Author Archives: rberkowitz

Polarized light shows hot gas swirling around a galactic core

Posted on June 1, 2021 by rberkowitz

The images of galaxy Messier 87 provide evidence of magnetic field lines in its innermost region. Those lines likely trace the event horizon of a supermassive black hole. Continue reading →

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Large systems can be controllably entangled and limitlessly measured

Posted on May 27, 2021 by rberkowitz

A mechanical oscillator has quantum properties that can be directly observed. Read more in APS Physics…

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Light Pulses Change Speed in a Plasma

Posted on May 24, 2021 by rberkowitz

Interactions between two laser beams in a plasma allow for precise
control over the light’s velocity. Continue reading →

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Do Merging Dwarf Galaxies Explain a Peculiar Gravitational-Wave Detection?

Posted on May 11, 2021 by rberkowitz

The hard-to-explain masses of two coalescing black holes could be accounted for if they were the central black holes in two distant, tiny galaxies that merged. Continue reading →

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Linking Glaciers on Earth to the Climate on Mars

Posted on April 30, 2021 by rberkowitz

Geophysicist Jack Holt explains how Earth’s debris-covered glaciers can teach us about the climate history of Mars. Continue reading →

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Cubes Keep Their Distance

Posted on April 22, 2021 by rberkowitz

Cubes suspended in a liquid are less likely than spheres to form clusters and fall out of solution. Read more in APS Physics…

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Counting All the Antistars in the Sky

Posted on April 22, 2021 by rberkowitz

Analyzing gamma-ray sources leads to an upper limit on how many antimatter stars could exist in the Milky Way. Read more in APS Physics…

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Laser-Cooled Atoms and Molecules Collide in a Trap

Posted on April 14, 2021 by rberkowitz

An experiment shows the circumstances under which ultracold atoms are quick to kick molecules out of a trap, providing clues for how to use atoms as a refrigerant for molecules. Continue reading →

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Ancient lightning may have provided the phosphorus necessary for life

Posted on April 6, 2021 by rberkowitz

On early Earth, lightning strikes created glassy rocks that hosted abundant soluble minerals, which were rich in phosphorus, a vital ingredient in biomolecules. Continue reading →

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A tabletop waveguide delivers coherent x rays

Posted on April 1, 2021 by rberkowitz

The layered anode emits bright, directed beams without the need for mirrors or large-scale accelerators. Continue reading →

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