APS Physics Tip Sheet – Sep 30, 2013: The Weak Side of the Proton, Finding New Superconductors, Trapping Atoms in Magnetic Vortices

APS Physics Tip Sheet – Sep 30, 2013

In this issue: The Weak Side of the Proton, Finding New Superconductors, Trapping Atoms in Magnetic Vortices

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The Weak Side of the Proton

An international collaboration has measured for the first time the weak charge of the proton – the parameter characterizing the strength of its interaction with the weak force. 

In the same way that the electric charge of a particle determines the response to an electromagnetic force, the so-called "weak charge" characterizes the strength of the “weak force” – the fundamental interaction responsible for radioactive decay or nuclear fusion. The weak charge is hard to measure, since its effects outside the sub-atomic world are masked by the stronger electromagnetic interaction. Now, the Q_weakcollaboration has measured the proton’s weak charge using a spin-polarized electron beam at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia. By analyzing how the beam was scattered by the protons contained in liquid hydrogen, the researchers were able to determine the proton’s weak charge, finding a value in good agreement with the theoretical prediction of the standard model.

* Q_weak collaboration (contact author: Roger D. Carlini), “First determination of the weak charge of the proton”, Physical Review Letters (expected publication date: Oct 2)

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Finding New Superconductors

Theoretical calculations have lead to the successful design of a new iron-based superconductor.

Designing new materials that exhibit complex properties, such as superconductivity, is a notoriously challenging task, but computational and theoretical advances in solid-state physics are beginning to change this trend. A team of researchers from Europe and the US, guided by the conclusions of a previous theoretical study, was able to synthesize a superconducting iron-based compound. Their characterization showed the material behaved as calculations predicted: it exhibits low-temperature superconductivity, combined with an unusual hardness that may be advantageous for applications. The result provides an encouraging step in the quest for materials by design. 

* Huiyang Gou, Natalia Dubrovinskaia (contact author) et al, “Discovery of a superhard iron tetraboride superconductor”, Physical Review Letters (expected publication date: Oct 7)

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Trapping Atoms in Magnetic Vortices

In optical lattices, ultracold atoms are trapped by lasers in periodic arrangements that can be used to simulate the physics of crystals. But atoms cannot be trapped too closely, as the separation is limited by the wavelength of light. According to a new proposal by a research group at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Germany, atoms could be trapped by magnetic, rather than optical, means, using the magnetic vortices that can be generated in a thin superconducting sheet. The scheme could trap atoms at distances as small as few tens of nanometers, allowing the study of conditions in which mutual interactions are much stronger than in conventional optical lattices.

* Oriol Romero-Isart (contact author) et al, “Superconducting Vortex Lattices for Ultracold Atoms”, Physical Review Letters (expected publication date: Oct 4)

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Journal articles and preprints are available to journalists on request. 

Contact: Matteo Rini Tel: +1 631 591 4224 (office), +1 646 288 5441 (cell), email: mrini@aps.org

Matteo Rini, PhD 

Deputy Editor, Physics 

mrini@aps.org  

http://physics.aps.org

APS Physics Tip Sheet – Sep 23, 2013

In this issue: Is it Quantum Computing?, Matter Adds Twist to Cosmic Microwave Background, Planetary Waves that Connect the Climate Network, Accelerating Electrons with Light

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Is it Quantum Computing?

Scientists at D-Wave, the Canadian company that claims to have built the first commercial quantum computer, report they have used their hardware to solve a famously difficult problem in mathematics. 

The heart of the device used by the D-Wave team is an array of 84 tiny superconducting loops, each representing one bit in the form of a current that can flow clockwise, counterclockwise, or in a quantum “superposition” of the two states. As a proof of principle, the researchers ran an algorithm on their hardware to solve the Ramsey problem - an optimization challenge similar in flavor to the traveling salesman problem (finding the optimal route that connects a number of cities) - for a few simple cases where the solutions were already known.  A Viewpoint commentary appearing in Physics September 25provides a critical analysis of the report and explains what further experiments are needed to be sure the researchers have performed a truly “quantum” computation that could outperform what classical hardware can do.

* Z Bian, Frank Gaitan (contact author) et al, “Experimental determination of Ramsey numbers”, Physical Review Letters (expected publication date: Sep 25)

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Matter Adds Twist to Cosmic Microwave Background

A microwave telescope at the South Pole has captured a signal in the cosmic microwave background that arises from gravitational lensing by intervening matter.

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) provides us with a snapshot of the early Universe of 13.7 billion years ago. But this ancient photography has been slightly distorted: as CMB light rays propagated through the Universe, the matter they encountered on their path deflected them through the effect called “gravitational lensing”. Some aspects of this lensing have been observed before, but now a team of researchers at the South Pole Telescope (SPT) has detected for the first time a subtle twisting in the polarization of the CMB due to gravitational lensing.  Collecting these signals could help scientists map the distribution of matter in the Universe, including the invisible dark matter, and may be used to detect primordial gravitational waves.

* The SPTpol Collaboration (contact author: Duncan Hanson), “Detection of B-mode polarization in the cosmic microwave background with data from the South Pole Telescope”, Physical Review Letters (expected publication date: Sep 30)

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Planetary Waves that Connect the Climate Network

(Image credit: NASA/GSFC)

A new study suggests that giant, high-altitude air waves have a profound effect on how energy is transported within the climate system. 

Rossby waves are planetary-scale meanders in the high-altitude winds that flow about 10 km above ground. They arise because of the temperature difference between polar air and tropical air, together with variation of the Coriolis force with latitude. Meteorologists know them well, as they determine low-pressure systems that have a major influence on the weather. But according to simulations by a research team in Israel, such waves may determine more than whether it will rain or shine in the short term: they redistribute energy on planetary scales, connecting remote regions and thereby affecting the longer-term dynamics of the climate system. The finding may help improve the accuracy of global climate models.

* Yang Wang (contact author) et al, “Dominant imprint of Rossby waves in the climate network”, Physical Review Letters (published Sep 24)

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Accelerating Electrons with Light

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics have demonstrated that, in the vicinity of finely patterned substrates, laser pulses can accelerate electrons more efficiently than large-scale accelerator facilities. The principle may lead to compact, laboratory-size accelerators or to versatile light and x-ray sources.

* J Breuer, Peter Hommelhoff (contact author), “Laser-based acceleration of nonrelativistic electrons at a dielectric structure”, Physical Review Letters (expected publication date: Sep 27)

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Journal articles and preprints are available to journalists on request. 

Contact: Matteo Rini Tel: +1 631 591 4224 (office), +1 646 288 5441 (cell), email: mrini@aps.org

Matteo Rini, PhD 

Deputy Editor, Physics 

mrini@aps.org  

http://physics.aps.org

APS Physics Tip Sheet – Sep 17, 2013

In this issue: Foiling Quantum Hackers, Are Neutrinos Their Own Antiparticles?, Friction at the Atomic Scale

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Foiling Quantum Hackers

Researchers have implemented a new quantum encryption method that may provide the ultimate security against hackers in real-world cryptography applications. 

Quantum cryptography holds promise for communication schemes that are, in theory, perfectly secure because they are protected by the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics: an eavesdropper cannot measure photons without disturbing their delicate quantum properties – and being noticed in the process. But in the last few years, hackers have exploited security loopholes to crack some of the most sophisticated quantum encryption systems. Now, two independent teams of researchers (the first based in China, the second in Canada) have implemented a new quantum encryption method that removes the most problematic link of quantum encryption schemes: weaknesses of the detectors used at the receiver end.  

* Y Liu, Qiang Zhang (contact author) et al, “Experimental measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution”, Physical Review Letters 

** A Rubenok, Joshua A Slater (contact author) et al, “Real-world two-photon interference and proof-of-principle quantum key distribution immune to detector attacks”, Physical Review Letters

(expected publication date: Sep 23)

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Are Neutrinos Their Own Antiparticles?

A new study disproves the results of a 2004 experiment that claimed to show the neutrino and the antineutrino are the same particle.

In the 1930s, the physicist Ettore Majorana suggested neutrinos might be their own antiparticle. The idea is in conflict with the standard model of particle physics, but might help explain certain properties of neutrinos, such as their small mass. If the hypothesis is true, neutrinos may annihilate with each other and disappear in a rare nuclear reaction known as “double beta decay”, in which two neutrons decay into a pair of protons. In experiments carried out in 2004, physicists argued they had seen signs of such neutrino-less decays, but now the GERDA collaboration at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy has conclusively refuted the earlier results. The researchers built a device with unprecedented sensitivity to the rare decay, showing that the rate of neutrino-less double beta decay—if it occurs at all—is less than a part in ten thousand of that of normal double beta decay.

* The GERDA collaboration (contact author: Peter Grabmayr), “Results on neutrinoless double-β decay of 76-Ge from phase I of the GERDA experiment”, Physical Review Letters (expected publication date:Sep 19)

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Friction at the Atomic Scale

Researchers from Germany and the Czech Republic have demonstrated a new experimental method based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) that allows the investigation of friction at the scale of individual atoms.

* Jay Weymouth (contact author) et al, “Atomic structure affects the directional dependence of friction”, Physical Review Letters (expected publication date: Sep 18)

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Journal articles and preprints are available to journalists on request. 

Contact: Matteo Rini Tel: +1 631 591 4224 (office), +1 646 288 5441 (cell), email: mrini@aps.org

Matteo Rini, PhD 

Deputy Editor, Physics 

mrini@aps.org  

http://physics.aps.org

Gaming the uncertainty principle: more precision from less predictability

LY13750 - Contrary to what the Heisenberg uncertainty relation might naively suggest, particle properties such as position and momentum can be simultaneously measured in some circumstances – and with high precision. We show this experimentally for the case of photon polarization properties. We also verify that while the product of the measurement precisions can be arbitrarily small, these precisions are nevertheless constrained to obey a new generalization of the Heisenberg uncertainty relation.

Quantum mechanics is often thought to imply that you can precisely estimate how fast an electron is moving, or exactly where it is, but not both at the same time. The argument is that properties such as speed and position require physically incompatible devices for their precise measurement. Hence, any device used to make a simultaneous measurement will give inherently imprecise estimates.

This argument was challenged by Einstein in 1935, who gave an example where the position and speed could be accurately measured at the same time, by exploiting quantum correlations with a second particle. Note this is not in direct conflict with the well-known Heisenberg uncertainty relation, which only requires that the position and momentum cannot both be accurately predicted beforehand. However, it leaves open the important question of whether any quantum restrictions apply to simultaneous measurements.

We have experimentally verified that Einstein was correct, using polarisation properties of photons rather than position and momentum. But we also show that a high degree of joint precision does not come for free – it is only possible if the measurement outcomes are sufficiently unpredictable, as quantified by a suitable generalisation of the Heisenberg uncertainty relation.

Novel sensors exploit electromagnetically-induced transparency in nearly-perfect synthetic diamond

LC14916 - Electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) is a powerful optical technique which can turn an ordinarily opaque medium completely transparent. Numerous applications based on EIT are being pursued, including ultra-low-power optical transistors and delay lines, electromagnetic field sensors, and atomic clocks. Atomic gases offer an excellent testbed for EIT research, but they are difficult to employ in practical devices and performance has lagged in the few solid-state systems where EIT has previously been observed.

Researchers now are reporting observation of EIT in a new solid-state system: nearly-perfect synthetic diamonds doped with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers. This observation is exciting because of the possibility to leverage standard semiconductor fabrication techniques to realize scalable photonic networks using an EIT-active medium.

As an example of a potential application, the authors showed that diamond-EIT devices are capable of simultaneously sensing magnetic and electric fields entirely optically, with sensitivity competitive with current state-of-the-art technology and good long-term stability. The sensor may be immediately applied in fundamental-physics experiments. More generally, the new EIT system may lead to a new class of low-power, nonlinear optical devices, impacting research in solid-state physics, atomic physics, optoelectronic engineering, and nanophotonics.

What Made the Universe Magnetic?

LV13567 - The Universe is magnetic. Astrophysical observations strongly suggest the all galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and even empty space between galaxy clusters are pervaded by magnetic fields. In this paper, we solve the longstanding problem of the origin of such magnetic fields, by showing how they naturally emerge from ''inflation'', an incredibly fast expansion of the universe happened soon after the Big Bang. Theorized by the American physicist Alan Guth in the 80's and experimentally confirmed by the NASA satellite ''Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe'' in 2006, inflation, beside to explain some major technical problems in cosmology, generates the seeds for the growth of galaxies and, ultimately stars, planets, and ourselves. In our paper, we show that inflation is also able to excite tiny dormant magnetic fluctuations ever-present in the vacuum, which are then amplified and stretched up to overfill the entire Universe. Inflation then, can number among its achievements also a simple explanation of why the Universe is magnetic

Einstein in a Box

LC14467 - Our work provides the most direct realization of an experiment proposed by Einstein almost 90 years ago, and makes a major advance in the worldwide effort on “quantum simulation”.

In 1925 Einstein predicted that, at temperatures near absolute zero, particles in a gas can lose their individuality and unify into a single quantum object - a new state of matter now called a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). A BEC was finally realized in an atomic gas in 1995, and is now widely used for studies of exotic quantum phenomena. Beyond testing Einstein’s hypothesis, BECs offer a flexible experimental platform for controlled simulation of many related phenomena that occur in other physical systems, from superconductors to neutron stars.

However, while both the condensate envisioned by Einstein and real materials such as superconductors are spatially uniform, atomic BECs are normally produced in parabolic-shaped atom traps with spatially varying atomic density. This often fundamentally alters the behavior of the gas and makes a direct comparison with theories of uniform systems difficult. We have now realized the first atomic BEC in a spatially uniform gas, confined in an “optical box” trap. This provides the textbook realization of Einstein’s original proposal and will in the future allow a more direct simulation of other quantum systems.

Introducing the THEDAR: a novel thermal imaging system

LZ13491 - Imagine a person in a room with absorbing walls. Because, an absorber is also a good thermal emitter, the walls radiate a random electromagnetic field. At high temperature, the thermal radiations dazzle him so that the person cannot distinguish any objects in the room. But now, imagine that their eyes are replaced by two antennas that measure and cross-correlate the wavefields in time. The result is amazing : it will appear to him that one eye illuminates the environment with a short electromagnetic pulse while the other eye captures the backscattered field. As a result, the person can "see" the details of the room because the two “antenna eyes” mimic a RADAR that resolves in time the echoes from objects. In this paper, we have demonstrated experimentally at microwave range this property. The influence of the temperature of the walls is explored and is well predicted by the black-body theory. Based on this principle, we introduce and experimentally validate a new concept of imaging systems : the THEDAR (thermal emission detection and ranging). Since THEDAR does not need any power emission, it opens a new way for “green” electromagnetic imaging in many field (medical, remote sensing, nano imaging) and could have fascinating applications in radio astronomy using cosmic microwave background radiation.

Physics of Gorilla Glass

LB13930 -

Prince Rupert's Drops

Prince Rupert’s drops, also known as Dutch tears, are tadpole-shaped glass droplets that are able to withstand strong blows to their main bodies, but explosively crumble upon the slightest damage to their tails. Similar behavior, albeit less spectacular, is observed in various everyday situations and exploited in industrial applications such as safety glass or “Gorilla glass” covers for smartphones. This, sometimes phenomenal, response is due to a persistent stress remaining in the material, which cannot fully relax to equilibrium and is, often deliberately, inflicted during the production process, e.g. by fast solidification from the melt. These macroscopic material properties are thus imprinted by the history- or process-dependent microstructure and cannot be relieved. Despite large efforts, residual stresses have long defied a thorough understanding. Now, experiments, simulations and theoretical calculations have been combined to shed light on the microscopic origin and the generic mechanism leading to macroscopic residual stresses in glasses and hence their amazing, but also scientific and technologically interesting, rheological behavior.

Live Press Conference Webcasts from the 2013 APS April Meeting

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Physics Press Conference and Webcast Schedule
American Physical Society April Meeting
Denver, CO, April 13 – April 16
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COLLEGE PARK, MD, April 10, 2013 -- The following press conferences will take place during the April Meeting of the American Physical Society, April 13 – April 16, in Plaza Court 7 of the  of the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel.

The press conferences will be webcast live for journalists who wish to participate remotely. To register for the APS April Meeting webcasts, go to http://www.apswebcasting.com

BRIEF SCHEDULE OF PRESS CONFERENCES
Note: all times listed are Mountain Daylight Time (GMT-06)

Saturday, April 13
--9:00 a.m. MDT, Digging For Higgs: Latest Results from the High-Energy Physics Frontier
--11:00 a.m. MDT, Honey, I Shrunk the Proton!: Updates on an Unsolved Scientific Mystery
--2:00 p.m. MDT, Gravitational Wave Detection: Future Prospects and New Technology

Sunday, April 14
--TBD: 10:00 a.m. OR 4:00 p.m. MDT, The Promise and Challenge of Renewable Electricity
--11:00 a.m. MDT, Beyond the Standard Model: In Search of Susy and Other New Physics
--2:00 p.m. MDT, Exploding Stars and Life on Earth: Exploring the Distant Links

Monday, April 15
--11:30 a.m. MDT, Physics for the Public
--2:00 p.m. MDT, American Science and America's Future
--3:30 p.m. MDT, Celebrating Niels Bohr: New Insights on the Man and the Quantum World he Envisioned

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DIGGING FOR HIGGS: LATEST RESULTS FROM THE HIGH-ENERGY PHYSICS FRONTIER
Saturday, April 13, 9:00 a.m. MDT
The particle that appears to be the long-sought Higgs boson has inspired a wealth of research into the new particle’s properties. Scientists will discuss the status of current Higgs searches, and what finding the Higgs means for physics. Michael Peskin (B2.00003) of SLAC and Stanford University will talk about the predicted properties of the Higgs boson that are now being tested at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). He will also discuss the future of high-precision studies of this particle and its possible partners, and the road that the Higgs boson provides to the exploration of the larger mysteries of particle physics. Thomas Koffas (B2.00001) of Carleton University will present an overview of efforts at identifying the Higgs, featuring findings from both CMS and ATLAS, the large collaborations that use the LHC. And Markus Klute (B2.00002) of MIT will discuss the status of direct searches for a Higgs boson with properties beyond those predicted by the Standard Model.
B2.00002 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/194971
B2.00001 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/193695
B2.00003 - http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/191961

HONEY, I SHRUNK THE PROTON!: UPDATES ON AN UNSOLVED SCIENTIFIC MYSTERY
Saturday, April 13, 11:00 a.m. MDT
In 2010, scientists performing measurements on an exotic form of hydrogen found that the proton at the center of the atom was smaller than expected. Despite many subsequent studies, the mysterious result still defies explanation. Three scientists at the heart of the “proton radius puzzle” will discuss recent results and ongoing research. John Arrington (Q5.00003) of Argonne National Laboratory will summarize the state of existing measurements of the proton radius and discuss ways the measurements might be improved. Randolf Pohl (C12.00007) of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics is a member of the team that first measured the smaller proton.  He will discuss his team’s most recent results that confirm the 2010 measurements. And Jan Bernauer of MIT, who has performed recent measurements of the proton radius that conflict with the new results of Pohl’s team, will discuss his team’s experiment and possible explanations for the discrepancy.  All three scientists will describe future research efforts that might provide a clue to solving the mystery.
Q5.00003 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192737
C12.00007 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192121

GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTION: FUTURE PROSPECTS AND NEW TECHNOLOGY
Saturday, April 13, 2:00 p.m. MDT
Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space that Einstein’s Relativity tells us must be produced in violent astrophysical events such as black hole collisions. Advanced LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory) and Advanced Virgo are enormous, kilometer-long detectors that are almost certain to detect gravitational waves in the next few years. Such devices will open up an entirely new window on the cosmos, essentially acting as gravitational wave telescopes. Gabriela Gonzalez (Louisiana State University, H8.00005) will describe the currently projected schedule, sensitivity, and sky localization accuracy for the gravitational wave detector network in the next decade. Lisa Barsotti (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, LIGO Laboratory, G5.00002) will show how mature technology can be used to push precision measurement of gravitational waves beyond the standard quantum limit by means of squeezed states of light, and current ideas on how to integrate this technology into Advanced LIGO. Andrew Geraci (University of Nevada, Reno, L10.00008) will describe a novel method for gravitational wave detection using laser-cooled, optically-levitated sensors, which could exceed the sensitivity of next-generation gravitational wave observatories by a factor of ten or more.
H8.00005 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192416
G5.00002 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/193858
L10.00008 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192669

THE PROMISE AND CHALLENGE OF RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY
Sunday, April 14,  time TBD -- 10:00 a.m. OR 4:00p.m. MDT
We face many challenges in the process of moving from limited fossil fuel sources for most of our energy needs to primarily renewable electricity. Trieu Mai (H6.00002) of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will contemplate the extent to which renewable energy supply can meet the electricity demands of the continental US. Michael Tamor (J6.00001) of the Ford Motor Company will discuss the use of electricity as a sustainable transportation fuel in electric and hybrid vehicles.
J6.00001 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192501
H6.00002 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192405

BEYOND THE STANDARD MODEL: IN SEARCH OF SUSY AND OTHER NEW PHYSICS
Sunday, April 14, 11:00 a.m. MDT
The Standard Model theory reliably describes particle interactions, but a complete understanding may require new physics that moves beyond this theory. Bryan Kaufman (Q14.00008) of Northeastern University will present one of the first examples of an explicit string theory-based model that has the potential to be falsified by observational data. The model makes a precise prediction about the relative masses of supersymmetric particles, the researchers say. Kai Yi (B11.00003) of the University of Iowa will discuss an observation of an unexplained structure called Y(4140) that may be a new particle, using data from the CMS detector and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland. The particle was first seen three years ago by the CDF experiment at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, but its existence was not confirmed until now. A second new particle has also been observed. Santiago Folgueras (X11.00008) of Universidad de Oviedo will discuss his team’s searches for supersymmetry (SUSY) particles in energy regimes that are harder to study, but in which these particles – if they exist – are increasingly likely to be found. The latest results use data collected from the CMS experiment in 2012. And Sungwon Lee (Q2.00001) of Texas Tech University will present an overview on searches for new particles using the latest data from the two big experiments ATLAS and CMS at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
Q14.00008 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192549
B11.00003 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192011
X11.00008 - http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/193081
Q2.00001 - http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/194958

EXPLODING STARS AND LIFE ON EARTH: EXPLORING THE DISTANT LINKS
Sunday, April 14, 2:00 p.m. MDT
When a massive star runs out of fuel, it may end its life in a violent explosion called a supernova that unleashes a burst of energy and matter across the galaxy.  Shawn Bishop (X8.00002) of Technische Universität München will describe his team’s analysis of preliminary data that suggests the fossils of ancient bacteria contain iron isotopes produced in a supernova explosion whose debris settled over the Earth approximately 2.8 million years ago. And Brian Thomas (X8.00001) of Washburn University will discuss how ionizing radiation from astrophysical events such as supernovae may deplete the Earth’s ozone layer and damage life.
X8.00002 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192798
X8.00001 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192797

DARK MATTER AND DARK ENERGY
Monday, April 15, 9:00 a.m. MDT
The vast majority of the universe consists of as yet unidentified dark matter and dark energy, and scientists are getting closer to identifying some of the candidates for these elusive particles. Leslie Rosenberg (X2.00002) of University of Washington will review axions, an attractive dark-matter candidate, and the status of the various searches. These experiments are now sensitive enough to either detect the dark matter axions if they exist, or to reject the hypothesis with high confidence, making the next year or two “very interesting for axion researchers,” Rosenberg says. And Alex Drlica-Wagner (G2.00002) of Stanford University will give an overview of the latest results in indirect searches for dark matter with a focus on space-based gamma-ray experiments.
X2.00002 - http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/193022
G2.00002 - http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192287

PHYSICS FOR THE PUBLIC
Monday, April 15
11:30 a.m. MDT
Four leading science communicators offer their insights into effective ways to engage the public in scientific discussions. The good astronomer and founder of the Bad Astronomy website, Phil Plait (http://www.badastronomy.com/info/whois.html, R7.00001) will explain why talking about science to the public is more difficult - and more daunting - than actually doing science, and will suggest ways to make the task easier, more productive, and more fun. Author and science blogger Jennifer Ouellette (http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cocktail-party-physics/, R7.00002) offers tips and tools for broad-based science communication that she developed through writing popular science books and her blog Cocktail Party Physics. Richard Wargo (University of California, San Diego, R7.00003) will describe a non-conventional collaboration between two different creative cultures in the production of the award-winning film “When Things Get Small.” James Kakalios (University of Minnesota), chair of the Physics for the Public session and author of the best-selling book “The Physics of Superheroes,” will be on hand with a selection of physics principles as illustrated in 1960’s comic books.
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/193613
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192833
http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/194956

AMERICAN SCIENCE AND AMERICA’S FUTURE
Monday, April 15
2:00 p.m. MDT
There is an emerging consensus that industry should partner with government, universities, national labs to address issues of science and technology policy, R&D investments, and education.  Jim Gates, a member of President Obama's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology (PCAST) from the University of Maryland will address the new PCAST report addressing the role of the federal government investments in basic research. President of the University of Chicago, Robert Zimmer will tackle the opportunities for university-industry partnerships, and APS President-elect Malcolm Beasley of Stanford University will discuss the U.S. research enterprise as viewed by the American Physical Society
Session – T6 http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/SessionIndex2/?SessionEventID=195406

CELEBRATING NIELS BOHR: NEW INSIGHTS ON THE MAN AND THE QUANTUM WORLD HE ENVISIONED
Monday, April 15, 3:30 p.m. MDT
Twentieth-century Danish physicist Niels Bohr’s Nobel-prizing winning description of the structure of the atom sparked great technological advances, but left lingering scientific and philosophical questions. Science historians mark the one hundredth anniversary of the publication of three of Bohr’s most famous papers by taking a fresh look at Bohr’s personality, relationships, and scientific work. John Heilbron (P1.00001) of UC Berkeley and Oxford University will discuss the contents of previously unavailable correspondence between Bohr and his fiancée Margrethe Nørlund. The letters, publically presented for the first time at the APS April meeting, reveal Bohr’s mental ups and downs before and during the creation of his quantum atom model. Alfred Scharff Goldhaber (X7.00001) of Stony Brook University will examine some of the scientific questions raised by Bohr’s model of the atom. And Don Howard of the University of Notre Dame (X7.00003) will discuss how Bohr developed and understood the concept of complementarity, which is one of Bohr's most original contributions to the interpretation of quantum mechanics.
P1.00001 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/192719
X7.00001 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/193042
X7.00003 – http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/Event/193372


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MORE INFORMATION FOR JOURNALISTS
- General Meeting Information: http://www.aps.org/meetings/april/index.cfm
- Searchable Abstracts: http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/APR13/APS_epitome

PRESSROOM INFORMATION
A dedicated and staffed pressroom will operate throughout the meeting at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. Phones, computers, printers, and free wireless Internet access will be available to reporters using the pressroom.
- Location: Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, Plaza Court 6 and 7
- Hours: Sat.-Mon., 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Tues., 7:30 a.m. to noon
- Food service: Both breakfast and lunch will be provided Saturday through MOnday. Breakfast only will be served on Tuesday.

ABOUT APS
The American Physical Society (www.aps.org) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings, and education, outreach, advocacy and international activities. APS represents 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories and industry in the United States and throughout the world.  Society offices are located in College Park, MD (Headquarters), Ridge, NY, and Washington, DC.

Live Webcasts from the 2013 APS March Meeting

Plant mimicry, black holes, and remote-controlled worms are some of the topics to be presented at three live webcasts of news briefings at the 2013 American Physical Society (APS) March Meeting in Baltimore, Md. The three 45-minute webcasts will take place this Thursday, March 21. To register and for more information on the panelists, see below.

What: Media Webcasts on New Research at the APS March Meeting

When: Thursday, March 21, 2013
•        9 a.m. EST - PHYSICS OF NATURE: PLANT MIMICRY AND THE MYSTERY OF THE CRACKLING TREES
•        11 a.m. EST - CREEPY CRAWLIES: FROM REMOTE-CONTROLLED WORMS TO SYNTHETIC CILIA
•        1 p.m. EST - QUANTUM ISSUES: BLACK HOLES, THE REALITY OF THE WAVEFUNCTION, AND WHY SPACE IS 3-D

Registration: To register, please visit http://apswebcasting.com/

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List of Panelists:

Thursday, March 21, 9:00 a.m. EST
PHYSICS OF NATURE: PLANT MIMICRY AND THE MYSTERY OF THE CRACKLING TREES
Panelists:
•        Zi Chen, Washington University in St. Louis, will discuss the mechanics of the Venus flytrap's fast motion and bio-inspired robots whose snapping mechanism could find applications in sensors, artificial muscles, and biomedical devices.
•        Sean Gart, Virginia Tech, will discuss harvesting electric energy from rain using a setup that mimics the process of raindrops hitting leaves.
•        Alexandre Ponomarenko, Grenoble University, will discuss new developments to track down the source of crackling emitted by trees suffering from drought.

Thursday, March 21, 11:00 a.m. EST
CREEPY CRAWLIES: FROM REMOTE-CONTROLLED WORMS TO SYNTHETIC CILIA
Panelists:
•        Askin Kocabas, Harvard University, will present work to manipulate the neural activity of free-moving C. elegans worms using light.
•        Timothy Sanchez, Brandeis University, will discuss synthetic cilia and other biomimetic phenomena that his team has developed using simple, self-organizing biological components (such as microtubules and clusters of motor proteins). The group has also used their techniques to engineer new materials with functions not seen in nature, like flowing liquid crystals and self-propelled emulsion droplets.
•        Daria Monaenkova, Georgia Institute of Technology, will discuss new research that can be used to better understand the behaviors of fire ants, an invasive species in the United States. The work examines the relationship between wetness of soil and ants’ digging strategies for nest construction.
•        Nick Gravish, Georgia Institute of Technology, will dig deeper into fire ants’ nest design strategies with a talk about their underground tunneling tactics, and how tunnel size helps ants keep their footing when the animals are perturbed.

Thursday, March 21, 1:00 p.m. EST
QUANTUM ISSUES: BLACK HOLES, THE REALITY OF THE WAVEFUNCTION, AND WHY SPACE IS 3-D
Panelists:
•        Christoph Adami, Michigan State University, tackles a particularly challenging problem at the intersection of quantum mechanics and relativity: if information is absorbed by a black hole, which then subsequently evaporates, what happens to the information? Adami and colleagues have found what they believe to be a solution to the information paradox posed by black holes, which in turn implies that black holes can act as nearly perfect “quantum copying machines.”
•        Renato Renner, ETH Zurich, has turned to another long-standing puzzle – whether or not the wave-function of quantum mechanics is real or simply a handy calculating tool. Renner’s research addresses deep philosophical issues in physics as well as confirming the effectiveness of quantum-based cryptographic schemes.
•        Markus Mueller, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, presents a new take on the old question of why space is 3-dimensional, and suggests an answer based on modern quantum information theory.

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MORE INFORMATION FOR JOURNALISTS
•        General Meeting Information: http://www.aps.org/meetings/march/index.cfm
•        Searchable Abstracts: http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/MAR13/APS_epitome

ABOUT APS
The American Physical Society (www.aps.org ) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings, and education, outreach, advocacy and international activities. APS represents 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories and industry in the United States and throughout the world. Society offices are located in College Park, MD (Headquarters), Ridge, NY, and Washington, DC.