Author Archives: rberkowitz

Subsurface imaging shows scale of the tragedy of Indigenous children

Posted on December 1, 2021 by rberkowitz

Archaeologists and geophysicists in Canada are trying to pinpoint the signatures of unmarked burials by using geophysical methods in varied terrains. Continue reading →

Posted in Physics Today | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Simple Additives Make Polar Fluids More Polar

Posted on November 25, 2021 by rberkowitz

The strong polar nature of bonded molecular pairs called zwitterions boosts the dielectric constants of polar fluids. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A Universal Model of Spin Relaxation

Posted on November 19, 2021 by rberkowitz

A first-principles theory predicts nonequilibrium spin dynamics, including various quantum scatterings for general solid materials. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

New Technique Improves Conversion of Carbon Dioxide Into Liquid Fuels

Posted on November 18, 2021 by rberkowitz

A copper surface coated with layered thin films helps to create useful chemicals from a polluting greenhouse gas. Continue reading →

Posted in Berkeley Lab | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Field notes from Mars’s latest roving explorer

Posted on November 11, 2021 by rberkowitz

The Perseverance rover’s early scientific results detail dust lifting and ancient flood deposits at Jezero Crater. Continue reading →

Posted in Physics Today | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Lone Spin Remains Shielded Despite Superconductivity

Posted on November 1, 2021 by rberkowitz

Researchers explore the question of whether a Kondo cloud—a phenomenon common in conventional metals—can also occur in superconductors. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Pluto’s Tilt Explains Ice Sheet’s History

Posted on October 21, 2021 by rberkowitz

Climate models based on changes in Pluto’s orbital tilt suggest that the dwarf planet’s heart-shaped ice sheet continues to undergo cycles of sublimation, condensation, and reorientation. Read more in APS Physics…

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Laser-Free Method for Cooling Heavy Molecules

Posted on October 21, 2021 by rberkowitz

Electric deceleration brings a beam of the largest molecules yet to a standstill. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Strong Currents Don’t Faze Salt Marsh Coastal Defences

Posted on October 18, 2021 by rberkowitz

A model captures the influence of plant flexibility, leaves, and current on
wave dissipation by a meadow of marsh plants. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Real-Time Monitoring of Nanoscale Polarization Switching

Posted on October 12, 2021 by rberkowitz

Researchers have visualized the nanoscale jumps in a ferroelectric’s polarization that are thought to play a key role in how well some ferroelectric devices function. Continue reading →

Posted in APS Physics | Tagged , | Leave a comment