Congratulations to Carlo who will have the opportunity to meet Nobel Laureates and young scientists at this meeting which aims to foster the exchange among scientists of different generations, cultures, and disciplines.
The Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings selected 580 young scientists from 88 countries to come together with 42 Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany from 30 June to 5 July 2019. This year's 69th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting is dedicated to physics; key topics are cosmology, laser physics and gravitational waves.
The selected young scientists are outstanding undergraduates, PhD students and post-docs under the age of 35, conducting research in the field of physics. They have successfully passed a multi-stage international selection process. About 140 science academies, universities, foundations and research-oriented companies contributed to the nominations.
Among the 42 participating laureates are the 2018 Nobel Laureates in Physics, Donna Strickland and Gérard Mourou. Eight further laureates will come to Lindau for the first time.
Since 1951, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings have offered scientists numerous opportunities to inspire and network with one another.
Carlo commented:
I am overwhelmed to be selected for this prestigious event. I am very much looking forward to meeting attendees, having the opportunity to discuss my work and to develop new networks.
The School of Physics and Astronomy has had its status as Juno Champion renewed in recognition of our continuing efforts in addressing gender equality and fostering a more inclusive working environment.
Project Juno is a national scheme operated by the Institute of Physics (IOP) that recognizes and rewards physics departments that have taken action to address gender equality and to encourage better practice for all staff . The School was first awarded Juno Practitioner in 2010 and progressed to Juno Champion in 2014. The Juno Champion award and the Athena SWAN Silver award are reciprocal awards.
Prof Arthur Trew, Head of School, School of Physics and Astronomy reported:
I am extremely pleased that the work we have done, and continue to do, to make the School a fairer place to work has been recognised by the IOP with its Champion-level award for Equality and Diversity. This is not the end, and we aim to improve our ways of working further over the coming years.
Prof Annette Ferguson, Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics & Astronomy commented:
It has been a great pleasure to contribute to the School's Juno Champion renewal process and I am delighted that our continuing efforts to address gender equality and encourage good practice have been rewarded.
Dr Job Thijssen, Director of Equality & Diversity, School of Physics & Astronomy said:
Having our IOP Juno Champion award renewed demonstrates the School’s continued commitment to take action to address gender equality. I would like to thank all the members of the School’s Equality & Diversity Committee, both past and present, for their invaluable contribution to the School’s Juno application. I look forward to continue to work with students and staff to promote an inclusive culture within the School.
The School’s Equality & Diversity Committee welcomes the encouraging and constructive feedback from the IOP’s Juno Assessment Panel. Juno is an ongoing activity, and we look forward to undertaking the work that is to be done while we, as a School, work towards Juno Excellence.
A major new radio sky survey has revealed hundreds of thousands of previously undetected galaxies, shedding new light on many research areas including the physics of black holes and how clusters of galaxies evolve.
An international team of more than 200 astronomers from 18 countries, in which Edinburgh astronomers play a leading role, has published the first phase of the survey at unprecedented sensitivity using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope.
Data release
Radio astronomy reveals processes in the Universe that we cannot see with optical instruments. In this first part of the sky survey, LOFAR observed a quarter of the northern hemisphere at low radio frequencies. Around ten percent of that data has been made public; a special issue of the scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics is dedicated to the first 26 research papers describing the survey and its first results. This first data release maps three hundred thousand sources, almost all of which are galaxies in the distant Universe; their radio signals have travelled billions of light years before reaching Earth.
Black holes
When we look up at the sky with a radio telescope we see mainly emission from the immediate environment of massive black holes. Professor Philip Best (School of Physics and Astronomy, and PI of the LOFAR-UK consortium) explained:
What we do know is that black holes are pretty messy eaters. When gas falls onto them they emit jets of material that can be seen at radio wavelengths. LOFAR has a remarkable sensitivity which allows us to study black holes even in galaxies which only have jets on very small scales.
Dr Jose Sabater, who works in Best’s research group, has used the new LOFAR data to discover that these jets are present in all of the most massive galaxies.
Prof Philip Best explains:
This means that their black holes never stop eating. The energy output in these radio jets plays a crucial role in controlling the conversion of gas into stars in their surrounding galaxies.
Processing data to produce images
LOFAR produces enormous amounts of data. The equivalent of ten million DVDs of data has been processed to create the low-frequency radio sky map. The survey was made possible by a mathematical breakthrough in the way we understand interferometry. A large international team has been working to efficiently transform the massive amounts of data into high-quality images. Pre-processing of the LOFAR data within the archives in the Netherlands, Germany and Poland reduces the size of the huge LOFAR datasets before the data are transported to member institutions for the images to be made. Most of the images for the first data release were made on the LOFAR-UK high-performance computing facility located at the University of Hertfordshire.
Prof Philip Best reported:
Making these images in a completely automated way has required many years of software development, as well as investment in advanced computer hardware but it’s all been worthwhile for the unprecedented quality of the images, which are allowing us to study the evolution of galaxies and their activity in more detail than ever before.
LOFAR telescope
The LOFAR telescope is unique in its capabilities to map the sky in fine detail at metre wavelengths and is considered to be the world’s leading telescope of its type. The European network of radio antennas spans seven countries and includes the UK station at STFC RAL Space’s Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire. LOFAR was designed, built, and is now operated by ASTRON in The Netherlands. The signals from all of the stations are combined to make the radio images. This effectively gives astronomers a much larger telescope than it is practical to build - and the bigger the telescope, the better the resolution. The first phase of the survey only processed data from the central stations located in the Netherlands, but UK astronomers are now re-processing the data with all of the international stations to provide resolution twenty times better.
The UK contribution to LOFAR is funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Image gallery
PhD studentships available in two new collaborative EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training in which we are partners.
Soft Matter for Formulation and Industrial Innovation
The Centre for Doctoral Training in Soft Matter for Formulation and Industrial Innovation, SOFI2 CDT, has up to 16 fully funded four-year PhD studentships available in for graduates in the physical and biological sciences, mathematics and engineering.
SOFI2 CDT is the successor to the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Soft Matter and Functional Interfaces (SOFI) which, since 2014 has provided industrially integrated, postgraduate training in research, enterprise and innovation for future leaders in the soft matter academic and industrial sectors.
SOFI2 CDT combines expertise from Durham, Leeds and Edinburgh Universities, more than 25 industry partners and national facilities. It brings together more than 60 academics from Departments of Physics, Chemistry, Food Science, Biology, Engineering, Earth Sciences, Computing, (Applied) Mathematics and the Durham University Business School. SOFI2 students will undertake a common 6-month, industry-facing science training course before selecting their research projects at one of the three partner Universities. Approximately half of the projects are expected to be co-sponsored by external partners and all students will have an external co-supervisor.
Further information on the SOFI2 CDT.
Mathematical Modelling, Analysis and Computation
The Mathematical Modelling, Analysis and Computation (MAC-MIGS) Centre for Doctoral Training is offering around 15 studentships PhD students an intensive 4-year training and research programme that equips them with the skills needed to tackle the challenges of data-intensive modelling.
Strong applicants with interests relevant to all areas of mathematical modelling, analysis and computing, as well as students whose first degree is in other fields of science and engineering, are encouraged to apply.
MAC-MIGS is a PhD programme run jointly by the universities of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt, as part of the Maxwell Institute Graduate School. MAC-MIGS projects are focussed on the formulation, analysis and implementation of state-of-the-art mathematical and computational models and methods. The Centre aims to train modelling experts who can develop and analyse mathematical models, translate them into efficient computer codes, and communicate the solutions with industry and government. MAC-MIGS will be based in new Bayes Centre on the University of Edinburgh's central campus, the heart of the £1B Edinburgh City Deal.
For the first time, evidence of an impact taking place between planets outside our Solar System has been found.
An international team of researchers, including experts from the School of Physics and Astronomy, used a telescope in the Canary Islands to study a distant star system that contains four planets. They used a spectrograph to measure precise shifts in wavelengths of light, which enabled them to estimate the masses of the planets.
The researchers found that two of the planets are roughly the same size, but one is more than twice the mass of the other. This means the heavier planet – known as Kepler-107c – must have a much larger iron core. Their findings suggest Kepler-107c may once have been larger, but a high-speed collision with another planet stripped off part of its outer layer – called the mantle. They predict the planets were travelling at more than sixty kilometres per second at the time of impact. Kepler-107c’s iron core consequently makes up 70 per cent of its reduced mass, the team says. By contrast, the core of the lighter planet – Kepler-107b – accounts for 30 per cent of its mass.
Impacts between planets are thought to have happened during the early history of our Solar System. Previous research suggests that the Moon may have formed following a collision between Earth and a Mars-sized planet around 4.5 billion years ago.
Such collisions may occur in planetary systems across the galaxy but this is the first time they have found evidence of such an impact outside our Solar System.
Prof Ken Rice of the School of Physics and Astronomy who was involved in the study said:
The diversity of planets found outside our Solar System is fascinating. We can use this diversity to better understand how planets form and evolve.
The research was led by scientists from Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics, which operates the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) on La Palma in the Carnary Islands where the observations were made. The International team also included researchers from the Universities of Bristol and St Andrews, and Queen's University Belfast.
The study, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, received funding from the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance.
Image gallery
Congratulations to Professor Wilson Poon who has been awarded the Thomas Graham Lecture, an award made for work in colloid science by the Royal Society of Chemistry & the Society of Chemical Industry.
The Thomas Graham Lecture is a mid-career award for a researcher who has established an international reputation in colloid science and has made distinguished contributions in this field.
Prof Poon is internationally known for his work using 'model' colloids to study phenomena that are ubiquitous across condensed matter and statistical physics, particularly the structure and dynamics of arrested states such as glasses and gels. More recently, he has focussed on the flow of concentrated suspensions of bigger, granular particles, where the phenomenon of shear thickening (‘running on corn starch’) is ubiquitous. To industrial practitioners, such suspensions are widely known to be capricious and difficult to control. Professor Poon’s work has helped bring about a revolution in understanding the flow of these suspensions, examples of which range from molten chocolate through ceramic pastes to concrete. This new understanding is now being applied to solve industrial problems such as improving the extrusion of catalytic converters for vehicles. In 2012, he set up the Edinburgh Complex Fluids Partnership (ECFP) to coordinate and facilitate collaborations with industry. To date ECFP has worked with more than 40 companies spread over a dozen sectors.
The physics of active particles is another area of Prof Poon’s interest. These colloids are intrinsically non-equilibrium, in that they continually transduce free energy from their surroundings to engage in activities such as growth and self-propulsion. His research group studies both active particles in the form of bacteria as well as synthetic colloidal swimmers. Their long-term goal is to discover and understand new modes of collective behaviour in active particle systems. The results should provide impetus for theory development in a frontier area of statistical mechanics, lead to new material designs, and throw light on selected biological phenomena.
The award is named after Scottish scientist Thomas Graham, who studied medicine in Edinburgh after having learnt chemistry in his native Glasgow. He is one of the founders of colloid science.
Feedback on outreach activities is a great source of motivation for us. A participant in the Life Beyond project, which engages prisoners in the design of stations for the Moon and Mars, recently wrote feedback on his experience.
Participant Jamie, who is based at Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Glenochil, sent a letter to the Sky at Night magazine which was published as Message of the Month. He wrote:
At prisons the night heavens are masked by floodlights, and I haven’t seen stars in years. Yet I have recently been involved with a fascinating project which enlisted the unique experiences of prisoners to aid thinking on the best way to establish a base on Mars.
Life Beyond is an initiative of the UK Centre for Astrobiology, taking astrobiology into the prison environment. The programme began in 2016, and in 2018 prisoners from HMP Glenochil and Edinburgh published their first book ‘Life Beyond: From Prison to Mars’ which described station designs for the surface of Mars.
The purpose of Life Beyond is to enrich the lives of those serving prison terms by providing an engaging opportunity to consider the future of humanity beyond the Earth, to contribute to the diversity of education on offer in prisons, and encourage prisoners to develop capacities in science education, creative writing, numeracy and literary skills.
Prof Charles Cockell, who led the project commented:
The exploration and settlement of space is one of the most exciting frontiers for humanity. This project was a fascinating and rewarding experience for myself and colleagues, and I am pleased that Jamie found it to be of great benefit. I hope the wider community also find benefit in this work.
Jamie also commented:
Even though the stars are cut off to me, I still watch The Sky at Night. After all, I still have the Moon (sometimes).
Congratulations to students who received Medals, Certificates, Prizes and Scholarships at the School of Physics & Astronomy undergraduate student awards ceremony.
Head of School, Professor Arthur Trew presented the awards to students in recognition of their outstanding marks and achievements in the last academic year.
Certificates & Medals
83 pre-honours students received certificates of merit for their achievement in Physics and Maths courses in years 1 & 2. A total of 23 Class Medals were awarded to the students with the highest overall mark for their degree programme.
Prizes, Bursaries & Scholarships
26 Prizes, Bursaries and Scholarships were awarded to students, including Jennifer Curran who was presented with a Year 1 Mathematics Medal, Margaret Campbell Scott Bursary, Brodie Memorial Prize and Pre-Honours Certificate of Merit, and Ioannis Hadjifrangiskou who won the Year 2 Physics Medal, Brodie Memorial Prize, Donald Fraser Bursary and Pre-Honours Certificate of Merit.
Congratulations to all recipients.
Image gallery
Students, staff, industry and supporters met to celebrate project achievements and award the presentation for the best report and poster.
The School of Physics and Astronomy runs a Career Development Scholarship programme, funding and supporting students to undertake research projects over the summer period.
This year 48 undergraduate students took part in the programme. Students can undertake an academic project based in the School or a project based in industry. Projects have a duration of around 8 weeks, and students are provided with a stipend of £1,500.
These projects enabled students to gain new skills, experience different workplaces and create a network of contacts. In many cases, students also got the opportunity to work on problems with immediate real world applications.
Cara Lynch, who is currently in year 4 of the MPhys Theoretical Physics degree was presented with £1000 for the best project poster and report. Cara’s project was titled ‘First principles based predictions of transition metal oxides’ stability at increasing pressure’. She was awarded the prize by Head of School, Prof Arthur Trew.
Cara commented:
My summer project focussed on predicting stabilities of iron, manganese, nickel and cobalt hydroxides at increasing pressures using density functional theory, an extremely powerful computational tool. Applying the knowledge gained during my studies and learning about a new area of physics was an incredibly rewarding experience, and I gained invaluable skills which I use daily for my Senior Honours project. I’m delighted to win the prize for best poster and would like to thank Andreas for being a brilliant supervisor.
Project supervisor, Dr Andreas Hermann reported:
Cara's project tackles how a certain class of water-carrying materials adapt to the pressures found inside Earth’s mantle, which addresses one of the most important questions in the field of geophysics: how much water can be stored inside a rocky planet’s interior, and how does it get there? The work she completed during her project was of a high standard, and I’m very pleased for her that she has been awarded the prize for best project poster.
Image gallery
The Festival of Physics is a celebration of the wonders of science, the power of curiosity and the inventions and discoveries that shape our world and our future. During this years’ festival, students and staff enthused visitors with activities on complex fluids, particle collisions, chocolate workshops and a physics-inspired ceilidh.
Super SoPA
Undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers presented ‘Super SoPA’: interactive activities illustrating the research undertaken in the School. Particle collision and astrophysics–inspired crafts were produced and visitors experienced smart materials such as rheoscopic and non-Newtonian fluids.
The physics of chocolate
Is learning about physics the perfect excuse to eat chocolate? Perhaps! Colleagues teamed up with local artisan chocolate maker the Chocolate Tree to deliver the workshop ‘Choc Full of Physics’. It gave a tasty introduction to the wonderful world of soft matter physics and its connection with food by exploring the science behind everyone’s favourite treat. The tasting of different types of chocolate highlighted the importance of controlling physical parameters, from the size of cocoa and sugar particles to the speed of cooling, in order to get the most delicious chocolate. Visitors discovered that using physics can yield a wide range of textures in chocolate, to the delight of the apprentice food physicists in the room.
Dynamic Dancing
After the chocolate we needed to burn off some calories, so how about some physics-inspired ceilidh dances? Researchers Dr Susana Direito and Dr Xuemao Zhou created two dances about their work with the help of the Science Ceilidh band. Visitors danced the ‘Biofilm riverside jig’ (adapted from the traditional Scottish ceilidh - the Riverside jig) illustrating research on biofilm formation and removal on medical tools, and ‘Shake before use’ illustrating work on the mechanisms responsible for the quality degradation of creams, used for instance in cosmetics.
The events were informative, engaging and fun.
The festival took place 26-28 October at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, attracted 3700 visitors and was organised by the Institute of Physics.
