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The Blackett Laboratory Department of Physics Review Faculty of Physical Sciences 2002 Introduction This has been a year of progress and achievement in the A number of major projects were initiated in the department, department. It continues to flourish and to be an exciting including a Basic Technology programme grant on the place to study and work. We continue to attract a large generation and application of attosecond light pulses and cohort of the cleverest young people into Physics, and to a DTI Beacon Award to Professor Paul French to develop give them a challenging education that they and the fluorescent lifetime image technology for biomedical external world value highly. We have not rested on our applications. The departmentÕs contribution to e-Science laurels: the degree programmes have undergone an and the GRID has continued to flourish. extensive revision this year and a new MSci programme in Theoretical Physics introduced. And its still a fun Members of the academic staff garnered a number of place to be! The undergraduate body has been very important awards and prizes during the year, reflecting successful in winning awards this past year: the Imperial the high standing they are held in by the outside world. College Physical Society won the Institute of Physics Professor Gareth Parry was elected as a fellow of the award for the best Physics Society in UK Universities. Royal Academy of Engineering. Professor Arkady Tseytlin Students in the department were very successful in the was awarded a Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award, a College Entrepreneurship Ideas Challenge, and a highly prestigious award intended to retain research stars in physics team won the top £25,000 prize. the UK. Dr Ralf Toumi was awarded the £50,000 Philip Leverhulme Prize in recognition of his research in atmos- The department continued to work with outside bodies in pheric physics. A team from the Physics and Computer valuable research collaborations. New links with BP, with Science Departments won top prize in the Supercomputer the Culham Laboratory and with the Sandia National 2002 Conference in the USA for their project on real-time Laboratories in the USA have been established, and the genome sequence to gene function analysis. Professor College has signed a Memorandum of Understanding Peter Cargill was awarded a PPARC Senior Fellowship with the National Physical Laboratory that will enhance for 3 years and Dr Almut Beige was awarded the James research collaborations in a number of areas. The newly- Ellis Research Fellowship of the Royal Society to pursue her established Exploitation Committee, under Lesley CohenÕs work on quantum computing and quantum cryptography. leadership, is exploring ways in which the departmental Intellectual Property can be better used. To end on a sad note, I am sorry to say that Professor Tony Stradling died a few weeks after his retirement from A number of new staff joined us this year: we welcome the College. A memorial service was held to commemorate Professor Edward Hinds and Dr Ben Sauer who have his life and achievements in Oxford Cathedral, attended by joined the QOLS Group from the University of Sussex to many present and past members of the department who establish the Imperial College Centre for Cold Matter. Dr remember an outstanding colleague with great affection. Paul Nandra joined the Astrophysics Group from the Goddard Space Science Center in the USA. Dr Mark P. L. Knight FRS Neil and Dr Peter Torok joined the Photonics Group from Head of Department Oxford University. April 2003 The major refurbishment of research laboratories under the GovernmentÕs SRIF programme has delivered high quality space for new programmes. We have become used to having an army of contractors working in the place and this will continue for the coming year, but will result in laboratories more fitting for the 21st century. The cover: The images on the cover, which were obtained in December 2002, show the first ever measurement of the EarthÕs energy budget from a geostationary satellite, EuropeÕs first Meteosat Second Generation (MSG-1). The upper image is a measurement of the thermal energy emitted from the Earth and the lower image shows the amount of sunlight reflected by the clouds and the EarthÕs surface. The satellite is positioned over 0¡ latitude and 0¡ longitude, so that in the lower image we see Africa to the right, and South America to the left. These data were obtained by the Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB) instrument on MSG-1. GERB is a joint European project led scientifically by Imperial College London. Being in a geostationary orbit, GERB remains located over the Greenwich meridian and the Equator and is able to obtain images, like those shown here, every 15 minutes, which is much more frequently than has ever been possible before. These data are currently being used by researchers within Imperial College London and around the world to provide new insights into climate processes such as clouds and convective systems, and to improve the climate models used to investigate the future of the EarthÕs climate. (For more information, see the annual report of the Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, pages 31-33). 1 Condensed Matter Theory Head of Group: Professor Experimental D D Vvedensky Solid State Astrophysics Page 7 Physics and Centre Head of Group: for Electronic Materials Professor and Devices M Rowan-Robinson Head of Group: High Energy Professor D Bradley Page 4 Physics Page 10 Head of Group: Professor P J Dornan Optics Optics Photonics Laser Consortium Page 16 Head of Group: Director: Professor P M W French Professor J P Marangos Plasma Physics Page 22 Page 19 Head of Group: Professor S C Cowley Optics Page 25 Quantum Optics Space and and Laser Science Atmospheric Physics Head of Group: Head of Group: Professor G H C New Professor J E Harries Page 28 Theoretical Physics Page 31 Head of Group: Professor K Stelle Page 34 For contact addresses see page 49 2 The Blackett Laboratory http://www.imperial.ac.uk/physics General Departmental Information Head of Department Associate Head of Department Professor P. L. Knight FRS Professor R. W. Smith Tel: 020 7594 7500 Tel: 020 7594 7501 Fax: 020 7594 7504 Fax: 020 7594 7504 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Director of Facilities Director of Undergraduate Studies Dr. R. G. Burns Professor A. R. Bell Tel: 020 7594 7700 Tel: 020 7594 7505 Fax: 020 7594 7777 Fax: 020 7594 7509 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Senior Tutor (Undergraduates) : Director of Postgraduate Studies Dr R. J. Forsyth Dr J. Sedgbeer Tel: 020 7594 7524 Tel: 020 794 7512 Fax: 020 7594 7509 Fax: 020 794 7509 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Admissions Tutor (Undergraduates) : Schools Liaison Officer Professor W. G. Jones Dr J. Hassard Tel: 020 7594 7513 Tel: 020 7594 7792 Fax: 020 7594 7509 Fax: 020 7823 8830 e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Undergraduate and Postgraduate Studies Undergraduate Teaching Page 37 (Queries about undergraduate admissions should be addressed to the Admissions Tutor) Schools Liaison http://www.imperial.ac.uk/options/ Page 40 Postgraduate Studies - Page 41 MSc Prospective postgraduate students interested in admission for an MSc course should contact the appropriate course organiser listed below. MSc in Optics and Photonics Dr. K. Weir, Tel: 020 7594 7723, Fax: 020 7594 7714, e-mail: [email protected] MSc in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces Dr. J. Halliwell, Tel: 020 7594 7831, Fax: 020 7594 7844, e-mail: [email protected] PhD Those interested in admission for doctoral level research leading to the PhD degree should contact the Heads of Research Groups in subject areas of interest as listed opposite. The Director of Postgraduate Studies will be glad to advise on all general matters concerning the requirements for admission as a postgraduate student. 3 Astrophysics http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research/astro Head of Group: Professor M. Rowan-Robinson Experimental Astrophysics T. J. Sumner, W. G. Jones (HEP), I. Liubarsky, J.J. Quenby, G.K. Rochester, H. Araujo, A. Bewick, D. Davidge, A.S. Howard (HEP), V. Lebedenko, R. Luscher, D. Shaul, C.G-Y. Lee (SPAT), and T. Ferbel (visitor) Search for Dark Matter Particles Figure 2. Inertial Sensor design work for LISA. On the left is a rendered view of the Parts manufacture for ZEPLIN III, our engineering model of the Charge Management System for SMART-2, being next generation two-phase xenon developed under contract to ESA. On the right is the new estimate of mean charging detector for dark matter search, is now rates for the proof-masses from cosmic-ray protons and alpha particles. These rates 80% complete. This will be used to are higher than previously estimated, but still within the capabilities of the charge search for signatures of direct inter- management system to control. actions of exotic new particles in the Gravitational Wave Astronomy Gravitational wave astronomy from Boulby underground facility. The detailed design of the Charge space was highlighted as a high Meanwhile the UKDMC collaboration Management System for the SMART- priority area for PPARC funding in has deployed a simpler single phase 2 technology precursor satellite to the recent Government spending liquid xenon scintillation target, gravitational wave science mission, review. ZEPLIN I. This uses a pulse shape LISA, of the European Space Agency discrimination technique, and, after is complete (Figure 2). Neutrino Astrophysics only a few weeks operation, has We are developing an Engineering The Astrophysics Group has formally produced the best results in the world Model of the system.