Year in Physics

2024 selections

Cleaning microscopic debris from laser-patterned surfaces Research published in Applied Surface Science

^{Caption: Schematic showing cleaning with wet-chemical processing
Credit: Alexander Breul}

Cleaning microscopic debris from laser-patterned surfaces Alexander Breul image

Improving performance in solid-state lithium-ion batteries Research published in Solid State Ionics

^{Caption: Charging a solid-state battery
Credit: Shirley Reis}

Single-photon detectors from superconducting aluminium nanostrips Research published in Superconductivity

^{Credit: Hui Zhou
Caption: Illustration of the detection process in an SNSPD}

Single-photon detectors from superconducting aluminium nanostrips - Hui Zhou

Could the Amaterasu particle be a magnetic monopole? Research published in Physics Letters B

^{Credit: Utagawa Kunisada
Public Domain
Caption:}^{Amaterasu, Sun Goddess namesake of the mysterious particle}

Could the Amaterasu particle be a magnetic monopole Utagawa 1

Extending fruit shelf life with sustainable nanofibre coatings Research published in Hybrid Advances

^{Caption: An unprotected and a coated orange after 13 days.
Credit: Poornima Vijayan}

Coordinating risk assessments for radiation in outer space Research published in Zeitschrift für Medizinische Physik

^{Caption: Astronauts are highly vulnerable to cosmic radiation. Creative Commons Zero (CC0) licensed.
Credit: NASA}

Combining graphene and nanodiamonds for better microplasma devices Research published in Fundamental Plasma Physics

^{Caption: Combining nanodiamonds with laser-induced graphene.
Credit: K J Sankaran}

Modelling hydrogen fuel tanks for heavy-duty trucks Research published in Cryogenics

^{Caption: Refuelling a hydrogen vehicle, Creative Commons 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0) licensed
Credit: Ogidya}

Cells grown in microgravity show 3D structures that could be used in medicine Research published in Life Sciences in Space Research

^{Caption: An illustration shows an astronaut on the Artemis III mission planned for 2026.
Credit:}^NASA

Agricultural waste could help to clean polluted water Research published in Applied Surface Science Advances ^{Caption: Rice husks are a natural biosorbent
Credit: Green (CC BY-SA 3.0)}

Investigating plasma deviations inside nuclear fusion reactors Research published in Fundamental Plasma Physics

^{Caption: Plasma confined inside a tokamak
Credit: Xiang Gao et. al. This file has been extracted from another file, CC BY 3.0,}^{https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85521357}

“Glitches” of rapidly spinning neutron star pulsars can be a source of gravitational waves Research published in Astroparticle Physics

^{Caption: An illustration of a pulsar neutron star’s interior erupting through its crust
Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/ S. Wiessinger}

Improving fingerprint detection with carbon-coated nanoparticles Research published in Hybrid Advances ^{Caption: Powders from new nanomaterial can produce highly detailed fingerprint images
Credit: Photo by}^{George Prentzas}^on^Unsplash

Powders from new nanomaterial can produce highly detailed fingerprint images

Improving Maglev performance with machine learning Research published in Physica C: Superconductivity and its Applications

^{Caption: Measuring levitation and lateral forces
Credit: Erkan Ozkat}

New Chemical Synthesis Technique Could Improve Solar Cell Efficiency Research published in Organic Electronics

^{Caption: The polyelectrolyte layer (PFN-NDI) exchanges ions with its surroundings
Credit: Joo Hyun Kim}

Einstein’s other theory of gravity could have the recipe to relieve ‘Hubble trouble’ Research published in Physics of the Dark Universe

^{Caption: An illustration of distant quasar, supermassive black hole-powered objects that can be used to constrain the parameters of theories of gravity
Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser}

Black holes created in mergers carry information about their ancestors Research published in Astroparticle Physics

^{Caption: A swirling black hole that hides within the characteristics of the black holes that merged to create it
Credit: Robert Lea}

Squeezing Schrödinger’s cat may increase quantum sensitivity Research published in Physics Open

^{Caption: Neither dead nor alive or maybe both, Schrödinger's cat floats in space, waiting for its box to open and its fate to manifest
Credit: Robert Lea}

2023 selections

A new approach to classifying supernovae could create a “cosmic library” of their explosions Research published in Astronomy and Computing
Modelling two-qubit systems could help perfect error correction in quantum computers Research published in Annals of Physics
New physics revealed by measuring cosmic rays as they bombard Earth Research published in Astronomy and Computing

2022 selections

Understanding traversable wormholes at the heart of dark matter halos
Research published in Annals of Physics
Measuring the one-way speed of light on Earth
Research published in Physics Open
Modelling gravitational waves in non-flat spacetime
Research published in Annals of Physics
Designing a better micron bubble dressing for doggy dermatitis
Research published in Applied Surface Science Advances
Investigating the mysteries of supercooled water
Research published in Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids X
Using biomarkers for the early detection of breast cancer
Research published in Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences
Assessing effects of radiation and mitochondrial defects on cancer risk
Research published in Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences
Characterising biomarkers for bone health assessment
Research published in Photoacoustics
Understanding the matter inside neutron stars
Research published in Physics Letters B
A new model of quantum gravity from the building blocks of grand unified theories
Research published in Physics Open
Investigating the interaction between superconductors and Earth’s gravitational fields
Research published in Results in Physics

2021 selections

Cosmic voids could reshape gravitational lenses
Research published in Astroparticle Physics
Sterilising insects using X-rays
Research published in Applied Radiation and Isotopes
Leptoquarks and the physics beyond the Standard Model
Research published in Nuclear Physics B
A quantum approach to a singularity problem
Research published in Nuclear Physics B
Black holes could have ‘hair’ after all
Research published in Physics of the Dark Universe
A step closer to the mass of dark matter
Research published in Physics letters B
The hunt for dark matter particles
Research published in Physics Letters B
A new challenger to current cosmological models
Research published in Physics Letters B
Bose-Einstein condensates could benefit from a new model for bosonic equilibration
Research published in Physics Open
Modelling quantum systems with a quantum computer
Research published in Physics Open
Uniting condensed matter physics’ ‘hot topics’: Quantum materials and solid-state cooling
Research published in Physics Open
Novel endoscope could be used for deep brain stimulation
Research published in Photoacoustics
Beyond skyrmions: Alternative information carriers for spintronics
Research published in Physics Reports
Muons’ strange behaviour can’t be explained by current physics
Research published in Physics Reports
Investigating the high-energy frontier with future particle accelerators
Research published in Reviews in Physics
Seeing deeper with atmospheric muons: From archaeology to geology
Research published in Reviews in Physics

2020 selections

Assessing the viability of small modular nuclear reactors
Research published in Physics Open
How star formation is ‘quenched’ in galaxies
Research published in New Astronomy
An early dark energy model could solve an expanding cosmological conundrum
Research published in New Astronomy
COVID-19: The peril of asymptomatic spread
Research published in Chaos, Solitons & Fractals
Double or nothing? The quest to observe Higgs boson pairs
Research published in Reviews in Physics
Secrets of the Universe’s most powerful and explosive events
Research published in Physics Reports
‘Bouncing’ gravity could cure cosmology’s singularity headache
Research published in Annals of Physics
Cosmic ray spectra may not be ‘one size fits all’
Research published in Astroparticle Physics
Solving the quantum conundrum: Uniting quantum and classical physics
Research published in Annals of Physics
Melting heavy quarkonium in extreme conditions
Research published in Physics Reports
Probing the mysteries of dark matter with binary pulsars
Research published in Physics of the Dark Universe
Understanding heavy element formation means bringing neutron star collisions down to earth
Research published in Annals of Physics
Traversable wormholes could be more than science fiction
Research published in Annals of Physics
Wheels sink differently on the moon
Research published in Results in Physics
A new family of qubits
Research published in Annals of Physics
EUSO Ballon mission leads the way for UV investigations of the atmosphere at night
Research published in Astroparticle Physics
Muons could be the key to unlocking the mysteries of the Universe
Research published in Reviews in Physics
The Higgs boson quest ain't over till it is over
Research published in Physics Report
Terraforming Mars requires a new framework
Research published in Life Sciences in Space Research
Fractal geometry could help us find aliens
Research published in Results in Physics
Solving the mystery of universal expansion with the Hubble bubble
Research published in Physics Letters B
Answer to the dark matter question may lie through the Higgs portal
Research published in Physics Reports
Rewriting quantum mechanics
Research published in Physics Open
Aerosol particles and their effect on the environment
Research published in Photoacoustics
Probing ultra-strong magnetic fields with ALICE
Research published in Physics Letters B
Energy detectors: The past, present and future of astronomy
Research published in New Astronomy Reviews

2019 selections

Singularities, Black Holes and Baby Universes: The Legacy of Stephen Hawking The great theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking will be remembered for his indomitable courage through disability and his commitment to science communication and education, but his ground-breaking research is his greatest legacy.
When relativity meets quantum chaos
Research published in Physics Open
Neutron star mergers, precious metals and the future of astronomy
Research published in Annals of Physics
Searching for physics beyond the standard model at the LHC
Research published in Reviews in Physics
Laser pulses can measure the health of body tissues
Research published in Photoacoustics
Is our universe ‘fine-tuned’ for life?
Research published in Physics Reports
Processing particle collisions in real time
Research published in Computer Physics Communications
Optimising photodiodes at high temperatures
Research published in Results in Physics
Monitoring microbes with a simple thermometer
Research published in Physics in Medicine
An expanding cyclic universe
Research published in Physics Letters B
Artificial intelligence can help analyse crystal structures
Research published in Ultramicroscopy
Classifying galaxies with AI and 'people power
Research published in Physics Letters B
My shell is bigger than yours
Research published in Physica A