoons of dust and gas out of which they formed.
Astronomers made this discovery using the European Southern Observatory’s Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA)…
NASA is to resume developing technology for gravitational wave detection
NASA will work with the ESA for their L3 gravitational wave mission.
NASA Sees Hurricane Matthew over Haiti Tuesday Morning
NASA’s MISR instrument catches hot towers — enormous thunderheads — from Hurricane Matthew over Haiti the morning of Oct. 4, 2016.
NASA Flight Program Tests Mars Lander Vision System
NASA tested new “eyes” for its next Mars rover mission on a rocket built by Masten Space Systems in Mojave, California, thanks in part to NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program.
NASA Sees Hurricane Matthew over Haiti Tuesday Morning
NASA’s MISR instrument catches hot towers — enormous thunderheads — from Hurricane Matthew over Haiti the morning of Oct. 4, 2016.
NASA Flight Program Tests Mars Lander Vision System
NASA tested new “eyes” for its next Mars rover mission on a rocket built by Masten Space Systems in Mojave, California, thanks in part to NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program.
ESTEC Open Day highlights
A look back at ESA’s Open Day in the Netherlands on Sunday 2 October – in pictures
Parachute for Mars
Human spaceflight and robotic exploration image of the week: Engineering model of the ExoMars Schiaparelli lander at ESA’s technical heart in the Netherlands
Warm Little Inflaton
Author(s): Mar Bastero-Gil, Arjun Berera, Rudnei O. Ramos, and João G. Rosa
A concept borrowed from particle physics models called little Higgs gives new strength to the theory of warm inflation.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 151301] Published Tue Oct 04, 2016
Warm Little Inflaton
Author(s): Mar Bastero-Gil, Arjun Berera, Rudnei O. Ramos, and João G. Rosa
A concept borrowed from particle physics models called little Higgs gives new strength to the theory of warm inflation.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 151301] Published Tue Oct 04, 2016
Talking technology
Where does innovation come from? People. ESA engineers recount the Agency’s ground-breaking work in their own words
Dione may be Saturn’s third moon hiding an ocean
Saturn’s moon Dione has joined the growing list of watery bodies in our solar system.
Data from NASA’s Cassini probe indicate that a liquid ocean some 20 miles deep exists far below the icy surface of the moon. This means that its interior…
Astronomers find a planet through a never-before-used method
They used pulsation to confirm a long-period planet around a Kepler candidate world.
How Vera Rubin discovered dark matter
This famous astronomer carved herself a well-deserved place in history, so why doesn’t the Nobel committee see it that way?
In harmony: inquiry based learning in a blended physics and music class
The power of music to resonate within us transcends conventional boundaries established in cultural,
geographic, and political contexts. In our world, as physics educators, so does the resonating of
physics phenomena. Secondary level physics is a per…
Making ideas at scientific fabrication laboratories
Creativity, together with the making of ideas into fruition, is essential for progress. Today the
evolution from an idea to its application can be facilitated by the implementation of Fabrication
Laboratories, or FabLabs, having affordable digital to…
Reply to ‘Misconceptions indeed’
In a recent letter to the editor (2016 Phys. Educ . 51 066503), Schumayer and Scott raised concerns
about one of the novel situations presented in our article titled ‘Students’ analogical reasoning in
novel situations: theory-like misconceptions or…
Misconceptions indeed
In a recent article Fotou and Abrahams (2016 Phys. Educ . 51 044003
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0031-9120/51/4/044003] ) described a study which investigated how
students approach novel situations and whether their reasoning can be understood as theor…
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Begins Next Mars Chapter
After collecting drilled rock powder from a very scenic area, NASA’s Curiosity rover is driving toward uphill destinations as part of its two-year mission extension.
NASA’s Curiosity Rover Begins Next Mars Chapter
After collecting drilled rock powder from a very scenic area, NASA’s Curiosity rover is driving toward uphill destinations as part of its two-year mission extension.
Magnetic oceans and electric Earth
Oceans might not be thought of as magnetic, but they make a tiny contribution to our planet’s protective magnetic shield. Remarkably, ESA’s Swarm satellites have not only measured this extremely faint field, but have also led to new discoveries about the electrical nature of inner Earth.
Self-Referenced Coherent Diffraction X-Ray Movie of Ångstrom- and Femtosecond-Scale Atomic Motion
Author(s): J. M. Glownia, A. Natan, J. P. Cryan, R. Hartsock, M. Kozina, M. P. Minitti, S. Nelson, J. Robinson, T. Sato, T. van Driel, G. Welch, C. Weninger, D. Zhu, and P. H. Bucksbaum
Molecular movies of vibrating iodine molecules have been recorded in time-resolved x-ray and electron diffraction experiments
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 153003] Published Mon Oct 03, 2016
^{7} Be(n,α) ^{4} He Reaction and the Cosmological Lithium Problem: Measurement of the Cross Section in a Wide Energy Range at n_TOF at CERN
Author(s): M. Barbagallo et al. (n_TOF Collaboration)
The neutron-7Be cross section—an important ingredient in Big Bang nucleosynthesis—is measured at a wide range of neutron energies.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 152701] Published Mon Oct 03, 2016
Diffractive Imaging of Coherent Nuclear Motion in Isolated Molecules
Author(s): Jie Yang, Markus Guehr, Xiaozhe Shen, Renkai Li, Theodore Vecchione, Ryan Coffee, Jeff Corbett, Alan Fry, Nick Hartmann, Carsten Hast, Kareem Hegazy, Keith Jobe, Igor Makasyuk, Joseph Robinson, Matthew S. Robinson, Sharon Vetter, Stephen Wea…
Diffractive Imaging of Coherent Nuclear Motion in Isolated Molecules
Author(s): Jie Yang, Markus Guehr, Xiaozhe Shen, Renkai Li, Theodore Vecchione, Ryan Coffee, Jeff Corbett, Alan Fry, Nick Hartmann, Carsten Hast, Kareem Hegazy, Keith Jobe, Igor Makasyuk, Joseph Robinson, Matthew S. Robinson, Sharon Vetter, Stephen Wea…
Self-Referenced Coherent Diffraction X-Ray Movie of Ångstrom- and Femtosecond-Scale Atomic Motion
Author(s): J. M. Glownia, A. Natan, J. P. Cryan, R. Hartsock, M. Kozina, M. P. Minitti, S. Nelson, J. Robinson, T. Sato, T. van Driel, G. Welch, C. Weninger, D. Zhu, and P. H. Bucksbaum
Molecular movies of vibrating iodine molecules have been recorded in time-resolved x-ray and electron diffraction experiments
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 153003] Published Mon Oct 03, 2016
^{7} Be(n,α) ^{4} He Reaction and the Cosmological Lithium Problem: Measurement of the Cross Section in a Wide Energy Range at n_TOF at CERN
Author(s): M. Barbagallo et al. (n_TOF Collaboration)
The neutron-7Be cross section—an important ingredient in Big Bang nucleosynthesis—is measured at a wide range of neutron energies.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 152701] Published Mon Oct 03, 2016
Rosetta comes home
Space science image of the week: Rosetta’s impact point is named Sais after the original Egyptian home of the Rosetta Stone
Living and dying with a comet
Like many other space enthusiasts around the world, I woke up today in a bittersweet mood as I read the reports about the death of the European Space Agency’s Rosetta comet probe. Its demise was carefully planned and long foretold but was sad all…
Astronomers find a treasure trove of strange brown dwarfs
The new find adds to the population of “failed stars” and makes them even weirder than we thought.
Striking photo shows spiral structure on a young star
The spiral arms may answer the question to how planets formed.
Seeing double?
Watch the amazing AIM animated video in virtual reality (VR glasses and phone needed)
Comment on ‘Sonic beam model of Newton’s cradle’
The balls in Newton’s cradle do not remain stationary, as claimed recently in Physics Education
(Menger and Rizvi 2016 Phys. Educ . 51 045003).
Learning through experimenting: an original way of teaching geometrical optics
Over the past 10 years, we have developed at University Paris-Sud a first year course on geometrical
optics centered on experimentation. In contrast with the traditional top-down learning structure
usually applied at university, in which practical se…
Reply to Comment on ‘Sonic beam model of Newton’s cradle’
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Final Descent Images from Rosetta Spacecraft
A new image of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft shortly before its controlled impact into the comet’s surface.
Final Descent Image from Rosetta Spacecraft
A new image of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft shortly before its controlled impact into the comet’s surface.
24-Hour Relativistic Bit Commitment
Author(s): Ephanielle Verbanis, Anthony Martin, Raphaël Houlmann, Gianluca Boso, Félix Bussières, and Hugo Zbinden
Researchers have securely contained a single bit for a record 24 hours, during which it was inaccessible to both sender and recipient, a technology that could be useful for voting or bidding.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 140506] Published Fri Sep 30, 2016
24-Hour Relativistic Bit Commitment
Author(s): Ephanielle Verbanis, Anthony Martin, Raphaël Houlmann, Gianluca Boso, Félix Bussières, and Hugo Zbinden
Researchers have securely contained a single bit for a record 24 hours, during which it was inaccessible to both sender and recipient, a technology that could be useful for voting or bidding.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 140506] Published Fri Sep 30, 2016