News in Brief
Environment - Jun 12
Scientists warn G7 that cost of breaching 1.5 C warming limit will far exceed costs of achieving it
Scientists warn G7 that cost of breaching 1.5 C warming limit will far exceed costs of achieving it
Health - Jun 12
Palaeontologist, infectious disease mathematical modeller, anaesthetist and ecologist receive Queen's Birthday Honours
Palaeontologist, infectious disease mathematical modeller, anaesthetist and ecologist receive Queen's Birthday Honours
Economics - Jun 11
Business leaders and academics come together to address Wales' most pressing economic challenges
Business leaders and academics come together to address Wales' most pressing economic challenges
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Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 14:06
Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 10.06.2021 
Astronomers join Twinkle space mission
Astronomers from the School of Physics and Astronomy have joined the Science Team of the Twinkle space mission, a pioneering space telescope designed to study the atmospheres of exoplanets - planets orbiting stars beyond our solar system. Twinkle will be launched in 2024 and will operate for seven years, making sensitive visible and infrared spectroscopic measurements to detect molecules in the atmospheres of planets as they pass in front of their host stars.
Physics - 08.06.2021 
Online ’library of properties’ helps to create safer nanomaterials
Researchers have developed a 'library of properties' to help identify the environmental impact of nanomaterials faster and more cost effectively. Whilst nanomaterials have benefited a wide range of industries and revolutionised everyday life, there are concerns over potential adverse effects - including toxic effects following accumulation in different organs and indirect effects from transport of co-pollutants.
Physics - 08.06.2021 
Subatomic particle seen changing to antiparticle and back for the first time
Physicists have proved that a subatomic particle can switch into its antiparticle alter-ego and back again, in a new discovery revealed today. An extraordinarily precise measurement made by Oxford researchers using the LHCb experiment at CERN has provided the first evidence that charm mesons can change into their antiparticle and back again.
Physics - 07.06.2021 
Atom swapping could lead to ultra-bright, flexible next generation LEDs
An international group of researchers has developed a new technique that could be used to make more efficient low-cost light-emitting materials that are flexible and can be printed using ink-jet techniques. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge and the Technical University of Munich, found that by swapping one out of every one thousand atoms of one material for another, they were able to triple the luminescence of a new material class of light emitters known as halide perovskites.
Life Sciences - Physics - 01.06.2021
Physics - Materials Science - 01.06.2021 
Why deep freezing iron-based materials makes them both magnetic and superconducting
Physicists at Bath have uncovered a new mechanism for enabling magnetism and superconductivity to co-exist in the same material. Last updated on Thursday 3 June 2021 Physicists at the University of Bath, in collaboration with researchers from the USA, have uncovered a new mechanism for enabling magnetism and superconductivity to co-exist in the same material.
Physics - Materials Science - 28.05.2021 
Breakthrough in 3D magnetic nanostructures could transform modern-day computing
Scientists have taken a step towards the creation of powerful devices that harness magnetic charge by creating the first ever three-dimensional replica of a material known as a 'spin-ice'. Spin ice materials are extremely unusual as they possess so-called defects which behave as the single pole of a magnet.
Chemistry - Physics - 24.05.2021
Physics - Astronomy / Space Science - 14.05.2021 
Scientists hunt for evidence of ’lensed’ gravitational waves
Scientists searching for evidence of lensed gravitational waves have published new research outlining the most recent findings on their quest for the first detection of these elusive signals. Gravitational lensing has been predicted by Einstein himself, and observed by scientists for decades: light emitted by distant objects in the Universe is bent by the gravitational pull of very massive galaxies, as they cross the line-of-sight of the light source.
Earth Sciences - Physics - 14.05.2021 
Fibre-optics help create most detailed picture of Greenland Ice Sheet
Scientists have used a fibre-optic sensor passed deep into a borehole to obtain the most detailed measurements of ice properties ever taken on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Their findings will be used to make more accurate models of the future movement of the world’s second-largest ice sheet, as the effects of climate change continue to accelerate.
Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 14.05.2021
Physics - Materials Science - 10.05.2021 
Parallel universes cross in Flatland
Physicists at the University of Bath observe modified energy landscapes at the intersection of 2D materials. Last updated on Tuesday 11 May 2021 In 1884, Edwin Abbott wrote the novel Flatland: A Romance in Many Dimensions as a satire of Victorian hierarchy. He imagined a world that existed only in two dimensions, where the beings are 2D geometric figures.
Computer Science - Physics - 30.04.2021
Physics - Computer Science - 29.04.2021 
Machine learning algorithm helps unravel the physics underlying quantum systems
Scientists from the University's Quantum Engineering Technology Labs (QETLabs) have developed an algorithm that provides valuable insights into the physics underlying quantum systems - paving the way for significant advances in quantum computation and sensing, and potentially turning a new page in scientific investigation.
Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 28.04.2021
Physics - 22.04.2021 
Asteroseismologists confirm that older stars rotate faster than expected
Stars spin faster than expected as they age according to a new study led by scientists at the University of Birmingham which uses asteroseismology to shed new light on this emerging theory. All stars, like the Sun, are born spinning. As they grow older, their spin slows down due to magnetic winds in a process called 'magnetic braking'.
Astronomy / Space Science - Physics - 19.04.2021 
Durham among first to use Hubble successor
Durham's astronomers are playing a key role in the biggest scientific programme to be carried out on the new successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. Our scientists will use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to hunt for dark matter and investigate early galaxy formation. The JWST is the largest, most powerful space telescope ever built and is scheduled for launch in October 2021 before beginning operations in 2022.
Health - Physics - 15.04.2021
Physics - 12.04.2021 
Following atoms in real time could lead to better materials design
Researchers have used a technique similar to MRI to follow the movement of individual atoms in real time as they cluster together to form two-dimensional materials, which are a single atomic layer thick. This technique isn't a new one, but it's never been used in this way, to measure the growth of a two-dimensional material Nadav Avidor The results , reported in the journal Physical Review Letters , could be used to design new types of materials and quantum technology devices.
Physics
Results 1 - 20 of 977.
Dark matter is slowing the spin of the Milky Way’s galactic bar
The spin of the Milky Way's galactic bar, which is made up of billions of clustered stars, has slowed by about a quarter since its formation, according to a new study by UCL and University of Oxford researchers. For 30 years, astrophysicists have predicted such a slowdown, but this is the first time it has been measured.
The spin of the Milky Way's galactic bar, which is made up of billions of clustered stars, has slowed by about a quarter since its formation, according to a new study by UCL and University of Oxford researchers. For 30 years, astrophysicists have predicted such a slowdown, but this is the first time it has been measured.
Astronomers from the School of Physics and Astronomy have joined the Science Team of the Twinkle space mission, a pioneering space telescope designed to study the atmospheres of exoplanets - planets orbiting stars beyond our solar system. Twinkle will be launched in 2024 and will operate for seven years, making sensitive visible and infrared spectroscopic measurements to detect molecules in the atmospheres of planets as they pass in front of their host stars.
Researchers have developed a 'library of properties' to help identify the environmental impact of nanomaterials faster and more cost effectively. Whilst nanomaterials have benefited a wide range of industries and revolutionised everyday life, there are concerns over potential adverse effects - including toxic effects following accumulation in different organs and indirect effects from transport of co-pollutants.
Physicists have proved that a subatomic particle can switch into its antiparticle alter-ego and back again, in a new discovery revealed today. An extraordinarily precise measurement made by Oxford researchers using the LHCb experiment at CERN has provided the first evidence that charm mesons can change into their antiparticle and back again.
An international group of researchers has developed a new technique that could be used to make more efficient low-cost light-emitting materials that are flexible and can be printed using ink-jet techniques. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge and the Technical University of Munich, found that by swapping one out of every one thousand atoms of one material for another, they were able to triple the luminescence of a new material class of light emitters known as halide perovskites.
Mass of human chromosomes measured for the first time
The mass of human chromosomes, which contain the instructions for life in nearly every cell of our bodies, has been measured with X-rays for the first time in a new study led by UCL researchers. For the study, published in Chromosome Research , researchers used a powerful X-ray beam at the UK's national synchrotron facility, Diamond Light Source, to determine the number of electrons in a spread of 46 chromosomes which they used to calculate mass.
The mass of human chromosomes, which contain the instructions for life in nearly every cell of our bodies, has been measured with X-rays for the first time in a new study led by UCL researchers. For the study, published in Chromosome Research , researchers used a powerful X-ray beam at the UK's national synchrotron facility, Diamond Light Source, to determine the number of electrons in a spread of 46 chromosomes which they used to calculate mass.
Physicists at Bath have uncovered a new mechanism for enabling magnetism and superconductivity to co-exist in the same material. Last updated on Thursday 3 June 2021 Physicists at the University of Bath, in collaboration with researchers from the USA, have uncovered a new mechanism for enabling magnetism and superconductivity to co-exist in the same material.
Scientists have taken a step towards the creation of powerful devices that harness magnetic charge by creating the first ever three-dimensional replica of a material known as a 'spin-ice'. Spin ice materials are extremely unusual as they possess so-called defects which behave as the single pole of a magnet.
Complex molecules could hold the secret to identifying alien life
A new system capable of identifying complex molecular signatures could aid in the search for alien life in the universe and could even lead to the creation of new forms of life in the laboratory, scientists say. University of Glasgow researchers have developed a new method called Assembly Theory which can be used to quantify how assembled or complex a molecule is in the laboratory using techniques like mass spectrometry.
A new system capable of identifying complex molecular signatures could aid in the search for alien life in the universe and could even lead to the creation of new forms of life in the laboratory, scientists say. University of Glasgow researchers have developed a new method called Assembly Theory which can be used to quantify how assembled or complex a molecule is in the laboratory using techniques like mass spectrometry.
Scientists searching for evidence of lensed gravitational waves have published new research outlining the most recent findings on their quest for the first detection of these elusive signals. Gravitational lensing has been predicted by Einstein himself, and observed by scientists for decades: light emitted by distant objects in the Universe is bent by the gravitational pull of very massive galaxies, as they cross the line-of-sight of the light source.
Scientists have used a fibre-optic sensor passed deep into a borehole to obtain the most detailed measurements of ice properties ever taken on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Their findings will be used to make more accurate models of the future movement of the world’s second-largest ice sheet, as the effects of climate change continue to accelerate.
Five-year quest to create 3D map of the universe
A five-year mission to create an unprecedented 3D map of the universe using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), designed and built in part by UCL physicists, formally starts today.
A five-year mission to create an unprecedented 3D map of the universe using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), designed and built in part by UCL physicists, formally starts today.
Physicists at the University of Bath observe modified energy landscapes at the intersection of 2D materials. Last updated on Tuesday 11 May 2021 In 1884, Edwin Abbott wrote the novel Flatland: A Romance in Many Dimensions as a satire of Victorian hierarchy. He imagined a world that existed only in two dimensions, where the beings are 2D geometric figures.
’Bat-sense’ tech generates images from sound
Scientists have found a way to equip everyday objects like smartphones and laptops with a bat-like sense of their surroundings. At the heart of the technique is a sophisticated machine-learning algorithm which uses reflected echoes to generate images, similar to the way bats navigate and hunt using echolocation.
Scientists have found a way to equip everyday objects like smartphones and laptops with a bat-like sense of their surroundings. At the heart of the technique is a sophisticated machine-learning algorithm which uses reflected echoes to generate images, similar to the way bats navigate and hunt using echolocation.
Scientists from the University's Quantum Engineering Technology Labs (QETLabs) have developed an algorithm that provides valuable insights into the physics underlying quantum systems - paving the way for significant advances in quantum computation and sensing, and potentially turning a new page in scientific investigation.
Black hole-neutron star collisions may settle dispute over Universe’s expansion
Studying the violent collisions of black holes and neutron stars may soon provide a new measurement of the Universe's expansion rate, helping to resolve a long-standing dispute, suggests a new simulation study led by researchers at UCL. Our two current best ways of estimating the Universe's rate of expansion - measuring the brightness and speed of pulsating and exploding stars, and looking at fluctuations in radiation from the early Universe - give very different answers, suggesting our theory of the Universe may be wrong.
Studying the violent collisions of black holes and neutron stars may soon provide a new measurement of the Universe's expansion rate, helping to resolve a long-standing dispute, suggests a new simulation study led by researchers at UCL. Our two current best ways of estimating the Universe's rate of expansion - measuring the brightness and speed of pulsating and exploding stars, and looking at fluctuations in radiation from the early Universe - give very different answers, suggesting our theory of the Universe may be wrong.
Stars spin faster than expected as they age according to a new study led by scientists at the University of Birmingham which uses asteroseismology to shed new light on this emerging theory. All stars, like the Sun, are born spinning. As they grow older, their spin slows down due to magnetic winds in a process called 'magnetic braking'.
Durham's astronomers are playing a key role in the biggest scientific programme to be carried out on the new successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. Our scientists will use NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to hunt for dark matter and investigate early galaxy formation. The JWST is the largest, most powerful space telescope ever built and is scheduled for launch in October 2021 before beginning operations in 2022.
Understanding the growth of disease-causing protein fibres
Researchers have developed a method to directly measure the growth rate of 'amyloid' fibrils linked to Parkinson's and other diseases. Last updated on Monday 19 April 2021 Amyloid fibrils are deposits of proteins in the body that join together to form microscopic fibres. Their formation has been linked to many serious human diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Type 2 diabetes.
Researchers have developed a method to directly measure the growth rate of 'amyloid' fibrils linked to Parkinson's and other diseases. Last updated on Monday 19 April 2021 Amyloid fibrils are deposits of proteins in the body that join together to form microscopic fibres. Their formation has been linked to many serious human diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Type 2 diabetes.
Researchers have used a technique similar to MRI to follow the movement of individual atoms in real time as they cluster together to form two-dimensional materials, which are a single atomic layer thick. This technique isn't a new one, but it's never been used in this way, to measure the growth of a two-dimensional material Nadav Avidor The results , reported in the journal Physical Review Letters , could be used to design new types of materials and quantum technology devices.
News in Brief
Environment - Jun 12
Scientists warn G7 that cost of breaching 1.5 C warming limit will far exceed costs of achieving it
Scientists warn G7 that cost of breaching 1.5 C warming limit will far exceed costs of achieving it
Health - Jun 12
Palaeontologist, infectious disease mathematical modeller, anaesthetist and ecologist receive Queen's Birthday Honours
Palaeontologist, infectious disease mathematical modeller, anaesthetist and ecologist receive Queen's Birthday Honours
Economics - Jun 11
Business leaders and academics come together to address Wales' most pressing economic challenges
Business leaders and academics come together to address Wales' most pressing economic challenges