When an object moves extremely fast—close to the speed of light—certain basic assumptions that we take for granted no longer apply. This is the central consequence of Albert Einstein’s special theory of relativity. The object then has a different length than when it is at rest, and time passes differently for the object than it […]
Magnetrons are high-power vacuum tubes conceived more than a century ago to produce microwaves. Their working principle involves the interaction of a cloud of electrons jumping from the cathode to the anode of the device together with a magnetic field. This spinning electron cloud trajectory induces electromagnetic fields in several resonant cavities at a certain […]
A new study presents a methodology to test the assumption of cosmic homogeneity and isotropy, known as the Cosmological Principle, by leveraging weak gravitational lensing—a light distortion effect described by general relativity—in astronomical images collected by new observatories such as the Euclid Space Telescope. Finding evidence of anomalies in the Cosmological Principle could have profound […]
Physics, a cornerstone of engineering and science degrees, often becomes a daunting hurdle for many first-year students. Abstract concepts like Ohm’s Law or Lorentz Force, essential for any student, are frequently perceived as distant and disconnected from real-world applications. This classic challenge (physics courses being among the hardest) plays a significant role in academic failure […]
Scientists seeking better methods for controlling the quantum interactions between light and matter demonstrated a novel way to use light to give electrons a spinning kick. The results of their experiment show that a light beam can reliably transfer orbital angular momentum to itinerant electrons in graphene. Having tight control over the way that light […]
A team of researchers has successfully demonstrated nonlinear Compton scattering (NCS) between an ultra-relativistic electron beam and an ultrahigh intensity laser pulse using the 4-Petawatt laser at the Center for Relativistic Laser Science (CoReLS) within the Institute for Basic Science at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Korea. The innovation is the use of […]
Climate change is increasingly influencing fire behaviour worldwide and intensifying fire smoke, endangering public health from air pollution caused by fires. These are the results of two new climate change impact attribution studies, both published in Nature Climate Change, with the involvement of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research PIK. The first study finds […]
The propagation of light -observed and governed since ancient times by simple lens construction- has long been described through classical geometrical optics. However, in particle accelerators we do not transport photons but beams of electrically charged particles subjected to repulsive forces that tend to unpack the particle beams. Optics of particle accelerators require electromagnetic lenses […]
Author: Tom Shand, Honorary Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau As the Olympics get going in earnest this week, not everyone’s attention is focused on host city Paris. Surf fans are heading to Tahiti, half a world away in French Polynesia. Why? Well, apart from the French […]
Scientists have used computational algebraic geometry to study predictions for particle physics experiments, such as those at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). These experiments, in combination with new mathematical tools, help to solve unanswered questions in physics in a much faster way and have a profound impact on our understanding of nature. When studying particle […]