Kumiko Kotera: doing beautiful physics without giving up on family, art and the rest of the world

Kumiko Kotera is a young researcher in Astrophysics, at the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, (IAP) of the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). She builds theoretical models to probe the most violent phenomena in the Universe, by deciphering their so-called “astroparticle” messengers (cosmic rays, neutrinos and photons).

Optics in Aquitaine

Aquitaine, a sunny paradise in the South West of France, is well-known for its splendid landscapes surrounding the Arcachon Bay, its rich history including early contributions to building Europe through Aliénor and Henry II of England, and its exceptional wines unrivaled worldwide.

Aquitaine attracts the light and its capital, Bordeaux, creates a vibrant and outstanding place for optical sciences.

Ancient books destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius ‘read’ for the very first time

Writing that has lain undiscovered for centuries inside a scroll that was charred in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD has been uncovered for the first time. The text, which was written inside a so called ‘papyrus roll’ that was found in the only surviving ancient library, discovered in Herculaneum 260 years ago, has been examined using X-rays at the European Synchrotron, the ESRF. The result, by a team from the Italian CNR, the ESRF, Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität, and the CNRS, was published in Nature Communications (20 January 2015). It offers new possibilities for deciphering hundreds of so far untouched texts, without the damage that can be caused by trying to open them.

Silver medal for the EPS President-elect

President-elect John Dudley has been awarded the French National Centre for Scientific Research [CNRS] silver medal 2013 for his scientific achievements in the fields of nonlinear optics, ultrafast photonics, optical techniques and supercontinuum generation. John’s research activities focus equally on experimental and theoretical studies in nonlinear optics, with particular emphasis on optical fibre propagation, ultrafast metrology, noise and instabilities, and nonlinear dynamics in general. Rogue waves and the analogy of optics and hydrodynamics approaches are among his actual research interests. John is a co-laureate of an ERC Advanced Grant to study the mathematics and physics…