A hand-held laser pointer produces no noticeable recoil forces when it is “fired” – even though it emits a directed stream of light particles. The reason for this is its very large mass compared to the very small recoil impulses that the light particles cause when leaving the laser pointer. However, it has long been clear that optical recoil forces can indeed have a very large effect on correspondingly small particles. For example, the tails of comets point away from…
Astronomers have discovered a new kind of stellar explosion that could be commonplace in the universe and may change our understanding of how eruptions in stars occur. A micronova is a thermonuclear blast that lasts for just a few hours making them extremely difficult to observe. These outbursts happen on the surface of certain stars and can each rapidly burn through a huge amount of stellar material equivalent to around 3.5 billion Great Pyramids of Giza. An international team of…
Tunable atomic test bed allows researchers to explore the phenomena behind exotic materials. Researchers at Dartmouth have built the world’s first superfluid circuit that uses pairs of ultracold electron-like atoms, according to a study published in Physical Review Letters. The laboratory test bed gives physicists control over the strength of interactions between atoms, providing a new way to explore the phenomena behind exotic materials such as superconductors. “Much of modern technology revolves around controlling the flow of electrons around circuits,”…
Rutgers study shows new way dunes can form on varied celestial surfaces. Scientists have long wondered how Jupiter’s innermost moon, Io, has meandering ridges as grand as any that can be seen in movies like “Dune.” Now, a Rutgers research study has provided a new explanation of how dunes can form even on a surface as icy and roiling as Io’s. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, is based on a study of the physical processes controlling grain…
Optical microsystems are forging the Path of Light: The photonic systems of Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS can modulate light using small deflectable mirrors to create unique images and structures. Hereby the research institute is developing spatial light modulators with up to several million mirrors on a semiconductor chip. Main areas of application for mirror matrices are in the fields of microlithography in the deep ultraviolet range, production of printed circuit boards (PCBs), semiconductor inspection and metrology, as well…
Electrostatic influences the movement of drops on surfaces. Something as simple as the motion of water drops on surfaces should actually be understood – one would think. In fact there are still numerous unanswered questions about the forces acting on a sliding droplet. A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in collaboration with colleagues from TU Darmstadt has now discovered: In addition to surface energy and viscous friction within the droplet, electrostatics also play a…
Nova outbursts are apparently a source for cosmic rays. Light on, light off – this is how one could describe the behavior of the nova, which goes by the name RS Ophiuchi (RS Oph). Every 15 years or so, a dramatic explosion occurs in the constellation of the Serpent Bearer. Birthplaces of a nova are systems in which two very different stars live in a parasitic relationship: A white dwarf, a small, burned-out and tremendously dense star – a teaspoon…
Red giants’ mass ‘stolen’ by stellar neighbours. Astronomers at the University of Sydney have found a slimmer type of red giant star for the first time. These stars have undergone dramatic weight loss, possibly due to the presence a greedy neighbour. Published in Nature Astronomy, the discovery is an important step forward to understanding the life of stars in the Milky Way – our closest stellar neighbours. There are millions of ‘red giant’ stars found in our galaxy. These cool…
Using new laser-scanning microscope Freiburg scientists observe processes changing in cells within milliseconds The new technology is known as ‘Rotating Coherent Scattering’ (ROCS) and uses a rapidly-rotating blue laser beam ROCS can be used to observe for example extremely fast activity in various cells, but also of virus-like particles When cities transform into a colorful world of lights as darkness falls, it’s often only possible to estimate their contours, which depending on the perspective can draw the attention to key…
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has determined the size of the largest icy comet nucleus ever seen by astronomers. The estimated diameter is approximately 80 miles across, making it larger than the state of Rhode Island. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has determined the size of the largest icy comet nucleus ever seen by astronomers. The estimated diameter is approximately 80 miles across, making it larger than the state of Rhode Island. The nucleus is about 50 times larger than found at…
Experimental platform combines Large Plasma Device with lasers, magnetic dipoles; reveals insights about Earth’s shield against solar wind. A magnetosphere forms around any magnetized object, such as a planet, that is immersed within a stream of ionized gas, called plasma. Because Earth possesses an intrinsic magnetic field, the planet is surrounded by a large magnetosphere that extends out into space, blocks lethal cosmic rays and particles from the sun and stars, and allows life itself to exist. In Physics of…
Working with the tiniest magnets, Hebrew University discovers new magnetic phenomenon with industrial potential. Probing the world of the very, very small is a wonderland for physicists. At this nano-scale, where materials as thin as 100 atoms are studied, totally new and unexpected phenomena are discovered. Here, nature ceases to behave in a way that is predictable by the macroscopic law of physics, unlike what goes on in the world around us or out in the cosmos. Dr. Yonathan Anahory…
Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology show the realization of coupled light vortices by means of optical metasurfaces. The results will have impact on fields as diverse as microscopy, optical communications and photonics simulations. Water whirlpools, smoke rings, violent tornados and spiral galaxies are all examples of twists in fluids, although very different each other. Analogous twists, but in the realm of light, have been created by the research group coordinated by Antonio Ambrosio at the IIT-Istituto Italiano di…
Fraunhofer IAF develops quantum magnetometers based on diamond. They are able to detect magnetic fields with a spatial resolution of a few nanometers down to single electron and nuclear spins. Due to the physical material properties, diamond quantum magnetometers operate at room temperature, which is ideal for industrial applications. At this year’s LASER World of PHOTONICS, the research institute is going to present two promising projects. At present, magnetometers are only suitable for industrial use to a limited extent, as…
Researchers at Osaka University and National Research Council Canada develop new quantum dot circuits that have the potential to efficiently convert photon quantum information into electron spin, which may help advance the field of quantum networks. Scientists from The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) at Osaka University, in collaboration with the Canadian National Research Council (NRC), developed a gallium arsenide (GaAs) quantum dot that can trap individual electrons. By controlling the crystallographic orientation of the substrate, the research…
A powerful radio-wave laser, called a ‘megamaser’, has been observed by the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa. The record-breaking find is the most distant megamaser of its kind ever detected, at about five billion light years from Earth. The light from the megamaser has travelled 58 thousand billion billion (58 followed by 21 zeros) kilometres to Earth. The discovery was made by an international team of astronomers led by Dr Marcin Glowacki, who previously worked at the Inter-University Institute for…
Feedback
