Our week through the lens: 12-16 January 2015
Three nearly Earth-sized planets found orbiting nearby star
The outermost planet orbits in the “Goldilocks” zone, a region where surface temperatures could be moderate enough for liquid water and perhaps life to exist.
New Horizons begins first stages of Pluto encounter
The “optical navigation” campaign that starts January 25 will mark the first time pictures from the spacecraft will be used to help pinpoint Pluto’s location.
Beagle-2 lander found on Mars
The UK-led Beagle-2 Mars lander, which hitched a ride on ESA’s Mars Express mission and was lost on Mars since 2003, has been found in images taken by a NASA orbiter at the Red Planet.
Rejigging the Cluster quartet
Aiming to study Earth’s ‘bow shock’ in the solar wind, the constellation of Cluster satellites is being rejigged to bring two of the four to within almost touching distance.
NASA’s New Horizons Begins First Stages of Pluto Encounter
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft is entering the first of several approach phases, culminating July 14 with the first close-up flyby of the dwarf planet Pluto.
NEOWISE: A Yearlong Look at the Sky
A NASA spacecraft using infrared imaging discovered 40 near-Earth objects in one year and observed many others, including a comet that has become this month’s brightest.
Sequence Determines Degree of Knottedness in a Coarse-Grained Protein Model
Author(s): Thomas Wüst, Daniel Reith, and Peter Virnau
The sequence of amino acids in certain biomolecules could be a factor in ensuring that they remain free of knots.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 028102] Published Thu Jan 15, 2015
Tartu Ülikooli tehnoloogiainstituut – marsimaja
Tartu Ülikooli tehnoloogiainstituudi teadlased mõtlesid välja robotmaja tehnoloogia, milleks on iselahtipakkiv maja kasutamiseks ekstreemsetes elutingimustes, katastroofipiirkonnas või lausa Marsil. Projekt sai võimalikuks viie riigi – Prantsusmaa, Austria, Belgia, Tšehhi ja Eesti – teadlaste koostööst. Projekti nimega S.H.E.E (Self-deployable Habitat for Extreme Environments) ametlikul kodulehel on näha ka maja valmimisprotsessi www.shee.eu . Kuus tonni kaaluv maja […]
New exoplanet-hunting telescopes achieve first light
The 12 instruments of the Next-Generation Transit Survey will focus on discovering Neptune-sized and smaller planets from Paranal Observatory in Chile.
Asteroid to fly by Earth safely January 26
The flyby of 2004 BL86 will be the closest by any known space rock this large until asteroid 1999 AN10 flies past Earth in 2027.
DG Media Briefing
Watch ESA DG’s traditional start-of-year media briefing on the activities for 2015, Friday 16 January. Streaming starts at 09:00 CET
Remaking the mould
Technology image of the week: this one-piece instrument housing was produced using a 3D printed mould
Crystal-Rich Rock ‘Mojave’ is Next Mars Drill Target
This week, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is preparing to drill its second sample of Mount Sharp. An upgraded version of its onboard software is ready for installation next week.
NASA and ESA Celebrate 10 Years Since Titan Landing
Looking back at a tremendous international accomplishment: landing a robotic probe on a moon of Saturn.
Nonlocality and Conflicting Interest Games
Author(s): Anna Pappa, Niraj Kumar, Thomas Lawson, Miklos Santha, Shengyu Zhang, Eleni Diamanti, and Iordanis Kerenidis Quantum nonlocality gives players an advantage in conflicting interest games, as demonstrated by the Battle of the Sexes game implem…
Cavity-Modified Collective Rayleigh Scattering of Two Atoms
Author(s): René Reimann, Wolfgang Alt, Tobias Kampschulte, Tobias Macha, Lothar Ratschbacher, Natalie Thau, Seokchan Yoon, and Dieter Meschede
Two groups have independently isolated two atoms in a single cavity and measured that the collective light output is not simply the sum of single emitters.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 023601] Published Wed Jan 14, 2015
Enhanced Quantum Interface with Collective Ion-Cavity Coupling
Author(s): B. Casabone, K. Friebe, B. Brandstätter, K. Schüppert, R. Blatt, and T. E. Northup
Two groups have independently isolated two atoms in a single cavity and measured that the collective light output is not simply the sum of single emitters.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 023602] Published Wed Jan 14, 2015
Thermometry via Light Shifts in Optical Lattices
Author(s): M. McDonald, B. H. McGuyer, G. Z. Iwata, and T. Zelevinsky
A new spectroscopic technique provides an order of magnitude improvement in the temperature measurement of ultracold gases in optical lattices.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 023001] Published Wed Jan 14, 2015
Vega ready to launch spaceplane
On its first launch of the year, Europe’s Vega rocket will loft ESA’s unmanned spaceplane to test reentry technologies for future vehicles.
Asteroid to Fly By Earth Safely on January 26
The January 26 flyby of asteroid 2004 BL86 will be the closest by any known space rock this large until an asteroid flies past Earth in 2027.
NASA Mountaintop Sensor Finds High Methane over LA
NASA instruments on a mountaintop show that Los Angeles’ annual methane emissions are 18 to 61 percent higher than the best previous estimates.
Onset of a Limit Cycle and Universal Three-Body Parameter in Efimov Physics
Author(s): Yusuke Horinouchi and Masahito Ueda A functional renormalization group analysis shows that the three-body behavior of identical bosons is independent of the details of their pairwise short-range interactions.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 025301] Pu…
Ten years at Titan
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the pioneering Huygens mission to Saturn’s moon Titan, the first successful landing on an outer Solar System world
„Maavärinatuledest” avastatakse uus füüsika
Kui tektoonilised plaadid nihkuvad – üksteise vastu hõõrdudes ja maavärinaid põhjustades –, on nende vahel tavaliselt määrdena toimiv pulbriks hõõrutud kivide kiht. Karen Daniels uurib Põhja-Carolina ülikooli laboratooriumis väikeseid plastkettaid, mis libisevad üksteise peal sarnaselt Maa tektooniliste plaatidega. Daniels ja tema kolleegid uurivad, kas plastkettad ja võib-olla plaatide vahel leiduvad graanulid tekitavad liikumisel akustilisi signaale. Nüüd on […]
Kosmosetelskoop Hubble paljastab seninägematud detailid kosmilistes sammastes
Me kõik oleme imetlenud öist tähistaevast, kuid selle hingemattev ilu jääb enamasti paljale silmale varjatuks. Seevastu kosmosetelskoop Hubble on võimeline paljastama kunstilisi detaile tähistaeva objektidest. Täpselt 20 aastat tagasi tegi Hubble esimese pildi kolmest kosmilistest tolmusambast, mis on üks osa kuulsast Kotka udukogust. Tähistamaks Hubble teleskoobi 25ndat aastapäeva, vaatles Hubble seda objekti uuesti, paljastades detaile, […]
Rivers Are Draining Greenland Quickly: NASA-UCLA
Meltwater rivers flowing on Greenland’s frozen surface may contribute as much to global sea level rise as all other processes that drain water from the ice sheet combined.
Orbital Engineering in Symmetry-Breaking Polar Heterostructures
Author(s): Ankit S. Disa, Divine P. Kumah, Andrei Malashevich, Hanghui Chen, Dario A. Arena, Eliot D. Specht, Sohrab Ismail-Beigi, F. J. Walker, and Charles H. Ahn
In transition-metal oxides, the ability to control which atomic orbitals are occupied by electrons could be used to develop materials with new functionalities.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 026801] Published Mon Jan 12, 2015
Quantum Critical Transport and the Hall Angle in Holographic Models
Author(s): Mike Blake and Aristomenis Donos The techniques of gauge/gravity duality provide a holographic model explaining the anomalous scaling of resistivity in strange metals.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 021601] Published Mon Jan 12, 2015
Retrieving Time-Dependent Green’s Functions in Optics with Low-Coherence Interferometry
Author(s): Amaury Badon, Geoffroy Lerosey, Albert C. Boccara, Mathias Fink, and Alexandre Aubry
Time dependent Green’s functions are measured at optical frequencies for scattered waves propagating in complex media using low coherence interferometry.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 023901] Published Mon Jan 12, 2015
ΛΛ Correlation Function in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV
Author(s): L. Adamczyk et al. (STAR Collaboration)
A high statistics measurement of the ΛΛ correlation function in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC suggests that the strength of the interaction is weak and provides a new limit on H-dibaryon production.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 022301] Published Mon Jan 12, 2015
JPL Scientist Alberto Behar Remembered
JPL employees were deeply saddened by the death of Dr. Alberto Behar, who died in the crash of a small plane on Friday, Jan. 10, near Van Nuys Airport in the Los Angeles area.
Will the Real Monster Black Hole Please Stand Up?
New data from NASA’s NuSTAR mission determine which of two supermassive black holes is pouring out X-rays in a colliding pair of galaxies.
Scientists Pinpoint Saturn With Exquisite Accuracy
Signals from NASA’s Saturn-orbiting probe and the keen eyes of a continent-spanning telescope array yield greatly improved knowledge of the “true” center of the Saturn system.
NASA Satellite Set to Get the Dirt on Soil Moisture
A new NASA satellite that will peer into the topmost layer of Earth’s soils to measure the hidden waters that influence our climate is in final preparations for a Jan. 29 launch.
Machines Teach Astronomers About Stars
The same technology that suggests what movies you might like to watch is helping astronomers learn about stars.
NASA Mars Rover Opportunity Climbs to High Point on Rim
NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, continuing to drive while engineers tackle a flash-memory issue, has reached a crater-rim high point on “Cape Tribulation.”
Unusual Light Signal Hints at Distant Black Hole Merger
Scientists have found what appear to be two supermassive black holes in the final stages of a merger, a rare event never seen before.
NASA Robot Plunges Into Volcano to Explore Fissure
Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are developing robots to explore volcanoes.
Tunable Long Range Forces Mediated by Self-Propelled Colloidal Hard Spheres
Author(s): Ran Ni, Martien A. Cohen Stuart, and Peter G. Bolhuis The effective force between two flat objects immersed in a suspension of active colloids can be tuned by changing the activity and density of the colloids. This finding opens the door to …
Observation of a Four-Electron Auger Process in Near-K-Edge Photoionization of Singly Charged Carbon Ions
Author(s): A. Müller, A. Borovik, Jr., T. Buhr, J. Hellhund, K. Holste, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, S. Klumpp, M. Martins, S. Ricz, J. Viefhaus, and S. Schippers
Using a new photon-ion merged-beam setup at PETRA III, DESY, resonant Auger decay in which three electrons are emitted simultaneously is observed in carbon ions.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 013002] Published Wed Jan 07, 2015
Shot Noise Induced by Nonequilibrium Spin Accumulation
Author(s): Tomonori Arakawa, Junichi Shiogai, Mariusz Ciorga, Martin Utz, Dieter Schuh, Makoto Kohda, Junsaku Nitta, Dominique Bougeard, Dieter Weiss, Teruo Ono, and Kensuke Kobayashi Excess shot noise from a current passing through a potential barrier…
Framing Anomaly in the Effective Theory of the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect
Author(s): Andrey Gromov, Gil Young Cho, Yizhi You, Alexander G. Abanov, and Eduardo Fradkin Anomalies in quantum field theories point to a consistent effective theory for fractional Hall liquids.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 016805] Published Wed Jan 07, 2015
Observation of the Leggett-Rice Effect in a Unitary Fermi Gas
Author(s): S. Trotzky, S. Beattie, C. Luciuk, S. Smale, A. B. Bardon, T. Enss, E. Taylor, S. Zhang, and J. H. Thywissen
Measurements of the transverse spin diffusivity of a unitary Fermi gas show that it behaves as a ‘bad metal’ with transport lifetimes near the quantum limit.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 015301] Published Wed Jan 07, 2015
Proximity-Induced Ferromagnetism in Graphene Revealed by the Anomalous Hall Effect
Author(s): Zhiyong Wang, Chi Tang, Raymond Sachs, Yafis Barlas, and Jing Shi Placing graphene on an insulating magnetic substrate can make the material ferromagnetic without disturbing its exceptional conductivity.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 016603] Publis…
Smashing results about our nearby galactic neighbors
A new survey indicates that the Magellanic Clouds are bigger and more complex than previously thought.
Volunteer ‘Disk Detectives’ Classify Possible Planetary Habitats
Citizen scientists are busy sifting through images from the WISE mission, logging 1 million potential planetary habitats.
NASA’s Kepler Marks 1,000th Exoplanet Discovery, Uncovers More Small Worlds in Habitable Zones
NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has, to date, offered scientists more than 4,000 candidate planets — the 1,000th of which was recently verified.
Dark Matter with Pseudoscalar-Mediated Interactions Explains the DAMA Signal and the Galactic Center Excess
Author(s): Chiara Arina, Eugenio Del Nobile, and Paolo Panci A new dark matter model is able to account for the annual dark matter modulation observed by DAMA and the galactic center gamma-ray excess, while remaining compatible with other exclusion lim…
New Project Scientist for Mars Rover
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has a new science-team chief who has already helped lead the mission for a decade.
NASA Announces Briefing on New Mission to Track Water in Earth’s Soil
NASA will hold a briefing at 11 a.m. PST (2 p.m. EST) Thursday, Jan. 8, about the upcoming Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission.
Experimental Observation of Lee-Yang Zeros
Author(s): Xinhua Peng, Hui Zhou, Bo-Bo Wei, Jiangyu Cui, Jiangfeng Du, and Ren-Bao Liu Imaginary magnetic fields predicted by the fundamental theory of phase transitions can be realized experimentally.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 010601] Published Mon Jan …
Measurement of the Gravity-Field Curvature by Atom Interferometry
Author(s): G. Rosi, L. Cacciapuoti, F. Sorrentino, M. Menchetti, M. Prevedelli, and G. M. Tino
By measuring gravity with cold atoms at three different heights simultaneously, a team determined a new property of a gravitational field.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 013001] Published Mon Jan 05, 2015
Spectral Noise Correlations of an Ultrafast Frequency Comb
Author(s): Roman Schmeissner, Jonathan Roslund, Claude Fabre, and Nicolas Treps
The amplitude and phase of noise between different “teeth” in a femotsecond frequency comb is measured using a programmable pulse that can isolate the noise in different frequency regions.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 263906] Published Wed Dec 31, 2014
Direct Visualization of Conformation and Dense Packing of DNA-Based Soft Colloids
Author(s): Jing Zhang, Paul M. Lettinga, Jan K. G. Dhont, and Emmanuel Stiakakis
A 2D array of magnetic DNA coated colloids shifts from a closed packed circle configuration to close packed hexagons under increasing pressure, with no interpenetration of the DNA coating strands.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 268303] Published Wed Dec 31, 2014
Anomalous Impact in Reaction-Diffusion Financial Models
Author(s): I. Mastromatteo, B. Tóth, and J.-P. Bouchaud
Financial markets can behave like critical systems in which small perturbations have an anomalously high impact on trading prices.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 268701] Published Wed Dec 31, 2014
Technology Innovations Spin NASA’s SMAP into Space
It’s active. It’s passive. And it’s got a big, spinning lasso.
Thermophoretic Forces on DNA Measured with a Single-Molecule Spring Balance
Author(s): Jonas N. Pedersen, Christopher J. Lüscher, Rodolphe Marie, Lasse H. Thamdrup, Anders Kristensen, and Henrik Flyvbjerg
The thermopheretic forces arising from temperature gradients over a single DNA strand have been measured using the DNA strand itself, which effectively acts as a tiny spring balance.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 268301] Published Tue Dec 30, 2014
Generation and Detection of a Sub-Poissonian Atom Number Distribution in a One-Dimensional Optical Lattice
Author(s): J.-B. Béguin, E. M. Bookjans, S. L. Christensen, H. L. Sørensen, J. H. Müller, E. S. Polzik, and J. Appel
A minimally invasive measurement technique gives a precise, real-time estimate of the number of atoms in a one-dimensional trap.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 263603] Published Tue Dec 30, 2014
Dynamic Compression of Single Nanochannel Confined DNA via a Nanodozer Assay
Author(s): Ahmed Khorshid, Philip Zimny, David Tétreault-La Roche, Geremia Massarelli, Takahiro Sakaue, and Walter Reisner
A new experimental system can compress single DNA molecules trapped in a channel using a nanosized spherical plunger.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 268104] Published Tue Dec 30, 2014
Interactions between Charged Lamellae in Aqueous Solution
Author(s): Laure Herrmann, Albert Johner, and Patrick Kékicheff
In highly charged soft matter systems that are dominated by long-range electrostatic interactions, such as lamellar phases of surfactants, ion correlations need to be accounted for in order to qantitaively describe the forces.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 268302] Published Tue Dec 30, 2014
Revised Upper Limit to Energy Extraction from a Kerr Black Hole
Author(s): Jeremy D. Schnittman Particle collisions outside the event horizon of a black hole result in an upper limit on the energy of escaping particles higher than previously estimated.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 261102] Published Tue Dec 30, 2014
Reversible Control of Co Magnetism by Voltage-Induced Oxidation
Author(s): Chong Bi, Yaohua Liu, T. Newhouse-Illige, M. Xu, M. Rosales, J. W. Freeland, Oleg Mryasov, Shufeng Zhang, S. G. E. te Velthuis, and W. G. Wang
Small voltages can control the magnetic properties of thin films at room temperature.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 267202] Published Tue Dec 30, 2014
Dawn Spacecraft Begins Approach to Dwarf Planet Ceres
NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has entered an approach phase in which it will continue to close in on Ceres, a Texas-sized dwarf planet never before visited by a spacecraft.
NASA Finds Good News on Forests and Carbon Dioxide
A NASA-led study suggests that tropical forests absorb more carbon dioxide than scientists thought. That means, if left undisturbed, the tropical trees should be able to continue reducing the rate of global warming.
Paramagnetic Spin Pumping
Author(s): Y. Shiomi and E. Saitoh
We have demonstrated spin pumping from a paramagnetic state of an insulator La2NiMnO6 into a Pt film. Single-crystalline films of La2NiMnO6 which exhibit a ferromagnetic order at TC≈270 K were grown by pulsed laser deposition. The inverse spin Hall voltage induced by spin-current injection has been…
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 266602] Published Tue Dec 23, 2014
Sun Sizzles in High-Energy X-Rays
For the first time, a mission designed to set its eyes on black holes and other objects far from our solar system has turned its gaze back closer to home, capturing images of our sun.
Small CubeSat Provides Big Space Experience
The future looks bright for CubeSats at JPL.
All-Optical Initialization, Readout, and Coherent Preparation of Single Silicon-Vacancy Spins in Diamond
Author(s): Lachlan J. Rogers, Kay D. Jahnke, Mathias H. Metsch, Alp Sipahigil, Jan M. Binder, Tokuyuki Teraji, Hitoshi Sumiya, Junichi Isoya, Mikhail D. Lukin, Philip Hemmer, and Fedor Jelezko The spin on a silicon defect in diamond can be prepared i…
All-Optical Formation of Coherent Dark States of Silicon-Vacancy Spins in Diamond
Author(s): Benjamin Pingault, Jonas N. Becker, Carsten H. H. Schulte, Carsten Arend, Christian Hepp, Tillmann Godde, Alexander I. Tartakovskii, Matthew Markham, Christoph Becher, and Mete Atatüre
The spin on a silicon defect in diamond can be prepared in a coherent quantum state, a promising sign that it could encode information in a quantum internet.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 263601] Published Mon Dec 22, 2014
The parallel globe: a powerful instrument to perform investigations of Earth?s illumination
Many researchers have documented the difficulties for learners of different ages and preparations in
understanding basic astronomical concepts. Traditional instructional strategies and communication
media do not seem to be effective in producing mean…
Three holes in a bottle?the question
Three holes are drilled in a large bottle of water, but from which will the range of water be the
greatest?
Bouncing balls and a table?the answer
In my article (Featonby 2014 Phys. Educ. 49 736), a ball was bounced downwards under a table. What
was the subsequent motion of the ball?
Projectile general motion in a vacuum and a spreadsheet simulation
This paper gives the solution and analysis of projectile motion in a vacuum if the launch and impact
heights are not equal. Formulas for the maximum horizontal range and the corresponding angle are
derived. An Excel application that simulates the mot…
Explanatory model for sound amplification in a stethoscope
In the present paper we suggest an original physical explanatory model that explains the mechanism
of the sound amplification process in a stethoscope. We discuss the amplification of a single pulse,
a continuous wave of certain frequency, and final…
Free fall and harmonic oscillations: analyzing trampoline jumps
Trampolines can be found in many gardens and also in some playgrounds. They offer an easily
accessible vertical motion that includes free fall. In this work, the motion on a trampoline is
modelled by assuming a linear relation between force and defle…
Kinder eggs and physics?
This paper presents several simple physics experiments that take advantage of plastic inner
containers, which can be found inside the well-known ‘Kinder Surprise’ chocolate eggs.
Ball collision experiments
Experiments are described on collisions between two billiard balls and between a bat and a ball. The
experiments are designed to extend a student’s understanding of collision events and could be used
either as a classroom demonstration or for a stu…
Making a room-sized camera obscura
We describe how to convert a room into a camera obscura as a project for introductory geometrical
optics. The view for our camera obscura is a busy street scene set against a beautiful mountain
skyline. We include a short video with project instructi…
Bouncing balls and a table—the answer
In my article (Featonby 2014 Phys. Educ. 49 736), a ball was bounced downwards under a table. What
was the subsequent motion of the ball?
Using the missing pin to challenge concepts of refraction and total internal reflection
A container was placed on top of a piece of white paper, and a pin positioned so that it vertically
touched an outside wall of the container. Students were asked to predict the image of the pin when
it was observed from the top of the container. Two …
Teaching light reflection and refraction to the blind
The latest trend in special education policy is to teach students both with and without special
needs in the same school system. In the case of students with visual impairment, one of the main
problems they face, particularly in physics, is the lack …
Three holes in a bottle—the question
Three holes are drilled in a large bottle of water, but from which will the range of water be the
greatest?
Reviews
Description unavailable
Simple cloud chambers using a freezing mixture of ice and cooking salt
We have developed much simpler cloud chambers that use only ice and cooking salt instead of the dry
ice or ice gel pack needed for the cloud chambers produced in our previous work. The observed
alpha-ray particle tracks are as clear as those observed…
Interview: Transforming transportation
David Smith finds out how a love of physics started the career of one of the UK’s most senior female
engineers, Ailie MacAdam.
News
Description unavailable
The parallel globe: a powerful instrument to perform investigations of Earth’s illumination
Many researchers have documented the difficulties for learners of different ages and preparations in
understanding basic astronomical concepts. Traditional instructional strategies and communication
media do not seem to be effective in producing mean…
Horsehead of a Different Color
The famous Horsehead nebula takes on a ghostly appearance in this newly released image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope.
Gecko Grippers Get a Microgravity Test Flight
Gecko-inspired grippers might one day help service satellites and collect orbital debris.
Spin-Relaxation Anisotropy in a GaAs Quantum Dot
Author(s): P. Scarlino, E. Kawakami, P. Stano, M. Shafiei, C. Reichl, W. Wegscheider, and L. M. K. Vandersypen
The electron spin-relaxation time of a quantum dot can be controlled by varying the orientation of an externally applied magnetic field.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 256802] Published Fri Dec 19, 2014
Computational Advantage from Quantum-Controlled Ordering of Gates
Author(s): Mateus Araújo, Fabio Costa, and Časlav Brukner
Proposal to allow the order in which quantum gates are performed to be switched around, which could result in more powerful quantum computers.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 250402] Published Thu Dec 18, 2014
Work Measurement as a Generalized Quantum Measurement
Author(s): Augusto J. Roncaglia, Federico Cerisola, and Juan Pablo Paz A new method of measuring work in a quantum-mechanical setting provides a way to evaluate the thermodynamics of small, fluctuating systems.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 250601] Published …
Low-Threshold Bidirectional Air Lasing
Author(s): Alexandre Laurain, Maik Scheller, and Pavel Polynkin A scheme using two pump wavelengths in the infrared and ultraviolet produces more efficient laserlike emission in air, which could benefit remote sensing applications.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 11…
Unidentified Line in X-Ray Spectra of the Andromeda Galaxy and Perseus Galaxy Cluster
Author(s): A. Boyarsky, O. Ruchayskiy, D. Iakubovskyi, and J. Franse An x-ray feature recently detected by different astronomy groups may be the long-awaited signature of dark matter.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 251301] Published Mon Dec 15, 2014
Biphasic, Lyotropic, Active Nematics
Author(s): Matthew L. Blow, Sumesh P. Thampi, and Julia M. Yeomans Active nematic domains elongate and orient at their interface. Here this behavior is shown theoretically to arise from active stresses in the system.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 248303] Publi…
Standard Rulers, Candles, and Clocks from the Low-Redshift Universe
Author(s): Alan Heavens, Raul Jimenez, and Licia Verde A measure of how galaxies are spatially distributed can be determined in a new, more robust way.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 241302] Published Thu Dec 11, 2014
Making the Cut: Lattice Kirigami Rules
Author(s): Toen Castle, Yigil Cho, Xingting Gong, Euiyeon Jung, Daniel M. Sussman, Shu Yang, and Randall D. Kamien Simple rules for cutting and folding rigid sheets can facilitate preplanned material design.[Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 245502] Published Thu …
Imaging Josephson Vortices on the Surface Superconductor Si(111)-(sqrt[7]×sqrt[3])-In using a Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Author(s): Shunsuke Yoshizawa, Howon Kim, Takuto Kawakami, Yuki Nagai, Tomonobu Nakayama, Xiao Hu, Yukio Hasegawa, and Takashi Uchihashi Single-atomic-step imperfections on the surface of superconducting films behave like Josephson junctions.[Phys. Re…
Tähistatakse teoreetilise füüsika kauaaegse professori Paul Kardi sajandat sünniaastapäeva
15. detsembril täitub 100 aastat Tartu ülikooli teoreetilise füüsika professori Paul Kardi sünnist. Sel puhul korraldatakse 16. detsembril algusega kell 16.15 Physicumi saalis A411 teoreetilise füüsika seminar; sissepääs saali avatakse kell 15.45. Ettekannetes tutvustatakse Paul Kardi elu ja tegevust, selgitatakse üht tema olulist teadustulemust – valguskiire ristnihet täielikul sisepeegeldusel – ning meenutatakse tema tegevust õpetajana […]