Category Archives: APS Physics

Earplugs That Block Out All Sounds

Posted on October 24, 2023 by rberkowitz

A new 3D-printed earplug can absorb physiological sounds made by the body, potentially making it more acoustically comfortable to use than some commercially available earplugs. Continue reading →

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Intense X Rays Can Free Bound Electrons

Posted on October 18, 2023 by rberkowitz

Measurements indicate that intense x-ray pulses can change the electronic structure of a material on femtosecond timescales, a finding that could improve imaging of light–matter interactions. Continue reading →

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How Rotation Drives Magnetic Levitation

Posted on October 13, 2023 by rberkowitz

A detailed experimental analysis explains the forces by which a spinning magnet can cause another magnet to levitate in midair. Continue reading →

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Far-Field Flow Forces Attraction

Posted on October 11, 2023 by rberkowitz

The flow field generated by swimming bacteria drives a long-range attractive force felt by passive objects much larger than the swimmers themselves. Continue reading →

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Quasiparticles Repel, Then Attract

Posted on September 26, 2023 by rberkowitz

Resonant excitation of a thin-film semiconductor leads to impurities that attract rather than repel each other, providing a possible tool for manipulating superconductivity. Continue reading →

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Self-Repelling Species Still Self-Organize

Posted on September 19, 2023 by rberkowitz

Catalytically active particles form clusters when they respond not only to their own chemical targets but to those of other catalysts, too. Continue reading →

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The History of the Printing Press under an X-Ray Microscope

Posted on September 7, 2023 by rberkowitz

Researchers turn to synchrotron imaging of historical and homemade prints to explore possible connections between early printing methods in Korea and Europe. Continue reading →

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Global Connectivity Predicts Reactivity

Posted on September 7, 2023 by rberkowitz

The reactivity of a material is describable using only the arrangement of its atoms, a finding that could be used to speed up the search for new catalytic materials. Continue reading →

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Droplets Scoot Like Caterpillars

Posted on September 3, 2023 by rberkowitz

A liquid droplet pushed by the wind contracts and stretches its way along a surface until it breaks apart. Continue reading →

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Photovoltaic Effect Goes Symmetric

Posted on August 31, 2023 by rberkowitz

A flower-petal pattern of light could induce electrical currents in a wider array of crystalline materials. Continue reading →

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