Physics Today

Physics Today

The magazine for the physics community
Physics in China In its range and depth, physics in China is much like physics in other big, technologically advanced countries. The historical, political, and social contexts, however, are China’s own. Universal Insights from Few-Body Land The ability to tune atomic interactions has inspired theorists and experimentalists to investigate those properties of few-particle systems that hold universally, regardless of the specific nature of the interparticle force Ultracold neutral plasmas By ionizing cold atoms or molecules with a laser, researchers get a glimpse of one of nature’s extreme regimes, in which many usual rules and approximations no longer apply A complex symmetry emerges at the quantum critical point of an Ising-spin chain The relation between the E₈ Lie group and the mass excitations in the Ising model was predicted more than 20 years ago, but seeing it is an experimental coup. Diffraction around the head makes hearers mislocate sound sources When light is obstructed by a small sphere, diffraction creates a bright spot at the center of the sphere’s shadow. Psychoacousticians are studying the acoustic analogue of that bright spot. Holograms tie optical vortices in knots Using techniques from mathematics and optical wavefront engineering, researchers demonstrate that lines of zero intensity in a light beam can be shaped into links and loops of arbitrary topology. Model sheds light on the language of color The process by which human societies collectively decide which segments of the visible spectrum get their own names can be studied by computer simulation. Physics update New neutron source aims to be top in energy and environmental stewardship From windmills to green roofs, the European Spallation Source may be setting a trend for major scientific facilities. A voice for Africa's physicists Roundtable participants find near-consensus on free access to results of publicly funded research Publishers and subscribers urge agencies to freely distribute scientific journal articles based on federally sponsored research. ArXiv survival tied to new funding model Government handling of helium gets report card: Think again Science Board details China’s leap in science and technology News notes Web watch London bridge’s wobble and sway Frame dragging on flybys Carbon from coal plants Electrostatic trick might affect human body Inspired by a century of physics Human discoveries predated by nature Costs of raising the bar for medical physicists Spatial coherence from ducks Correction Introduction to Modern Traffic Flow Theory and Control: The Long Road to Three-Phase Traffic Theory Philosophy of Mathematics and Natural Science, Mind and Nature: Selected Writings on Philosophy, Mathematics, and Physics Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics: Basic Theory and Advanced Methods Gamma-Ray Bursts: The Brightest Explosions in the Universe New books Focus on test and measurements Frank James Low Slow Antihydrogen A new VISTA on the southern sky 95.55.Fw, 98.38.Hv, 98.38.Jw

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