Physics Department News
Freezing light in a quantum doughnut
Research led by the 神马福利影片 has found a way to use doughnut shaped by-products of quantum dots to slow and even freeze light. Watch PhD researcher Andrea Fischer and Dr. Rudolf A. Roemer explain quantum doughnuts here
Pettifer Prize Winners 2010
The prize for the best First Year Physics student is presented each year, named after, and in memory of, Dr Robert Pettifer. The winners of the Pettifer Prize for 2008/09 were Samantha J Parr and Mark S Skilbeck. The presentation was made on 18th March 2010, by Dr Pettifer's wife, Mary Pettifer.
Most extreme white dwarf binary system found with orbit of just 5 minutes
Professor Tom Marsh and Dr Danny Steeghs have discovered two stars circling each other at record speed. The mini-suns - each just eight times the diameter of the Earth in the constellation of Cancer – orbit once every 5.4 minutes. Please see the link to the press release below for more information
Academic Promotions
Congratulations to Tony Arber, Steven Brown, Boris Gaensicke and Rudolf Roemer on their promotion to personal chairs, plus Peter Wheatley on his promotion to Reader. All promotions take effect from October 1st 2010