News & Comment

Writing on behalf of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) collaboration, Arthur McDonald recalls the discoveries that followed the SNO result on solar neutrino fluxes, published 20 years ago.

The number of physics articles making use of AI technologies keeps growing rapidly. There are some exciting directions worth keeping an eye on.

Benjamin Nachman discusses the OmniFold algorithm, which combines detector simulations with machine learning to correct detector distortions.

Tom Vincent explains how scanning near-field infrared microscopy can be combined with other techniques to probe nanomaterials.

James Spencer explains how deep neural networks can approximate many-electron wavefunctions used in variational quantum Monte Carlo, introducing the Fermionic Neural Network or FermiNet.

A paper in Science Advances presents a model of how pasta deforms as it cooks and suggests designs for “flat pack” pasta.

Eliezer Estrecho provides tips on using lasers to trap and manipulate quantum fluids

Iolanda Di Bernardo describes how to depth profile samples using angle-resolved and energy-resolved photoemission spectroscopy.

A paper in Soft Matter reports new measurements of the anatomy and fluid dynamics of a leg joint of jumping spiders, which use a hydraulic system to move.

Large-scale projects have become increasingly important in physics. They are also a source of greenhouse gas emissions. Clarisse Aujoux, Odile Blanchard and Kumiko Kotera describe how to use transparent, open data to estimate these emissions — the first step in taking effective action to reduce them.

In this issue we look back at the debut of two unique experiments a decade ago and forward to the future of gravitational wave astronomy. We ponder on how journals can follow such long-term projects reporting every step of the way.

In May 2011, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) arrived on the International Space Station. Despite the difficulties of running a particle physics experiment in space, AMS-02 has produced exciting results related to dark matter and cosmic rays.

Jose Garcia introduces LSQuant, an initiative to provide user support and training in linear scaling quantum transport methods.

The US government has attempted to counter foreign influence on American research by pursuing criminal investigations into scientists linked to China. Xiaoxing Xi — 2020 recipient of the American Physical Society’s Andrei Sakharov Prize — believes that non-criminal approaches, such as those recommended by the independent group JASON, address the problem better.

10 years since the completion of the IceCube neutrino detector, it has made a number of exciting discoveries, including the recent observation of W boson decay, a process known as the Glashow resonance.

For almost 50 years the HITRAN molecular spectroscopic database has been the standard archive for transmission and radiance calculations. Laurence Rothman reviews its history and some applications.

Antihydrogen was first produced in the lab in 1995 and in 2011 it was successfully trapped for longer periods. From there, one step at a time, physicists have been overcoming technical challenges to recently achieve a milestone: the laser cooling of antihydrogen.

Zengji Yue explains how to use ionic gating for ion intercalation in layered materials.

Academic humour in published papers can take different forms, but funny titles are one of the best. We recall some of the best titles published in physics over the years.

In every breath, humans take in particles that may be deposited on the respiratory tract and exhale particles that may contain pathogens. Lidia Morawska and Giorgio Buonanno explain how physics advances are needed to understand these processes.