January 2019 • Vol. 28, No. 1

A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Plasma physics and plants APS.ORG/APSNEWS Page 3

Highlights from 2018 Blending Paint with Physics The editors of Physics (physics. The experiments sparked a series By Leah Poffenberger aps.org) look back at their favorite of theoretical studies, each attempt- 2018 APS Division of Fluid stories of 2018, from groundbreak- ing to explain this unconventional Dynamics Meeting, Atlanta— ing research to a poem inspired by behavior (see physics.aps.org/ Five years ago, Roberto Zenit, a quantum physics. articles/v11/84). One prediction physics professor at the National Graphene: A New indicates that twisted graphene’s Autonomous University of Mexico, superconductivity might also be Superconductor later reported the first observation was studying biological flows when topological, a desirable property 2018’s splashiest condensed- of the Higgs boson decaying into art historian Sandra Zetina enlisted for quantum computation. matter-physics result came bottom quarks (see physics.aps.org/ him for a project: using fluid from two sheets of graphene. The Higgs Shows up with the articles/v11/91). This decay is the dynamics to uncover the secret Researchers in the USA and Japan Heaviest Quarks most likely fate of the Higgs boson, behind modern art techniques. reported finding superconductiv- After detecting the Higgs boson but it was extremely difficult to At this year’s Division of Fluid ity in stacked graphene bilayers in 2012, the next order of business see above the heavy background Dynamics meeting—his 20th— ids, a person who has developed in which one layer is twisted with was testing whether it behaves as of bottom quarks generated in a Zenit, an APS Fellow and member certain knowledge about the way respect to the other. The supercon- expected. Two such experiments typical experiment. So far, all mea- of the editorial board of Physical the fluids behave. Painting is fluid ductivity they saw resembles that of at CERN, which measured the surements agree with the standard Review Fluids, presented the work mechanical.” high-temperature superconductors, interactions of the heaviest quarks model of particle physics, but the of a cross-disciplinary collabora- In the 19th century, modern art potentially allowing use of twisted with the Higgs, attained the gold uncertainties have enough wiggle tion that tapped into the minds of emerged as an artistic movement graphene as a model system for standard of “5 sigma” statistical room to allow for new physics. influential modern artists. studying this behavior. The group significance. Analyzing proton- “I’m not qualified to tell you through rejection of traditional Dark Matter Theories Take took the APS March Meeting by proton collisions, CMS and ATLAS about art, but I do know that every artistic methods and the adoption Their Lumps storm when they announced the determined the interaction strength painting starts in the same place,” of new ideas in painting. The tech- Plenty of shakeups this year result in a standing-room-only between the top quark and the said Zenit during his invited talk. niques created as part of a 1936 in the realm of dark matter. With talk, which was also live-streamed Higgs boson by measuring how “There’s a blank canvas, and then artists’ workshop held by Mexican a disappointing showing from to hundreds more gathered around often the Higgs boson is produced materials to create the art with cer- painter David Alfaro Siqueiros the main dark matter contenders a screen in a foyer at the Los with a top quark and a top anti- tain properties, certain viscosities, were influential in the develop- called WIMPs, other “less WIMPy” Angeles Convention Center (see quark (see physics.aps.org/articles/ and densities, and then you need ment of modern artistic methods physics.aps.org/articles/v11/27). v11/56). The same collaborations HIGHLIGHTS continued on page 6 somebody who knows about flu- PAINT continued on page 6

APS Membership Unit Profile: The Forum for Early Career Scientists International News The APS Task Force on Expanding International Engagement By Abigail Dove By Jonathan Bagger The APS Forum for Early Career Scientists (FECS) provides Editor’s note: The following is range of research interests and support and mentorship to post- an introduction and accompani- leadership experiences. The Task docs as they navigate through the ment to this month’s Back Page Force worked for nearly 18 months early stages of their career, whether (p. 8). to understand the priorities of all in academia or industry, in the US Physics is a worldwide effort. APS stakeholders and to identify or abroad, or even a scientific field Today, close to one quarter of APS goals and recommendations for the other than physics. This support members live outside the United Society’s leadership. As Chair of spans from the professional— States. Three-quarters of the papers the Task Force, I am deeply grate- including networking opportuni- published in APS journals have ful for the time and talent they ties with senior scientists in various corresponding authors with inter- devoted to the task, as well as for physics careers, resources to help Maria Longobardi national affiliations. And so much input and guidance we received with successful grant writing, and of science is done by collaborations from the APS Board and Council, funding for conference travel—to of Jason Gardner (chair-elect that cross national borders. APS journal editors and staff, and the practical—including support whose term will begin in 2019). What is the role of APS in this APS members worldwide. and advice around changes in geo- Longobardi and Gardner met global endeavor? The Society’s Our committee’s report iden- Jonathan Bagger graphical location, particularly for while serving in the APS Forum Office of International Affairs tified guiding principles, shared ommendations will have the most moving abroad. for International Physics (FIP), has long been part of the APS, values, overarching goals, a set impact. This will be done with the Established in 2016, FECS is and the idea for FECS was born advancing physics, furthering of supporting recommendations, guidance of the APS Committee a relative newcomer to APS, but from the perceived shortcom- cross-cultural communication, and as well as an implementation on International Scientific Affairs the forum’s fast-growing member- ings Longobardi observed in the speaking out for oppressed scien- plan. In November 2018, I was (CISA) and the APS Office of ship of nearly four thousand under- mentorship and support she and tists. Today, the APS Committee proud to present the Task Force’s International Affairs, in coordina- scores the appetite for this kind of her colleagues received while on International Scientific Affairs Report, Recommendations & tion with other APS committees mentorship and support among navigating twists and turns in their and the APS Office of International Implementation Plan to the APS and departments. early career scientists embarking career trajectories and locations as Affairs have built a portfolio of Council of Representatives at its Our primary recommendation on the next phase of their profes- young scientists. Longobardi is a programs that serve APS members meeting in Dallas, Texas. Our rec- is that APS deepen its international sional lives. gravitational wave theorist turned and physicists worldwide. ommendations were well received engagement across the full range of FECS was founded by Maria condensed matter experimentalist, But there is clearly more to and fully adopted by the Council. Society activities. This is a transfor- Longobardi (who has served as now working at the intersection of do. The APS strategic plan that I am pleased that APS members mational recommendation, one that chair since 2016) with the help FECS continued on page 5 covered the years 2013 to 2017 will learn more about this effort affects the entire APS, not just the identified expanding international on the Back Page of this issue of programs under the direct purview engagement as a key goal of the APS News. Likewise, the full report of the APS Office of International Society, and in March 2017, APS is available on the APS website at Affairs. We believe that our report Chief Executive Officer Kate aps.org/programs/international/. can serve as a useful guide towards Kirby launched the APS Task In reading the Back Page, you expanding the Society’s service, Force on Expanding International will see that our wide-ranging rec- not just to APS members, but to Engagement. ommendations affect all aspects the entire international physics The Task Force was composed of APS. Our implementation plan community. of 12 APS members living or work- provides concrete actions the ing across the globe with a broad Society can take to ensure our rec- TASK FORCE continued on page 5 2 • January 2019

Shoucheng Zhang 1963-2018 This Month in Physics History By Daniel Garisto Shoucheng Zhang, a theoretical physicist whose research pushed January 6, 1912: Alfred Wegener the frontiers of understanding Presents His Theory of Continental Drift exotic states of matter, has died at 55. His family released a statement he notion that the continents were once joined saying that he had passed away together dates back to at least the 16th cen- “after fighting a battle with depres- T tury, with the Flemish cartographer and geographer sion.” News outlets have reported Abraham Ortelius. Ortelius created the first modern that the family confirmed Zhang atlas: the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Theater of the died from suicide. World). He noted how the geometry of the coasts of Zhang, a pioneer in topologi- America and Europe/Africa seemed to match like cal insulators, also worked on pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, and proposed they had high temperature superconductiv- Shoucheng Zhang gradually drifted apart over time due to earthquakes ity and predicted the quantum spin With Kivelson and Hans and floods. But it was a German scientist named Hall effect. In addition to being Hansson, Zhang developed a Alfred Wegener who developed a robust hypothesis a Fellow of the APS, Zhang had topological quantum field theory of continental drift over 300 years later. also won the APS Oliver Buckley that explained phenomenological Born in 1880, Wegener earned his PhD in astron- Prize, a Guggenheim fellowship, features of the fractional quan- omy from the University of Berlin in 1904, but his the Alexander von Humboldt prize, tum Hall effect. Zhang later used scientific interests were much broader, encompass- and the Dirac Medal. this approach to more broadly ing geophysics, meteorology, and climatology. His “He was one of the brightest make predictions about proper- work in meteorology was especially significant, theorists of his generation and it's ties of quantum Hall systems. since he pioneered the use of balloons to track air an enormous loss for the whole Experiments quickly confirmed circulation and published a widely used standard community that this happened,” his theories. textbook. He became a tutor at the University of said Laurens Molenkamp, the In 1993, Zhang became one of Marburg, taking time out to join expeditions to Editor of Physical Review B. “I Alfred Wegener the youngest professors at Stanford, Greenland in 1906 and 1912 to study polar air lost a friend.” where he remained until his death. circulation. In addition to his career in phys- new observation that geologically younger oceans Students spoke fondly about Zhang. While browsing in the university library one day, ics, Zhang was an entrepreneur who were shallower than their older counterparts. “Shoucheng was a wonder- Wegener happened upon a scientific paper listing founded the venture capital firm Wegener’s hypothesis invited plenty of skepti- ful person who always pushed fossils of plants and animals on opposite sides of Danhua Capital, which invested in cism, especially from geologists, who resented his students (myself included) to the Atlantic Ocean. He noted the striking similari- developing technologies. this outsider’s revolutionary ideas. The American think originally and creatively,” ties between types of rock and fossils, especially “He was a spectacular person. Association of Petroleum Geologists hated the said Bogdan Bernevig, a former fossilized plants. Wegener noticed, as Ortelius did, One of the most catholic intellectu- American translation so much it organized a spe- student who is now a professor at the same jigsaw puzzle-like shapes of the conti- als I've known. He was interested in cial symposium to oppose the theory of continental Princeton. “I owe a lot of what I nents, and how well they seemed to fit together. “A everything. We discussed Lucretius drift. Among his detractors was geologist Franz am, intellectually, to him.” conviction of the fundamental soundness of the idea and we discussed the history of Kossmat, who argued that the oceanic crust was Zhang turned his attention to took root in my mind,” he later wrote. empires and he tried to explain just too tough for continents to “simply plough high-temperature superconductiv- On January 6, 1912, he made the first presenta- to me what blockchain was, I'm through.” The University of Chicago’s Rollin T. ity, where he established a sym- tion of his hypothesis of continental drift at a meet- afraid, unsuccessfully,” said Steven Chamberlin was especially harsh. “Wegener’s metry principle that unified the ing of the German Geological Society in Frankfurt, Kivelson, a colleague at Stanford. hypothesis… is of the footloose type,” he observed, antiferromagnetic and supercon- right before embarking on another scientific expedi- Shoucheng Zhang was born in “in that it takes considerable liberty with our globe, ducting states of matter. tion to Denmark and Greenland. This contradicted Shanghai in 1963 and began attend- and is less bound by restrictions or tied down by Werner Hanke, a professor at the prevailing hypothesis among geologists at the ing Fudan University while he was ugly, awkward facts than most of its rival theories.”. the University of Würzburg who time, which postulated that land bridges had once only 15. He then moved on to the The fact that Wegener didn’t really have a con- collaborated with Zhang on this connected the continents and were now buried Free University of Berlin, and later vincing mechanism for how continental drift might research said that “one of his cen- under the ocean. Stony Brook University, where he occur didn’t help his theory gain broad acceptance. tral gifts was certainly his infec- He suggested that the continents were once a earned his PhD. But the theory did find the occasional champion, tious enthusiasm,” which led to single landmass and gradually drifted apart, either At Stony Brook, he initially notably British geologist Arthur Holmes and South a love for “exploring radically because of the centrifugal force of the Earth’s studied supergravity with his African geologist Alexander Du Toit. In the 1950s, new ideas.” rotation, or some kind of astronomical precession. advisor Peter van Nieuwenhuizen, greater exploration of Earth’s crust along the ocean Zhang’s seminal work, though, Wegener also originally thought mid-ocean ridges before turning to condensed matter floor provided supporting evidence that continents would be in topological insula- might play some role, since the Atlantic seafloor on the advice of his personal hero, indeed moved on crustal plates that spread or sub- tors. Along with Molenkamp and “is continuously tearing open and making space for Nobel laureate Chen-Ning Yang. ducted at mid-ocean ridges. By the late 1960s, Charles Kane, he helped introduce fresh, relatively fluid and hot [material rising] from “He had a superior way of plate tectonics was the scientific consensus among the new state of matter—an insula- depth.” But he eventually abandoned those notions. analyzing problems,” said van geologists. tor on its interior, but a symmetry- Wegener managed to uncover even more exam- Nieuwenhuizen. In 1924, Wegener became a professor of meteo- protected conductor on its surface. ples of similar organisms on widely separated con- As a condensed matter theo- rology and geophysics at the University of Graz in Topological insulators have been tinents over the next few years. By 1915, he had rist, Zhang used his knowledge of Austria. Ever the adventurer, he met with a dramatic observed in materials such as mer- compiled evidence gleaned from multiple scien- particle physics, which gave him end during his final expedition to Greenland. His cury telluride (HgTe). The field that tific disciplines in support of his theory (dubbed a unique ability and insight at the team set off in 1930 with the goal of establish- has grown around them is in no Urkontinent for “All-Lands”) in The Origin of time, said Kivelson. “He had a ing three permanent stations on the ice sheet to small part due to Zhang’s work. Continents and Oceans. He continued to go on deep faith in elegant mathematics monitor its thickness and observe Arctic weather “Shoucheng was an outstanding expeditions to gather additional evidence, updat- to reveal important physics, but at year-round. For the expedition to succeed, Wegener teacher and mentor…who could ing his treatise accordingly. The last edition was the same time, he was also very explain the most complex concepts published just before his death in 1930, with the WEGENER continued on page 3 interested in phenomena that can be measured in the real world.” ZHANG continued on page 6

Series II, Vol. 28, No. 1 January 2019 APS COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES 2019 General Councilors Samuel Bader (Division of Materials Physics), Baha © 2019 American Physical Society Bonnie Fleming, Andrea J. Liu*, Vivian F. Incera*, Balantekin* (Division of Nuclear Physics), Elizabeth President Robin L. B. Selinger Simmons (Division of Particles and Fields), Stuart David J. Gross*, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Phys- Henderson (Division of Physics of Beams), Amitava ics, University of California, Santa Barbara International Councilors Bhattacharjee (Division of Plasma Physics), Muru- Editor...... David Voss Johanna Stachel, Marta Losada*, Ahmadou Wagué*, gappan Muthukumar (Division of Polymer Physics), Staff Science Writer...... Leah Poffenberger President-Elect Enge Wang Charles H. Bennett (Division of Quantum Information), Contributing Correspondent ...... Alaina G. Levine Philip H. 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Physics), John Fourkas (Division of Laser Science), January 2019 • 3 New Supported Sites Chosen for PhysTEC 2018 APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting By Thomas Hone administrators, to mentor newly PhysTEC (the Physics Teacher graduated teachers and provide an By Katherine Kornei outside assessment of their teacher Education Coalition) is pleased Portland, Oregon—This preparation program. to announce awards to four new past November, the 60th Annual Similarly, Worcester Polytechnic sites: Appalachian State University, Meeting of the APS Division of Institute will not only seek new Alexander Volkov Texas A&M University-Commerce, Plasma Physics (DPP) was joined ways to improve recruitment the University of Kansas, and by the 71st Annual Gaseous efforts but also coordinate advising Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Electronics Conference. The pre- and mentoring among students in These new PhysTEC Supported sentations—more than 2,000 in the physics teacher education pro- Sites are well poised to dramati- total—ran the gamut from astro- gram, faculty, in-service teachers, cally improve their physics teacher physical plasmas to applications academic advising, and the STEM education programs and have in biomedicine, along with funda- Education Center as well as create impacts beyond their campuses, mental plasma physics. Here are a an assessment model to determine serving as national models for pro- couple of highlights. gram improvement. factors that influence the recruit- ment and retention of students who No Flies, Just Plasma Central to improving each insti- Gabe Xu, an aerospace engi- tution’s physics teacher education pursue careers as physics teachers. These new comprehensive sites neer at the University of Alabama program is hiring a Teacher-in- in Huntsville, presented a study of Venus flytrap plant after being treated with plasma. Residence (TIR). The TIR will are expected to graduate relatively large numbers of teachers, with an the response of Venus flytraps— recruit students to become high exhibit a mechanical response. “If his colleagues applied 2, 5, and aim of becoming thriving programs those carnivorous plants known for school physics teachers, mentor we can determine what kind of sig- 10 minutes of plasma to dormant that graduate five or more physics catching unsuspecting insects—to learning assistants, and organize a nals the plasma is passing to the Muscat of Alexandria grape vines teachers per year. The project will plasma. Xu and his collaborators, mentoring program for pre-service ‘brains’ of the plant, then we can in the laboratory. They found that offer up to $100,000 per year for 3 Alexander Volkov and Vladimir teachers. Furthermore, the TIR better understand the bioelectro- the short treatment released from years for the institution to achieve Kolobov, were interested in the program will expand and sustain chemical mechanisms,” said Xu. dormancy plants that had never their project goals. In addition, effect of plasma-produced reac- a community of high school phys- Link to abstract: aps.org/ been chilled. The plasma-treated they will be able to network with tive oxygen and nitrogen species ics teachers, both pre-service and Meeting/GEC18/Session/ET4.6 plants also exhibited healthier- the best programs throughout the (“RONS”) on the plants’ ability in-service. looking leaves and vines and more country. to shut their traps. Molecules such Plasma in the Vineyard Building on the rapid growth synchronous growth than untreated Each site will also be addressing as O2, O3, H2O2, and NO occur in Wine is a multi-billion-dollar in the number of physics majors plants. “In just a few minutes the six Physics Teacher Education a variety of plants and animals as industry, and the best reds and at Texas A&M University- you can have the same effect…. Program Analysis (PTEPA) rubric part of their biological signaling whites are produced from healthy Commerce, project leaders plan to that you have with two months standards. These standards are: an systems. grapes. But wine grapes, like some attract many more to physics teach- of chilling, said Mujahid. These institutional commitment; leader- Using an atmospheric-pressure other fruits, are marked by a bio- ing and implement new support for findings reveal that plasma is a ship and collaboration; recruit- plasma jet, the researchers directed logical peculiarity: they must be them on their pathway through the helium plasma at the Venus fly- exposed to a certain number of good alternative to applying hydro- program. The project leaders will ment; knowledge and skills for teaching physics; mentoring and traps. The team left a roughly develop new recruiting materials 1-centimeter gap between the tip and advertise in lower division professional support; and program assessment. of the jet and the plants’ leaves. Xu STEM classes, at university events, and his colleagues found that the at local high schools and commu- In the United States, there are over 27,000 teachers of high Venus flytraps exposed to RONS nity colleges, and through connec- closed after roughly 1 second and tions with local industry. school physics who serve students in over 20,000 public and private reopened a few days later, consis- Appalachian State will focus tent with the timing recorded for on developing an understanding of high schools. While many of these physics teachers are excellent edu- plants dining on insects. (Short best practices in collaborating with “sensor hairs” on the insides of Commons. USDAgov via Wikimedia rural school districts and with first- cators, fewer than half have a major or minor in physics or physics edu- the leaves, when bent, normally generation college goers as well induce electrical signals that cause look for ways to strengthen reten- cation. Physics consistently rates the traps to snap shut.) Presumably A grape vine swells with buds in early spring. tion of physics secondary education as a K-12 education field with a “severe shortage” of teachers, as the plant is absorbing the RONS, students and teachers. gen cyanamide, a toxic chemical demand far exceeds supply for which are triggering some bio- “chilling hours”—a cumulative At the University of Kansas, banned in several countries that open positions. PhysTEC is guided logical chemical behavior, said duration of cold temperatures— project leaders will integrate is sometimes used to break grape by a vision of educating sufficient Xu. What the mechanism is that to coax them out of dormancy in PhysTEC with the existing bud dormancy. The next step will numbers of qualified teachers to induces closure still remains elu- the spring. However, as the cli- UKanTeach program for preparing be replicating these results in vine- provide an excellent physics educa- sive, however. “We're still quite in mate warms, some wine-growing STEM teachers. The result will be yards, said Mujahid. If that’s suc- tion for all students. the dark about the actual biologi- regions may not receive a sufficient new pathways for physics majors to cessful, “plasma may allow crops To date, the PhysTEC project cal and chemical pathways which number of cold nights to satisfy become teachers, and opportunities to be grown in areas where they has funded over 40 institutions to are responsible for the observed this chilling requirement. That’s for those majoring in mathematics haven’t been traditionally grown.” build model physics teacher edu- effects,” said Xu. The scientists where plasma comes in. and other STEM fields to pursue Link to abstract: aps.org/ cation programs. These PhysTEC plan on testing how plasma-pro- Zaka-ul-Islam Mujahid, physics minors and to obtain cer- duced RONS affect other plants, a plasma physicist at Jazan Meeting/GEC18/Session/PR2.12 tification to teach physics. In addi- Supported Sites have demonstrated like mimosa pudica, which also University in Saudi Arabia, and DPP continued on page 7 tion, they will impanel an external significant successes in increasing advisory board, consisting of area the number of highly qualified high school physics teachers and SITES continued on page 6 RENDERING: © 1978-2018 CERN

WEGENER continued from page 2 APRIL MEETING 2019 needed to transfer sufficient provi- member Rasmus Villumsen set out sions from West Camp to a spot with two dog sleds for the return called Eismitte (“mid-ice”), where trip to West Camp, killing the dogs two of his men were planning to one by one for food. When they quarks cosmos camp out through the brutal winter. were down to one sled, Villumsen There was a late thaw, and rode it while Wegener skied along- the six-week delay in provisions side him. Neither man ever reached meant the men at Eismitte would the base camp. Wegener’s body have to return to West Camp ear- was finally recovered on May 12, April 13 - 16, 2019 Denver, Colorado lier than expected, since they didn’t Q2C 1931, halfway between the two have enough fuel for the winter. sites, where it had been buried Register early and save! Determined that his mission should with care by Villumsen and marked Experience the meeting, and explore succeed, Wegener set out with his with his skis. Villumsen’s body was research from the “Quarks to the meteorologist Fritz Loewe and thir- never found. Cosmos (Q2C),” which is the true teen native Greenlanders on dog essence of the meeting. sleds loaded with the necessary Further Reading: supplies. It got so cold (-76 degrees Wegener, Alfred. The Origin of Conti- nents and Oceans (English edition). Early Registration Deadline: F) that Loewe had to amputate his New York: Dover, 1966. March 1, 2019 frostbitten toes with a penknife. Wegener, Elsie and Loewe, Fritz, eds. aps.org/meetings/april Most of the natives returned to Greenland Journey: The Story of We- West Camp, but the remaining three gener’s German Expedition to Green- men eventually reached Eismitte. land in 1930-1931. London: Blackie & Wegener and 23-year-old team Son, Ltd., 1939. Shown with Lauren Aycock (third from left) are members of the Illinois delegation; Sen. Tammy Duckworth (far left), Rep. Robin Kelly (2nd-IL), and Sen. Dick Durbin.

4 • January 2019

Letters The APS Office of Government Affairs

Members may submit letters to [email protected]. APS reserves the right to APS Launches Campaign to Help Members Mitigate Their Carbon Footprint select letters and edit for length and clarity. By Mariah Heinzerling the critical fight against climate APS recently took steps to change,” said Eckart Meiburg, a help curb greenhouse gas (GHG) professor of mechanical engineer- Teaching Physics ing at UC Santa Barbara and 2018 emissions by offering members an chair of DFD. The November 2018 issue of also obtained a state high school opportunity to mitigate their carbon For those without a preferred APS News reported that physics mathematics teaching certificate. footprint by making a donation to organization, APS suggested direct- graduates are wondering what to This extra teaching certificate in an environmental organization of ing donations to the Clean Energy do with their degrees (“I Graduated high school mathematics was easily their choice. Trust (CET). The Trust (cleanen- – What Now?”). As a former high accomplished because my phys- In November 2018, APS ergytrust.org) is a nonprofit clean school physics, chemistry, and math- ics courses required a great deal of unveiled the pilot campaign by pro- technology accelerator focused ematics teacher in mostly inner-city mathematics courses I had to take viding Division of Fluid Dynamics on bringing scientific and tech- Chicago Public Schools, I would as prerequisites. (DFD) members the ability to mit- nological advances to market that highly recommend that every phys- The excellent salary of my high igate the effect of their travel to change how the world generates, ics major program in higher edu- school physics teaching position and from the DFD annual meeting cation offer training in high school (and sometimes mathematics teach- consumes, and reuses energy and in Atlanta, Georgia. Rather than natural resources. CET is a 501c3 physics teaching to its students. ing position) not only paid my daily paign to inform members. promoting the purchase of carbon public charity, and donations are All students in higher educa- living expenses but also helped pay CET has received several dona- offsets, which have often been tax deductible. By donating to CET, tion must take electives and a state for my other master’s degree and tions from APS members, and criticized as being insubstantial, DFD meeting attendees supported teaching certificate in high school my after-retirement PhD with both another organization reached out the Society provided members with an investment in entrepreneurs who physics would offer almost imme- savings and my pension. to APS expressing interest in being an estimate of their carbon foot- are working to commercialize clean diate employment, especially in the Sadly, after retirement I found involved with future iterations of print from traveling to and from technology startups, reduce GHG the campaign. During upcoming big cities of America. The start- that recent BA graduates in the meeting and provided options emissions, and mitigate the risks meetings, APS will improve upon ing salary of a certified teacher in fields such as business, psychol- for donation. of climate change. the model tested at the DFD meet- physics, chemistry, or mathemat- ogy, art, history, criminal justice, APS calculated a suggested The DFD effort follows APS’s ing and aims to make the donation ics almost everywhere in the US and film could only find employ- donation amount using an estimate recent release of its Greenhouse option available earlier in the reg- is about $50,000 per year. There ment for about $10.00 per hour in of the average travel-related GHG Gas Inventory Report, an analysis istration cycle. is a critical need for high school coffee shops and fast-food restau- emissions per person and the social of the Society’s day-to-day opera- “APS will continue running this physics, chemistry, and especially rants. There are virtually no teach- cost of carbon as published by the mathematics teachers. tions and select activities that donation campaign at our largest ing positions anywhere in history, Interagency Working Group, an contribute to its carbon footprint. And since most physics majors national meetings. By working with art, music, or biology. organization of federal regulatory Member travel to and from annual take many mathematics courses in CET and potentially other organi- Physics departments should agencies charged with determining meetings was the second-largest order to master the subject mat- zations going forward, we hope to make potential bachelor’s candi- the social cost of GHGs. GHG contributor detailed in the ter in a higher education physics make APS meetings beneficial not dates aware that a physics degree “DFD is proud to be the first inventory. major program, obtaining another only to the physics community but combined with a high school phys- APS division to offer this step DFD members who registered also the environment as a whole,” high school teaching certificate ics teaching certificate will mean toward mitigating the carbon foot- for the 2018 meeting received said Mark Elsesser, manager of sci- in mathematics could be easily almost immediate well-paying life- print from Society activities. As information about the pilot ahead ence policy at the APS Office of accomplished. time employment almost every- members of a scientific society, of their travel and were notified Government Affairs. Twice, my high school phys- where in America. it is our responsibility to support throughout the meeting about par- The author is a Science ics teaching position was closed, APS in continually implement- ticipating in the campaign. APS Policy Intern in the APS Office of but I always immediately found Stewart Brekke ing forward-thinking strategies in also launched a social media cam- Government Affairs. a mathematics position because I Downers Grove, Illinois Signal Boost is a monthly email video newsletter alerting APS

Office of Public Affairs members to policy issues and identifying opportunities to get involved. Past issues are available at go.aps.org/2nr298D. To receive Signal Boost and learn more about grassroots activi- ties, contact the Office of Government Affairs at [email protected]. Join Our Mailing List: visit the sign-up page at go.aps.org/2nqGtJP.

ran ra nra FYI: Science Policy News From AIP n ruary 22

REER Trump Administration Takes Aim at National Climate Assessment .R/MR By Adria Schwarber and and mitigation planning tools, and William Thomas includes a more systematic analysis On November 23, 2018, the of the economic impacts of climate Trump administration released change than its predecessors. volume two of the Fourth National Asked by reporters about Climate Assessment (NCA4). NCA4, President Trump replied, Mandated by law, the assess- “I’ve seen it. I’ve read some of it, that would reduce greenhouse gas ment documents and projects the and it’s fine.” But when pressed on emissions. impacts of climate change on the his views of its assessment of the Wheeler also suggested the environment, economy, and public economic damage climate change Obama administration had specifi- health of the US. The first volume, could cause to the US, he said, “I cally instructed the report’s authors which examines the physical sci- don’t believe it.” to use a “worst-case scenario.” He ence of climate change, appeared Trump has famously said said the next national assessment, in November 2017. he believes climate change is a due in four years, might assume Although there have been no “hoax.” In more recent interviews, more technological advances in indications the administration he has acknowledged the climate reducing emissions. interfered with NCA4’s produc- is changing but, rejecting the sci- Later that day, the EPA released tion, top officials have criticized entific consensus, he has also sug- a “fact check” pointing to a its methods and conclusions. It gested it is the result of natural 2015 memorandum from the US is also widely suspected that the variability. Global Change Research Program administration’s decision to release Acting Environmental Protection (USGCRP) as evidence the assess- it ahead of schedule on the day after Agency (EPA) Administrator ment team had been “pushed” into Thanksgiving was a deliberate Andrew Wheeler offered the admin- employing a high-emissions sce- attempt to minimize attention to it. istration’s most detailed criticisms nario called RCP8.5. A “representa- NCA4 concludes climate of NCA4 in a live interview with tive concentration pathway” (RCP) impacts are “intensifying” across the Washington Post on November is a particular emissions trajectory the US and that the evidence of 28. While he thanked the federal that can be consistent with a vari- anthropogenic climate change is employees who worked on the ety of scenarios for future energy “overwhelming and continues to report, he argued it is based on demand, energy sources employed, strengthen.” It also offers detailed overly pessimistic assumptions that and other factors. accounts of localized impacts, do not take sufficient account of The memo in question actually along with accompanying resilience future technological improvements NCA4 continued on page 7 January 2019 • 5

FECS continued from page 1

material science and microbiology, and Gardner is an instrumental sci- entist whose career has taken him Is weather the culprit? from his native England to the US By Katherine Kornei and now to Australia. The Forum on Graduate Student Elizabeth Austin has seen a lot Ltd. now has employees across the Affairs (FGSA) has existed since of weather. Trained in atmospheric United States and in Nepal. The 2001 to provide support for physics physics, she investigates the role firm provides weather forecasting graduate students, and Longobardi of weather in crimes and accidents services and weather-related prob- and Gardner emphasize that a as a forensic meteorologist. “It's a lem solving, like helping compa- counterpart to meet the unique niche,” she admits of her profes- nies determine the best location needs of post-docs and early sion, which combines the skillsets for their headquarters. The scien- career scientists was long overdue. Jason Gardner of a physicist, a chemist, and a tists at WeatherExtreme Ltd. also “Post-docs have different needs meteorologist and requires careful investigate court cases in which than the graduate student commu- thing to offer them, but that’s cer- navigating of complex court cases. people have been hurt in part due nity,” underscored Longobardi. tainly not the case.” Born in New York and raised in to weather. The public has a certain Principally, many FECS members Beyond the emphasis on career Southern California, Austin grew fascination with the idea that a nat- have families, which adds another development and network building, up backpacking in the mountains ural phenomenon like weather can dimension of complexity to the FECS is sharply focused on help- of the western United States. Those cause—or at least strongly contrib- Elizabeth Austin already challenging tasks of relo- ing members hone their science camping trips solidified her interest ute to—an accident, Austin says. holds a faculty position in the cating and, if necessary, applying communication skills. “Science is in nature. In high school, Austin Austin is often asked to provide Atmospheric Science Department for visas. Added Gardner, many for all, and we have to learn how realized that she could combine an expert opinion on crimes and at the University of Nevada at aspects of the professional land- to communicate to a broad audi- her passions for nature and science accidents that involve the weather. Reno. In 2018, she was featured on scape are unfamiliar to early-career ence,” noted Longobardi, herself a when her physics teacher showed She’s been involved in over 1,500 The Weather Channel series “Storm scientists as they finish their post- skilled science writer and a former a movie of the Tacoma Narrows cases spanning the fields of avia- of Suspicion,” which focuses on doctoral fellowships. “Many early editor at Nature, “I’m convinced Bridge ripping itself apart in high tion, tornadoes, boating, and ava- criminal cases in which the weather career scientists don’t realize this is one of the duties of a scien- winds. The combination of phys- lanches. After years of appearing played a role. the different opportunities in front tist.” Currently this spirit of science ics and atmospheric science that in courtrooms, Austin has prac- Austin’s favorite atmospheric of them, what the competition in communication is most evident in contributed to the bridge’s demise tice presenting the meteorological phenomenon is a rare event called the job market looks like, what is the forum’s twice-yearly newsletter fascinated Austin. She had found facts in simple terms that juries can a waterspout. These features, involved in leaving the USA for – a forum where, in Longobardi’s her field. understand. But her work some- which are funnels of swirling air work, or even what to ask when words, “people from gravitational After earning a bachelor’s times still takes a mental toll, Austin that appear over water, resemble interviewing for a job,” he said. physics can explain their research degree in Atmospheric Science at says, particularly when the acci- small tornadoes. In September Importantly, the forum’s sup- to condensed matter physicists” the University of California, Los dents involve children. One case 1998, Austin saw several water- port extends not only to early and vice versa. To make science Angeles, Austin enrolled in a grad- sticks with her: a fifteen-year-old spouts on Lake Tahoe, the largest career scientists pursuing tradi- communication more accessible for uate program at the University of girl went parasailing in Florida in of which was about 100 meters tional paths in academia, but also FECS members who may not yet Nevada, Reno. It was during grad- 2007 and was killed after her para- in diameter. Austin recalls scien- the increasing number interested feel confident contributing to the uate school that a colleague told sailing rope snapped in high winds tists from the National Oceanic in joining industry and the private newsletter, the forum is also in the Austin about forensic meteorology. and she was blown into a build- and Atmospheric Administration sector. This takes place in large process of organizing workshops The idea that science could be used ing. The winds weren’t unexpected, flocking to Lake Tahoe to study that part through events and recep- and webinars to help early career to solve mysteries and determine Austin showed: A National Weather event, something she remembers as tions co-hosted with the Forum scientists develop and practice this the causes of accidents was “so up Service area forecast issued earlier “unbelievable.” for Industrial & Applied Physics crucial skill. my alley,” says Austin. “It was a that morning had called for strong The many different fields in (FIAP) to promote dialogue and Although FECS is geared combination of everything I was thunderstorms and wind gusts to 40 which Austin is fluent—such as the exchange between early career sci- toward meeting the needs of early interested in.” miles per hour. Austin’s work on fluid dynamics of the atmosphere entists and more senior members career scientists, activities aren’t of industry. Beyond networking, restricted to this population. “We Soon after finishing her MS that case contributed to the passing and atmospheric chemistry—are this support also takes the form always get asked ‘Am I too old to and PhD in Atmospheric Physics, of the Florida Parasailing Act in linked by physics. “Physics is a of actively educating early career join FECS?’” noted Gardner, “and Austin founded a research 2014, which prohibits commercial huge part of what I do,” she says. scientists about the opportunities we want elders in the community and consulting firm that, in its parasailing in certain wind, rain, “You kind of have to be a jack of that exist beyond the sphere of to join and help guide these busy present incarnation, is called fog, and thunderstorm conditions. all trades.” academia, a domain that is likely young minds.” Longobardi echoed WeatherExtreme Ltd. Originally a A frequent public lecturer about The author is a freelance writer quite unfamiliar, particularly for that her vision for the future of one-woman show, WeatherExtreme forensic meteorology, Austin also in Portland, Oregon. the majority of early career sci- FECS involves a greater emphasis entists whose mentors have been on guidance and mentorship from exclusively professors and aca- more senior scientists. As one TASK FORCE continued from page 1 demic researchers. For example, example of how this intergenera- I cannot think of a better time Today, with isolationism on Jonathan Bagger is the Director one of FECS’ most well-attended tional mentorship might come to for this report to appear. Physics the rise globally, these fundamen- of TRIUMF and served as Chair of APS Meeting sessions to-date was fruition, FECS hopes to establish relies on the free circulation of tal principles are under threat. the APS Task Force on Expanding a symposium on data science fea- workshops at future APS meet- people and ideas. I need only look By increasing its international International Engagement. He turing panelists from academia as ings where early career scientists at my laboratory, TRIUMF, to see engagement, following the goals also has served on the APS well as companies like Netflix and can get feedback on their CVs or this demonstrated every day. Our and recommendations presented Board of Directors, Council of Uber to discuss various applica- resumes from experienced senior users and visitors travel to Canada by the Task Force on Expanding Representatives, and has Chaired tions of data mining and work with researchers and members of indus- from some 39 countries, spanning International Engagement, APS can the APS Division of Particles and large data sets. try—especially those who have every continent except Antarctica. stand in support of the global phys- Fields (DPF) and Committee on In this way, FECS could play an been involved in the hiring process. Our students and staff hold pass- ics community and of the values we International Scientific Affairs important role in keeping industrial Overall, FECS stands out as a ports from 30 nations. share worldwide. (CISA). and applied physicists involved in forum with an incredibly bright the APS community. Citing a drop- future, and one that occupies an off in APS membership among important niche for post-docs and physicists who transition out of early-career members in all their academia, Gardner noted that diversity. More information on this FECS aspires to be a kind of bridge forum can be found here: aps.org/ between the worlds of academia units/fecs/ Join the nation’s REGISTER NOW and industry: “People in industry The author is a freelance writer largest meeting dedicated to the • Special Workshop: education of future physics teachers may not think that APS has any- in Helsinki, Finland. ‘Get the Facts Out’ toolkit for recruiting 2019 teachers • Study Results: Building Thriving PhysTEC Physics Teacher Education Programs Conference • Networking with leaders in physics teacher March 2-3 education Boston, MA And more!

phystec.org 6 • January 2019

HIGHLIGHTS continued from page 1 ZHANG continued from page 2 candidates have been vying for the LSND results in ways that made them clear and boundless exploration and discov- the top spot (see physics.aps.org/ could be explained understandable even to simple ering beauty.” articles/v11/48). One of these dark by a theory that experimentalists and chemists,” To see a World in a Grain of Sand matter options, primordial black includes a fourth, wrote Stuart Parkin and Claudia And a Heaven in a Wild Flower holes, garnered a lot of attention “sterile,” neutrino, Felser, both researchers at insti- Hold Infinity in the palm of following the detections of black which interacts tutes of the Max Planck Society in your hand hole mergers by the LIGO-Virgo only through grav- Germany. Both said they would not And Eternity in an hour. collaboration, but the excitement ity. The hypothesis have worked on topological materi- The author is a freelance sci- went down after a supernova of sterile neutri- als without having met Zhang. ence writer based in New York. lensing study found that black nos had seemed to For his discoveries in this area, holes cannot account for all of have serious dents, Zhang was frequently mentioned in Additional Information the dark matter (see physics.aps. as it’s inconsistent shortlists for the Nobel Prize. If you are in crisis, please call org/articles/v11/97). However, the with other recent In a statement, his family noted the National Suicide Prevention biggest splash of the year was an results with neu- that his favorite poem, “Auguries Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), unexpected absorption signal from trinos produced at of Innocence,” by William Blake, or contact the Crisis Text Line by Growing nanocrystals hydrogen gas at the time of the first accelerators and “expressed his life’s mission for texting TALK to 741741. stars. To explain these observa- nuclear reactors. tions, theorists have proposed that The new MiniBooNE result, how- ics.aps.org/articles/v11/106). To SITES continued from page 3 the gas was cooled through interac- ever, rekindles the debate about understand how atoms position physics teachers. Those with com- for the 21st Century. The project is tions with dark matter (see physics. these particles, whose existence themselves when a crystal grows prehensive funding support have led by the APS and the American aps.org/articles/v11/69). One pos- could potentially explain dark out of a liquid, researchers in collectively tripled the number of Association of Physics Teachers. sibility is that dark matter particles matter and the matter-antimatter France monitored the process with PhysTEC graduates. More information about PhysTEC carry a very small (one could say asymmetry in the Universe. a transmission electron micro- The PhysTEC project has sup- is available at www.PhysTEC.org. WIMPy) electric charge. scope. The liquid was a nanodrop- Tops Spin at 60 Billion RPM port from the National Science The author is Senior let of gold that was supersaturated Quantum Cryptography via Imagine a game of dreidel with Foundation and from individual and Coordinator for Education and with gallium and arsenide atoms. Satellite a 60-billion-RPM top. Two inde- corporate gifts to the APS Campaign Diversity programs at APS. Researchers in China and pendent teams set world records by The video shows atoms falling out Austria used a satellite link to spinning objects at such rates. The from beneath the droplet to cre- hold the first intercontinental vid- researchers, from the Swiss Federal ate a “step” at one corner of the PAINT continued from page 1 eoconference protected by quan- Institute of Technology (ETH) in liquid-solid interface. The step that didn’t involve spreading paint their formation is difficult. Using tum cryptography (see physics. Zurich and Purdue University in then sweeps across the surface as with a brush. Famous American paints, according to Zenit, could aps.org/articles/v11/7). The data Indiana used circularly polarized more atoms add up to build a new painter Jackson Pollock, a student provide a medium to help elucidate security was provided by quantum light, which has a rotating electric crystal layer. of Siqueiros, was in attendance at this phenomenon. field, to twirl nanoscale Equations for Knitted the workshop, developing his sig- Pollock’s unconventional paint- objects (see phys- Fabric nature style of dripping. ing method of dripping paint from a ics.aps.org/articles/ Yarn is resistant to stretch- “When [Zetina] was studying stick over a horizontal canvas also v11/73). The centrifu- ing, but knitted sweaters are very the paintings from Siqueiros dur- held fluid-mechanical interest for gal force at these rota- stretchable. Intrigued by this seem- ing this period, she had the vision Zenit and Zetina: How did he cre- tion rates was nearly ing contradiction, physicists at the to involve fluid mechanics. She ate the straight, steady filaments of enough for the silica École Normale Supérieure in Paris came to me with these paintings paint that build up to create his art? spinners to break apart, and Lyon investigated the stretch- and asked me this question ‘how “The filaments were laid in do you paint like that? What do you a certain rhythmical manner— so the technique could ing process for knitted fabrics (see need to know to produce these pat- Pollock allowed himself to be be used to stress-test physics.aps.org/articles/v11/66). terns?’” said Zenit. filmed while he was working,” said nanomachine parts, say The team applied controlled Zetina and Zenit combined his- Zenit. “What we wanted to know is the teams. It could also stretches to a fabric knitted with torical detective work—searching what Pollock knows—we want to be applied to study a nylon thread and then came up through letters Siqueiros wrote explore the physical space in which Encryption in space hard-to-detect quantum with a few simple equations that during the 1936 conference and he works to generate these steady form of rotational fric- account for the material properties watching videos of Pollock paint- filaments.” key distribution (QKD), which tion called the Casimir torque, a they observed. Others had previ- ing—with fluid mechanics experi- Using historical movies of exchanges cryptographic keys that frictional effect caused by interac- ously suggested that the stretchi- ments to characterize how the Pollock painting, Zenit measured are encoded in quantum-entangled tions of the object with the virtual ness results from the yarn sliding artists achieved their signature how quickly Pollock moved his photons. Long-distance QKD has particles of the quantum vacuum. from stitch to stitch and from the styles. hands and from what height he been previously demonstrated stitches becoming distorted. But SI Drops the Kilogram Siqueiros described his acciden- dripped paint and built an experi- on terrestrial networks of optical the new equations, which can Standard tal painting technique in a letter, mental set-up to test what affected fibers, but optical losses in the be adapted to any stitch pattern, The units of measurement have which Zenit loosely translated: the paint on the canvas. What Zenit fibers had limited the communica- explain the process quantitatively. historically been based on tan- “if there are two pools of paint found was that, at a reasonable tion distance to a few hundred kilo- The team hopes their results could gible things, like a human hand, that are superimposed on top of paint viscosity, hand speed was meters. Exploiting the undisturbed be useful for engineers develop- a volume of water, or a chunk of each, together they can infiltrate the necessary factor for creating propagation of photons in space, ing so-called smart fabrics, which, metal. But these objects can change [or combine].” Using Siqueiros’ Pollock’s signature straight lines the satellite experiment involved for example, could adopt specific with time or place, which is why vague instructions, Zenit’s lab of paint rather than curling coils. two stations that were 7600 km shapes in response to heat. the world metrological commu- began experimenting with layer- “What we see is that when the apart. Exchanging secret keys at nity voted in November to adopt Quantum Physics Gets a ing liquids with different viscosities speed of the hand is small is when kilohertz rates, the teams were more universal definitions for Poetic Makeover and densities. the filament coils because of a able to send quantum encrypted the international system of units Many find it hard to conjure “First, we poured a layer of buckling instability. Fluid doesn’t images and to hold a secure vid- (SI) (see physics.aps.org/articles/ the words needed to accurately viscous fluid—black paint in this have the room to flow freely and it eoconference that lasted 75 min- v11/117). The four affected units— describe the quirky world of quan- case—and on top of that, we poured buckles and curls,” said Zenit. “If utes and required 2 gigabytes of the kilogram, the ampere, the kel- tum objects and its logic-defying a second layer of paint of a differ- you move the substrate at a high data. The demonstration is good vin, and the mole—will now be rules. But researchers and artists ent color. You end up with two- enough rate, you are able to prevent news for those who envision a defined in terms of fundamental alike keep trying to do exactly layer pancake. What you see after coiling.” “quantum internet” built around a physical constants, like Planck’s that. One such artist, poet Amy some time is, progressively as time Understanding how techniques global network of ground stations constant and the elementary electric Catanzano, thinks that poetry advances the white paint will infil- were achieved—thanks to fluid and satellites. charge. But bathroom scales, body could provide a tool for develop- trate into the black paint to generate dynamics research—has allowed Neutrino Puzzle Gets thermometers, and other everyday ing a more effective language for these patterns that are characteris- artists to recreate and reclaim these Complicated Again measurement devices need not fear, communicating the complex ideas tic of this accidental painting tech- innovative modern art techniques, Researchers with the as their jobs are secure. The only of quantum physics. This year she nique” said Zenit. “The lines only integrating them into new works MiniBooNE experiment at big loser is the international proto- put her idea into practice through a appear in this manner if the top fluid of art. Zenit’s research has also Fermilab in Illinois detected a sig- type kilogram—a platinum-iridium poem about a topological quantum is denser than the bottom fluid.” expanded beyond techniques from nal that is incompatible with neu- cylinder housed in Paris—which computer consisting of four quan- Accidental painting makes famous artists of the past: His lab trino oscillations involving just will no longer hold the title of mass tum bits (see physics.aps.org/arti- use of Rayleigh-Taylor instabil- now has an artist in residence, the three known flavors of neutri- standard for the world. cles/v11/103). The poem attempts ity, which occurs at the interface Octavio Moctezuma, a professional nos (see physics.aps.org/articles/ Cinematic Crystal Growth to translate the quantum theory between two fluids with differ- watercolor painter, who wanted to v11/122). Confirming earlier Electron microscopes have pro- behind this computer through its ent densities as an upper layer of understand how physics made his results from the Liquid Scintillator vided stunning images of atoms word choices and its structure. dense white paint pushes on the art possible. Neutrino Detector (LSND) at Los and molecules for decades. Still, Whether physicists will adopt lower layer of black paint. A slow “These are techniques that art- Alamos—now with higher sta- this video of a nanowire growing poetry as a language for quantum mixing process occurs as the paint ists do, but they don’t have the tistical significance—the finding one atomic layer at a time was the physics remains debatable. Either dries, creating the unique texture. tools or terminology to explain suggests that muon neutrinos can most popular of the ones we shared way, this poem provides a path- Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities are it,” said Zenit. “We have learned a transform into electron neutrinos on social media—perhaps because way for those outside of physics often found in nature, accounting lot about artists—they are masters over much shorter distances than it’s like watching the world’s tini- to acquaint themselves with some for the appearance of the Crab of fluid mechanics, but they don’t expected. Both the MiniBooNE and est 3D printer in action (see phys- tricky quantum concepts. Nebula for example, and studying know it.” January 2019 • 7

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• Develop new and/or strengthen existing electronic • Significantly increase international student and early- financial, and leadership attention) to develop and implement communications vehicles for physics communities career participation in APS annual and Unit meetings. a five-year roadmap with near-, mid- and long-term goals. outside the U.S., especially for those without estab- Expand existing APS programs and meetings that The Task Force emphasized that if the Society is indeed lished physics societies. focus on young international physicists. committed to expanding its international engagement, APS must make transformative change a priority and commit Goal 2: Integrate international affairs across all APS Goal 4: Advance government policies that promote inter- resources accordingly. In particular, some international activities. national scientific collaboration. activities may be especially attractive to potential donors or foundations, and APS may launch fundraising campaigns Recommendations: Recommendations: for certain new initiatives. • Leadership: Hold regular summits of physical society • Advocate for international research activities and for Conclusion presidents and leaders of international physics organi- stable funding for large-scale international projects. The Task Force recommendations covered a wide range. zations; partner with national physics societies toward Most importantly, the Task Force hopes that APS members, joint advocacy on issues of common concern. Include • Promote and advocate for scientific mobility (e.g. leaders, and staff will embrace its overarching proposal: that more international members in APS leadership at all visas and immigration policies, removing barriers APS fully incorporate international engagement into all levels (Units, Advisory Committees, Prize and Award to engagement), including a proper balance between of the Society’s activities. To realize this vision, the Society Committees, Nominating Committees, etc.). open scientific exchange and intellectual property and must proactively welcome international members and inte- security concerns. grate them into all APS activities and leadership levels. • Units: Empower Units to expand joint activities; estab- Even the most carefully developed recommendations, lish an International Officer on every Unit Executive • Establish an APS State Department Fellowship however, have little impact without follow-on commitment Committee with a clear mandate to strengthen linkages Program and/or expand APS sponsorship of existing to progress. Consequently, the Task Force stressed that its and activities with international partners. AIP State Department Fellowships to further engage report represents merely the first step towards expanding APS members in policy formation. • Senior Staff & Programs: Expand international reach the American Physical Society’s service to the international of APS programs; ensure senior staff include interna- Implementation physics community. Doing so will not only benefit the APS tional communities in program plans. Along with its recommendations, the Task Force also members, but will also strengthen the Society’s leadership in serving all physicists worldwide. • Editors: Increase and facilitate the APS profile and developed an Implementation Plan with specific actions designed to accomplish each goal. This Plan gives the editorial presence at international meetings; increase, *Task Force members: Jonathan Bagger, Chair, as appropriate, the number of associate editors, edito- pragmatic next steps for each recommendation and is pro- TRIUMF; William Colglazier, Vice-Chair, Center rial board members, and reviewers from international vided in Appendix A of the full report (aps.org/programs/ for Science Diplomacy, AAAS; Dirk Jan Bukman., locations. international).The Task Force also recognized the need for APS Editorial Office; Luisa Cifarelli, University of APS to consider: 1) evaluation and assessment of current Goal 3: Expand international opportunities for young Bologna; Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz, São Paulo international programs; 2) measures of success (metrics) for Research Foundation and Universidade Estadual de physicists; better prepare young physicists for interna- existing and future international activities; and, 3) impact tional careers. Campinas; Laura H. Greene, National High Magnetic upon resources and sustainability of key initiatives. Field Laboratory, Florida State University; Alan J. Recommendations: The Task Force’s ultimate observation, however, was that Hurd, Los Alamos National Laboratory; Young-Kee APS must deepen its international engagement across the Kim, University of Chicago; Patricia McBride, Fermi • Increase connections to the international private sec- full range of Society activities. This is a transformational National Accelerator Laboratory; Eliezer Rabinovici, tor/industry to improve career development opportu- proposition, one that affects far more than programs under Hebrew University, Jerusalem; Johanna Stachel, nities outside academia. the direct purview of the APS Office of International Affairs. University of Heidelberg; Nai-Chang Yeh, California • Establish additional summer research opportunities Therefore, international goals must be embraced by the APS Institute of Technology. APS staff: Amy K. Flatten, for U.S. and non-U.S. undergraduate students at pre- leadership and consistently incorporated into the Society’s Director of International Affairs; Michele E. Irwin, miere research facilities outside the country of their ongoing strategic planning. More specifically, the Task Force International Programs Manager. home institution. asserted that APS must allocate sufficient resources (staff,

NCA4 continued from page 4 documents USGCRP’s decision to emissions trends. RCP4.5, it notes, uncertainty that comes with quan- use both RCP8.5 and a moderate- is associated with lower population tifying future human activities and emissions scenario called RCP4.5 growth, more technological innova- their influence on climate.” as the “core scenarios” in its analy- tion, and the use of energy sources Adria Schwarber is a Science sis. It states these scenarios are in with a lower carbon intensity. Policy Analyst and William Thomas line with the ranges of scenarios Justifying its use of the scenar- is Senior Science Policy Analyst considered in the third NCA and ios, the report states they “capture with FYI at the American Institute the Intergovernmental Panel on a range of potential greenhouse of Physics. Climate Change’s Fifth Assessment gas pathways and associated FYI has been a trusted source Report, which were both released atmospheric concentration levels of science policy and funding in 2014. through 2100,” while noting it news since 1989, and is read by NCA4 itself states that RCP8.5, does not assess the “feasibility of members of Congress and their which generally assumes high the socioeconomic assumptions” staff, federal agency heads, jour- population growth and the use of underlying them. The report fur- nalists, and US scientific lead- carbon-intensive energy sources, ther states, “The resulting range ers. Sign up for free FYI emails is consistent with current global of projections reflects, in part, the at aip.org/fyi Fundamental Physics Innovation DPP continued from page 3 AWARDS Mysterious Ball Lightning ning. The first step to forming ball the smells and sounds often asso- Lightning comes in more than just lightning, his theory postulates, is ciated with ball lightning: humans jagged bolts—it’s also been reported that the tip of what will become a can hear microwaves because they LECTURESHIP AWARDS as a luminous ball a few tens of cen- lightning bolt generates more than create acoustic pressure in the inner Supports visits to enable seminars and timeters in diameter. “Ball lightning” 1015 electrons moving at nearly the ear, and the plasma creates ozone exchanges of ideas is extremely rare, and its properties speed of light. When this relativ- (O3) that gives off a distinctive are downright baffling: observers istic burst of electrons strikes the odor. And because microwaves can VISITOR AWARDS have clamed it can travel through ground, it creates microwaves that travel through insulators like glass, Supports extended visits between windowpanes and it has been spotted ionize gases in the air to produce a Wu’s model is consistent with ball researchers to learn, develop, and share within aircraft. Scientists don’t know plasma, Wu’s theory proposes. This lightning being created on the other techniques or scientific approaches how ball lightning forms, however, plasma expands into a bubble with side of windowpanes. Wu is cur- and why it’s often accompanied by a a diameter dictated by the wave- rently planning experiments to test strong odor and buzzing noises. It’s length of the electromagnetic radia- his model—he aims to detect elec- CONVENING AWARDS Supports scientific meetings to generate surprising that we don’t understand tion (roughly 20-50 centimeters). trons and microwaves produced in or build on ideas within the community a phenomenon that’s been recorded When molecules such as N2 and O2 high-voltage settings that mimic the for centuries, said Hui-Chun Wu, in the plasma are excited by nearby conditions of lightning. Learn more: a physicist at Zhejiang University electrons, they emit visible light. Link to abstract: aps.org/ aps.org/programs/innovation/moore in China. As a result, the spherical struc- Meeting/DPP18/Session/UI2.6 Wu has proposed a theoreti- ture—the ball lightning—appears The author is a freelance writer cal model to explain ball light- to glow. Wu’s model also explains in Portland, Oregon. 8 • January 2019

An International Strategy for Serving the APS Mission By the APS Task Force on Expanding International Engagement*

The APS Council has strongly endorsed the Report of the Task Force on Expanding International Engage- ment. Effective international partnerships are crucial both to APS and the entire physics enterprise in the United States. This report gives APS a strategic road- map for making connections and strengthening rela- tionships with the international physics community. —Timothy J. Gay, 2018 Speaker of the Council

Physics is a global endeavor, with some of the greatest breakthroughs and achievements realized through inter- national collaboration. The APS membership reflects the Figure 3: Stakeholder responses to Question 2, (below) international nature of physics, with nearly one quarter liv- ing outside of the United States (Fig. 1). Physicists cross Figure 1: Geographic distribution of APS Members. As continents to attend the Society’s annual meetings, with of January, 2018, 13,772 of 55,385 APS members were nearly one third of all March Meeting participants coming living outside the United States. • Inclusiveness: APS must strive to serve all its members from outside the United States, making it one of the largest – worldwide. It must provide more ways for non-U.S. and most internationally diverse gatherings of physicists members to participate in all aspects of the Society. It worldwide. Moreover, international issues cut across es- should move from mere “passive allowance” towards sentially all interests of APS, and their importance is in- “proactive inclusion” of international members across creasing: all of its activities. • Research: International research collaborations are on • Representative Leadership: Non-U.S. members the rise; more countries are partnering to build large- comprise 24% of total membership, but international scale collaborations and facilities. members are not proportionally represented across • Industry: Companies are increasingly multinational; the Society’s leadership (i.e., Unit Leaders, Program more U.S. corporations are expanding offshore research Committees, Advisory Committees, etc.). APS must and development facilities. work to ensure that international voices are included in • Journals: Three-quarters of corresponding authors all aspects of the Society’s leadership and advisory roles. publishing in APS journals are now from outside the Outreach Findings: Survey Results United States. The “Member Survey,” and subsequent internal surveys • Education: The United States competes to attract and Figure 2: Stakeholder responses to Question 1 (below) to APS components, provided crucial insights into the stake- retain first-rate students and scientists, yet interna- holders’ priorities. To compare and contrast responses, every tional applications to U.S. physics Ph.D. programs are survey included two common questions: declining. regional physics society—and also to APS—the Society 1. The list below describes some broad, over-arching • Outreach: APS engages physicists at all levels world- can offer a global community for physicists, with new goals for APS international programs. Which of these do wide, offering K-12 students hands-on physics activities opportunities for international partnerships. you believe APS should make top priority? [Select up to 2.] and bringing the excitement of physics to U.S. and, These Principles served as the foundations upon which the increasingly, to international audiences. Task Force built its recommendations for the Society. • Increase international member participation in APS • Policy: Open exchange is the lifeblood of scientific leadership Understanding Stakeholder Interests progress; recent government policies restricting sci- • Expand international reach of existing APS programs entific mobility are affecting U.S. participation in Task Force members conducted extensive outreach to bet- • Serve developing country physicists, without encour- international collaborations, as well as international ter understand the perspectives and priorities of essentially aging “brain-drain” participation in U.S.-based collaborations. all APS stakeholders. Most notably, the Task Force part- • Prepare young physicists (PhD students, postdocs, • Membership: Nearly one-quarter of APS membership nered with the Statistical Resource Center of the American early career) for international partnerships and col- lives outside the United States; APS surveys indicate Institute of Physics to conduct a survey of APS members on laboration in industry, academia, or other careers international priorities. A sample of nearly 9,400 members that many members would welcome a more interna- • Promote “Science Diplomacy” tional outlook from the Society. (~6400 U.S.; ~3000 non-U.S.) yielded a 33% response rate, • Create incentives for physicists outside of the U.S. to with an especially strong response from non-U.S. members. The APS Strategic Plan: 2013-2017 recognized that belong to both APS and the national physical society This suggested that APS members, especially those outside expanded international engagement was key to the Society’s in their current country of residence service to the physics community. Consequently, APS cre- of the U.S., were invested in the Society’s efforts to expand 2. The list below describes some broad, cross-cutting ated new international programs to serve its members, its international engagement. In addition to the survey, the issues that involve actions that APS might take. Which increased its offerings to physicists in the developing world, Task Force sought advice from essentially all APS compo- of these do you believe APS should consider making a established ongoing physicist exchanges with new inter- nents, as well as other national and international physics top priority? [Select up to 2.] national partners, and united with other national physical organizations: societies to carry out a suite of joint activities. APS Units and Other Physics Organizations • Scientific Mobility Then, with the development and upcoming launch of the • Executive Committees of all APS Units • Long-term Funding for International Projects • Industrial Physics Advisory Board APS Strategic Plan: 2019, APS leadership decided it was • National Benefits of International Scientific • National physical society leaders time to take the Society’s international efforts to the next Collaboration • International and regional physics organizations level, and in March 2017, APS Chief Executive Officer • International Mechanisms for Planning of International • International Union of Pure & Applied Physics Kate Kirby launched the APS Task Force on Expanding Scientific Collaborations (IUPAP) Presidential Line International Engagement. The Task Force worked for nearly • Joint National Physics Society Advocacy 18 months to understand the interests, concerns and priori- • U.S. Liaison Committee to IUPAP Comparisons or responses across the various stakeholder ties of all APS stakeholders and to create an international APS Leaders & Staff groups are presented in Figures 2 and 3. strategy to serve the larger APS mission. • APS Presidential Line • Board of Directors Goals and Recommendations Guiding Principles • Council of Representatives The Task Force identified four goals that encompassed • International partnerships strengthen APS. Expanded • Senior Management Team the breadth of interests conveyed by all stakeholders in and strengthened partnerships with other national, • APS Senior Staff APS international activities. (✹ = Priority identified by the regional, or international physics organizations will • Lead & Remote Editors Task Force*) enable APS to better serve the global physics com- Outreach Findings: Shared Values Goal 1: Offer new/expanded ways to participate in the munity. While increased international partnerships and While the stakeholders’ feedback proved critical to devel- APS community. activities may attract new APS members, the Society is oping the Task Force goals and recommendations, the feed- not aiming to grow its membership through expanded back also revealed a few shared values among essentially Recommendations: international engagement. The APS does not aim to be all groups: the world’s physical society. • Connectivity and Community: All APS members, • Enable geographic APS Sections outside of the United • International collaboration strengthens physics in the regardless of nationality, rated “being part of a larger States. United States. The U.S. physics enterprise benefits from physics community” as the primary reason for APS • Create incentives for physicists outside of the U.S. to international engagement with physicists worldwide. membership. Consequently, APS should serve as a global belong to both APS and the national physical society APS meetings and publications strengthen that engage- hub, welcoming the world’s physicists and working with in their country of residence. ment. As physicists often belong to their own national or international partners to advance shared interests. BACK PAGE continued on page 7

The Back Page is a forum for member commentary and opinion. The views expressed are not necessarily those of APS. APS News welcomes and encourages letters and submissions from APS members responding to these and other issues. Responses may be sent to: [email protected] APS Announces 2019 Prize and Award Recipients APS extends congratulations to all recipients of these Society prizes and awards. Recipients will be honored at award ceremonies at various APS meetings throughout the year. The March and April meeting award ceremonies are open to all APS members and their guests. At the March Meeting, the APS Prizes and Awards Ceremony will be held Monday, March 4, 2019, 5:45 p.m. at the Boston Convention Center, Boston, Massachusetts. At the April Meeting, the APS Prizes and Awards Ceremony will be held Sunday, April 14, 2019, 5:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, Denver, Colorado. In addition to the award ceremonies, many prize and award recipients will give invited talks during the meeting. Some recipients are recognized at APS unit meetings. For the schedule of APS meetings, please visit aps.org/meetings/calendar.cfm.

Prizes

2019 APS MEDAL FOR EXCEPTIONAL 2019 MAX DELBRUCK PRIZE IN BIOLOGICAL 2019 LEO P. KADANOFF PRIZE ACHIEVEMENT IN RESEARCH PHYSICS M. Cristina Marchetti Bertrand I. Halperin Ken A. Dill University of California, Santa Barbara Harvard University Stony Brook University For original contributions to equilibrium and For his seminal contributions to theoretical non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, including condensed matter physics, especially his profound work on equilibrium and driven vortex pioneering work on the role of topology in both systems, and fundamental research and leadership classical and quantum systems. in the growing field of active matter.

Jose Nelson Onuchic 2019 HANS A. BETHE PRIZE Rice University 2019 IRVING LANGMUIR PRIZE IN CHEMICAL Ken’ichi Nomoto PHYSICS The University of Tokyo, Kavli Institute of Physics and Mathematics Devarajan Thirumalai University of Texas, Austin For lasting contributions to our understanding of the nuclear astrophysics of the universe, including For independent contributions to a new view of protein folding, For the development of analytical and stellar evolution, the synthesis of new elements, from the introduction and exploration of simple models, to detailed computational approaches to soft-matter systems the theory of core-collapse and thermonuclear confrontations between theory and experiment. and their application to the transitional behavior supernovae, and gamma-ray bursts. of supercooled fluids and glasses, folding dynamics of protein and RNA biopolymers, and functioning of molecular motors. 2019 TOM W. BONNER PRIZE IN NUCLEAR PHYSICS 2019 EINSTEIN PRIZE Barbara V. Jacak Abhay Ashtekar 2019 JULIUS EDGAR LILIENFELD PRIZE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University University of California, Berkeley For numerous and seminal contributions to Katherine Freese For her leadership in the discovery and general relativity, including the theory of black University of Michigan, Stockholm University characterization of the quark-gluon plasma, in holes, canonical quantum gravity, and quantum For ground-breaking research at the interface of particular for her contributions to the PHENIX cosmology. cosmology and particle physics, and her tireless experiment and its explorations of jets as probes. efforts to communicate the excitement of physics to the general public.

2019 HERBERT P. BROIDA PRIZE 2019 PRIZE FOR A FACULTY MEMBER FOR RESEARCH IN AN UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION 2019 JAMES C. MCGRODDY PRIZE FOR NEW Marsha I. Lester MATERIALS University of Pennsylvania Robert C. Forrey For the development of innovative methods Pennsylvania State University, Berks Bogdan Andrei Bernevig for generating and characterizing reactive For exceptional engagement of undergraduate Princeton University, intermediates using sophisticated laser techniques students and wide-ranging contributions to Max Planck Institute, Freie University that elucidate important reaction pathways in theoretical physics, including ultracold atomic atmospheric and combustion chemistry. and molecular collisions, matter wave optics, metallic clusters and nanoparticles, and molecular astrophysics. Xi Dai 2019 OLIVER E. BUCKLEY CONDENSED MATTER 2019 HERMAN FESHBACH PRIZE IN Hong Kong University of Science and PHYSICS PRIZE THEORETICAL NUCLEAR PHYSICS Technology Elihu Abrahams Barry R. Holstein University of California, Los Angeles University of Massachusetts, Amherst For seminal theoretical studies of fundamental symmetries in nuclei, including radioactive nuclear Claudia Felser decays, parity-violating nucleon-nucleon interactions, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of and chiral dynamics of mesons and baryons. Solids

Alexei L. Efros University of Utah 2018 FLUID DYNAMICS PRIZE Keith Moffatt For the theoretical prediction, design and realization of non-magnetic University of Cambridge and magnetic topological semi-metals and new types of topological insulators. For profound, elegant, and lasting contributions to fluid mechanics, including turbulence, Stokes Boris I. Shklovskii flows, topological fluid mechanics, interfacial University of Minnesota flows, and self-similarity 2018 JAMES CLERK MAXWELL PRIZE FOR PLASMA PHYSICS 2019 DANNIE HEINEMAN PRIZE FOR Keith H. Burrell MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS General Atomics For pioneering research, including key experimental For pioneering research in the physics of disordered materials and Francesco Calogero advances and diagnostic development, that hopping conductivity. The Sapienza University of Rome established the links between sheared plasma flow and turbulent transport, leading to improved confinement regimes for magnetized plasmas through turbulent transport reduction by sheared 2019 DAVISSON-GERMER PRIZE IN ATOMIC OR flow. SURFACE PHYSICS Michel Gaudin Randall Feenstra 2019 LARS ONSAGER PRIZE CEA - Saclay Carnegie Mellon University For pioneering developments of the techniques Christopher Jarzynski and concepts of spectroscopic scanning tunneling University of Maryland, College Park microscopy. For seminal contributions to non-equilibrium thermodynamics and statistical mechanics that have had remarkable impact on experimental Bill Sutherland research in single-molecule and biological University of Utah physics, engendering whole new fields of theoretical, numerical, and laboratory research, as well as for groundbreaking work on the thermodynamics of small systems.

For profound contributions to the field of exactly solvable models in statistical mechanics and many body physics, in particular the construction of the widely studied Gaudin magnet and the Calogero- Sutherland, Shastry-Sutherland, and Calogero-Moser models. 2019 ABRAHAM PAIS PRIZE FOR HISTORY OF 2019 I.I. RABI PRIZE IN ATOMIC, MOLECULAR, 2019 ARTHUR L. SCHAWLOW PRIZE IN LASER PHYSICS AND OPTICAL PHYSICS SCIENCE Helge Kragh Kang-Kuen Ni Steven T. Cundiff Niels Bohr Institute, University of Harvard University University of Michigan Copenhagen For seminal work on ultracold molecules, including For pioneering contributions to the field of For influential contributions to the history of original contributions to the understanding ultrafast laser spectroscopy, including optical physics, especially analyses of cosmological of chemical reactions in the quantum regime, multidimensional coherent spectroscopy applied theories and debates, the history of the quantum deterministic creation of individual molecules with electronic excitation in solids and atomic physics of elementary particles and the solid state, optical tweezers, and development of novel, high- vapors, and the development and application of and biographical studies of Paul Dirac and Niels precision techniques to interrogate and control the femtosecond frequency comb technology. Bohr, and his early quantum atom. complete set of internal molecular resources.

2019 W.K.H. PANOFSKY PRIZE IN 2019 ANEESUR RAHMAN PRIZE FOR 2019 GEORGE E. VALLEY, JR. PRIZE EXPERIMENTAL PARTICLE PHYSICS COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS Julia Mundy Sheldon Leslie Stone Sharon C. Glotzer Harvard University Syracuse University University of Michigan For the pico-engineering and synthesis of the first For transformative contributions to flavor physics For innovative molecular dynamics simulations room-temperature magnetoelectric multi-ferroic and hadron spectroscopy, in particular through of the self-assembly of variously shaped particles material. intellectual leadership on detector construction which opened up new directions in soft matter and and analysis on the CLEO and Large Hadron materials science research. Collider beauty experiments, and for the long- standing, deeply influential advocacy for flavor physics at hadron colliders. 2019 NORMAN F. RAMSEY PRIZE IN ATOMIC, 2019 ROBERT R. WILSON PRIZE FOR MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, & IN ACHIEVEMENT IN THE PHYSICS OF PARTICLE 2019 EARLE K. PLYLER PRIZE FOR MOLECULAR PRECISION TESTS OF FUNDAMENTAL LAWS & ACCELERATORS SPECTROSCOPY AND DYNAMICS SYMMETRIES Toshiki Tajima Abraham Nitzan Jun Ye University of California, Irvine Tel Aviv University and University of JILA, NIST/University of Colorado, Boulder For the invention and leading the first realization Pennsylvania For ground-breaking contributions to precision of laser wakefield acceleration, which opened For deep physical insights in the fields of surface- measurements and the quantum control of atomic the way to compact acceleration applications enhanced Raman spectroscopy and molecular and molecular systems, including atomic clocks. such as ultrafast radiolysis, brilliant x-rays, electronics. intra-operative radiation therapy, wakefield beam dump, and high energy cosmic acceleration.

2019 POLYMER PHYSICS PRIZE 2019 J.J. SAKURAI PRIZE FOR THEORETICAL PARTICLE PHYSICS Ronald G. Larson University of Michigan Lisa Randall For wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary contributions to Harvard University understanding the structure, dynamics, and rheology of polymeric materials in melt, solution, glassy, mesomorphic, and multi-phase states, including viscoelastic instabilities, constitutive equations, alignment transitions, and phase behavior. Raman Sundrum University of Maryland, College Park

For creative contributions to physics beyond the Standard Model, in particular the discovery that warped extra dimensions of space can solve the hierarchy puzzle, which has had a tremendous impact on searches at the Large Hadron Collider.

Awards

2019 DAVID ADLER LECTURESHIP AWARD IN 2019 EDWARD A. BOUCHET AWARD 2018 JOHN DAWSON AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE THE FIELD OF MATERIALS PHYSICS IN PLASMA PHYSICS RESEARCH Carlos O. Lousto Giulia Galli Rochester Institute of Technology Todd E. Evans University of Chicago For contributions to both numerical relativity, General Atomics For the invention of methods, especially for the conducive to the solution of the binary black hole enhancement of ab initio molecular dynamics, to problem, and the understanding of the first detection understand, predict, and engineer the electronic of gravitational waves and service to the Hispanic and structural properties of materials. scientific community, including the establishment of the Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville in 2003. Max E. Fenstemacher Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 2018 LEROY APKER AWARD 2019 JOSEPH A. BURTON FORUM AWARD Eric S. Cooper Shirley Ann Jackson Pomona College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute For outstanding contributions towards For distinguished application of her knowledge of Richard Alan Moyer understanding the adaptive significance of physics to public service and increasing diversity University of California, San Diego ballistichory by modeling and comparing the flight of in physics as Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory seeds dispersed by Acanthaceae fruits. Commission and the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and for service on many government, charitable, and corporate boards Nicholas E. Sherman and committees. University of California, Davis For the first experimental demonstration of the stabilization of edge For outstanding undergraduate research in 2018 STANLEY CORRSIN AWARD localized modes in high-confinement diverted discharges by application of theoretical condensed matter and mathematical very small edge-resonant magnetic perturbations, leading to the adoption physics dealing with the subjects of quantum of suppression coils in the ITER design. entanglement in mixed states, NMR in highly Anette Hosoi frustrated magnets and anyon dispersion in Massachusetts Institute of Technology perturbed Toric Code models. For creative analysis of locomotion, contributions to the development of soft robotics as an emerging 2019 JOHN H. DILLON MEDAL field, and her ability to combine mathematical analysis with physical insight. Zahra Fakhraai University of Pennsylvania For exceptional investigations of surface effects in polymer glasses and amyloid aggregation.

2 APS Prizes and Awards 2019 GEORGE E. DUVALL SHOCK 2018 LANDAU-SPITZER AWARD 2019 FRANCIS M. PIPKIN AWARD COMPRESSION SCIENCE AWARD Yevgen Kazakov Tanya Zelevinsky George T. Gray III Laboratory for Plasma Physics of the Royal Columbia University Los Alamos National Laboratory Military Academy (LPP-ERM/KMS), Brussels, For pioneering research on producing ultracold For pioneering contributions in dynamic Belgium molecules confined in optical lattices and using constitutive and damage response of materials; them for precision spectroscopy, molecular clock for leadership in developing programs and tools techniques, and tests of fundamental physics. to advance our understanding of materials and structures in response to high-strain-rate and shock deformation; and for leadership in the Jozef Ongena technical community. Laboratory for Plasma Physics of the Royal Military Academy (LPP-ERM/KMS), Brussels, 2019 HENRY PRIMAKOFF AWARD FOR EARLY- Belgium CAREER PARTICLE PHYSICS Nhan Tran 2019 EXCELLENCE IN PHYSICS EDUCATION AWARD Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory John C. Wright For wide-ranging contributions to the Compact Learning Assistant (LA) model and MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, USA Muon Solenoid experiment, including the the associated Learning Assistant development of a novel pileup subtraction method Alliance (LAA) at the Large Hadron Collider, and the use of jet substructure for the analysis of high-energy Steven Iona collisions. University of Colorado, Boulder University of Denver Stephen J. Wukitch 2019 ROLF LANDAUER AND CHARLES H. MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, USA BENNETT AWARD IN QUANTUM COMPUTING Jonathan Home ETH Zürich Laurie S. Langdon For the development and demonstration of University of Colorado, Boulder For experimental verification, through collaborative experiments, of trapped-ion quantum computing protocols, a novel and highly efficient ion cyclotron resonance heating scenario including Bell state stabilization by feedback for plasma heating and generation of energetic ions in magnetic fusion control in mixed-ion chains, and the encoding of devices. logical quantum states in the ion motion.

Richard McCray 2019 DISTINGUISHED LECTURESHIP AWARD ON 2019 JONATHAN F. REICHERT & BARBARA University of Colorado, Boulder THE APPLICATIONS OF PHYSICS WOLFF-REICHERT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN Cynthia Keppel ADVANCED LABORATORY INSTRUCTION Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Heather J. Lewandowski Facility University of Colorado, Boulder For pioneering work in proton therapy and for For systematic and scholarly transformation of Valerie K. Otero the promotion of the applications of physics to advanced laboratories in physics, for building both experts and non-experts. University of Colorado, Boulder leading assessment tools of laboratories, and for national service advancing our advanced laboratory educational community.

2019 MARIA GOEPPERT MAYER AWARD

Steven Pollock Alyson Brooks 2019 EARLY CAREER AWARD FOR SOFT University of Colorado, Boulder Rutgers University MATTER RESEARCH For contributions to theoretical astrophysics, in For the development of the Learning Assistant (LA) model and the particular, the use of numerical hydrodynamic associated LA Alliance, which has enhanced physics teacher education Aparna Baskaran simulations compared with observations to Brandeis University and recruitment, supported undergraduate course transformation, and elucidate the essential physics of galaxy formation. physics instructor professional development. For pathbreaking advances in our understanding of the physics of soft materials out of equilibrium, especially active and granular matter.

2018 STUART JAY FREEDMAN AWARD IN 2018 DWIGHT NICHOLSON MEDAL FOR EXPERIMENTAL NUCLEAR PHYSICS OUTREACH Anna Kwiatkowski Ray Jayawardhana TRIUMF 2018 THOMAS H. STIX AWARD FOR Cornell University OUTSTANDING EARLY CAREER CONTRIBUTIONS For outstanding and innovative contributions to For far-reaching, multi-faceted and impactful TO PLASMA PHYSICS RESEARCH precision mass measurements, commitment to contributions as an educator and academic leader, mentoring of young researchers, and leadership in including authoring popular books and articles the low energy nuclear physics community. about physics for adults and children, making Frederico Fiuza frequent public speaking and media appearances, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory developing innovative outreach programs, and For seminal contributions that advanced the field founding the Science Leadership Program. of laboratory astrophysics through numerical simulations and leadership of experiments on particle acceleration, collisionless shocks, and magnetic reconnection. 2019 RICHARD A. ISAACSON AWARD IN 2019 IRWIN OPPENHEIM AWARD GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE SCIENCE Todd R. Gingrich Stanley E. Whitcomb Northwestern University LIGO Laboratory 2019 LEO SZILARD LECTURESHIP AWARD For extraordinary contributions to the conceptualization, design, construction, Zia Mian commissioning, and operation of the LIGO Princeton University detectors; and for his stewardship of the global For promoting global peace and nuclear gravitational wave community, including Jordan M. Horowitz developing the partnership between LIGO and disarmament particularly in South Asia, through Virgo, and establishing LIGO-India. University of Michigan academic research, public speaking, technical and popular writing and organizing efforts to ban nuclear weapons.

2019 JOSEPH F. KEITHLEY AWARD FOR For the article, “Proof of the finite-time thermodynamic uncertainty 2019 JOHN WHEATLEY AWARD ADVANCES IN MEASUREMENT SCIENCE relation for steady-state currents,” published in Physical Review E 96, 020103(R) (2017), which demonstrated significance, rigor, and broad Federico Rosei impact in the general area of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Zahid Hussain INRS Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory For sustained leadership and service to the For the development of soft x-ray instrumentation international physics community, in particular for such as monochromators and spectrometers developing global collaborations through projects for synchrotron radiation beamlines, leading to and networks in China, Mexico and several significant measurement improvements of angle African countries, and for exceptional mentoring resolved photoemission spectroscopy and resonant efforts. inelastic soft x-ray scattering.

APS Prizes and Awards 3 Fellowships

2018 M. HILDRED BLEWETT FELLOWSHIP 2018 STANFORD R. OVSHINSKY SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FELLOWSHIP Asma Al-Qasimi Tamar Mentzel University of Rochester Harvard University Vivian E. Ferry University of Minnesota For proposed research developing improved photovoltaic systems using spectrally-selective photonic structures. Wafia Bensalem Satomi Okada Carleton University University of Alabama

Steph Kubala Susmita Pal University of Wisconsin at Madison University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston

Dissertations

2018 ANDREAS ACRIVOS DISSERTATION 2018 DEBORAH JIN AWARD FOR 2019 J.J. AND NORIKO SAKURAI AWARD IN FLUID DYNAMICS OUTSTANDING DOCTORAL THESIS DISSERTATION AWARD RESEARCH IN ATOMIC, MOLECULAR, OR Shabnam Raayai Ardakani OPTICAL PHYSICS Nicholas L. Rodd Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of California, Berkeley For experimental and theoretical contributions Rivka Bekenstein For developing powerful new techniques to search to understanding the mechanisms by which Harvard University for dark matter signals in astrophysical datasets, microtextured riblet surfaces can reduce (or For her work, “Electromagnetic waves in linear for characterizing the excess of GeV gamma-rays increase) the viscous frictional drag experienced and nonlinear curved space systems.” from the inner Milky Way, and for cutting-edge in high Reynolds number laminar boundary layer predictions of annihilation signals from complex flows, and Taylor Couette flows. dark sectors and heavy weakly- interacting dark matter.

2018 CARL E. ANDERSON DIVISION OF 2019 NICHOLAS METROPOLIS AWARD FOR LASER SCIENCE DISSERTATION AWARD OUTSTANDING DOCTORAL THESIS WORK IN COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS 2019 DISSERTATION AWARD IN STATISTICAL Sara L. Campbell AND NONLINEAR PHYSICS University of Colorado, Boulder Evan E. Schneider For creating the world’s first quantum gas optical Princeton University Hong-Yan Shih atomic clock and demonstrating a record long For exemplary achievement in computational University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign coherence time for light-matter interactions at 10 physics, by leveraging new architectures to For an outstanding doctoral thesis that relates s and clock measurement precision of 3 parts in develop methods for astrophysical simulation on the transition to turbulence in pipe flow and the 10 to the 19th power. the world’s fastest supercomputers. evolution of interacting populations through collective effects.

2018 OUTSTANDING DOCTORAL THESIS 2019 DISSERTATION AWARD IN NUCLEAR RESEARCH IN BEAM PHYSICS AWARD PHYSICS 2019 MITSUYOSHI TANAKA DISSERTATION Sergey Antipov Grayson Rich AWARD IN EXPERIMENTAL PARTICLE CERN University of Chicago PHYSICS For experimental studies and analysis of the For his outstanding contributions to the first electron cloud build-up and corresponding observation of coherent elastic neutrino nucleus Benjamin Brubaker instability in accelerators with combined function scattering as a member of the COHERENT Yale University magnets and for the development of an effective neutrino experiment at the Oak Ridge National For outstanding contributions to the HAYSTAC mitigation technique applied in the Fermilab’s Laboratory. (Haloscope At Yale Sensitive To Axion Cold Dark Recycler ring. Matter) experimental detector, especially in its design and construction incorporating quantum measurement techniques, in addition to its operation including data acquisition and novel 2018 AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING 2018 CECILIA PAYNE-GAPOSCHKIN analysis techniques. DOCTORAL THESIS RESEARCH IN DOCTORAL DISSERTATION AWARD IN BIOLOGICAL PHYSICS ASTROPHYSICS Jasmine A. Nirody Gabriele Betancourt-Martinez University of California, Berkeley University of Maryland, College Park Outstanding thesis work on investigating Measuring and Interpreting the x-ray spectra of the molecular mechanism underlying the charge exchange. dynamics of bacterial flagellar motor by using both computational modeling methods and experiments.

2019 RICHARD L. GREENE DISSERTATION 2018 MARSHALL N. ROSENBLUTH AWARD IN EXPERIMENTAL CONDENSED OUTSTANDING DOCTORAL THESIS AWARD MATTER OR MATERIALS PHYSICS Seth Davidovits Edbert Jarvis Sie Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology For major contributions to understanding, For thesis topic, “Coherent light-matter simulating, and diagnosing turbulence in interactions in monolayer transition metal compressing plasmas; for the identification of dichalcogenides.” the sudden dissipation effect and suggestions for exploiting it; and for the derivation of a practical lower bound on turbulent dissipation in Uri Vool compressing plasma. Harvard University For thesis topic, “Engineering synthetic quantum operations.”

Nominate members for next years’ prizes, awards, and fellows: aps.org/programs/honors/index.cfm

4 APS Prizes and Awards