Physicists propose to carry out neutron activation analysis of mosses for environmental monitoring
Physicists from Tomsk Polytechnic University developed an optimal method for environmental monitoring using neutron activation analysis of mosses. The new approach can be used for the assessment of air quality in the cities. A research article was published in the journal Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.
EPS Survey on Open Science & Career Development for Researchers 2018
A survey was addressed to physicists in Europe, asking as many as possible to express their views on ‘Open Science and Career Development’.
Better catalysts with the help of fine-tuning at the atomic level
By studying materials down to the atomic level, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have found a way to make catalysts more efficient and environmentally friendly. The results have been published in Nature Communications. The methods can be used to improve many different types of catalysts.
Mini-workshop on Nuclear Physics Research in Turkey at the Istanbul University
The 75th meeting of the Nuclear Physics Board of the EPS took place in Istanbul on May 28-29 2018. On the first day, the Rector of the University of Istanbul, Prof. Dr. Mahmut Ak, welcomed the NPD board in the majestic Rectorate building.
IBM Scientists First to Demo Rocking Brownian Motors for Nanoparticles
On 30 March, the IBM Research team published the first real world demonstration of a rocking Brownian motor for nanoparticles in the peer-review journal Science.
Survey on Open Science & Career Development for Researchers 2017-2018
The European Physical Society (EPS) has launched a survey on open science and career development, in collaboration with G. O’Neill, the European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers (Eurodoc) and with the Open Science Policy Platform (OSPP) of the European Commission.
Reaching new heights in laser-accelerated ion energy
A laser-driven ion acceleration scheme, developed in research led at the University of Strathclyde, could lead to compact ion sources for established and innovative applications in science, medicine and industry.
Signing for gender equality in physics research
To advance recruitment and career progression of female physicists and engineers, the directors of the four NWO physics research institutes the Netherlands, AMOLF, ARCNL, DIFFER and Nikhef, have signed Gender Equality Plans. The official ceremony took place on January 22nd, 2018 at the start of the large Physics@Veldhoven conference in front of the physics community in the Netherlands. It kicked off a systematic approach to accelerate improving the gender balance in the national physics research institutes, leading to structural changes. By publicly signing the plans, the four institute directors emphasised their commitment to and the legitimacy of the agreed actions and measures for gender equality.
How to trick light into flexing its muscles
Light consists of a flow of photons. If two waveguides – cables for light – lie side by side, they attract or repel each other. The interaction is due to the optical force, but the effect is usually extremely small. Physicists at Chalmers University of Technology and Free University of Brussels have now found a method to significantly enhance the optical force. The method opens new possibilities within sensor technology and nanoscience. The results were recently published in the prestigious scientific journal Physical Review Letters.
Natasha Jeffrey: looking at the beautiful Sun and (much) more
Natasha Jeffrey is an early career researcher in solar physics at the University of Glasgow, UK, a world-leading solar group. She is interested in solar flare plasma physics and studies the largest explosions in the solar system, solar flares, a key component of space weather. She uses both observational tools and modelling to understand how flares accelerate and transport high energy particles efficiently, a vital topic in all high-energy astrophysics. In 2016, she received the EPS Plasma Physics Thesis Prize and in 2017, the European Solar Physics Division Early Career Researcher Award. In 2018, she will receive the European Geosciences Union ST Division Outstanding Early Career Scientist Award.
Call for nominations for the EPS Emmy Noether Distinction
In 2013, the European Physical Society [EPS] launched the Emmy Noether Distinction to recognise noteworthy women physicists.
Emmy Noether, with her fundamental and revolutionary work in the areas of abstract algebra and theoretical physics, is a role model for future generations of physicists. The laureates of the Emmy Noether Distinction are chosen for their capacity to inspire with their scientific merits the next generation of scientists, and especially encourage women to pursue a career in physics.
How to design smart materials for a sustainable future
Functional food, smarter solar cells and eco-friendly fabrication processes for textiles and paper. The new soft matter electron microscopes at Chalmers can contribute to smarter materials in many ways. By using the world-unique instruments it’s now possible to examine and improve soft matter on an atomic level.
