News archive: 2015

Yearly listings of School news.

Dark matter detector upgraded

15 December 2015
One of the world’s most sensitive scientific instruments has been upgraded to aid in the search for dark matter.

£3m awarded to University Particle Physics Experiment group

10 December 2015
Edinburgh Particle Physics Experiment group obtains increased STFC consolidated grant.

I’m a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here!

17 November 2015
PhD student Flavia Dias has joined 40 other scientists in this year's fast-paced live chats with pupils from nearly 160 UK schools.

Weather map of distant world revealed

03 November 2015
Weather patterns in a mysterious world beyond our solar system have been revealed for the first time, a study suggests.

School researcher wins Young Scientist Award of Polish Astronomical Society

12 October 2015
Congratulations to Michal Michalowski, a researcher at the Institute for Astronomy, who was chosen in recognition of outstanding, individual accomplishments in the field of astronomy.

Nobel prize for physics awarded for the observation of neutrino oscillations, a phenomenon being studied by Edinburgh physicists

12 October 2015
Neutrinos are fundamental particles which are created in radioactive decays, in fusion processes in stars, such as our Sun, and in cosmic ray interactions with the Earth’s atmosphere. Even though neutrinos are very abundant in nature and billions pass through our bodies each second, their very weak interaction make observation challenging.

Prize PhD Studentships plus over 100 other funded PhD places in physics in Scotland

07 October 2015
The Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) is offering PhD studentships for outstanding students from anywhere in the world.

Physics and Astronomy at the Postgraduate Open Day, 18 November 2015

05 October 2015
Discover if the School of Physics & Astronomy and the city of Edinburgh are right for you.

Soft Matter at Doors Open Day

02 October 2015
The soft matter physics group part of the Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex Systems took part in Doors Open Day, Edinburgh on 26th of September in the James Clerk Maxwell Building.

Computational study sheds light on how early metabolism might have evolved

29 September 2015
The way in which biological cells convert food into energy stored in molecules such as ATP is shared by almost all living things - now scientists have discovered a likely reason why this is so widespread.

The School visits the 2015 Orkney International Science Festival

18 September 2015
Physics and Astronomy make major contribution to the 2015 Orkney International Science Festival

Forced isotropic turbulence: not so random after all?

17 September 2015
Physical Review Letters has published a paper on turbulence by PhD student Moritz Linkmann and Alexander Morozov, both of the School of Physics & Astronomy.

Physics and Astronomy at the 2015 Doors Open Day

17 September 2015
The School of Physics & Astronomy is opening its doors at the end of September.

Slower melting ice cream in pipeline, thanks to new ingredient

31 August 2015
Childhood memories of sticky hands from melting ice cream cones could soon become obsolete, thanks to a new food ingredient.

3D models give new perspective on cancer

31 August 2015
Computer models of developing cancers reveal how tiny movements of cells can quickly transform the makeup of a tumour.

Instant astrobiology courses now possible

18 August 2015
Textbook and complementary lectures remove barriers to teaching this complex subject

Video: Reflections on the School of Physics & Astronomy

07 August 2015
A new video traces the development of the School of Physics & Astronomy and reflects on the achievements of some of its students and staff.

Galaxies show appetite for growth

05 August 2015
The extent to which galaxies consume one another has been revealed in research.

Nearby rocky planet revealed close to Cassiopeia

30 July 2015
The Closest Rocky, Transiting Planet

Peter Higgs wins eminent award

21 July 2015
Professor Peter Higgs has been awarded the world’s oldest scientific prize, the Royal Society’s Copley Medal.

New class of particle discovered at CERN

15 July 2015
The LHCb experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider has today reported the discovery of resonances in a B-hadron decay that are consistent with particles known as pentaquarks.

University Research Fellowship scheme invites applicants

13 July 2015
The School invites expressions of interest from potential applicants for the Royal Society's University Research Fellowship. This scheme provides five years of funding to outstanding researchers to help them build an independent research career.

New online courses in High Performance Computing and Data Science

10 July 2015
EPCC has launched two novel online courses: Practical Introduction to High Performance Computing and Practical Introduction to Data Science. Both are fully accredited by the University of Edinburgh as Postgraduate Professional Development courses.

Deep space images cast fresh light on mysteries of dark matter

07 July 2015
New images of deep space are helping shed light on dark matter, the invisible material that accounts for more than 80 per cent of all the matter in the Universe, but is little understood.

Virtual reality headset opens up immersive astronomy

07 July 2015
New VR headset opens up immersive astronomy

Lab mimicry opens a window into the deep interiors of stars and planets

12 June 2015
New work by the School of Physics & Astronomy increases our understanding of the atmosphere and chemistry of celestial objects.

Controlling energy flow and loss in a turbulent plasma through helicity

08 June 2015
Fresh theoretical understanding of the behaviour of turbulent plasmas could inform potential applications from tokamak fusion reactors to new understanding of magnetic fields in cosmology.

50th anniversary tributes paid in memory of pioneering scientist

19 May 2015
Tributes have been paid to a Nobel Prize-winning scientist and former Principal of the University of Edinburgh, to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.

Industry-sponsored PhD student wins prize for best talk

06 May 2015
ICMS student gives best talk

Bacterial raincoat discovery paves way to better crop protection

13 April 2015
Fresh insights into how bacteria protect themselves – by forming a waterproof raincoat – could help develop improved products to protect plants from disease.

IoP meeting on Nuclear physics and r-process nucleosynthesis

13 April 2015
IoP meeting on nuclear physics and r-process nucleosynthesis: Friday May 15th at the University of Edinburgh.

Exhibition on hydro power in Scotland

06 April 2015
The School is currently showing an exhibition on hydro power in Scotland.

Cutting-edge research in titanium

31 March 2015
New titanium alloy could reduce manufacturing waste

Astronomers shed light on mysterious nature of dark matter

26 March 2015
Scientists have furthered their understanding of dark matter, the elusive material that accounts for much of the mass of the Universe.

European grants success for School researchers

17 March 2015
Two School researchers awarded European funding to enable them to consolidate their research teams and develop their most innovative ideas.

New Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh

10 March 2015
Congratulations to professors Charles Cockell and Andrew Liddle.

Elusive hot hydrogen leads to more questions

09 March 2015
Experiments by researchers in the School's Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions have revealed anomalous behaviour in the melting temperatures of high-pressure dense hydrogen.

Peter Higgs unveils plaque tribute

04 March 2015
The installation marks the site where Nobel Laureate Professor Higgs first devised his seminal theory on the nature of mass more than 50 years ago.

Newton International Fellow joins Acoustics & Audio Group

27 January 2015
Newton International Fellow joins Edinburgh Acoustics & Audio Group to carry out physical modelling of the guitar

E-mentoring: supporting our current students

26 January 2015
All University alumni are invited to become e-mentors for our 3rd, 4th and 5th-year undergrads and all postgrad students.

School researcher wins Royal Astronomical Society award

19 January 2015
Congratulations to the Institute for Astronomy's Dr Michal Michalowski, who has been awarded The Royal Astronomical Society's Winton Capital Award in astronomy.

Paper on the nature of time wins new cosmology prize

06 January 2015
Marina Cortes of the School's Institute for Astronomy jointly awarded the 2014 Buchalter Cosmology Prize.