October 2017 • Vol. 26, No. 9

A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY ICARUS Arrives Intact Page 4 APS.ORG/APSNEWS

2017 APS Division of Particles and Fields Meeting International News By Eran Moore Rea violated, but only for quarks. It is 2017 Canadian-American-Mexican Conference Three particle physics collabo- possible that CP-violation is the rations announced significant new reason behind the matter-antimatter By Midhat Farooq asymmetry of the universe (that is, experimental results at the 2017 On the morning of August 17th, APS Division of Particles and that despite current big bang pre- dictions, the universe is dominated almost 100 physics graduate stu- Fields meeting from July 31 – dents from Mexico, the United Midhat Farooq August 4 at Fermilab. by matter—humans, trees, stuff— and very little antimatter), but only States, Canada, and Cuba sat in a CP violation with neutrinos: if it is present for leptons as well room together at the first session of 2 sigma as quarks. the 2017 APS Canadian-American- The Tokai to Kamioka (T2K) Particle physicists call a 2-sigma Mexican Graduate Student Physics collaboration shoots a beam of result like T2K’s an observa- Conference (CAM), held in neutrinos across Japan to measure tion—that is, not yet a definitive Washington D.C. Quiet anticipation the ways neutrinos can change discovery. 2-sigma means 95.5% filled the air as the students waited from one type to another during confidence, which might seem for the conference to begin, look- the journey. On Friday, August 4 like enough, but with so much ing around at their international 2017, Chang Kee Jung, former data in large physics experiments, peers with friendly smiles, excited International Co-spokesperson for scientists have mostly agreed that to meet each other and share their the T2K collaboration, presented 5 sigma, or 99.99994% is the research and experiences in the fol- the first experimental indica- “gold standard” to claim an actual lowing days. One might wonder Graduate students from Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba in Washington D.C. tion of charge-parity violation in discovery. what brought such a diverse group neutrinos. “Today’s result … gives us a of students together. form for physicists from all over place biennially, with the previ- Charge-parity (CP) symmetry reachable target,” Jung said. He Back in 1994, the Canadian the continent to come together for ous two held in Waterloo, Canada is the theory that elementary par- expects in the next several years Association of Physicists (CAP), intellectual discussion, professional (2013) and Oaxaca, Mexico (2015). ticles will act in the same way even that T2K as well as the NOvA APS, and Sociedad Mexicana de development, and the opportunity This past August, CAM2017 when the spatial coordinates are experiment at Fermilab will be able Física (SMF) jointly hosted the to form collaborations. In subse- embraced the theme “Transcending inverted and the sign of the charge to reach 3 sigma, and once DUNE first international North American quent years, CAM was redesigned Boundaries.” they carry is flipped. CP-symmetry physics conference, in Cancun, to serve graduate students exclu- As the conference is largely has previously been proven to be DPF continued on page 6 Mexico, which provided a plat- sively. Since then, it has taken CAM continued on page 4

Forging New Connections Virgo & LIGO: Joint Detection of Gravitational Waves By Abhishek Agarwal and The workshop took place By David Voss science ministers in Turin, Italy, factor of around 20 compared with Samindranath Mitra in Riverhead, Long Island in and a paper describing the detec- On September 27, research- LIGO’s previous detections. August. The scientific program tion has been accepted for publica- Each of these three detec- The editors of Physical Review ers from the Advanced Laser was designed by Subir Sachdev, tion by Physical Review Letters. tors, LIGO’s two in Hanford, Letters, who have a ringside Interferometer Gravitational a condensed matter physicist at The signal, which was observed Washington and Livingston, view of emerging research direc- Wave Observatory (LIGO) and tions, are seeing more papers that Harvard who often collaborates on August 14, 2017, comes from a Louisiana, and Virgo’s in Pisa, Italy, the Advanced Virgo Detector merger of a black hole 30.5 times address condensed matter physics with high energy physicists, and recorded the characteristic “chirp” announced their joint detection the mass of the sun with another with techniques and ideas from John McGreevy, a string theorist at signal of the black holes circling of a gravitational wave signal black hole 25.3 times the mass quantum field and string theories, the University of California at San each other, then speeding up and from the coalescence of two black of the sun. The event occurred often with authors from both com- Diego who now focuses mainly on merging. By comparing the waves’ holes. The observation by three 540 megaparsecs from Earth, or munities. So, when then Editor in condensed matter physics. Around arrival time at each detector, the detectors (two from LIGO and the about 1.8 billion light years away. Chief Pierre Meystre launched the thirty early, midcareer, and senior researchers were able to improve Virgo detector) allows the teams Because the gravitational wave “Physics Next” series of workshops theorists and experimentalists gath- the determination of the source to improve their ability to iden- detection network involves three on topics that are “beginning to ered over three days to discuss direction. Previous detections by tify where in the sky the waves are detectors, the researchers have emerge from the noise,” the over- four broad topics—topological LIGO involved two detectors, coming from. The announcement been able to narrow down the lap of quantum field theory and phases, many-body localization and was made at a meeting of the G7 location of the signal source by a VIRGO continued on page 5 condensed matter physics was a quantum chaos, anomalous trans- logical choice. WORKSHOPS continued on page 4 Research News: Editors’ Choice physics.aps.org

Daniel Ucko A Monthly Recap of Papers Selected by the Editors Spinning a tale of graphene approached that of the strongest and spiders artificial carbon fibers and natural Spider silk is known for its high materials (limpet teeth). These new tensile strength and toughness, but Istockphoto results show that a possible way researchers have now found they toward improved silk fibers for a can improve on nature by feeding variety of applications may indeed graphene and carbon nanotubes lie through the spiders’ stomachs. to these tiny weavers. Lepore et Nuclear Fluid Swirls at al. report in 2D Materials (DOI: Record-Breaking Speed 10.1088/2053-1583/aa7cd3) that Observations of gold ion col- Researchers and editors of the Physical Review journals at the second after spraying water contain- lisions reveal that the post-crash Physics Next workshop Carbon diet for better silk ing graphene flakes or carbon nuclear matter rotates faster than nanotubes into a corner of a box ter, the researchers measured the any other recorded fluid. This of spiders, and waiting until the silk that was successfully obtained, strong swirling occurs in a hot animals had ingested the mixture, and they used Raman spectroscopy mixture of quarks and gluons, the resulting silk was markedly to characterize the molecular struc- called the quark-gluon plasma. stronger and tougher. The team ture of the unmodified and modi- Created in heavy ion collisions, tested the carbon diet on 21 spi- fied silk samples. On average, the this plasma was presumably the ders of three different species (alas, team notes, the strength and tough- dominant form of matter during 6 died before their silk could be ness of the silk from nanotube-fed obtained). Using a nanotensile tes- spiders surpassed natural silk and RESEARCH continued on page 6 2 • October 2017

Spotlight on Development This Month in Physics History Shining the Spotlight on You October 1910: First infrared photographs published Dear APS member, These above programs have As the end of 2017 fast been recognized both nationally nfrared photography is an invaluable workhorse between runs when the Frenchman wasn’t look- approaches, we wish to thank you and internationally for their value Itool across many different scientific fields and ing, and when Blondlot still claimed to observe for your continued involvement and to the physics community in help- practical applications, as well as a popular hobby N-rays on the second run, Wood concluded he support. We know that at this time ing inspire and prepare the next among professional and amateur photographers. was deluding himself, and wrote a letter to Nature of the year you have many choices generation of physicists. And we owe its existence—as well as that of ultra- debunking the claim. violet photography—to an enterprising American The year before, in 1903, Wood invented an of worthy, charitable causes and Here is what some of you have related year-end campaigns, and we physicist and inventor named Robert Williams ultraviolet filter for photography, which he made said about the reasons for giving are most grateful for your willing- Wood, best known in scientific circles for his from nitroso-dimethyl-aniline, combined with a to APS. ness to keep APS in mind. research on optics and spectroscopy. small amount of a dye called uranine. This made Thanks in part to your finan- “APS programs make a big dif- Infrared radiation was discovered in 1800 by the filter block visible light but transmit ultravio- cial generosity, APS has built ference to students and researchers; Sir Frederick William Herschel, best known for let, and he used it to take the first photographs of an impressive track record of I know my donation is effectively building telescopes and ultraviolet fluorescence. programmatic endeavors that used for important purposes.” discovering the planet The filter became known strengthen the Society’s mission — Uwe C. Tauber Uranus. Herschel painted as “Wood’s glass,” and and make it a powerful advocate “APS has been a significant the bulbs of three ther- was the technology for physics and our community: part of my life. I have attended 51 mometers black, and behind blacklight lamps. • Increasing minority repre- March meetings, and look forward then arranged them with It also transmitted some one tip in the solar spec- infrared light, although sentation in graduate physics not just to learning new physics, J. 50, 329 (1910) Photogr. programs: Bridge Program but to reuniting with many friends trum made by a prism, very long exposures were (Education & Diversity) I have made through APS.” and the other two outside required. the spectrum to serve as Several of his photos • Reversing the severe short- — Philip Taylor age of qualified high school controls. His first find- appeared in the October physics teachers: PhysTEC “APS programs foster a more ing was that as he moved 1910 issue of the Royal (Education & Diversity) diverse community of scientists, the thermometer across Photographic Society • Engaging with and educat- which is paramount to generat- the spectrum from vio- Journal, as illustrations ing different perspectives and ing our public officials: let to red, the thermom- Infrared landscape image taken by Robert Wood for Wood’s papers on the Congressional Visits Day innovative thinking, both critical eter temperature steadily optical effects involved— (Office of Public Affairs) elements in the successful devel- increased. His second including the so-called • Promoting diplomacy by col- opment of high-quality science.” was that moving the “Wood effect,” which laborating with physicists and — Anonymous blackened thermometer is the dreamlike appear- physics societies around the “… I also believe in interna- just beyond the red end ance of photographs in globe (International Affairs) tional dialog and cooperation for of the spectrum produced the infrared. Infrared

• Motivating and empow- the betterment of the planet and the highest temperature Nature 62, 349 (1900) photographs feature a ering the next generation its inhabitants, and view scien- of all. This experiment milky appearance to of physicists through the tific enterprises as being critical was the first observation skin in portraits, and also distribution of free materi- in fostering communication and of light beyond the vis- dark skies—the Rayleigh ible spectrum. scattering that makes the als and lab experiments in understanding. That’s why I give Photography came sky blue doesn’t scatter middle school: PhysicsQuest to APS.” into its own in the 19th much infrared. Also, the (Outreach) — Stephen Schiff Wood’s photographs of sound waves • Supporting, informing century, but it was not infrared wavelengths and retaining undergradu- Thank you again for your val- possible to make pictures of anything in the infra- penetrate a few millimeters beneath the dermis, ate women in physics: ued philanthropic partnership red, because the chemicals used for early photog- and then reflect back out of the skin, so they can Conferences for Undergraduate with APS. raphy were not sensitive to longer wavelengths image blood vessels within this thin layer. Women in Physics (Education Irene I. Lukoff (On behalf of of light. Wood resolved that issue and thereby Wood didn’t show much interest in profiting & Diversity) the APS Development Team) launched an industry. from his filters, even though during World War Born in Concord, Massachusetts in 1868, I, infrared-sensitive photographic plates were Wood initially planned to become a priest. But used for spectroscopic analysis. It wasn’t until Double your exposure one night he observed an aurora and became fas- the 1930s that infrared film hit the commercial cinated by what might cause such a phenomenon. sector, when Kodak introduced the first emul- by giving an outreach talk He thought the culprit might be “invisible rays,” sions designed for infrared photography. By the in addition to your science talk! leading him to study optics instead. After earning 1960s, the company offered 35mm false-color degrees from Harvard, MIT, and the University of infrared film, and the popularity of infrared pho- FOEP will have contributed sessions at the 2018 Chicago, he joined the faculty of Johns Hopkins tography boomed—driven in part by its use in APS March and April meetings. These talks do University in 1901, where he remained until his pop music album covers by rock stars such as death in 1955. Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa. The advent of not count against your “one scientific talk” quota, Wood made waves early in his career with his digital cameras made physical films obsolete, and so you can still submit a scientific presentation. infamous debunking of French physicist René Kodak responded to the sharp decline in demand We look forward to hearing about your work. Blondlot’s claim to have discovered a new type by discontinuing its 35mm infrared film products of radiation called “N-rays.” Unable to replicate in 2007. FOEP Blondlot’s results, Wood traveled to France in While Wood’s specialty was optics, he also FORUM ON OUTREACH & 1904 to observe the experiment firsthand. He removed a crucial prism from the apparatus INFRARED continued on page 3 ENGAGING THE PUBLIC

Series II, Vol. 26, No. 9 APS COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES 2017 General Councilors Applied Physics), Young-Kee Kim* (Forum on Inter- October 2017 President Nadya Mason, Gail McLaughlin*, Bonnie Fleming, national Physics), Pushpa Bhat* (Forum on Physics © 2017 American Physical Society Laura H. Greene*, Florida State University, National Andrea Liu and Society), Beverly Berger (Gravitational Physics), High Magnetic Field Laboratory Nicholas Bigelow* (Laser Science), Samuel Bader International Councilors (Materials Physics), Akif Baha Balantekin (Nuclear Editor...... David Voss President-Elect Eliezer Rabinovici, Johanna Stachel, Kiyoshi Ueda, Physics), P. Michael Tuts (Particles & Fields), Thomas Roger W. Falcone*, University of California, Berkeley/ Marta Losada Roser (Physics of Beams), Cary Forest (Plasma Phys- Contributing Correspondent ...... Alaina G. Levine LBNL ics), Murugappan Muthukumar (Polymer Physics), Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik Chair, Nominating Committee Philip Johnson (Mid-Atlantic Section), Carlos Wexler Copyeditor and Proofreader...... Edward Lee Vice President Paul Chaikin, New York University (Prairie Section) David J. Gross*, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara Chair, Panel on Public Affairs * Voting Members of the APS Board of Directors Frances A. Houle, Lawrence Berkeley National APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published 11X yearly, Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership publica- Past-President Laboratory SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM monthly, except the August/September issue, by the tion delivered by Periodical Mail Postage Paid at Col- Homer A. Neal*, University of Michigan Mark Doyle, Chief Information Officer, Jane Hopkins American Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Col- lege Park, MD and at additional mailing offices. Editor in Chief Gould, Chief Financial Officer, Kate P. Kirby, Chief lege Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It contains Chief Executive Officer Michael Thoennessen, Michigan State University (on Executive Officer, Matthew M. Salter, Publisher, news of the Society and of its Divisions, Topical Groups, For address changes, please send both the old and new Kate P. Kirby, Harvard Smithsonian (retired) leave) James W. Taylor, Deputy Executive Officerand Chief Sections, and Forums; advance information on meetings addresses, and, if possible, include a mailing label from Operating Officer, Michael Thoennessen, Editor in of the Society; and reports to the Society by its commit- a recent issue. Changes can be emailed to membership@ Speaker of the Council Division, Forum and Section Councilors Chief, tees and task forces, as well as opinions. aps.org. Postmaster: Send address changes to APS Daniel Kleppner*, Massachusetts Institute of Technol- Miriam Forman (Astrophysics), Timothy Gay* News, Membership Department, American Physical ogy (Emeritus) (Atomic, Molecular & Optical Physics), William Bi- Letters to the editor are welcomed from the member- Society, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740- alek (Biological Physics), Robert Continetti (Chemical ship. Letters must be signed and should include an ad- 3844. Treasurer Physics), John Bradley Marston* (Condensed Matter dress and daytime telephone number. APS reserves the James Hollenhorst*, Agilent Technologies Physics), Giulia Galli (Computational Physics), Ann right to select and to edit for length and clarity. All cor- Karagozian (Fluid Dynamics), Noah Finkelstein (Fo- respondence regarding APS News should be directed to: Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 Corporate Secretary rum on Education), Julia Gonski, (Forum on Graduate Editor, APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, Ken Cole, APS Student Affairs), Dan Kleppner* (Forum on History MD 20740-3844, Email: [email protected]. of Physics), John Rumble* (Forum on Industrial and October 2017 • 3 Helping Hand or Hubris? News from the APS Office By Sophia Chen experimental runs during which releases the aerosols. “We do have Over the last decade, Harvard the balloon takes measurements for laboratory experiments going on, of Public Affairs climate scientist David Keith has a few hours at a time. According but there’s lots of things that you pushed a controversial idea for to the SCoPEx website, they will can’t replicate in the lab,” Keith Hundreds of Students Contact Senators and fighting global warming: spraying first release ice to test whether says. For example, it’s difficult Urge Support of Science Research Programs molecules such as sulfur dioxide or their hardware works. On subse- to make a lab-scale model of calcium carbonate into the upper quent flights, they will release less the stratosphere’s high levels of By Tawanda W. Johnson they were on the Appropriations atmosphere. The scientific prem- than a kilogram of calcium carbon- ultraviolet radiation or the fluid ate, possibly followed by sulfate dynamics of an open space as vast Recently, nearly 200 physics Committee,” he explained. The ise is simple enough. The particles compounds. as Earth’s atmosphere. The bal- undergraduate students from across resulting evaluation showed that reflect solar radiation back into loon will measure the dynamics the country contacted 80 U.S. this was one of the most successful space and increase cloud formation. of particles mixing and reacting senators and requested support for grassroots campaigns OPA has run. If you inject enough of it up there, with the surrounding molecules. science research opportunities for In addition to SPS, OPA also global warming could be stopped These new measurements could undergraduates, including those relied on the expertise of Max or reversed. help refine solar geoengineering funded by the National Science Magid, a Georgetown student As 2016 and 2017 look to climate models. who interned in the Washington, become the two hottest years Foundation. The students made Keith stresses that this experi- D.C. office during the summer. “I on record, Keith argues that this the calls as part of an advocacy ment is not a test of full-scale helped connect OPA with members tactic, known as solar geoengi- campaign supported by the APS solar geoengineering. Its emissions Office of Public Affairs (OPA) and and students who were willing to neering or solar radiation manage- ment, could be an important tool would be negligible: commercial the American Institute of Physics’ write their senators in support of airplanes release more sulfates Society of Physics Students (SPS). our campaign. I also tailored the for reversing rising temperatures. But at the moment, Keith says, the per minute of flight than would be “This campaign was a surprise communications to match the way released in this experiment. In his success. More students partici- students think,” said Magid. proposed technology is unvetted, poorly understood, and insuffi- 2013 book, A Case For Climate pated than we expected, and they Additionally, he helped find Engineering, Keith points out that contacted key senators who hold contact information for directors of ciently funded. Keith thinks that the research on it needs to ramp up volcanic eruptions, which cool positions on important committees NSF-funded Research Experiences David Keith now. “There should be a serious, the planet via the same principle, that oversee federal funding for for Undergraduates programs who international, open-access research Their funding will come from release millions of tons of parti- science programs,” said Francis then asked their students to par- effort on the efficacy of solar geo- Harvard internal funds and likely cles per eruption. The point of the Slakey, APS OPA interim director. ticipate in the campaign. “I am engineering,” he says. Harvard's Solar Geoengineering experiment is to gather evidence Brad Conrad, director of SPS, pleased it went so well, and I hope to begin to intelligently evaluate said it was “fantastic” having That’s why Keith and his collab- Program, which has raised money APS can use lessons from this oration—named the Stratospheric from Microsoft co-founder Bill the technology. In the event that SPS and APS OPA work together campaign to run even more suc- global temperatures rise so much on such an important campaign, Controlled Perturbation Gates, the Hewlett Foundation, the cessful ones in the future,” he said. that solar geoengineering deploy- for which SPS reached out to its Experiment, or SCoPEx—plan Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and Conrad echoed that sentiment: ment ends up looking like the best numerous student chapters. “It was to launch a balloon in Tucson, other philanthropists. SCoPEx fol- “SPS would be glad to work solution, he wants policymakers to a great initiative … It’s important Arizona, to run some small geo- lows in the wake of several other with APS again so that students be as informed as possible. “I’m in for students to understand that they engineering tests sometime next solar geoengineering collaborations can work to impact the world year. The balloon, hovering in the that have failed to pick up momen- favor of people knowing more,” are not passive; they have a voice; Keith says. they vote and can impact the world around them.” stratosphere at 20 kilometers alti- tum, such as at the 2011 E-PEACE Similar campaigns will be tude and cruising at a couple of experiment out of the University However, critics argue that around them.” even small-scale experiments are To measure the campaign’s suc- underway soon, said Greg Mack, meters per second, will release up of California, San Diego, and the APS government relations spe- to a kilogram of aerosol particles SPICE collaboration in the U.K., a slippery slope. If early test results cess, Allen Hu, OPA policy analyst, are promising, policymakers may developed a metric for assessing cialist. He added, “Our goal was into the air while the collaboration which stalled in 2012. to give undergraduates an oppor- monitors it from the ground. Keith’s group wants to take be biased to sink more money which senators to approach. into solar geoengineering at the “We were looking for a way tunity to speak up in support of Keith and Harvard chemist basic measurements to understand to measure the effectiveness of physics. We are elated that this Frank Keutsch will lead several what happens when the balloon HUBRIS continued on page 7 our advocacy campaigns,” said campaign was successful, and we Hu. “We developed a metric that look forward to including SPS assigns a number value to each in many more campaigns in the senator ... based on a few key cat- future.” egories, including if they were in The author is Press Secretary a party leadership position or if in the APS Office of Public Affairs. Medical Physicist Studies Transgender Athletes By Alaina G. Levine

INFRARED continued from page 2 By day, Joanna Harper is a mild- radiation therapists. This work is I would have starved years ago.” mannered medical physicist work- more than making measurements. Thirteen years ago she started made important contributions to The Moon Maker), as well as two ing in a major medical center in Being part of the team is one of the thinking about fitness levels of the field of ultrasound. It started children’s books of nonsense verse. Portland, Oregon. She spends most things that has kept me in the field male and female athletes and won- with a demonstration for his stu- He died in 1955 in Amityville, of her time in radiation oncology, for 30 years.” dered if anyone had studied how a dents to elucidate the wave nature New York. working out how to detect can- person’s fitness changes when they of light by photographing the Today, infrared photography is cer with CTs and MRIs. She does change genders. The catalyst for sound waves given off by an elec- used in the study of plant diseases, computer simulations of the patient this musing was her own gender tric spark (a method invented by revealing changes in pigment or treatment plan and then consults transition from male to female in August Toepler). During World cellular material; in paleobotany; with the oncologists to help them 2004. Part of the process involved War I, Woods shifted to ultrasonics, to enhance details of deeply pig- determine the best course of action. hormone replacement therapy, and he worked in Paul Langevin’s mented tissues in photomicrog- “The goal … is to maximize the which blocked the production of lab developing ultrasound for raphy in the biological sciences; radiation to the tumor and minimize testosterone and added estrogen in detecting submarines. By 1926, and by the textile industry to detect radiation to the surrounding tissue,” her body. The less testosterone her he wound up working with Alfred irregularities in fibers. It is also she explains. “There are a number body produced, the more she lost Lee Loomis to develop high-power used in criminal investigations to of strategies that can be used to do the physical advantages of being ultrasonic sources. Their experi- examine and identify cloth, fibers that.” She also engages in quality male in her distance running. “I ments revealed that ultrasound and hair, and it's become a stan- assurance of the radiation devices. understood before I started my tran- could melt the interior of an ice dard laboratory tool for imaging With a master’s degree in medi- sition that with lower testosterone cube before the exterior, tear apart faded, damaged or altered docu- cal physics from the University levels I would run slower, but I had living cells, and kill frogs, mice, ments. One hopes Wood would be of Western Ontario, Harper is Joanna Harper no idea how quickly that would and small fish with just one or two gratified to see how ubiquitous his well-positioned to take on these And this would be a fabulous happen and how much slower it minutes of exposure. technique has become. challenges. story in and of itself, of a superstar would be,” she notes. Within three Over his long and varied career, Further Reading: Harper loves her job and she who chased a traditional career in weeks of starting the hormone ther- Wood also assisted in the investi- Klotz, I.M. (May 1980) The N-Ray Af- has been at it for more than three medical physics. But there is more apy, her running pace and energy gation of the infamous Wall Street fair, Sci. Am., May 1980. decades. “I think I chose a great to this story. On her own time, decreased, and by nine months, she bombing of 1920, among other Seabrook, W. (1941) Doctor Wood, career, because treating people cor- Harper has dedicated herself to was running about 12% slower than cases, and is often credited with the Modern Wizard of the Laboratory, New rectly with radiation is an impor- another pursuit: Harper is a com- she had as a man. invention of tear gas. He spun the York: Harcourt Brace. tant thing,” she says. She especially petitive runner and for over 40 As a physicist, she was curious surface of mercury into a parabolic Wood, R. (1903) On screens transpar- enjoys the constant collaboration years she has been competing in about the mechanism behind this mirror and with it built a working ent only to ultraviolet light and their use with her colleagues in the medi- races that range from 1500 meters change in her fitness ability. Harper reflecting telescope. In addition to in spectrum photography, Phil. Mag. 5, cal center. “For a physicist I have on the track to road marathons. “I pored over statistics about fitness scientific treatises, he co-authored 257-263. pretty good people skills,” she says am a good amateur runner but by levels of male and female runners two science fiction novels (The Wood, R. (1910) Photography by invis- with a laugh. “A lot of what we do no means a professional,” she says. Man Who Rocked the Earth and ible rays, Photogr. J. 50, 329. is interact with the physicians and “If I made my living off of running ATHLETES continued on page 5 4 • October 2017 ICARUS Arrives at Fermilab LeRoy Apker Awards: Honoring Exceptional Undergraduate Research By Eran Moore Rea SBN are very similar to Fermilab’s detectors—MicroBooNE at By Rachel Gaal Across the Atlantic, through the planned Deep Underground Fermilab is one—but until now, no have with the speakers …” Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). experiment has used such detec- As physics students were ramp- St. Lawrence and four Great Lakes, Graves also emphasized that Now in the planning stages, the tors in both “near” and “far” loca- ing up for another academic school although these finalists are all jock- over the highway from a port in DUNE experiment will shoot neu- tions. These experiments look at year, a few select seniors were eying for one of the two awards, Indiana, finally settling at Fermilab trinos through Earth from Fermilab the details of neutrino oscillations, enjoying one of the high points they should recognize they are outside of Chicago—ICARUS has to a detector in Lead, South Dakota. in which a neutrino of one type of their undergraduate careers: “already winners.” In addition to finished its journey. DUNE will also use two liq- transforms into another type as it the APS LeRoy Apker Award the honor of being invited to pres- The detector, which holds 600 uid argon detectors. For a large travels. Comparing the differences Selection Meeting on August 23, ent their work in Washington D.C., tons of liquid argon, was trans- enough volume of liquid argon, in the neutrino signature between 2017. Out of the seven finalists each of the finalists received an ported from outside Gran Sasso in it becomes statistically likely that the two detectors allows scientists selected from the applicant pool, honorarium of $1,000, and their Italy to Fermilab in Batavia, IL. In even for a beam of famously non- to study how the particles change. only two are chosen as recipients institution's physics department 2018, ICARUS will begin taking reactive neutrinos, some of them Specifically, scientists hope they for the prestigious APS under- received the same amount to sup- data, ramping up to become one of will directly collide with individual can address an anomaly that’s been graduate award, which recognizes port undergraduate research. three detectors for Fermilab’s Short argon nuclei. When this collision debated since it was first seen in outstanding achievements in phys- From numerical modeling to Baseline Neutrino (SBN) program. occurs, physicists can study the par- the early 2000s. When an earlier ics and demonstrated potential astrophysics, the Apker finalists SBN will be the first of its kind to ticles that are produced from the experiment called MiniBooNE saw for future scientific accomplish- gave enthusiastic presentations. use two liquid argon detectors to collision to determine which type an anomaly in its electron neutrino ment. On October 23, the selec- Gregory Ridgway of University of study neutrino oscillations—one of neutrino was involved. results that might signal the exis- tion committee will announce the Maryland, College Park, created an at the source and one at a distance. There are already neutrino winners—one to a student from algorithm to facilitate difficult field The hardware and setup of experiments using liquid argon ICARUS continued on page 6 a Ph.D.-granting institution, and theory computations. Amar Sehic one to a student from a non-Ph.D.- of Colby College broke down the granting institution. complicated mathematics behind The judges praised all the final- conservation laws and symmetry CAM continued from page 1 ists. “The talks were at a level far transformations. Both Ridgway run by and for graduate students, first panel featured professionals and they are often left behind by beyond what one might expect and Sehic emphasized the pains- CAM’s unique design allows these in physics, and the second had stu- science. Such discussions taking from an undergraduate,” said taking derivations that went into students to give research presenta- dent panelists. While the talks and place at CAM demonstrates that committee member Amy Graves their research. tions to an audience of their peers, presentations promoted research physicists around the continent are of Swarthmore College. “These Another finalist, Calvin Leung providing a less intimidating envi- discussions, the panels provided an actively working towards the goal students spoke to us like peers, of Harvey Mudd College, used ronment than other conferences, avenue for comparing and contrast- of a diverse and inclusive scientific and exhibited a mastery of both fluctuating light sources from while simultaneously challenging ing the four countries’ academia, community. the details and broad implications the Milky Way to create a “cos- them to explain technical work politics, and cultures. The first Another area in which academ- of their work. Several students mic random number generator” in terms accessible by any phys- panel emphasized the value and ics are gaining awareness is the introduced me to work that will that he used to test the famous ics graduate student. Additionally, various benefits of scientific col- number of available academic jobs, impact my own research and teach- quantum inequality known as the conference offers attendees the laborations, and all four panelists or rather lack thereof. APS Careers ing. Particularly impressive was Bell’s Theorem. He was a main chance to meet people from around recognized that international col- Program Manager Crystal Bailey the back and forth we were able to APKER continued on page 5 the continent and to learn about laboration is necessary for the suc- served on the first panel and pre- each other’s experiences. Hence cess of science. Specifically, García sented statistics showing the high the young scientists are able to pointed out that collaborations pro- percentage of graduate students that WORKSHOPS continued from page 1 share not only stories about life vide indispensable resources that are currently transcending a career port, and gauge and gravitational a particular theoretical nonrela- in graduate school, but also their enable more competitive research boundary by working outside of dualities. tivistic many-body system—the distinct perspectives developed to take place in Mexico. María academia. Relativistic quantum field theo- Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model. in different cultures. This year, in Sánchez Colina, president of the Whether graduate students ries are a suitable framework for In its conventional formulation the addition to attendees from Canada, Cuban Physical Society, explained choose to carry on with research in the study of several intriguing SYK model describes interacting U.S. and Mexico, a delegation of that science and collaborations academia, work in industry, or pur- properties of recently discovered Majorana fermions, but certain 15 Cuban students was invited to in Cuba tend to be more heavily sue careers in policy or advocacy materials, such as the Dirac and limits of this model are believed CAM for the first time, marking a focused on biological and medical work, the field of physics continues Weyl semimetals. These condensed to encode the dynamics of black historic moment and giving addi- fields, and that future collabora- to thrive, and APS conferences like matter systems are fundamentally holes embedded in a curved two- tional meaning to the theme of the tion with the U.S.—both scientific CAM enhance it by providing a nonrelativistic, but some of their dimensional space (known as the conference by transcending a politi- collaborations and conferences place where young scientists can physical properties are described by 2D anti-de Sitter space). Such cal boundary. such as CAM—could help in the come together to learn and share equations that assume a relativistic black holes arise within string The conference kicked off with development of physics research their research and experiences, as form with an emergent velocity theory with enticing connections. opening remarks from Matiás and technology in Cuba. In contrast well as develop personal and pro- (e.g., the Fermi velocity) playing Theorists from the condensed Moreno from SMF, Christopher to the serious discussions during fessional connections. the role of the speed of light. For matter, high energy, and nuclear Pugh of CAP, and APS CEO Kate the day, the evenings were full of CAM 2017 was jointly funded example, negative magnetoresis- physics communities were among Kirby. A plenary session featur- lighthearted conversations at both by CAP, CAP Foundation, tance in certain semimetals can be those who discussed the scope ing Eduardo Gómez García from the welcome reception and the con- SNOLAB (the expansion of the understood as a manifestation of of the SYK model. It seems that Universidad Autónoma de San ference banquet in the foyer of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory), chiral anomaly—the same phenom- experimental implications of the Luis Potosí, México and Melissa Rayburn House Office Building on SMF, The National Council enon that accounts for the decay SYK model may yet open a door Franklin from Harvard University, Capitol Hill. This gorgeous high- For Science and Technology in of neutral pions in particle phys- to studying black hole phenomena USA, followed. The room was ceilinged room where legislators Mexico (CONACYT), APS, the ics. Physicists typically study such in condensed matter physics labs. packed with the kind of energy often meet made for a memorable APS Forum on Graduate Student physical phenomena with large Our hope in organizing these one experiences at the beginning experience for both the local and Affairs (FGSA), the National colliders, so being able to do so in workshops is to foster increased of a big journey. This energy was international attendees. Science Foundation, the APS living-room-sized laboratories is an collaboration across traditional reciprocated by the speakers. It is impossible to do the entire Office of International Affairs, exciting prospect. With this goal in subject boundaries. The topics García gave an outstanding talk conference justice as CAM con- and the U.S. Liaison Committee mind, theorists and experimental- discussed at the August workshop, explaining the importance of pre- sisted of many great moments. for the International Union of Pure ists at the workshop discussed sev- of which the ones cited above are cision measurements and how his Most notable, however, were those and Applied Physics. The interna- eral new points of contact between but a sampling, should assuage research group studies the weak showing that the physics commu- tional organizing committee was relativistic field theory and con- our concerns regarding increas- force using laser cooled francium nity is becoming more aware of led by Krista Freeman, Past Chair densed matter physics. ing specialization. As one of the atoms. The talk transcended a societal issues. This was exempli- of APS FGSA. Another agenda topic was the experimentalists noted at the end disciplinary boundary by engag- fied when Pauline Barmby, from Midhat Farooq is a graduate stu- propagation and dissipation of of the three days, the workshop ing students with backgrounds in University of Western Ontario, dent at the University of Michigan quantum information—lying at was successful in living up to its both particle physics and quan- started her plenary talk on astro- and does research in particle phys- the heart of some of the hardest name—helping the editors of the tum optics. Franklin gave a broad physics by acknowledging that we ics at Argonne National Laboratory. issues in physics, such as the black Physical Review journals to keep overview of particle physics and its were gathered on the former lands She served on the university’s phys- hole information paradox. Several up with what is next in physics. future, interactively challenging the of the Native American people, ics graduate council and on the theorists presented ideas for prob- Abhishek Agarwal is an asso- audience by asking questions like setting an example for all to fol- executive board of its Society for ing fundamental issues in quantum ciate editor of Physical Review “What do you guys think about at low. Another interesting moment Women in Physics, and has orga- mechanics within the context of Letters. He received his Ph.D. night [if not particle physics and the came when the graduate student nized outreach and professional many-body physics as well as prog- from the University of Rochester universe]?” Her energy, humor, and panel discussed how in the United development events. Midhat has ress in understanding the growth, in 2005. Abhishek's research inter- thought-provoking questions cap- States, the topic of diversity is joined the graduate student gov- diffusion, and scrambling of quan- ests lie in the study of gauge and tured the attendees’ attention that often focused on people of color, ernment at Michigan and has advo- tum information. Experimentalists string theories. morning and set a positive tone that but that this might not necessarily cated for graduate student issues at the meeting surveyed schemes Samindranath Mitra is an edi- carried throughout the conference. be the case elsewhere. Panelist Ana on Capitol Hill. She is also par- for testing related ideas, many of tor of Physical Review Letters. CAM’s agenda included four Avilez-Lopez told us that indig- ticipating in two APS committees which would have been considered He received his Ph.D. at Indiana more plenary sessions, several enous people for whom Spanish and working with the APS FGSA. theoretical speculation only a few University (Bloomington) in 1994, graduate student poster and oral is not their native language are an Her goal is to pursue a career in years ago. where he worked on the theory of presentations, and two panels. The underrepresented group in Mexico, advocacy and science policy. Several presentations were on the quantum Hall effect. October 2017 • 5

VIRGO continued from page 1

Education & Diversity Update which meant that the mergers could be identified only as lying some- The 5+ Club Applications where in large portions of the sky. Now accepting applications for The 5+ Club—institutions that have grad- “This signal has been traveling uated five or more physics teachers in the past academic year. For more for almost 2 billion years towards information and how to apply please visit phystec.org/the5plus/index.cfm Earth,” said Jo van den Brand of APS Releases updated statistics to compare institutions Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Want to see how your institution compares nationally in terms of produc- spokesperson for the Virgo col- ing physics degrees and encouraging diversity among these degrees? laboration. “The signal was first The latest numbers from national databases are now available at aps. detected by the LIGO detector in Virgo/European Gravitational Observatory Virgo/European org/programs/education/statistics/compare.cfm Updated tables showing Louisiana, then 8 milliseconds later top educators by degrees can be found at aps.org/programs/education/ by the LIGO detector in Hanford, statistics/topproducers.cfm Thanks again to Sam Montgomery from the then 6 milliseconds after that, by New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology for his help in assembling the Virgo detector.” the data. Brand said that this heralds a new era of “multi-messenger” Deadline to Apply to Host a 2019 APS CUWiP: November 1 gravitational wave astronomy. APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiPs) are “With this triangulation, we can three-day regional conferences at multiple sites across the U.S. and locate the source that is emitting Canada, and are designed to increase the recruitment and retention of these gravitational waves, and this undergraduate women in physics. If you are interested in applying to be is important because we expect that a host site for our 2019 conferences, please visit go.aps.org/cuwiphost many such merger events emit and submit an application by November 1. Email [email protected] for other messengers, such as light, more information. x-rays, radio waves, neutrinos, or Professional Skills Workshop at Division of Nuclear other sub-atomic particles. These Aerial view of the Virgo interferometer in Cascina, Italy Physics Meeting in Pittsburgh can be studied by both astronomers The APS Division of Nuclear Physics will host a Professional Skills Devel- and astroparticle scientists.” Virgo is oriented in a way comple- mation that comes from position is opment Workshop on October 24, 1:00 pm - 8:00 pm at the Marriott City In addition to better localizing mentary to LIGO, so analysis of an amazing addition. We can use Center in Pittsburgh. These workshops are designed to provide women the gravitational wave source, the signals from the three detectors this information from pointing to physicists with professional training in effective negotiation and commu- participation of Virgo means that can reveal information about the give to our traditional astronomy nication skills, as well as a special opportunity for networking. If you are the polarization of the waves can polarization. With this information, colleagues [who use] telescopes interested in attending, please email [email protected] be studied. Like other kinds of even more stringent tests of general on the ground and satellites, so waves, gravitational waves oscil- relativity should become possible. that we can do this next step of APS Bridge Program Graduate Student Induction late in specific directions. Both of “We were really eager that multi-messenger astrophysics.” Manual Now Available LIGO’s detectors are oriented in Virgo join us in this endeavor,” He added, “The future is incred- The APS Bridge Program (APS-BP) would like to announce a new guide similar ways, so they were unable said LIGO spokesperson David ibly bright for the Virgo-LIGO for graduate student induction. The APS-BP Student Induction Manual to sense the oscillation direction. Shoemaker of MIT. “This infor- network.” documents effective practices for inducting new students into graduate programs, as identified and described by APS Bridge Sites. It also includes specific strategies for developing a solid foundation for students before and well after their arrival on campus. To download the manual, go to ATHLETES continued from page 3 www.apsbridgeprogram.org/resources/manual Special thanks to Dr. Ger- of different ages and found that as Harper’s goals in bringing these whether or not we use testosterone aldine Cochran of Rutgers University, the primary editor of this manual. a 48-year-old woman (the age she issues to light are concretely related as the means to separate male and was when she completed her transi- to her insights concerning miscon- female athletes. She is writing a tion), her running ability compared ceptions about transgender athletes. book about the science and history APKER continued from page 4 to other women her age was exactly First of all, there is an erroneous of gender variance in sports as seen contributor to the research, which sis for the Laser Interferometer in line with her previous running notion that “transgender women through her personal lens. She is was featured in Physics Editor’s Gravitational Wave Observatory ability as a male athlete. While she will dominate sports because of also collaborating with an athlete Choice in February 2017. And (LIGO); and Arvind Srinivasan of was happy to better understand why unfair advantages they gain from who is currently transitioning, and Ephriam Bililign of North Carolina St. Mary’s College is now a full- her running economy had changed, their previous lives,” she says. has been collecting as much data as State University took a hands-on time physicist for the Naval Air she was curious about the fitness But her own research has shown possible about her athletic abilities approach, investigating the proper- Systems Command (NAVAIR), experiences of other people who “that’s simply not going to hap- as she makes the transition. ties of granular systems by varying working on data sensing, holog- transition. pen.” As she wrote in an op-ed With a medical physics back- the position and amount of force raphy, and infrared imaging. The “In 2007 I met another trans in the Washington Post in 2015, ground, she has a distinct edge in applied to homemade granular remaining students are either pur- woman who was a distance run- some people “can’t get past the this research endeavor. “Obviously packings. suing their advanced degrees this ner and the exact thing happened idea that I’m a man trying to profit physicists excel in pattern recogni- Each student traveled differ- coming fall or already have their to her,” says Harper. “And at that in a woman’s sport.” Additionally, tion and analyzing data,” she says. ent paths, and many of them are first technical job. point I said ‘ah ha!’” She started people mistakenly think that trans- “There is probably no other profes- using their research presented at the The Apker award finalists all collecting data on trans people gender men, because of their previ- sion better at logical thinking than Apker Selection Meeting as spring- embodied the legacy of LeRoy who are runners and was able to ous lives as women, will be unable being a physicist.” boards: Angela Harper of Wake Apker, who was an experimental gather 200 race times from eight to compete. “This is not true,” she Ultimately, Harper hopes her Forest University was recently physicist and an APS Oliver E. transgender women including her- says. “There are trans men who are side gig will lead to a fairer system named a Churchill Scholar, and Buckley prizewinner in 1955. The self, with a goal of determining if doing quite well athletically.” for transgender athletes to com- she will continue her research on award was endowed by his wife, transgender runners who transi- “I hope to change public per- pete on the world athletic stage. organic electronics at Cambridge Jean Dickey Apker, to recognize tion from male to female have a ception on transgender athletes,” As she wrote in The Washington University while earning a M.Phil students who will likely leave competitive advantage. When she she says. “There is a question of Post, “I hope the mounting evi- in physics; Sylvia Biscoveanu behind a record of exceptional examined the runners in her study, how do we decide who gets into of Penn State University won a research and scientific curiosity. she saw that they all had the same women’s and men’s sports, and I dence, coupled with exposure Fulbright Scholarship and is headed Visit the APS Awards page to pace they should be running for their feel strongly at this point that tes- to trans women athletes, will go to Monash University to continue learn more about the LeRoy Apker age as women. Therefore, they did tosterone should be the tool we some way toward changing hearts her astrophysical data analy- Awards. not have a competitive advantage use to separate male athletes from and minds. The rules established in running even though they had female athletes. But there is a great by different leagues are unneces- been male before. Her data col- percentage of the populace that is sarily inconsistent, and prejudice lection began to blossom and soon skeptical of that idea, and I hope persists at all levels of sport—from she wrote a paper on the subject in that more research will support the elite leagues down to high school Adam Negussie the Journal of Sporting Cultures testosterone separation of male and teams.” Finally, “I would like to and Identities. She then parlayed female athletes.” assert that those of us who don’t this knowledge into pro-bono con- Harper’s “hobby,” as she calls fit easily into the standard notion sulting for organizations like the it, continues to expand, and most of male and female are just one International Olympics Committee recently she has been involved in more variety of human, and there and the International Association of a court case concerning an intersex is nothing to be feared or hated,” Athletics Federations about how to athlete who competed in the 2016 she says. “We just want to live and appropriately regulate the participa- Olympic Games in Rio. She notes breathe and play sports like any tion of transgender athletes in sports. that this is a pivotal case regarding other human being.”

APS News online The 2017 Apker Award finalists (L-R): Ephraim Bililign, Calvin Leung, Amar aps.org/apsnews Sehic, Andrea Biscoveanu, Angela Harper, Arvind Srinivasan (Not shown: Greg Ridgway). 6 • October 2017

DPF continued on from page 1 ICARUS continued from page 4 and Hyper-Kamiokande begin tak- … when you miniaturize technol- tence of a fourth type of neutrino, its complete form. And size matters The installation of ICARUS at ing data, 5 sigma. ogy, new questions and new capa- the scientific community responded for neutrinos; as the neutrino beam Fermilab marks the first time that Neutrinos scattering off bilities pop up as a result.” by setting up new experiments; naturally spreads out over longer CERN has sent its own personnel— nuclei: 6.7 sigma Dark Energy Survey: agrees SBN is one of them. SBN’s detec- and longer distances, researchers that is, physicists, engineers and A hand-held neutrino detector with current theory to 1 sigma tor separation is less than a kilo- need a larger and larger volume of technicians that work for CERN, weighing about 32 pounds used Using gravitational lensing data, meter, while DUNE’s baseline is liquid argon to detect them. not users employed at other aca- by the COHERENT collaboration the Dark Energy Survey (DES) nearly 1300 kilometers. During the 2017 APS Division demic institutions—to work on a at Oak Ridge National Laboratory collaboration has analyzed what There are already experiments of Particles and Fields meeting, I research collaboration at Fermilab. reported a 6.7 sigma discovery is to date the largest and deepest with a near and far detector study- toured the new home of ICARUS, It’s only in the past few years that of coherent neutrino-nucleus segment of the night sky. Using ing neutrino oscillations; the NOvA where personnel from a Spanish CERN has started contributing as scattering. As physicists work the Dark Energy Camera mounted experiment based at Fermilab and shipping company were finishing a member institution to collabo- to understand the way neutrinos on the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter the T2K experiment in Japan are the installation. Inside the new rations centered on instruments oscillate from one type to another, Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter- examples. The advantage of the facility there was what looked not located at CERN. So, while it is important to also understand American Observatory (CTIO) in new experiments, said Sam Zeller, like a huge tub waiting for the two Fermilab has been a member insti- what happens when those neutri- Chile, DES found values for the co-spokesperson of MicroBooNE truck-sized aluminum-encased tution of a scientific collaboration nos interact with different types cosmological constant, a “leftover” and Fermilab’s Deputy Neutrino ICARUS argon chambers parked at CERN for many years, CERN of particles. “There are a lot of value in the equations of general Division Head, is that “You can see outside of the facility. has only just joined as a member neutrino cross-sections predicted relativity that describe the universe. a lot more of what’s going on in the Currently there are over 200 institution of the SBN program at in the Standard Model, but many Theorists believe this constant neutrino interactions” using a liquid scientists participating in the SBN have theoretical uncertainties with may describe the effects of dark argon detector. program that will include three Fermilab. of 20% or 30% or even 100% … energy that is responsible for the “Another technology we might detectors which are currently at “Originally there was a pro- for this one, the theoretical uncer- accelerating expansion of the uni- compare this to are Cherenkov different stages: MicroBooNE posal to move ICARUS to CERN,” tainty is less than half a percent,” verse. On August 3, DES released detectors, but those detectors oper- is already operating, ICARUS is Wilson said, “on a new neutrino Philip Barbeau of Duke University data that agrees to one sigma with ate best at low energy. In order to being installed, and the SBN near beam there. CERN made a strategic said. According to Barbeau, that standard theories. This means do the type of physics we want to detector is in the design stages. decision not to build a new neutrino means that analyzing the data from that, despite other studies that do, we need to study neutrino oscil- The story of ICARUS is a beam, but to do neutrino physics this process will open the door for found values slightly further away lation patterns over a much larger human story as well as a scientific elsewhere. So what’s happening new types of searches for phys- from PLANCK/standard theories, range of energies, so you can see one, as Peter Wilson, SBN pro- now is that the neutrino physics ics beyond the Standard Model. the new DES data provide more the oscillatory structure in the neu- gram coordinator, and Cat James, community is coming together here Barbeau is an Analysis Coordinator evidence that the current standard trino data,” Zeller said. deputy SBN program coordina- at Fermilab.” on COHERENT; he presented the theories of the universe hold. ICARUS is the largest particle tor, explained to me as we wander The author is a freelance writer results on August 4. Describing DES’s data, presenter Right now, COHERENT’s result Daniel Gruen from SLAC said, detector to ever be transported in around the ICARUS building. based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. is within 1 sigma of the Standard “The best comparison of structure Model prediction. “We were a dis- when the universe was 400,000 parate group of researchers who years old at 10 billion years old says for over 43 years had been trying the simplest model describes the to individually observe this on our universe well.” The current result RESEARCH continued from page 1 own,” Barbeau said. In 2012, sev- covers one year of DES data; there the first microseconds after the big eral different collaborations joined will be three years of data total, with bang. Recent observations showed to create COHERENT. “Really, it’s more results to come. that the quark-gluon plasma has now an era of neutrino miniaturiza- The author is a freelance writer an extremely low viscosity, which tion, with this hand-held detector based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. led to predictions that this fluid Alan Stonebraker could rotate very quickly. The STAR collaboration looked for evidence of this swirling motion in off-center collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. As

Fermilab/Reider Hahn reported in Nature (DOI: 10.1038/ nature23004) they found that the

Particle tracks reveal quark-gluon plasma rotation. Nature Snapshots of surface chemistry CERN have provided unambiguous Much of surface chemistry evidence for a new baryon containing depends on the local properties that two charm quarks. In principle, bary- atoms and molecules encounter on ons can be composed of any com- a substrate, and researchers have bination of three quarks. However, now found a way to look at the ori- common baryons like protons and entation of interfacial water thanks neutrons only contain light quarks, to second-harmonic generation and all known baryons contain at most (SHG) microscopy. In SHG, a laser one of the three heavy quark types beam (say, red) entering a material (charm, top, and bottom). As reported Telescopes at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile used to Colliding protons produce double produces another beam at twice the in Physical Review Letters (DOI: conduct the Dark Energy Survey the charm. frequency (say, green). However, 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.112001), Λ hyperon particles produced in this only occurs in materials whose CERN’s Large Hadron Collider the collisions had spins that, on structure breaks symmetry, such beauty (LHCb) Collaboration has average, lined up with the inferred as certain crystals and interfaces. now discovered a baryon known as In Science (DOI: 10.1126/science. ++ angular momentum of the system. the Ξ cc, which is made of one light This spin polarization implied that aal4346), Macias-Romero et al. (up) quark and two heavy (charm) the quark-gluon plasma at the colli- report that they can take advan- quarks. Previous experiments had sion center rotates about 1022 times tage of the surface selectivity of hinted at the existence of a related MAMEETINGRCH2018 per second, which is a quadrillion SHG to image the structure and doubly charmed particle called dynamics of water molecules on + times faster than any other known the Ξ cc, but LHCb has now sifted M A R C H 5 – 9, 2018 a glass capillary. With their setup, through data from LHC’s latest run LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA fluid. The results could help refine theories on quark-gluon plasma the researchers mapped in 3D the to provide better-than-5-σ evidence orientation of water molecules at ++ evolution. for the Ξ cc. The collaboration also the glass surface for different pH determined with high precision its Call for Abstracts values of water. Each molecule’s mass: 3621 MeV∕c2—a value in orientation depends on the local good agreement with theoretical The scientific program is the cornerstone of the surface charge, so these maps expectations. While the existence March Meeting and gives researchers an opportunity revealed the extent of deproton- of this particle was expected, the ation as SiOH was converted to ++ to present their work to other scientists and receive Ξ cc will provide researchers with - valuable feedback, meet potential collaborators, and SiO . This capability should benefit a unique system for testing quantum even future employers. researchers in many fields where chromodynamics, the theory for the interfacial inhomogeneities influ- strong interaction that binds sub- DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 3, 2017 ence the surface chemistry. atomic particles together. (For more, aps.org/meetings/march New Particle Is Doubly see the Viewpoint by Raúl Briceño New technique for looking at sur- Charming in Physics “A Doubly Charming face chemistry. High-precision experiments at Particle.”) October 2017 • 7

SAVE Reviews of Modern Physics THE Join the nation’s largest meeting dedicated to the Learn how to increase Interface-induced phenomena in magnetism DATE enrollment of physics majors education of future physics teachers Frances Hellman, Axel Hoffmann, Yaroslav Tserkovnyak, Geoffrey S. D. Beach, 2018 2018 Eric E. Fullerton, Chris Leighton, Allan H. MacDonald, Building Thriving Daniel C. Ralph, Dario A. Arena, Hermann A. Dürr, PhysTEC Peter Fischer, Julie Grollier, Joseph P. Heremans, Undergraduate Tomas Jungwirth, Alexey V. Kimel, Bert Koopmans, Conference Physics Programs Ilya N. Krivorotov, Steven J. May, PET February 9–10 Amanda K. Petford-Long, James M. Rondinelli, et al. Workshop American Center for Physics February 10–11 Magnetism at interfaces often takes on a fundamentally com- February 8 College Park, MD pletely different character when compared to magnetism in Full Day Pre-Conference bulk. This review focuses on these differences and provides travel funding available an overview of magnetic interfaces relevant to modern spin- phystec.org/conferences/2018/ tronics beginning from the most basic and well-understood questions and reaching to the frontiers of knowledge. Topics covered include interfacial spin-orbit coupling, spin-transfer torques, interface-induced exotic spin textures, interface- dependent magnetization dynamics, and the interplay be- tween charge, spin, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom. The review provides perspectives in key areas and poses questions that may inspire unanticipated control strategies for magnetic interfaces for future magnetic recording and memory applications.

doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.89.025006

journals.aps.org/rmp

BRAZIL-U.S. EXCHANGE HUBRIS continued from page 3 PROGRAM expense of exploring better options. For example, it may be impossible gineering requires global coopera- “Even basic research has political to quantify the exact decrease in tion, something that looks uncertain implications,” says David Dana, rainfall caused by injected aero- in the wake of President Trump’s a legal scholar at Northwestern sols. That’s because precipitation, pledged exit from the Paris Climate NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS University whose specialties temperature, and other weather Accord. “If we can’t pull [the Paris include environmental law. phenomena depend on so many Accord] off, it seems even less Furthermore, you would still coupled variables. “We could cause likely we can cooperate on geoen- Opportunities for working physicists, have to do a much larger experi- potentially harmful changes that gineering,” Dana says. Ph.D. students, and postdocs. ment—inject orders of magnitude would be really tricky to prove And what if geoengineering more aerosol—to accurately model were from solar radiation manage- is just technological hubris? Top- the climate effects of solar geoen- ment,” she says. Once deployed, down approaches for “fixing” the Professorship/Lectureship Program gineering, says climate scientist it could be difficult to hold solar environment often have unintended Funding for physicists in Brazil & the U.S. to teach a short Gabriele Hegerl of the University geoengineering accountable for its consequences. For example, in the course or lecture series in the U.S. or Brazil. of Edinburgh, who co-authored a side effects. mid-twentieth century, the U.S. 2009 article in Science titled “Risks Keith acknowledges potential Army Corps of Engineers straight- Physics Ph.D. Student & Postdoc Visitation Program of Climate Engineering.” Hegerl side effects could occur, but he ened Florida’s Kissimmee River to Pursue a breadth of physics opportunities in Brazil. says that to determine how much thinks that the path forward is to prevent flooding, only to damage volcanic eruptions cooled Earth, do more research. They have begun the local ecosystem of birds and climate models aggregated data to investigate side effects for their fish. Beginning in the 1990’s, the DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 1, 2017 over multiple eruptions. balloon experiment. For example, government restored the river’s In the Science article, Hegerl some types of proposed aerosols previous path. “Humankind doesn’t and her co-author, MIT atmo- could destroy ozone in the strato- have a great track record of imple- spheric chemist Susan Solomon, sphere. Keith’s group has chosen to menting amazing technological write that it’s irresponsible to pro- release calcium carbonate because solutions,” Hegerl says. mote solar geoengineering simply their model predicts that it could Because solar geoengineering because it lowers temperatures. actually help restore ozone. proposals have largely been theo- CONFERENCES FOR Temperature is only a symptom Technical considerations are retical, government regulations UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN of a larger environmental prob- merely the tip of the iceberg, for it don’t exist yet. Keith’s group IN PHYSICS lem. “Solar radiation management though. “The real disagreements plans to name an independent advi- doesn’t attack the global warming are about the bigger questions,” sory panel to guide the experiment. problem at its root, which are emis- Keith says. “The ethics, the broader “It’s really important to have a high LEARN MORE sions,” Hegerl says. climate policy.” level of transparency and to have HOST SITES aps.org/cuwip Consequently, the technology From the policy perspective, some sort of independent regula- January 18–19, 2019 won’t be an environmental panacea. critics argue that should the tech- tory oversight,” he says. For example, solar geoengineering nology come to fruition, govern- Although no government is any- APS is now accepting applications won’t address ocean acidification ments could be less motivated to where near ready to deploy solar for host site institutions for the 2019 conferences. at all, where rising carbon diox- cut emissions—an example of a geoengineering, the likelihood of EXPRESSION OF INTEREST DUE: ide levels have resulted in a more so-called “moral hazard.” Dana, using the technology in coming SEPTEMBER 1 acidic ocean because of increased who considers himself neither for decades is increasing. “If you look APPLICATION DEADLINE: carbonic acid in the water. It could nor against solar geoengineering, at the projections for cutting emis- NOVEMBER 1 also reduce rainfall in monsoon has conducted surveys designed to sions and how slow it is for emis- regions in East Asia, Africa, and answer this question. “It’s pretty sions reductions to affect climate, North America, as found in a 2013 early research, but the results do there’s a pretty good argument Photo: © 2017 Christina + David study. “I’m quite nervous about it,” suggest that if people hear that solar we’ll have to do something,” Dana Hegerl says. geoengineering might work, they says. Debates over solar geoengi- If side effects like drought do might be less supportive of things neering—and its risks—are moving indeed occur, it will be statistically like carbon taxes,” he says. toward the mainstream. challenging to prove solar geoengi- The current political climate The author is a freelance writer neering caused them, Hegerl says. isn’t promising, either. Solar geoen- based in Tucson, Arizona. 8 • October 2017

The Federal Budget Part Two: A Tutorial and Update on the Fiscal Year 2018 Physical Science Research and Development Budget By Cherry Murray

ote: This article is based on a presenta- In fiscal year 1970, about 16 people were Ntion given to the 2017 APS April Meeting in 2015 US GDP $18 Trillion Total paying into the system for each worker getting Washington DC in January 2017, with an added $3.7 Trillion Social Security and Medicare entitlement program early September update. Part One was published retirement and disability benefits. Today, there in the August/September issue. are about 3 people paying into the system for When I gave a presentation at the APS “April” every one recipient. The baby boomers are now Meeting last January I had just completed my Mandatory beginning to retire. In 2024 there will be 2 people appointment as the Director of Science at the Authorizations paying in for each recipient. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which as If we continue with our current policies then the APS News readership knows is the largest our deficit is only going to get worse, with a bal- funder of physical science research in the federal looning net interest payment. In Figure 3 you can government. see this in the CBO projections assuming business I hadn’t actually paid a lot of attention to the as usual out to 2040. entire federal budget until I became a federal The peak in 2009-2010 is the stimulus employee, and then I found it to be quite sobering. spending of the 2009 American Recovery and This Back Page article is spread in two parts Discretionary Reinvestment Act. Other noninterest includes all across two issues of APS News. First, in Part One in Appropriations discretionary spending. the September issue, I covered some historical trends Our national debt is now larger than GDP and in U.S. research and development (R&D) funding, comparable in current dollars to what it was in contrasted with that of some other nations, and then World War II—and if you just extend what we’re provided an early June update on the administra- Fig. 1. Pie chart of the U.S. 2015 fiscal year enacted budget showing mandatory and doing today, then our interest payments become discretionary parts. Source: Congressional Budget Office (CBO) tion’s proposed budget for next fiscal year (FY18) three times larger by 2040. This is not sustainable. and a call to the physics community to respond. About 20% of the nearly $20 trillion current In this Part Two, I will give a short tutorial on national debt is held by foreign countries, the the federal budget as a whole and where R&D fits largest holders being China and Japan. This is a into it, and a mid-September update on the congres- strategic risk and not internationally sustainable. sional budget marks for FY18. What this means is that in the next few years The Federal Budget—a Tutorial spending caps such as the 2011 “sequester” on As a reminder from Part One, the U.S. federal the discretionary spending levels can go only so government is normally working on three annual far: we will need to begin to address the biggest budgets simultaneously. The budget for fiscal year cause of the problem: net future spending on the (FY) 2017, from October 1, 2016 to September 30, major entitlement programs Medicare, Medicaid 2017, is being executed by agencies now. Let’s call and Social Security. that budget the FY budget. If we cannot contain the spending on the At the same time, the FY+1 budget is under con- major entitlement programs, federal spending sideration by Congress; that budget is (normally) on the discretionary part of the budget, includ- submitted to Congress by the president during the ing R&D—our investment in the future—will first week in February of FY, i.e., four months continue to decrease. after the start of FY and eight months prior to the As of mid-September, there has been no start of FY+1. Congress must assess this budget, Fig. 2. Historical growth and projections of the mandatory programs. Source: Congres- agreement on healthcare spending reform, the usually through hearings and testimony, and enact sional Research Service administration, the House and the Senate are 12 separate appropriations for the FY+1 budget. all in negotiations about raising the debt ceiling Because of the turnover in the presiden- for temporary hurricane relief, a short continu- tial administration last January, submission to Dilea ot ustainable ing resolution keeps the government operating Congress of the president’s FY18 proposed bud- until early December, and Congress is working get was delayed until late May, and congressional hard on passing all of the appropriations bills. budget hearings were held for FY18 in June and The Senate subcommittee marks and the House July. The House has just, in mid-September, passed marks for the appropriations restore much of a package of twelve appropriations bills, and the the president’s proposed drastic cuts to research Senate Appropriations Committee is in the process spending for FY18 to close to FY17 levels, with of passing appropriations bills out of its various some strong differences between the House and subcommittees. Senate marks in some of the applied research Concurrent with congressional consideration of programs such as energy, space, and manufactur- the FY+1 budget, the administration is formulat- ing. Both major funders of basic physics research, ing the FY+2 budget, a process led by the Office National Science Foundation and the DOE Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and negoti- of Science, can expect that “level is the new up.” ated separately with each agency; the formulation It behooves you to continue to tell stories of the process can take as long as one year prior to the impact that your research has had, and make the argument that although federal R&D funding in submission to Congress. Fig. 3. CBO projections for a “spending in a business-as-usual” scenario Figure 1 shows a pie chart of the U.S. federal a broad mix of fields is only 3% of the annual budget enacted in 2015 (FY15) together a very small slice of the total federal budget— budget, it is a critically important investment in The FY15 enacted federal budget was $3.7 trillion. Two roughly 3%. the future of our nation. thirds of it was “mandatory.” This includes what are called Here is an issue: For the past 50 years, the U.S. has been The author is Benjamin Peirce Professor of Technology entitlement programs: Social Security, and the major health- running an annual budget deficit, and it’s getting worse. The and Public Policy in the John A. Paulson School of care programs for retirees and low-income earners, Medicare differences between federal outlays and revenues have aver- Engineering and Applied Sciences and Professor of Physics, and Medicaid, along with other programs like unemploy- aged about 3% of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), Harvard University. She served as the Director of the ment, food stamps, federal housing loan programs, veterans’ currently around $18 trillion. We must borrow money to pay Department of Energy’s Office of Science from 2015 until retirement, and the net interest on the U.S. national debt. for these ~3% per year deficits, with the net interest on the 2017, overseeing $5.5 billion in research funding as well The mandatory parts of the budget are mostly not appro- federal debt part of the mandatory part of the budget. as the management of 10 national laboratories. She was priated (Social Security is appropriated, but it’s still con- In its proportion of the federal budget and in real dol- dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences sidered a mandatory entitlement program) and they are lars, mandatory spending has been climbing dramatically, at Harvard from 2009 until 2014, and principal associate authorized by bills in Congress through various authorizing and discretionary spending, which includes R&D budgets, director for science and technology from 2007 to 2009 and committees. Some are authorized for many years, but many has been going down. The federal budget is now two-thirds deputy director for science and technology from 2004 to 2007 are authorized for only a single year. mandatory versus one-third discretionary, rather than the at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. From 1978 to Relevant to physical science research is the “discretion- other way around as in the 1970’s. 2004, Murray held a number of positions at Bell Laboratories ary” spending, a yearly budget process through the appro- Within mandatory spending Medicare and Medicaid are (Lucent Technologies). She served as APS president in 2009, priations committees of Congress. This comprises about growing the most rapidly. Social Security is growing as well and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and half defense and half nondefense spending. And the research but not as rapidly. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) National Academy of Engineering as well as a Fellow of the and development (R&D) part of each of those is about 10%; projections for the mandatory programs are shown in Figure 2. American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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]