American Physical Society

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American Physical Society@apsphysics· 20d

“I wanted to build something.” Nearly 10 years ago, Matthias Troyer left academia to lead @microsoft.com's quantum computing division. Now, he’s supporting the next generation of computational physicists. Learn how in #APSNews: https://go.aps.org/4gQAb3F

Matthias Troyer from Microsoft with long hair, glasses, and a brown jacket stands at a clear podium presenting on stage. Behind him, a presentation screen with a pink-to-blue gradient displays the text "Quantum system architecture for utility scale." The heads of the audience members are visible in the foreground.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· 21d

Researchers engineered a molecular clock using ytterbium hydroxide that suppresses electromagnetic interference, while remaining sensitive to tiny signals that could hold clues about physics beyond the Standard Model. Read more in @physrevx.aps.org: https://go.aps.org/3TfwPgI

Close-up of a laser optics setup illuminated by bright green laser light, showing mirrors, lenses, optical mounts, and other precision components used for molecular measurements.

Researchers adjust a rectangular vacuum chamber mounted within a rigid aluminum frame, part of a precision experimental system used to study molecules with extreme sensitivity.

Wide view of a laboratory experiment featuring a large aluminum support frame surrounding a precision vacuum apparatus, with scientific equipment, cables, and tool cabinets visible in the background.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· 23d

Great things are happening at APS. 👀 We’ve introduced new membership options designed to give you more flexibility and access. See what plan fits you best: https://go.aps.org/3Zsq8sW

A promotional graphic for APS membership outlines features: two membership plans, annual pricing starting at $25, mobile payment options, auto-renew, and variable pricing by country. The background features curved lines in blue and orange.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· 25d

"One day, they may become your collaborators, your advisors, your reviewers, and your readers." Fan Zhang says a 2010 presentation at an APS meeting changed the trajectory of his career. Hear his advice for others in #APSNews: https://go.aps.org/4yncRAL

Fan Zhang sits at a desk with a pen and paper in front of him. He’s wearing a yellow shirt with a black and white button down sweater over the top and glasses.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· 26d

A Perspective in @physrevx.aps.org explores #quantum advantage across different fields and explains why predicting it is challenging with classical resources alone. Read the article: https://go.aps.org/4voRtsi

An illustration of an iceberg on the sea, with the top half of the image showing the iceberg above the surface and the bottom half showing it below. The iceberg below the surface is larger than what can be seen from the surface and is depicted as a crystal with shimmering nodes and an iridescent interior. The region above the surface is bright and the surface below is dark with a few solitary floating bubbles. A small submarine with a white symbol of an atom floats near the base of the iceberg in the bottom right corner.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· 27d

Two studies in @physrevlett.aps.org show how millicharged particles could react with normal matter on Earth and be detected using devices first used in the 18th century — like the one used by Henry Cavendish to measure the electric force. Read more in Physics: https://go.aps.org/4wBYxTo

A graph with m [GeV] on the x-axis and q on the y-axis. It depicts new limits on the terrestrial density, nχ, of room-temperature millicharged particles recast from past Cavendish experiments. These are shown as blue shaded regions, labeled according to the assumed value of nχ. Shown in gray are previous limits from accelerators and SN1987A, as well as limits from ion traps for several representative densities shown in solid cyan.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· 28d

The call for abstracts closes next week for our #NuclearPhysics, #PlasmaPhysics, and #FluidDynamics meetings. Become a member to submit an abstract today: https://go.aps.org/44mnhTr

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 13

Our membership is becoming more flexible, more accessible, and easier to manage than ever. Explore what's new and find the membership option that works for you: https://go.aps.org/3Zsq8sW

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 13

The moon might be an even better gravitational wave detector than scientists expected. 🌕 A study in @physrevlett.aps.org finds that variations in the moon's crust could amplify incoming space-time ripples by an average of 10% — and up to 10× in some regions. Read more: https://go.aps.org/3R7EqgG

Three-panel scientific figure illustrating variations in the Moon's crustal thickness. Panel (a) shows a global color-coded map of the lunar surface, with warm and cool colors indicating regions of thinner and thicker crust. Major features, including Mare Imbrium, Mare Humboldtianum, the South Pole–Aitken (SPA) basin, Apollo landing sites, Chang'e-7, and a proposed lunar facility (FSS), are labeled. Panel (b) presents a simplified map of crustal thickness with contour lines labeled in kilometers, highlighting broad regions where the crust is relatively thick or thin. Panel (c) shows a circular cross-sectional view of the Moon's crust, with the uneven surface and crustal thickness color-coded around the circumference. Labels identify the lunar surface, the bottom of the crust, Mare Imbrium, Mare Humboldtianum, and the SPA basin. A color scale indicates crustal thickness ranging from approximately 10 to 50 kilometers.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 12

Tomorrow is your last chance to comment on the Office of Management and Budget's proposed rule affecting the future of science. These APS leaders are just some of the 2,400+ people who have used our letter-writing portal to share what they think. Submit your comment: https://go.aps.org/4vUO0ST

A person with short grey hair and wire-rimmed glasses standing outside on a porch, holding a white piece of paper. The paper has handwritten text in black ink that reads, "Science Fuels the Future" with a line underlined beneath "Future." The background is filled with lush green trees and foliage.

A person with blonde hair and clear-rimmed glasses smiling while holding up a white piece of paper. The paper has handwritten text in purple ink that reads, "Scientific research is the bedrock of American innovation!" In the background, several framed pieces of artwork hang on a light blue wall.

A person wearing a white dress shirt, light purple patterned tie, and black-framed glasses looks at the camera while holding a handwritten sign. The sign reads, "...A Grant Should Be Peer Reviewed, Not Politically Approved." The photo appears to be taken indoors against a plain light-colored wall.

Someone holds a handwritten sign that reads, “Science research today shapes our children’s future.” She is seated indoors in front of several houseplants and looks toward the camera.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 11

Nobel laureate John Mather is one of thousands opposing a proposed federal rule that could affect science grant funding. "Peer review protects the public from attempts to corrupt," he writes. Read more comments in #APSNews, then submit your own comment by July 13: https://go.aps.org/3RtXoy8

John Mather, a smiling older man with gray hair and glasses, sits at a conference table using a laptop. Beside him is a colorful spherical model of the cosmic microwave background, along with a stainless steel water bottle. The meeting room has windows, office chairs, and a whiteboard in the background.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 10

The future of science starts with today's students. A proposed federal rule could create new barriers for STEM education, training grants, and other programs that help launch scientific careers. Submit a public comment by July 13: https://go.aps.org/4vUO0ST

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 9

It’s your last chance to apply for the APS Committee on Education Award for Improving Undergraduate Physics Education. 🏆 Recognizing departments, programs, and networks making a sustained impact in undergraduate physics education. Apply by Aug. 7: https://go.aps.org/4cTRtul

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 8

Predicting the outcome of a #BlackHole merger usually requires supercomputers to solve Einstein's equations, but a new study in @physrevlett.aps.org suggests a much simpler principle may capture the final state: maximizing entropy. 🔗 https://go.aps.org/4p8SaUN

A swirling depiction of a black hole in space, surrounded by a glowing accretion disk of gas and dust. The background features scattered stars and a dark, mysterious cosmic environment.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 7

Science doesn't happen in isolation. A proposed federal rule could make it harder for researchers to collaborate and participate in the scientific community. Tell leaders what you think by submitting a public comment before July 13: https://go.aps.org/4vUO0ST

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 6

A new study in @physrevlett.aps.org suggests many #BlackHoles above 45 solar masses grew through a series of collisions between other black holes in dense star clusters — helping explain why some black holes are larger than stellar evolution models predict. 🔗 https://go.aps.org/4yd4KXA

Schematic of the model used in the study in χeff-χp space.χeff, or effective inspiral spin, is on the horizontal axis and χp, or effective precessing spin, is on the vertical axis. A small blue-shaded circle centered near the origin represents first-generation mergers, defined by its means (µeff,p) and standard deviations (σeff,p) in both dimensions. A larger blue-shaded arch spanning a wider range of spin values represents higher-generation mergers and is determined by a characteristic spin (χc), characteristic mass ratio (qc), and Gaussian width perpendicular to the curve (𝜎).

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 6

Share your physics research on an APS stage. 🌟 The call for abstracts is open for research in #NuclearPhysics, #PlasmaPhysics, and #FluidDynamics. Become a member to submit an abstract today: https://go.aps.org/4g97sqk

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 3

🎆 Here's something you might not know: Fireworks don’t have to be earth-shakingly loud. Those sounds are engineered, just like the colors, to make the show more dramatic. Learn more surprising facts about fireworks in #APSNews: https://go.aps.org/4v1IWvb

Several fireworks of different colors light up a dark sky above a crowd of people.

Silhouettes of people watch a nighttime fireworks display as bright white and gold bursts illuminate the dark sky. Smoke from the explosions glows in the light.

Red, gold, and white fireworks explode against a dark, star-filled night sky above a silhouetted landscape. Several bursts radiate outward while trails of light rise from the ground, with the Milky Way visible in the background.

Five people look up into the sky, where blue and red fireworks are visible.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 2

International collaboration drives some of the world's biggest breakthroughs. Lindsay House explains how a proposed federal rule could make that collaboration more difficult — and what it could mean for scientific research. Submit a public comment: https://go.aps.org/4vUO0ST

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jul 1

How do molecules inside planets like Mars and Mercury behave? By compressing and heating iron sulfide, a Physical Review Materials study details a previously unknown phase of an alloy that may be a key part of a rocky planets’ solid core. Read the study: https://go.aps.org/3QAm1Jd

An artist’s concept shows a cutaway of Mars, along with the paths of seismic waves from two separate quakes in 2021. Detected by NASA’s InSight mission, these seismic waves were the first ever identified to enter another planet’s core. A photo credit in white writing reads NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Maryland.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jun 30

👏 More than 1,000 people have used our letter-writing portal to submit public comments on the proposed rule to insert political appointees into the scientific grant process. Submit yours: https://go.aps.org/4vUO0ST

The White House, viewed from the South Lawn, stands beneath a blue sky with scattered white clouds. An American flag flies from the roof above the white neoclassical façade. A fountain sprays in front of the building, surrounded by manicured hedges, bright red flower beds, and a wide green lawn framed by mature trees.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jun 29

Signs of #DarkMatter annihilation could be hiding in the halos of light around the gas giants of our solar system — and new bounds on dark matter masses and interactions could help future telescopes know where to find them. Read the @physrevlett.aps.org study: https://go.aps.org/44s6SwH

An image taken aboard the International Space Station on October 7, 2018 looking down at Australia. The planet is surrounded by a halo of orange light known as an airglow. A large number of stars and a portion of the Milky Way galaxy are visible in the background.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jun 27

Complex numbers have long seemed essential to #QuantumMechanics — but a paper in @physrevlett.aps.org argues they may not be. By reformulating quantum theory using only real numbers, the authors show it can make the same experimentally-testable predictions: https://go.aps.org/4fURBM4

Infographic titled "Quantum mechanics with only real numbers?" explaining that quantum mechanics can be reformulated using only real numbers by changing how multiple quantum systems are combined. The graphic compares the standard formulation, which uses complex numbers to describe quantum states, with an equivalent real-number formulation that represents each complex number as a pair of real numbers. Diagrams illustrate the different mathematical rules used to combine systems, emphasizing that the modified rule produces the same physical predictions as standard quantum mechanics. A summary at the bottom explains that no imaginary numbers are needed, calculations take place in a larger real-number space, and experimental outcomes remain unchanged.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jun 26

Mass extinctions occur when rates of environmental change outpace species' ability to adapt, suggests a new @physrevlett.aps.org study that modeled distributions of species’ adaptation rates during mass extinction events over the past 450 million years: https://go.aps.org/4vqidJx

Histogram comparing the distribution of environmental change rates and species adaptation rates. Blue bars show the probability distribution of relative environmental change rates on a logarithmic scale, while an orange bell-shaped curve represents adaptation rates. The two distributions largely overlap and are centered near a relative rate of 1, illustrating the study's finding that the range of species adaptation rates is similar to the range of extreme environmental change rates. Axes are labeled “relative rate” (x-axis) and “probability” (y-axis).

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jun 25

✍️ More than 750 of you have already written to the Office of Management and Budget about the proposed rule that could impact federal science grants. Why did you write? Share your reason with #WhyIWrote. Haven't written yet? Anyone, anywhere can comment: https://go.aps.org/4vUO0ST

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jun 24

A new study in @physrevlett.bsky.social found that, starting from just a small number of physical axioms, a key equation describing string theory emerges — offering a new starting point for understanding quantum gravity through string theory. Read the paper: https://go.aps.org/3QYAoHg

A graph with t on the x axis and α (t) on the y axis. It depicts the behavior of Regge trajectories for quantum field theory, labeled QFT and shown as an aquamarine line, string theory, shown as a dark blue line, and its q-deformations, shown as a violet line.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jun 23

A proposed federal rule would bring political appointees directly into grant-funding decisions. @lindsayinthehouse.bsky.social explains what that could mean for how science gets funded. Tell leaders what you think by submitting a public comment: https://go.aps.org/4vUO0ST

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jun 22

By analyzing 1 million events collected by a #ParticlePhysics detector on the International Space Station over more than 13 years, a @physrevlett.bsky.social study details the unique properties and abundances of five rare heavy elements in #CosmicRays. Read the study: https://go.aps.org/4xT8ttd

A photograph of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, an experimental module mounted on the exterior of the International Space Station. A portion of Earth can be seen in the background.

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jun 19

150 years ago this month, Edward Bouchet made history as the first Black man to earn a doctorate in #physics in the United States, specializing in #ExperimentalPhysics at Yale. Learn more about his life and legacy: https://go.aps.org/3Q4rOCG #PhysicsHistory

Black and white portrait of Edward Bouchet circa 1912. Bouchet is wearing a dark, three-piece suit.

A portrait photograph of Edward Bouchet. He is wearing a suit and sitting down, looking off to the right of the camera. The photo is cropped to an oval shape and on a cream colored background with a hand-written caption at the bottom reading “Edward H. Bouchet, New Haven.”

American Physical Society@apsphysics· Jun 18

❓ Our team is sharing why they submitted public comments on The Office of Budget and Management's proposed rule affecting scientific research funding. What’s yours? Submit your comment through our action center, then share your reason with a photo using #WhyIWrote: https://go.aps.org/4vUO0ST