Physics

A proton (pink) and an electron (blue) experience stresses in the hydrogen atom. Investigating stress in subatomic particles and how it affects their constituents may reveal more about these particles’ complicated interactions. Credit: Jefferson Lab illustration/Shannon West Stress is a very real factor in the structure of our universe. Not the kind of stress that […]

Detailed view of the experimental setup. The hydrogen molecule ions are cooled by means of laser light to enable subsequent measurements to be taken using laser spectroscopy. Credit: Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf The molecular hydrogen ion H₂⁺ is the simplest molecule. This simplicity makes it a perfect study object for physicists, as its properties—for example, its

Droplet Bouncing. Credit: Anton Souslov When a droplet of liquid the size of a grain of icing sugar hits a water-repelling surface, like plastics or certain plant leaves, it can meet one of two fates: stick or bounce. Until now, scientists thought bouncing depended only on how repellent the surface was and how the droplet

When two black holes collide and merge, they release gravitational waves. These waves can be detected by sensitive instruments on Earth, allowing scientists to determine the mass and spin of the black holes. The clearest black hole merger signal yet, named GW250114 and recorded by LIGO in January 2025, offers new insights into these mysterious

In the initial setup, the particles are evenly distributed. But when the disk is placed on the particle bed and subjected to vibration, it spontaneously begins to spin in one direction, demonstrating self-organization arising from breaking of symmetry. Credit: Ms. Miku Hatatani / Doshisha University, Japan Vibrations are everywhere—from the hum of machinery to the

Credit: CC0 Public Domain A newly discovered set of mathematical equations describes how to turn any sequence of random events into a clock, scientists at King’s College London reveal. The paper is published in the journal Physical Review X. The researchers suggest that these formulas could help to understand how cells in our bodies measure

A circulating fluxon–antifluxon pair in coupled annular Josephson junctions behaves as a detector. The pair decays due to Unruh-induced fluctuations, and the resulting event is observed as a voltage jump. By measuring the distribution of the corresponding switching currents, the Unruh effect can be detected. Credit: Haruna Katayama and Noriyuki Hatakenaka, Hiroshima University Researchers at

Model of the CLAS12 detector highlighting the forward detector used for detection of the scattered electron and the central detector about the target. The beam is incident from the left. The CLAS12 detector extends for 13 m along the beamline. Credit: Physical Review C (2025). DOI: 10.1103/qy4p-dyjt The small but ubiquitous proton serves as a

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Turbulence is everywhere, yet much about the nature of turbulence remains unknown. During the last decade, physicists have discovered how fluids in a pipe or similar geometry transition from a smooth, laminar state to a turbulent state as their speed increases. Surprisingly, in the newly emerging consensus, the process could be

Robert Hovden, an associate professor of materials science and engineering, describes how an upgraded cryo-electron microscope works at the Michigan Center for Materials Characterization. Credit: Eric Shaw, Office of the Vice President for Research A new specimen holder gives scientists more control over ultra-cold temperatures, enabling the study of how materials acquire properties useful in