Wizard apprentices try out their magic at the Midlothian Science Festival.
‘A night at wizarding school’ welcomed young and adult wizard apprentices to Newbattle Abbey College, Dalkeith in October as part of the Midlothian Science Festival.
Visitors had the chance to make baby boggarts (slime), emulsions (potions requiring oil and water to mix), test our their skills in divination (through surface tension effects), experience the constrictive power of the devil’s snare (using cornflour and water) and leave their thoughts in the pensieve (illustrating the visually dynamic currents in rheoscopic fluids).
These activities helped visitors get a flavour of the work which potion masters (also known as soft matter physicists) undertaken in their labs.
Potion masters wish to thank the Midlothian Science Festival, the School of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh, the Optima CDT and the Institute of Physics for organisational support.
Photo credits: Lee Live Photography
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The award, which is worth €1.5 million, is financed by funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and awarded jointly by the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. It focuses on individuals whose work is characterized by outstanding future potential.
Astrophysicist Catherine Heymans has been researching Dark Energy for many years. Nearly three quarters of the universe is thought to be made up of this mysterious entity, which causes the Universe to expand at an ever-increasing rate. Like Dark Matter (which comprises about one quarter of the universe) an understanding of the origin of Dark Energy remains elusive.
By observing far distant celestial objects, Catherine wants to find out whether Einstein’s theory of gravitation has to be expanded in order to explain certain phenomena. She is the author of the book ‘The Dark Universe’ and co-author of more than 140 scientific publications.
She will use the prize money to set up a team at the Argelander-Institute for Astronomy (AlfA) in Bonn, working with Peter Schneider from the AlfA who nominated her for the 2018 award. Heymans and Schneider have developed a concept for a new kind of German Centre of Cosmological Lensing (GCCL) at the University of Bonn, which will also involve researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching, the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and the University of Heidelberg.
Catherine commented:
I am looking forward to a much closer cooperation with my colleagues at the University of Bonn and other institutions in Germany thanks to the Max Planck- Humboldt Research Award.
After studying Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh, Catherine completed her doctorate at Oxford. She then researched at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, at the University of British Columbia (Canada) and at the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris. Catherine has worked at the University of Edinburgh since 2008, where she became a professor in 2016. She has won many awards, including a starting grant from the European Research Council (ERC), an ERC Consolidator Grant as well as the George Darwin Lectureship from the Royal Astronomical Society.
Dr Beth Biller has been awarded the 2018 Chancellor’s Rising Star Award.
The Chancellor confers four Awards annually, recognising innovation, relevance, creativity, personal dedication and impact in teaching and research. The Rising Star Award honours an early career colleague, appointed to the University in the last five years, who has made a significant contribution in either teaching or research.
The Rising Star Award is in recognition of Beth’s outstanding work in the direct imaging and characterization of exoplanets.
Her research includes the statistical analysis of large-scale planet surveys and developing techniques to monitor cloud patterns on brown dwarfs and exoplanets through photometric variability. She is also active both in current observational efforts and the development of future instruments, including the SPHERE planet-finder and ERIS at the VLT and the soon-to-be-launched James Webb Space Telescope.
Dr Beth Biller commented:
I am honoured to win the Chancellor's Rising Star Award, especially considering the world-leading calibre of teaching and research at this University.
Scientists have discovered a new class of compounds which contain very large amounts of hydrogen, stored in tiny clusters of 13 molecules.
These clusters, known as “supermolecules” are as icosahedral balls with one central hydrogen surrounded by 12 others. The supermolecules are then packed together with other molecules to give compounds with an exceptionally high hydrogen content. In the iodane–superhydrogen compound there are 27 hydrogens for every iodine atom.
Their discovery opens the possibility of storing hydrogen in a molecular form within a chemical compound. Hydrogen storage is essential for fuel cells, but in most compounds the hydrogen is chemically bonded to another element, requiring energy to extract it before it can be used.
The Iodane-hydride compound was made by a team of researchers at the Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions in the University of Edinburgh, collaborating with former colleagues now working in Shanghai. The fundamental properties of various materials were predicted using the ARCHER supercomputer at the University of Edinburgh, by calculations involving advanced quantum mechanics. The Iodane compound was synthesized under high pressure in the laboratory in China. On releasing the pressure, it rapidly decomposed releasing the hydrogen molecules, but was shown to be quickly reformed by repressurization. Related material may release their hydrogen when heated.
The structure itself has unusual icosahedral (fivefold) symmetry. It is not possible to fill space with a repeating fivefold pattern, so alternate supermolecules have to be twisted to accommodate one another.
Visit the Postgraduate Open Day to find out about our MSc programmes and PhD opportunities.
On 14 November, academic staff, current students and alumni will be involved in a number of events including:
- MSc and PhD information sessions
- talks on student life
- tours of the facilities and labs.
The University is also running talks on careers and funding, and tours of accommodation and sports facilities.
To find out more, visit:
The School of Physics and Astronomy took part in a very successful Explorathon and Doors Open Day during the last weekend in September.
On Friday over 80 people experienced a dance co-created by Dr Susana Direito about her research on the physics of bio-films as part of the New Scots Ceilidh, organised by the Science Ceilidh Band.
On Saturday we opened our doors to the public and welcomed over 420 visitors to the James Clerk Maxwell Building at the University of Edinburgh. Students and staff delivered hands-on activities including examining meteorites and searching for alien life (astrobiology) and making slime to illustrate the study of squishy materials (soft matter physics).
130 visitors embarked on our tour of the acoustics rooms and soft matter research labs to get an insight into the work of some of our staff and students.
Doors Open Day visitors at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh got the chance to build telescopes from lego, make comets and explore the laboratories.
We would like to thank all those who visited us, and the students and staff who ran activities and tours during these events. We received some extremely positive feedback, and the smiley faces from visitors are signs that people enjoyed exploring physics and astronomy!
Sara, who visited us in the James Clerk Maxwell Building commented:
We had a fabulous time thanks! It was extremely interesting and very well delivered.
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These prestigious awards support highly talented early career researchers from across the world to develop their careers.
The School of Physics and Astronomy invites applications in the following area:
- Extreme Conditions/Astrobiology: examples of the sorts of expertise sought in this area could include the study of the biochemistry of life at extremes such as high pressure, biotechnological applications and science, for example in space manufacturing or missions in the extreme conditions of space, and the study of the earth and planetary processes at high pressure applied to understanding environments ranging from habitats for life in shallow sub-surface to deep planetary mantle and core processes.
The School is also involved in the recruitment of Fellows in the following areas which are led by other Schools which form part of the College of Science and Engineering. These are also likely to be of interest to physicists and astronomers:
- Biotechnology
- Energy
- Living with Data
About the Fellowships
Building on the outstanding successes of our previous tenure-track Chancellor’s Fellowship programmes and our world class research performance, the College of Science & Engineering is investing in a further cohort of 10 next generation research innovation leaders.
These prestigious awards are aimed at early career individuals of the highest potential and attainment who have begun to establish a reputation for the highest quality research at the forefront of their discipline and who have a commitment to learning and teaching at university level.
Selection criteria
Applicants to the School of Physics and Astronomy must have a PhD in Physics, Biology, Astronomy or related discipline and present clear evidence of their potential to undertake leading research in collaboration with industrial partners. Successful candidates will demonstrate scientific excellence, capacity to contribute to knowledge exchange, and a track record in obtaining external funding for such projects.
A commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching is essential for all academic posts as Chancellor's Fellows will be expected to teach and to contribute to curriculum development at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Holders of personal Fellowships are welcomed.
Applying
Follow the link below to see the particulars of the each position.
Job descriptions and how to apply
All applications should include a completed Application Form, a Curriculum Vitae, a Statement of Research Interests, and names and contact details for three referees.
Further information
Doors Open Day is an annual opportunity for the public to visit buildings and institutions across Scotland.
Take a guided tour of the School of Physics and Astronomy and go behind the scenes of physics research on Saturday 29 September at the James Clerk Maxwell Building on the King’s Building campus. You will have the opportunity to experiment with a variety of hands-on activities alongside staff and students, including having the chance to make and take away your own slime! Tours include a visit to the anechoid chamber (part of the acoustics group), a bio-physics lab (studying the life, death and motion of bacterias) and a rheo-imaging lab (looking at unusually behaving mixtures). There is also the opportunity to visit activities delivered by other Schools based on the King's Building campus.
On Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 September, you will have the chance to talk to astronomers from the Institute for Astronomy about their work on galaxy evolution, planet formation and computer simulations of the Universe. There will be talks, demonstrations and hands-on activities. Relax on the sofa in the astronomers’ corner while discussing the big questions of the Universe and get an insight into the working life of an observatory. These events take place at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh.
TRAIN@Ed research fellowship for candidates with a background in experimental particle physics and machine learning.
The TRAIN@Ed research fellowship programme, an ambitious scheme with the intention of bringing international researchers to the UK, is now open to applications. This is part of a €7.1 million Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions COFUND grant awarded to the University of Edinburgh.
The School of Physics and Astronomy, in collaboration with industrial partner Tindeco Financial Services, is looking for applicants with a background in experimental particle physics and machine learning, and a strong interest in financial applications (in particular: portfolio construction, risk management and systematic investment management). Candidates must submit a proposal outlining their vision on the collaborative research to be conducted during the three-year fellowship.
Eligible candidates will have finished their PhD ideally around two years previous to and no more than ten years beyond their application. They will not have lived and worked in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the submission deadline.
Full details of the scheme and opportunities are found on the TRAIN@Ed site.
Interested candidates should get in touch with Christos.Leonidopoulos [at] ed.ac.uk (Christos Leonidopoulos.)
The deadline for expression of interest is 15 October 2018.
Scientists gain valuable insight into how hydrogen behaves at extreme conditions, such as those found within Jupiter and Saturn.
A study of hydrogen at extreme temperatures and pressures has enabled researchers to build a clearer picture of conditions within Jupiter and Saturn – where hydrogen accounts for much of the mass. The findings also shed light on the fundamental physical properties of the gas, which is the focus of research into a sustainable form of energy known as fusion.
An international team of researchers carried out sophisticated experiments using the most advanced laser in the world, the National Ignition Facility in California, US. Powerful laser beams were fired across the stadium-sized facility towards a hydrogen sample, and optical sensors were used to detect changes in the sample. Researchers were able to observe how hydrogen behaved as the pressure and temperature were raised to 6 million times that of Earth’s atmosphere. Conditions were similar to pressures found in the interior of Jupiter.
Their observations helped pin down the physical conditions at which hydrogen begins to behave like a liquid metal. This elusive phase of the element has been little understood by scientists for many decades and has rarely been recreated in experiments.
The study, carried out by the University of Edinburgh with researchers in France and the US, was published in Science and supported by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council.
Dr Stewart McWilliams, who took part in the study, said:
Being able to undertake high-energy experiments using the world’s biggest laser has afforded us valuable insights into one of the most important materials making up the planets of our universe, as well as future energy sources.