Spring 2017, Number 10 Department of Physics Newsletter FROM OXFORD TO MARS

The enigma of methane on Mars

PAVING THE WAY TO THE IMPACT OF OUR A NEW GENERATION POWERED BY RESEARCH OF LIGHT SOURCES A STAR A new collaborative Plasma acceleration Astronomy off the grid initiative with Industry

www.physics.ox.ac.uk PROUD WINNERS OF: SCIENCE NEWS SCIENCE NEWS www.physics.ox.ac.uk/research www.physics.ox.ac.uk/research

being commisioned at the graduate training. The graduate course offered to JAI German Electron Synchrotron students is coordinated by Prof Emmanuel Tsesmelis PAVING THE WAY Centre (DESY, Hamburg) – but (CERN/JAI) and combines classic accelerator theory about a hundred times smaller, with plasma and laser physics, as well as real life thanks to advantages in plasma experiences such as lectures given to students via video TO A NEW GENERATION acceleration. from the heart of the LHC-CERN control room. Building an FEL based on The JAI graduate training is world renowned with its OF LIGHT SOURCES plasma acceleration requires trademark being the students’ design project. In this solving a number of challenges. project, all first-year JAI graduate students work as a For instance, if we scale up all One of the most spectacular phenomena, as we often hear Excited by the recent progress, we should also be vigilant team for two months to design an innovative accelerator, Professor Andrei Seryi, the phase space dimensions, from schoolchildren visiting our Physics Department, about the next steps. The time it takes to design and ensuring that all the major systems (optics, magnets, Director of the John the beam accelerated by plasma is a meteor shower – a wide glowing trail left by tiny build any new accelerator or collider, and the fact that accelerator systems) are self-consistent. The projects vary Adams Institute (JAI) looks like a sheet of A4 paper – grains of matter on the night sky. Even more amazing their sizes and costs tend to increase, slowing down each year, with recent projects ranging from a plasma IMAGES IN FIG. 2 COURTESY PROF ZULFIKAR very thin (in size) and wide (in (rare but still possible in Oxfordshire) are Aurorae progress in recent decades, indicates that a technological accelerator for proton therapy to the electron-positron NAJMUDING (IMPERIAL COLLEGE AND JAI), angular and energy spread). Our dream beam, however, Borealis, the result of interaction of ‘solar wind’ – the revolution is required to make further progress. Back in J. COLE ET AL, SCI REP. 2015 AUG 18;5:13244. DOI: option of the Future Circular Collider. 10.1038/SREP13244. would have the same volume but would be round, like accelerated subatomic elementary particles – with the 1940 Enrico Fermi dreamed about a giant accelerator a hazelnut. Creating a beam with proper phase space Earth’s atmosphere. on a stable orbit that circled the Earth. We now need The JAI students’ design project utilises a proven and suitable for FEL is a task we are currently working on. to be much more responsible and ensure that every effective hands-on approach. It allows students to Another challenge we have is the limitation imposed Cosmic rays – elementary particles of tiny masses, which technological advance is explored and exploited before master and put into practice the theoretical concepts by high power solid-state lasers needed for plasma enter the Earth’s atmosphere with the energy of a cricket we can propose to funding agencies a collider even two and methods they have learnt during the previous excitation which, unfortunately, have low repetition rates ball – are much more difficult to observe with a naked or three times larger than the LHC. terms’ lectures. eye and even their acceleration mechanism still remains (just a few Hz), and very low ‘wall-plug’ efficiency. The multi-pulse plasma acceleration technology developed a mystery. Yet we are often asked by schoolchildren; can Thinking about the next technological revolution in The JAI’s graduate training approach has been by our team and led by Prof Simon Hooker (JAI/Oxford) we create such cosmic rays in the laboratory, and if so, accelerators, we can recall that some plasma physicists successfully applied in 2016 at the US Particle could use high-repetition-rate fibre lasers to overcome why would we want to do this and how would we use have recently argued that the above-mentioned ultra- Accelerator School (USPAS) where Prof Andrei Seryi this difficulty. such scientific tools? high-energy cosmic rays are, in fact, the result of plasma (JAI/Oxford) and Dr Aakash Sahai (JAI/ICL) taught acceleration happening far away in our Galaxy. These a one-week class on ‘Unifying physics of accelerators, Following Freeman Dyson, who refuted the idea While the plasma acceleration FEL is being actively same processes may drive the technology to create the lasers and plasma’. Here the design project had to be of concept-driven scientific revolution and instead developed, a compact incoherent light source based on next breakthrough here on Earth. And even though we completed in just one week, so detailed simulations argued that creation of scientific tools drives progress, plasma acceleration (see Fig. 1) is already possible and do not directly study cosmic rays at the John Adams were replaced by estimations of the parameters of the we are well armed to answer these questions. We can can actually be quite bright. In fact, it is comparable in Institute (JAI) for accelerator science, we are looking key systems. point schoolchildren to the many tens of thousands into this technology as a possible workhorse for next peak brightness with the third generation synchrotron of accelerators used in science and industry. We can generation colliders and various other accelerators. light sources. The x-rays produced by such sources have describe how physicists and engineers can, in fact, already been used in trials conducted in consultation The results of this JAI-led USPAS class exceeded our compete with nature. Even though the elementary Conventional accelerators operate on the principle with medical experts. For example, the team led by Prof expectations; the students were able to develop a novel particle energies achieved in accelerators are less of particle acceleration in resonators, these are metal Zulfikar Najmudin of JAI/Imperial College London design of an x-ray source based on a compact storage than a millionth of those of the most energetic space containers of a certain shape that have a limited ability (ICL), is studying microscopic bone damage caused ring of an electron beam with on-orbit and on-energy particles, we can accelerate billions and billions of to withstand strong electromagnetic fields due to by osteoporosis – see Fig. 2. injection by a laser plasma acceleration system. Based particles simultaneously. Moreover, we have found possible electric breakdowns and destruction of the on their successful design, the team of students were ways to focus the particle flux and compress it to a tiny resonator walls. However, the wave produced in plasma, invited to present their concept at the prestigious A BOLD NEW APPROACH TO TRAINING North American Particle Accelerator Conference size. For instance, one of the most ambitious modern a material which is already ‘broken-down’, can create Figure 1 (opposite below): ACCELERATOR SCIENTISTS (NAPAC 2016) where the USPAS leadership praised accelerators – the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) an accelerating gradient a thousand times larger, which Concept of an incoherent x-ray their achievement. at CERN – accelerates proton beams to an energy would allow us to reduce the size of the accelerators. source based on laser-plasma Work on novel technologies such as plasma acceleration equivalent to that of a Boeing 747 at take-off, and this accelerator. FEL and light sources requires a new approach to energy is concentrated within a ‘point’ less than a human Following the research and training principles outlined hair in diameter. PLASMA-BASED COLLIDERS: FROM CONCEPT TO Figure 2 (opposite above): above, the JAI is determined to bring its basic research REALITY Tomographic reconstruction of to industrial, medical and societal applications in trabecular bone sample: the near future. We hope that our research will help PAVING THE WAY FOR NEW ACCELERATORS We are often asked the question: ‘when will plasma acceleration-based colliders become a reality?’ The a) a raw image of the bone to design compact sources of synchrotron radiation Discoveries such as those enabled by accelerated beams answer is, certainly not tomorrow: the research and sample recorded on the x-ray that are based on synergy between lasers and new can shake our imagination and amaze us, both with the development roadmaps toward plasma acceleration camera; accelerators. We believe that these sources will be able ability of modern physics to predict them, and with colliders created by US and European communities b) 2D reconstruction of a one- to revolutionise the world of accelerator physics and their ever-reaching consequences. The Higgs Boson extend to around 2035. pixel high horizontal slice of the its applications, as has happened with the invention (predicted back in 1964 and revealed in 2012 by an sample at the position indicated of visible-light lasers, which spurred science and instrument, the LHC, whose construction began in With colliders in mind, here at the JAI we are strongly in a); industry in the 20th century. In particular, the 1998) is of profound importance for understanding the focused on plasma acceleration applications that have a c) stacking together 1,300 such development of very compact sources of x-ray pulses, mechanism that creates masses of all subatomic particles. more immediate use for society and industry: compact slices generates a 3D voxel map the first likely application of plasma accelerators, Discoveries that, we hope, are still to come at the LHC, light sources. Our eventual goal is the creation of a of the bone sample. An isosurface can be an inspiring piece of evidence that enables are perhaps those true ‘unknown unknowns’ (in contrast compact, coherent x-ray source – a Free Electron Laser marking the detailed structure of us to overcome the ‘valley of death’ between basic to the predicted, thus ‘known unknown’ Higgs) that will (FEL) – similar in functionality to the operating Linac the bone surface is constructed science and technological innovations, and hence take us beyond the Standard Model of particle physics Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at the Stanford Linear and rendered using a ray-tracing meet some of the recently declared goals of the UK and promise to be even more fascinating. Accelerator Centre (SLAC) or the European XFEL method. Industrial Strategy. ￭

2 | Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 | 3 SCIENCE NEWS SCIENCE NEWS www.physics.ox.ac.uk/research www.physics.ox.ac.uk/research

The 2020 ExoMars mission will deliver a FROM OXFORD European rover on Mars’ surface. After a nine- Artist’s impression of the Trace month journey to Mars, Gas Orbiter (TGO, top left) and TO MARS the entry, descent and landing the rover will travel demonstrator module, Schiaparelli across the Martian (middle), and the ExoMars rover (bottom right). Under the ExoMars surface searching programme, TGO and Schiaparelli for signs of life on were launched to Mars in 2016, the planet. The Oxford Physics Department has an illustrious More difficult than orbiting Mars, though, is landing Dr Colin Wilson while the rover, along with a history of sending scientific instrumentation to other on the planet. Mars is arguably one of the most carrier module and surface science ESA/ATG MEDIALAB ESA/ATG planets. But on Mars, we’ve had more than our fair difficult places to land in the solar system. Its variable platform, will be launched in 2020. © share of reminders of the high risks of planetary atmosphere, with dust storms and occasional winds, exploration. The Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary leads to far greater unpredictability than one would find failed to communicate. We succeeded in getting an this was of immediate interest, because of the possibility Physics (AOPP) sub-department’s first interplanetary at an airless body like the Moon. On the other hand, almost identical wind sensor to be included on Europe’s of biological sources. There are abiotic ways of generating foray was nearly four decades ago in 1978 when an its atmosphere is 50 times less dense than that of the Schiaparelli Mars lander in 2016 – so on 19 October methane – notably, through reactions of water with Oxford-designed infrared radiometer was sent to Venus Earth, meaning that parachutes are relatively ineffectual 2016, I was at the European Spacecraft Operations olivine or similar rocks – but most of these require aboard NASA’s Pioneer Venus Orbiter. This has led to and airbags or rocket-powered landing systems are Centre waiting for Schiaparelli to land. We watched liquid water which is itself of great interest for hunters further successes: AOPP-built equipment is currently needed for the last portion of the descent. Due to the the radio signal from the lander, as monitored by of extra-terrestrial biology (exobiology). Subsequent operating in orbit around Saturn, the Moon, Earth and distance of Mars from Earth, the whole entry, descent an Indian radio telescope array, as it approached the observations often yielded only upper limits on Mars. Mars has proved the most challenging to reach: and landing sequence must be autonomous because the Martian surface, but the signal suddenly disappeared atmospheric methane abundance, but sometimes also attempts to send an infrared (IR) radiometer there were two-way radio communication delay is longer than the when the lander reached the surface. A subsequent revealed continent-sized plumes of elevated methane foiled in 1992 and 1999 when the Mars Observer and 6-7 minute descent to the surface. investigation revealed that the lander’s guidance system levels. This defies our current understanding of Martian Mars Climate Orbiter, respectively, failed before going had concluded that it was on the surface and so it shut atmospheric chemistry, which cannot yet explain either into orbit around Mars (the latter, famously, due to a off its thrusters – but that this had happened when it how the methane is created in such great quantities LANDING ON MARS: FROM BEAGLE 2 TO THE metric/imperial unit conversion error). Success came TRACE GAS ORBITER was still 3.7km above the ground, so it went into freefall, nor how it is destroyed; in the jargon of atmospheric at last with Oxford’s contributions to a third Martian IR hitting the surface 17 seconds later. The lander was never chemistry, we need to identify the sources and sinks of instrument, the Mars Climate Sounder on NASA’s Mars Few people in Oxford can be more acutely aware of the heard from again. atmospheric methane. Reconnaissance Orbiter. Orbiting Mars since 2006, this dangers of landing on Mars than I am. For my DPhil Artist’s impression of the The news from Mars that day was not all bad, though. has been tirelessly mapping atmospheric temperatures project here in AOPP, I built a Mars wind sensor for the Schiaparelli module with INVESTIGATING THE MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE First of all, the Schiaparelli lander transmitted and airborne dust concentrations, allowing researchers UK’s Beagle 2 lander in 2003; on Christmas day 2003 thrusters firing. Schiaparelli The TGO is designed to follow up on these observations. to build up an increasingly sophisticated understanding (12 days after my successful viva defence), Beagle 2 entered the Martian atmosphere information throughout its descent, so almost all of the Its main observation mode is spectroscopy of sunsets of Mars’ variable climate. apparently reached the surface of Mars intact, but then on 19 October 2016. flight systems – from heat shields to parachutes – have been verified. This will increase the chances of success and sunrises (solar occultation). The sun provides a for future missions. But more importantly, Schiaparelli bright source of photons and the limb-viewing geometry was carried to Mars by a much bigger spacecraft called provides a long atmospheric path length. So this method the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO); that same day, while allows extremely sensitive detection of trace atmospheric Schiaparelli made its ill-fated descent through the constituents in absorption spectrometry. The TGO atmosphere, the TGO successfully conducted a rocket will be able to detect not only methane at abundances firing to insert it into orbit around Mars. And the TGO’s down to a few parts per trillion, but also related organic investigations promise to be very interesting indeed. and halogen species, to reveal the chemical cycles which govern their variability. Although the TGO’s THE ENIGMA OF METHANE ON MARS: AN instruments weren’t built in Oxford, AOPP scientists will INDICATOR OF LIFE? be involved in interpreting its measurements, analysing the raw spectra and incorporating this information into Back in 2003, three independent research groups atmospheric circulation models, to help identify sources announced the discovery of methane in Mars’ and sinks for the different trace species. atmosphere. The amounts of methane detected were frustratingly variable and faint, with reported Many of those sources and sinks are expected to be abundances of only 0–100 parts per billion. However, underground; so that is where the next generation of Mars exploration craft will be searching. Oxford’s next chance to get instrumentation to the surface of Mars will come next year when NASA’s InSight mission will launch, carrying innovative micro-seismometers Artist’s impression of the manufactured at Imperial College and packaged and Schiaparelli module as it would calibrated in Oxford. This will be followed in 2020 by have looked on the surface of Mars if it had landed correctly. The the second half of ESA’s ExoMars programme – a rover scene shows the module, with the which will be able to drill two metres below the surface, parachute and rear cover of the to reach subsurface areas where organic materials are heat shield that were jettisoned more easily preserved. Here at AOPP, we will be hoping ESA/ATG MEDIALAB ESA/ATG MEDIALAB ESA/ATG that these missions land successfully. ￭ © © shortly before touchdown. 4 | Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 | 5 SCIENCE NEWS OXFORD PHYSICS www.physics.ox.ac.uk/research

Dr Phillip Tait

AN ASTRONOMICAL For more TO INDUSTRY AND information go to: OBSERVATORY www.globaljetwatch. BEYOND... THE IMPACT POWERED BY A STAR net OF OUR RESEARCH

Working with industry is integral to the mission Both of these two activities – engaging young people in TELESCOPES ROUND-THE-WORLD Professor Katherine of the Physics Department. We aim to widen developing countries in science as well as gaining unique Blundell our engagement with society and recognise the In rural southern India, the commissioning of Operation spectroscopic data streams for astrophysics research – potential for creating impact beyond academia, Solar Farmyard has recently been completed. This are manifestly not possible when there is no power, or from the people, skills and technology supported endeavour was designed to overcome the challenges following a particularly egregious electricity spike that through our research and teaching programmes. of operating a research-grade observatory in a harsh destroys the instrumentation. Just over a year ago, a environment where the local mains electricity is sympathetic donor (who prefers to remain anonymous) intermittent, spiky and, as we found out to our dismay, offered the funds to build a solar farmyard at the school STRATEGIC SUPPORT with enormous potential to destroy our cameras! The observatory. Since then, I and two colleagues from The Department established the Physics Industrial observatory in question is one of the five Global Jet the AAO, Steven Lee and Chris McCowage, used this Liaison Committee in order to develop, promote Watch observatories (www.globaljetwatch.net). These generous resource to design, install and commission a and bring coherence to interactions between the five telescopes are distributed in longitude around the ‘solar system’ that would avoid the perils of the local Department and industry. The committee brings planet so there is always one of them in darkness, which mains grid. together both academics and specialist support is an essential prerequisite for optical astronomy. This staff from across the Department and University, enables a unique programme in the study of black hole The main energy costs in running an observatory are Poster session during physics industry open day including representation from Oxford University systems in our Galaxy. the cooling of the CCD cameras to minimise noise on Innovation, the University’s Technology Transfer the detectors, powering the control PC and operating WE WORK WITH INDUSTRY TO: WE OFFER INDUSTRY: These black hole systems can now be monitored the mount on which the telescope slews, tracks and office, and business development expertise around the clock, in a way that is simply not possible guides. On the school roof, a few metres away from from the MPLS division’s Industrial Research n understand where our research can help solve n advanced research and technology that can from a single observatory at a fixed longitude. They are the observatory, two sets of photovoltaic panels were Partnerships team. The committee’s challenge is to challenges faced by society; be developed into new products and services; exotic and dynamic phenomena that actually change installed, Pavo and Vela, which each comprise six raise awareness of existing and potential industry n collaboratively develop new technology and n access to our academic expertise and specialist on timescales of hours and days, so to keep the watch square metres in four panels cabled in series and then engagement within the Department as well as enable commercialisation from our research; equipment; going we need a round-the-world network of telescopes. in parallel so that the electricity can be transmitted at a externally, and to enable an increase in knowledge Securing the PV panels to their We are investigating how matter behaves close to black high voltage, thus minimising the thickness of the cables exchange projects and commercialisation. n ensure our training programmes fully prepare n opportunities to train, as well as recruit, our steel frames holes: both how the matter is attracted and, even more needed. The harvested current is then fed through charge our students and staff for their careers; and students; and The Department has also recently recruited dramatically, how it is expelled at speeds comparable regulators into four battery banks, named Aldebaran, Dr Phillip Tait, a knowledge exchange and n form partnerships to access unique expertise, n partnerships that enable access to expertise with the speed of light itself. Each 0.5 metre telescope Bellatrix, Canopus and Diadem (all star names). These commercialisation professional, to provide equipment and ideas to test new research and resources for collaborative Research and is equipped with a high-throughput spectrograph, are comprised of 48 readily available lead acid 2V battery dedicated support not only to specific projects questions. Development (R&D). designed by Steven Lee of the Australian Astronomical cells configured to provide 24V and collectively store with industry but also to support and develop Observatory (AAO). These spectrographs split up the 2,000 amp hours (Ah). This amount was designed to be an environment and culture of innovation light received from Galactic black hole systems and well above the maximum we are ever likely to draw in of research carried out in the Department, our collaborative projects with industry on and impact through a series of activities. By measure Doppler-shifted emission lines from the gas the observatory, so that the battery life can be preserved. through a series of open seminars. We have superconductivity and quantum technologies, working with experts across the University, we being sucked onto and relativistically ejected from The observatory itself was converted to run entirely also committed to holding regular industry- as well as exciting applications in research areas, are able to support students and staff to identify the vicinity of the black holes. This fleet of telescopes on DC electricity, rather than using lossy inverters to Schoolgirls control the telescope focused events in order to create new opportunities from machine learning to DNA nanotechnology. potential applications of their research all the way and associated instrumentation thereby allows us turn DC electricity from the batteries into AC and then at night before local bedtime for engagement and to strengthen existing through to forming collaborative projects with to pursue our research on their evolving dynamics turn it back into DC electricity with manufacturers’ collaborations. These events invite relevant industry or creating new spin-out companies. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE round-the-clock. power packs incurring further losses. The supply of DC industrial contacts to the Department to meet This coordinated resource allows us to develop electricity from the batteries provides clean, noise-free our students and staff, and to learn about our We are also planning further events to allow more effective partnerships with industry and power feeding our devices – particularly important for research, technology developments, facilities and our students and staff opportunities to explore SOLAR ENERGY FOR A GLOBAL PROJECT particularly with local businesses, including the cameras collecting the precious data from distant ways to work with us. applications of their research and to better those at the Begbroke and Harwell campuses. By But by design there is an important educational spin-off places across the Galaxy. Powering up each device is understand the problems faced by society on engaging successfully with industry, this enables As part of this approach, we held a Physics from this research programme on black holes. As for controlled remotely via IP switches specifically designed which the transformational power of physics can the outputs of our research to reach beyond Industry Open Day on 23 September 2016, with most of the other Global Jet Watch observatories, the for DC control so that, thanks to the internet, everything be brought to bear. Building on the success of academia, to impact on society. more than 60 representatives from industry India observatory is located in the grounds of a boarding in the observatory can be conveniently driven from last year’s open day, we are currently organising visiting the Department. Each delegate was able to school. It is a school founded by the Government of India rainy Oxford. Not only does the solar farmyard enable the next event for industry, which will focus on visit 2 of 11 facilities in the Department and meet so that the bright children of rural families can receive a safe, ongoing measurements for astrophysics research, COLLABORATION BUILDING satellite and space technologies. 2017 will also with over 50 of our students and staff throughout formal education rather than working on the land; more it also enables the schoolchildren to use the telescope see the Department launch its first Innovation We aim to embed a greater understanding of the day. The event included a technology showcase than half of the children at the school are first-generation for themselves. More profoundly still, these children Competition for our students and young knowledge exchange and commercialisation into with 35 of our current projects on display, as well literates. Before local bedtime the schoolchildren enjoy living at their school in rural India learn something The observatory is within the researchers. the environment of our students and staff. The as keynote presentations from the Department using the telescope for themselves. When they are rather amazing: how energy gathered from our nearest heart of the school at roof height, Department has established a new Research and and Innovate UK. Delegates learnt about our To find out more about our impact in industry sleeping in their beds, we take over operation of the star by day is available each night to help them explore the same height as the solar Industry Forum, which invites both academics spin-out company successes in photovoltaic and to keep up to date with our news and events, telescope by remote control over the internet. distant stars across our Galaxy. ￭ panels and businesses to discuss industrial applications technology and super resolution microscopes, please visit: www.physics.ox.ac.uk/enterprise ￭ 6 | Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 | 7 OXFORD PHYSICS OXFORD PHYSICS NOTES FROM THE HEAD OF PHYSICS

In the last Newsletter I noted that the era of big Atomic Energy Community. This unanticipated effect Prof John Wheater, discoveries of new particles may be over for the time of Brexit is doubtless only the first surprise; fortunately, Head of Department being. While of course that can always turn out to be some other organisations crucial to us, such as CERN, wrong, we are definitely entering into an era when ESO and ESA, are entirely independent of EU structures precision tests of the Standard Model of particle physics and thus definitely will not be affected. Euratom will become abundant. A few days ago as I write this, has many functions but from our point of view its the LHCb collaboration, in which Oxford Physics plays importance is mainly in coordinating research into a major role, announced their latest results testing fusion and fusion plasmas, the latter in particular ‘lepton universality’. The leptons are particles that feel being a topic in which Oxford Physics leads the world. only the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces, the Euratom is responsible for running the Joint European electroweak interaction in the language of the Standard Torus (JET) at Culham, for example, and almost all Model. The lightest charged leptons are the electron funding for this research area is channelled through it. and its antiparticle the positron. They have two heavier We do not know how the Government plans to unpick analogues; the muons whose mass is about 207 times the situation. It is certainly no one’s intention that UK greater, and the taus whose mass is about 3,477 times research ceases or is substantially damaged in such a

greater. No one knows why the masses of these particles major science and technology field but the potential for FLEMING DAVE © differ so much, nor indeed why there are three different damage right now is considerable and we are working families at all, but it is a clear tenet of the Standard hard to get the way ahead clarified as soon as possible. The pink episode has reminded me of the late We are well on the way in our campaign to establish Model that the strengths of their interaction with the Dr Michael Grace who was once kind enough to the Oxford Physics Endowment for Graduate students It has taken only seven months for the structure of electroweak forces are the same – this is what is meant See p12 for admit me to Christ Church and Physics. He had various (OXPEG), which is planned ultimately to support 25 the Beecroft Building to emerge from the huge hole by lepton universality. However, the new LHCb results more information artefacts to probe the intuition of entrance candidates; graduate scholarships for outstanding young physicists in the ground and reach its maximum height; and, Brexit continues to be show that some B mesons (transient particles created in about the Oxford one of these was a chunk of germanium which has very from around the world. The fund currently stands at amazingly, right now we are still on schedule. The frame collisions at the Large Hadron Collider) prefer to decay a major preoccupation Physics Endowment for interesting optical properties as the angle of incidence about £1.1m confirmed. A big ‘thank you’ to everyone was completed in February and a brief bottoming out to electron-positron pairs than to muon anti-muon pairs, for us, as for everyone changes. The feedback we get about the Newsletter who responded to my email in January; contributions ceremony was held on a wet and windy day; the final Graduate students by a factor of about 1.5. The errors on this measurement often remarks on how fascinating people’s memories as a result of that are still coming in. As I said at the last concrete was somewhat inexpertly shovelled into place else in the UK. The (OXPEG) are not yet so tight that the effect could not disappear of their time in the Department are. If you have any Morning of Theoretical Physics event, on the whole, by the Vice Chancellor, Adrian Beecroft and yours truly. as more data is analysed, but if it does not, then lepton Article 50 Act not only interesting reminiscences about the place and the physicists do jobs that do not lead to enormous personal Since then the cladding has been proceeding apace and universality is not true. In turn this means that there triggered the departure people, please put pen to paper. wealth; but there are a lot of us, about 11,000 in total most of it is now on. Some people claim that the light have to be further, as yet undiscovered, particles which and 9,000 plus for whom the Department has contact coloured metallic part of the cladding is pink while of the UK from the EU Opposite page, far left: DPhil do not appear in the Standard Model. Time will tell. The last Newsletter was the final one edited by Professor information. Even small contributions count; if all 9,000 others vehemently deny this. In fact, it is not pink but but also the end of our student Hanyang Ye and PostDoc Josue Martinez Hardigree, Fabian Essler. I think he has done a wonderful of us give £50 every year that already amounts to nearly Brexit continues to be a major preoccupation for us, as copper, although in certain lighting conditions I think it membership of Euratom, working on organic solar cells job and would like to thank him for all his efforts. half a million pounds per annum. Of course, I hope that for everyone else in the UK. The Article 50 Act not only definitely appears pink. Second year electromagnetism in the Advanced Functional The new editor is Professor Dimitra Rigopoulou those who can will contribute more, and I understand triggered the departure of the UK from the EU but also and the scattering of light off metals is responsible, the the European Atomic Materials and Devices Group who would be delighted to hear from you through that some will not be able to manage anything, but the end of our membership of Euratom, the European effect itself will fade as the copper ages. Energy Community. (PI Riede); Right: DPhil student [email protected]. acting together we can make a difference.￭ Riccardo Manenti, at the Design and Fabrication of Quantum Devices lab (PI Leek). This page, above: Professor Tim Palmer and Drs Hannah Christensen and Aneesh Subramanian marvel at the complex motion of the chaotic double pendulum. Earth’s climate is itself chaotic. As a result, distinguishing human-induced forcing of climate from naturally occurring internal variability can be extremely challenging and requires sophisticated diagnostic tools. Bottom: The Beecroft building showing some of the

© DAVE FLEMING DAVE © FLEMING DAVE © cladding. 8 | Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 | 9 OUTREACH

GREENLIGHT FOR GIRLS

Oxford Physics Endowment for Graduates (OXPEG) Make a regular gift by Direct Debit

How do we get more girls to study – and keep day, and in doing so met scientists from across the Kathryn Boast OXPEG is an endowed fund that will provide scholarship support for I would like to make a regular gift of £ on studying – science subjects? This question is University and beyond, with workshops run by, the most outstanding graduate students, regardless of their country of origin, to study for a DPhil degree in the Department of Physics. each month / quarter / year* (*delete as appropriate) starting on 1st of important for so many different reasons, from among others, Oxford Maths, Oxford Materials, 20 the supply and demand of skilled people for the Oxford Hands-On Science, and Oxford Females tech sector to the fact that, by whittling down the in Engineering, Science and Technology. The I wish to support Oxford by giving to: Bank or Building Society numbers from half the population, we must be workshops let the girls explore areas of science The Oxford Physics Endowment for Graduates (OXPEG) Bank or Building Society address missing out on some serious science talent. The they probably hadn’t encountered before in an The Vice-Chancellor’s General Fund disproportion between the genders is particularly environment that encouraged them all to have a Postcode obvious in physics, and sets in early. Although go and have fun in the process. A college* Name(s) of account holder(s) at GCSE the balance is pretty equal (after all, Just a quick note to say how much A faculty / department* At midday, everyone headed to Pembroke College the girls enjoyed Saturday. They talked Bank sort code studying science is generally compulsory), girls A garden / museum / library* make up only 20% of those who continue with for lunch in their beautiful Hall. For many of non-stop all the way back, thank you, Another area* Account no. physics post-16, and that ratio between men the girls, seeing inside an Oxford college was please pass on our thanks to all your a totally new experience, and some Pembroke and women in physics never really recovers. In volunteers as well. * Please specify Service User Number: 430475 undergraduates kindly gave tours of the college. All gifts are processed by the University of Oxford Development Trust Fund (OUDT). If your general, the work of Oxford Women in Physics INSTRUCTION TO YOUR BANK OR BUILDING SOCIETY: Please pay Direct Debits to the Lunch was followed by a Q&A session. The panel wish is to support a college, OUDT will transfer your gift directly to the relevant college. In Society focuses on supporting those who have A huge thank you to the team for all other cases, your kind income gift will be held in the specific OUDT broad-purpose fund University of Oxford Development Trust from the account detailed in this Instruction subject consisted of Cesca Webb, a Pembroke physics the work you all did to make the day which most closely corresponds to the area you wish to support. Please see overleaf for further to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may made it to university or beyond, and although details. remain with the University of Oxford Development Trust Fund and, if so, details will be passed this is vital work, it is a support mechanism and undergraduate; Professor Daniela Bortoletto, a ‘fantastic’. My daughter came away full electronically to my Bank or Building Society. I wish my gift to remain anonymous. not a solution – only one in five of those studying particle physicist; Melissa Rancourt, an engineer of excitement and can’t wait to go to physics at university is female, so most of the and founder of greenlight for girls; Emma Parker, Pembroke College. Signature(s) a trainee clinical scientist in radiotherapy physics Please consider leaving a gift in your will crucial choices have already been made. But Banks and Building Societies may not accept at the Churchill Hospital; and Merritt Moore, It was a fantastic opportunity and they Date perhaps this is something we can change. Please send me information about making a gift in my will. Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account. a DPhil student and professional ballet dancer. loved being part of it and meeting new PLEASE CUT HERE AND POST TO THE ADDRESS AT THE BOTTOM. THIS FORM IS ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE AVAILABLE ALSO IS FORM THIS BOTTOM. THE AT ADDRESS THE TO POST AND HERE CUT PLEASE Questions ranged from how to pick up coding friends, some of whom had come from SCIENCE CAN BE FOR ANYONE My details Make a single gift skills to balancing physics work with other so far to be part of the day. Clearly we need to engage girls early, before interests, prompted by props that the panellists Title First name I would like to make a single gift of £ She definitely feels inspired and is going they start to make decisions about what subjects had brought including a dosimeter, a weekly Surname I enclose a cheque made payable to to show her science teacher what she to keep, if we are to stop this loss of talent. This planner and pointe shoes! Address University of Oxford Development Trust Fund. did during the day. Thanks so much to idea is at the heart of the work of greenlight for I enclose a Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) voucher. girls, an international organisation devoted to GOING OUT WITH A BANG! the team behind this event for all the engaging girls with STEM subjects: science, hard work. Please debit my Visa MasterCard UK Maestro The grand finale was provided by the enthralling technology, engineering and maths. Last month, Postcode Telephone Accelerate! show, a whistle-stop tour of accelerator Card no Oxford Women in Physics Society teamed up Email physics via liquid nitrogen, 40,000 volts, beach with greenlight for girls to bring a ‘g4g day’ to Expiry date balls and very loud explosions. In the capable Alumni card number (if applicable) Oxford – the first of its kind here, and only the hands of Dr Kirsty Duffy and Joe Hitchen, this was Start date (if applicable) Issue no. (if applicable) third greenlight for girls event in the UK. the perfect culmination of everything the day was Communication preferences The Department was filled with 100 local girls about – bringing accurate science to life through I do not wish to receive fundraising appeal communications from Name on card aged between 11 and 14 for a day of hands- interactivity, involvement and, above all, fun. ￭ the Department of Physics. on science and technology workshops, which Signature Gift Aid declaration (UK tax-payers only) included an introduction to spectroscopy for astrophysics, a crash course in statistics using I would like the University of Oxford Development Trust Fund to treat Date M&Ms, creating a model stomach, coding a this donation (and any other donations I may make from the date simple website, using maths to understand the of this declaration until I notify you otherwise) as a Gift Aid donation. I understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than spread of disease, and building batteries from the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year, it fruit. In groups of fifteen, the girls tried their is my responsibility to pay any difference. hand at three workshops over the course of the Budding scientists at work Signature You can make a gift online now at Science reporters Please see overleaf Date for details. www.campaign.ox.ac.uk/physics

My company will match my gift For office use only

The appropriate form is enclosed.

University of Oxford Development Office, Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JD United Kingdom T +44 (0)1865 611530 F +44 (0)1865 611531 Take a chance with chocolate Accelerate! time Hands-on science E [email protected] www.campaign.ox.ac.uk Oxford Physics Endowment for Graduates (OXPEG) - UK Giving Form - April 2017 10 | Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 | 11

Physics (OXPEG) - UK Donation Form - April 2017.indd 1 20/04/2017 14:38:58 Thank you for supporting the University of Oxford OUTREACH Direct Debit Guarantee Data Protection We want to ensure that we keep the details we hold about you up to date and communicate with you fully in accordance with your wishes. Your data will continue to be used for the • This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that purposes of communication and marketing activities by post, email, telephone, fax or text accept instructions to pay Direct Debits. message, unless you indicate otherwise. We use tools to monitor the effectiveness of our communications with you, including email tracking, which records when an email from us is • If you request University of Oxford Development Trust (OUDT) to opened and/or how many links are clicked within the message. The data from this tracking are collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date generally used in an aggregated and anonymised form. If at any time your details change or you wish to add to or remove from the list of communications sent to you then please contact us. OUT OF THIS WORLD FAMILY FUN DAYS will be given to you at the time of the request. Your data are held securely in the University’s shared Development and Alumni Relations • If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your System (DARS), which helps ensure your details are up to date and improves our communications Direct Debit, OUDT will notify you ten working days in advance of with you. The data may be used by colleges, faculties, departments, administrative units, international offices, recognised alumni societies, sports and other entities associated with the Last year we received funding from the UK the community with less tradition of attending an interactive team game entitled Commanding your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. University, and agents contracted by the University in that capacity. Space Agency to run family fun days at two higher education in the hope that we might Curiosity, where participants took the role • If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by OUDT or Full details on how your data are held and used are set out in our Data Protection Statement community venues (Temple Cowley shopping highlight the opportunities that science can of scientists at mission control, directing the your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate at www.campaign.ox.ac.uk/data-protection or you can request a hard copy from our Database Team. Some sensitive personal data may be held in DARS. If at any time you have any queries centre and Barton neighbourhood centre). The bring to a more diverse audience. This is actions of the Mars rover, Curiosity, to complete refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society. about the use of your personal data in DARS or wish to change the content or extent of use of events aimed to provide local families with the particularly important for inspiring the next a series of challenges. Participants also had the – If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back your personal data, please contact the Database Team, quoting your alumni card number (if when OUDT asks you to. you have one), at the address given below, or email [email protected], or telephone +44 opportunity to enjoy and learn about space generation of scientists, as evidence suggests opportunity to watch an immersive 360 degree (0)1865 611600. science. The project was organised jointly with the extent to which a young person participates video which let them join Dr Colin Wilson in • You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your Charitable Status Oxford for Oxford, a University initiative that in science learning outside the classroom and a planetary observing trip using some of the bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please Other than gifts for colleges, all income gifts will be held in one of the specific broad-purpose also notify us. funds within OUDT. The gifts will then be applied in accordance with the purposes of the works to support pupil attainment in the local talks about science in their everyday life are world’s best telescopes situated in Hawaii. relevant broad-purpose fund. Details of the broad-purpose funds and their purposes can be found at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/trusts/oudt. Gifts to endowment appeals will be held in the area, and also received support from RAL Space factors that influence interest and participation relevant endowment fund on the terms of the appeal. Wishes expressed on this form will not and the Department for Continuing Education. in science. There was a great amount of support at the events Increase the value of your donation with Gift Aid give rise to new trusts or other legally binding obligations. Every gift will contribute towards the from staff and students in the Department and Oxford Thinking Campaign (www.campaign.ox.ac.uk). The Department has a strong tradition of The events consisted of activities for parents, we were pleased to have a total of 560 participants If you are a UK tax-payer, you can declare that all donations made The objects of OUDT are to promote, assist and secure the advancement of education, learning, under your declaration should be treated as Gift Aid donations. Doing teaching, scholarship and research at or in connection with the University of Oxford, its colleges providing engaging space-themed activities for teenagers and younger children including across both venues. Evaluation data indicated so maximises your gift: currently we can reclaim 25p for every £1 and societies. The Trust Fund is administered by the University and established for a special schools and the public; we run popular lectures, planetarium shows, talks, model satellite the project was successful in engaging members purpose in connection with the University. It is therefore an exempt charity for the purpose of you donate at no further cost to you. If you pay less Income Tax and/ charity legislation. As such, it has full charitable status; albeit it is exempt from the requirement school telescope evenings and stalls at local building workshops and hands-on stalls. In of the public from a variety of socio-economic or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my to register as a charity with the Charity Commission, and therefore does not have a Charity festivals as well as an annual Stargazing open day. Cowley we gathered crowds in the shopping backgrounds, many of whom hadn’t previously reference number. donations in that tax year, it is your responsibility to pay any difference. The public events are popular, especially with centre with a dry-ice comet show and held taken part in a university event. We were also University of Oxford Development Office Please consider a Gift Aid donation wherever possible. For details, Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JD United Kingdom families, and we see some of the same people workshops and shows in disused offices above pleased to see some familiar faces who were please see: www.campaign.ox.ac.uk/giftaid. T +44 (0)1865 611530 F +44 (0)1865 611531 returning time and time again. Questionnaire the shops. We tested a number of new activities happy to travel to the new venues to take part in E [email protected] www.campaign.ox.ac.uk Your declaration covers donations that you may make in the future. feedback from Stargazing indicates that many of in the Barton neighbourhood centre including our activities. The partnerships formed within Please notify the University of Oxford Development Office if you the adult participants the community venues change your name or address while the declaration remains in force, or at our events already were also a success and cease to be a UK tax-payer. You may cancel the declaration by notifying have an interest in will pave the way for future the Development Office. The declaration will not apply to donations you make on or after the date of cancellation or specified later date. If SPONSOR A science, engage in events and engagement. ￭ you are unsure whether your donation qualifies for Gift Aid, we will science activities in be pleased to advise you. Please contact the Development Office at the STUDENT! their spare time and address opposite. Have a look at likely have university See what a difference signing and dating the Gift Aid box can make: the impact your degrees. We therefore Left: experimenting with support can have endeavoured to the plasma ball; Right: Your gift each Value each Value after one Value after one reach new family enjoying a virtual trip to month month with year year with Gift on a postgraduate audiences in areas of telescopes in Hawaii. Gift Aid Aid student at Physics: £10 £12.50 £120 £150 £25 £31.25 £300 £375 www.physics.ox.ac.uk/blog/alumni/ AWARD WINNING OUTREACH £50 £62.50 £600 £750 2017/04/13/new-video-full-circle £100 £125 £1,200 £1,500 The Department of Physics has a highly active It has been exciting and reassuring to see the The 12 winning entries, from a total of 84, outreach programme which has engaged more myriad ways in which people have engaged received recognition for their achievements than 200,000 people in the last five years through with the extraordinary research here at Oxford.’ in an awards ceremony at Merton College. Giving to Physics activities including research talks, workshops, The awards are supported by the University The Department was recognised in the award shows, festival stalls, tours and competitions. of Oxford’s RCUK Catalyst Seed Fund, which category for ‘Building Capacity’ for encouraging, Oxford Physics is one of the largest and most eminent Physics of the Department, in terms of ideas and overcoming technical This is in addition to hosting the extremely aims to improve institutional support for Public facilitating and supporting high quality Public departments in Europe. Oxford physicists are probing new challenges. successful Zooniverse citizen science project, Engagement with Research. Engagement with Research. This work includes ways to harness solar energy, modelling the earth’s atmosphere Donors who give £1,000 or more to Oxford Physics are eligible which has worldwide reach and impact. having a central outreach team to to predict future climate, exploring the potential of quantum to become a member of The Henry Moseley Society. For further facilitate a series of successful outreach physics to revolutionise information technologies and executing information about this or how to support Oxford Physics, please In 2016 the Department was recognised programmes and support researchers calculations that reveal the fundamental structure of space contact Val Crowder: email [email protected]. for its work in this area in the first ever with public engagement, as well as and time. They participate in many large-scale international Vice-Chancellor’s Public Engagement providing funding for equipment and Please note that all donations will be held as expendable physics projects – including the Large Hadron Collider, European with Research Awards. The awards events. Activities such as Stargazing endowment in the OXPEG fund, which has been established Extremely Large Telescope and Square Kilometre Array. are part of the University’s vision to Oxford and other showcase events for the purposes of supporting graduate scholarships in the Oxford Physics has established the Oxford Physics Endowment embed high-quality and innovative also provide central opportunities Department of Physics. for Graduates (OXPEG) as its main funding priority and has public engagement as an integral part for researchers to engage the public set an ambitious target to establish an endowment providing To make a gift, visit www.campaign.ox.ac.uk/physics of research culture and practice at with their own research projects. We scholarship funding for 25 graduate scholarships. With a fund Oxford. The Vice-Chancellor said: On that page, you will see links for those who would like to are very pleased to have our efforts of this scale, the Department can be confident of having the ‘I am delighted to introduce these donate from the USA, obtain information about leaving a gift in acknowledged and hope to continue resources to attract the best possible candidates from the awards to recognise and celebrate your will and more information on tax-efficient giving. to develop this area to allow even more UK and internationally. As well as being a launchpad for their excellence in Public Engagement with Lena Shams, Sian Tedaldi and Catherine Hayer from the Physics people the chance to engage with, and careers, graduate students contribute enormously to the work Thank you! Research from across the University. Outreach Team collect the award on behalf of the Department. hopefully be inspired by, our research. ￭

12 | Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 | 13

Physics (OXPEG) - UK Donation Form - April 2017.indd 2 20/04/2017 14:38:58 DEPARTMENT NEWS & EVENTS DEPARTMENT NEWS & EVENTS

New Physics DR KARENOWSKA ‘OPT IN’ TO THE FUTURE OF WILL BE OUR Newsletter Editor KEEP READING We welcome Professor SPEAKER AT THIS Advance Dimitra Rigopoulou as PARTICLE PHYSICS YEAR’S ALUMNI the new editor of the The inaugural Particle Physics Christmas Lecture notice – In a Physics Newsletter. GARDEN PARTY few months, Prof Rigopoulou can be the new Data The inaugural Particle Physics Christmas Lecture questions and raise others. This is why it is Dr Alexy Karenowska is a magnetician in the contacted at newsletter@ was held on 3 December 2016 in the Denys Condensed Matter group in the Department. Protection physics.ox.ac.uk. essential that the UK remains at the forefront Wilkinson Building. The lecture was delivered of research of this kind and how it contributes She is also a fellow of Magdalen College laws will by Prof John Womersley. John is the Director of more broadly to society. and Director of Technology at the Oxford come into PHYSICS WORLD’S CHOICE FOR the European Spallation Source in Lund, Sweden. Institute of Digital Archaeology (IDA – place, which THE 2016 BOOK OF THE YEAR Until October 2016 he was Chief Executive of After a delicious lunch the audience reconvened www.digitalarchaeology.org.uk). means we the Science and Technology Facilities Council for a panel session which provided an Why String Theory? by Joseph Conlon will not (STFC), the UK funding agency for particle opportunity to follow up on the lecture. The Through her work at IDA, Alexy has taken a Abstract, mathematically complex be able to physics, nuclear physics and astronomy, large panelists were Oxford Professors John Wheater replica of the Triumphal Arch of Palmyra to and (so far) unsupported by direct scale science facilities and national laboratories. (HoD), Daniela Bortoletto, Subir Sarkar, David various locations around contact experimental evidence, string theory John earned a DPhil from Oxford and is a visiting Wark and John Womersley. the world, like Trafalgar you, send you this attracts plenty of criticism. Yet it remains professor here. Square in London, Dubai newsletter or keep in touch unless an incredibly active area of research, Visits to the special exhibition ‘New Eyes on the and Florence. you OPT IN. We will have more with thousands of physicists and The event was sold out. Eighty alumni, spanning Universe’ celebrating the 2015 Nobel Prize led by information in the next issue, but mathematicians around the matriculation from the early 1960s to 2016, had Profs Steve Biller and David Wark, were conducted world working on strings the opportunity to hear John give an engaging during lunch and after the panel session. The Dr Karenowska (far right) please, in the meantime, bear this in will be our guest speaker and related ideas. The talk on the status of our understanding of the format was very positively received and there mind if you are contacted by your at this year’s Garden Party reasons for its continued nature of the universe – from the Higgs boson to were many requests to repeat the event in 2017. ￭ College or central office. in June. See below for popularity are eloquently detecting gravitational waves and, in particular, more details. presented in Joseph what we don’t know; that the particles and forces A recording of the 2016 lecture is available Conlon’s book Why String we understand in ever greater detail make up only here: Theory? – Physics World’s a small fraction of what’s in the cosmos, and that http://media.podcasts.ox.ac.uk/physics/ Book of the Year for our theoretical prejudices about what remains general/2016-1204_xmas_physics_ FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2016. to be discovered may be very wrong. Looking to womersley_3.mp4 THE HALLEY LECTURE PHYSICS ALUMNI GARDEN PARTY the new generation experiments at accelerators Did you know? This year’s lecture will be held on 7 June, at the Martin Wood Complex: underground, and studying the large-scale As physics alumni you are welcome to visit 2 December 2017 ‘Observation of the mergers of binary COLLABORATION WITH structure of the universe, will answer these us during term time, and attend one of the black holes: the opening of gravitational SCIENCE NORTH CANADA excellent colloquiums of the series? They wave astronomy’. Speaker: are normally held on Friday afternoons, and Professor Rai Weiss (Massachusetts are followed by free coffee and biscuits. Institute of Technology) www.physics.ox.ac.uk/events THE HENRY MOSELEY SOCIETY SPECIAL EVENT Keep an eye on our website for: 25 June Prof John Wheater, Head of MORNING OF THEORETICAL PHYSICS Department, will host this event at Rhodes October TBC House. This year, Dr Alexy Karenowska (see article above) will give a talk on her work PHYSICS ALUMNI AT THE ROYAL SOCIETY with the Institute for Digital Archaeology. November TBC hosted by AOPP

9 June This year the HMS will be visiting OXFORD ALUMNI WEEKEND THE HINTZE LECTURE JET at Culham for a guided tour followed 15–17 September The central booking 15 November by dinner at a local restaurant. This event system has changed this year: all physics is for Henry Moseley members only. If alumni should book Physics events THE PARTICLE PHYSICS CHRISTMAS LECTURE you’d like to know more about the Society directly with the Physics Alumni Office, 2 December and how to join, visit: www.campaign. to claim their free place. Bookings Old mates reunited: small world! ox.ac.uk/document.doc?id=1012 through central office will be charged. PHYSICS CHRISTMAS CAROLS Graham Sillman (one of our fantastic December TBC technicians, right) has worked at SNO lab STAFF AND FRIENDS OF PHYSICS BBQ INDUSTRY DAY in the past. He helped Science North’s 23 June For the second year, we will Date TBC See article on page 7. If you are To keep up to date and book your place at our events, technician Don Greco (left) to set up host this informal and fun event, a BBQ interested in taking part, please contact please visit www.physics.ox.ac.uk/events. We update the the special exhibition in the DWB last at University Parks where friends and Dr Phillip Tait ([email protected]). list all the time, so please check regularly! autumn. This was the same exhibition family of staff and students are welcome. If you have any questions about the events, contact some of you saw at Canada House in Alumni, as always, are welcome to attend. Val Crowder: [email protected] summer 2016. Guests made the most of the day, interacting with senior members of staff while visiting the special exhibition on neutrinos, on loan from Science North (Canada). 14 | Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 | 15 DEPARTMENT NEWS & EVENTS DEPARTMENT NEWS & EVENTS

Do you have a story, a memory or a photo BEECROFT BUILDING TOPPING OXFORD PHYSICS to share? Would you like to be featured in the next ‘Alumni Story’? We’d love to OUT EVENT hear from you! We are always looking for EXPLORING material to share with our alumni and physics community. Please write to Val THE PLANETS – Crowder: [email protected]. AN EVENT AT IOP PHYSICS JUNO AWARD THE ROYAL SOCIETY

Following a climate-themed event last year, compositions of Neptune and Uranus. Professor 11 November 2016 saw a Physics alumni event Neil Bowles then outlined how small satellites held at the Royal Society: ‘Oxford Physics are now within the reach of university groups Oxford Physics was awarded Juno exploring the planets’. This provided a great like our own; his group provided a small 4kg Champion status by the Institute of opportunity for present researchers to meet with infrared radiometer which is currently orbiting Physics at the IoP awards ceremony on alumni and present some of the latest research Earth on the UK’s TechDemoSat-1 satellite, and 29 November 2017. Champion status in the Department in this exciting field. The are developing plans for a small Earth-observing recognises the excellent practice within first talk was given by Dr Colin Wilson, on the ‘cubesat’ which would be only 6 litres in volume. the Department of embedding the Juno ExoMars mission which had just reached Mars Finally, Halley Professor Ray Pierrehumbert principles of promoting gender equality. a few weeks previously (see page 4). Dr Kerri further expanded the horizons of the event to Donaldson-Hanna then discussed work going consider the vast variety of different planets being on in the planetary spectroscopy lab, including discovered in orbit around other stars and the Nicola Blackwood characterisation of real moon rocks returned by correspondingly great array of climates they must Apollo astronauts, and preparations for upcoming exhibit, from star-like atmospheres with metallic visits Physics Above: Dr Bella Wheater, Prof John Wheater, Mr Adrian asteroid missions. clouds to completely ice-covered planets. Several Dr Matthew Levy (Royal Society Beecroft, Mr Liam Cummings (Business Unit Leader, current students and postdocs attended the event; Governmental Pair), organised a Laing O’Rourke), Mr Rob Cooper (Project Leader, Laing Telescopes are invaluable for studying objects all enjoyed the opportunity to meet and chat with Poster Symposium in the Department O’Rourke), Prof Louise Richardson (Vice-Chancellor). Far we can’t get spacecrafts to. Professor Patrick alumni. We look forward to running a similar on 2 December 2016 for Ms Nicola left: Mr Martin Lueck (alumnus) talks to the Vice-Chancellor Irwin described a series of observations charting event later this year. ￭ and Liesl Elder (Chief Development Officer UO). Right: the changing weather patterns and chemical Blackwood, MP, Minister for Public Health Prof Wheater, Prof Richardson (VC) and Mr Adrian Beecroft. and Innovation, and earlier Chair of the Commons Science and Technology If your business or company Select Committee. The event, entitled ‘Science & Innovation Sessions’, was would like to sponsor an PHYSICS AT OXFORD & intended to exhibit selected topical areas event (UK or abroad), or you CAMBRIDGE CLUB of science and innovation undertaken in have an idea for a venue or Departmental and Collegiate environs event, please get in touch. Dr Sam Vinko gave a wonderful talk to Physics Dodd, physics alumnus and member of the Club, as well as entrepreneurial eco-systems Alumni and Guests at the Oxford & Cambridge for inviting us to host the event in this wonderful facilitated by the University. More than We are always looking Club last March. His talk was titled: ‘From stars venue once again. 25 posters were displayed on the day, for new ideas to offer our to proteins: unveiling material response in intense and members of staff had an opportunity alumni community. Write to x-ray fields’. Guests’ feedback has been fantastic; to talk to our guest, who asked lots of they really enjoyed the occasion. This annual Left: Prof John Wheater talks with alumni at questions and was genuinely interested [email protected] event is always very popular; it is great to meet the Oxford & Cambridge Club in all the research. new people every time. Thank you to Dr James Right: Dr Sam Vinko

OUTREACH RESOURCES If you work with schools or at an organisation that could benefit from our Outreach Resources, please get in touch with Dr Sian Tedaldi: Ms Blackwood talking to Prof Paolo [email protected] Radaelli and Prof Roger Davies during her Oxford researchers and alumni discuss planetary exploration at the Royal Society, London visit to Physics.

16 | Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 | 17 DEPARTMENT NEWS & EVENTS DEPARTMENT NEWS & EVENTS

CENTRE FOR APPLIED SUPERCONDUCTIVITY Dr Rebecca Bowler WOMEN IN PHYSICS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

For an idea in physics to have real-world performed in the Clarendon Laboratory of a Defence Innovation Advisory Panel) The proportion of female physicists at both undergraduate scientists at the most senior levels is still only around impact, you need an unbroken chain more than 50 years ago that was spun out and Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of OxLEP. and postgraduate level is at an all time high, with around 10%. The Society runs a mentoring scheme both for stretching from physics, through materials into companies such as Oxford Instruments. The new laboratories in Physics have 20-25% female students. In comparison to other fields undergraduate women, who are paired with a physicist discovery and development, and right along been completely refurbished and are of science and mathematics, the fraction of women in in the year above, and for postgraduate students and The new Centre’s aims are to research new to industry. Joining up these disparate areas equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, physics remains significantly lower, and is comparable researchers. As well as the formal mentoring scheme, a superconducting products and processes; in the field of superconductor research including a new 16 Tesla physical property to the uptake of the subject at Sixth Form. Beyond the key goal of the events we run is to increase interaction to provide world-leading problem solving is the aim of a new Centre for Applied measurement system (partly funded doctorate level, the proportion, encouragingly, remains between female physicists at all levels, allowing peer expertise for industry; and to train new Superconductivity (CfAS), a collaborative by Oxford’s John Fell fund), which will roughly constant to lecturer level; however, despite an support and informal mentoring to occur naturally, and generations of technicians and scientists effort between local industrial companies be used to study newly developed upward trend in the proportion of female professors, providing a welcoming environment for new members for the growing number of Oxfordshire and Oxford University’s Departments of superconductors. ￭ this figure is currently only 1 in 10. As illustrated of the Department. companies working in this increasingly Materials and Physics. Funding has been by several studies on the subject, many diverse and important technology provided through the Oxfordshire Local interweaving reasons are thought to contribute to the The Society has existed for four years and now has field. CfAS was The society is keen to hear Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) and has decline, ranging from increased career responsibilities, a regular programme of events throughout the year. formally launched on from physics alumni about led to the creation of new laboratories to unconscious biases. Certainly at school level, there In Michaelmas term, more than 50 people attended 27 February 2017 at within both University departments. Much their time in the Department is evidence that gender stereotypes play a role, with our Welcome event, a record high, showing the an event attended of the UK’s strength in applications of and where their degree has the school environment being shown to affect subject continued interest of members of the Department in by the Secretary of supporting diversity within physics. At the end of term superconductivity is based within a 20 mile taken them. The goal is to choices for both female and male students. radius around Oxford. The origin of this State for Defence, Sir we were delighted to host Professor Athene Donald geographical concentration of expertise Michael Fallon (who create an online resource The Physics Department is committed to promoting (Cambridge), a leading soft matter physicist, Master can be traced back to the research work was in Oxford to showcasing the varied gender equality, as demonstrated by the award of Juno of Churchill College and a vocal advocate for issues announce members Champion status last year and the Athena Swan Silver concerning women in science. Over tea and cake, the career paths of female Award in 2015. The Oxford Women in Physics Society discussion ranged from gendered language in reference physics graduates. Please (OxWiP) was set up to provide additional support for letters, to the importance of including everyone in the email: newsletter@physics. women, and those who identify as women, above and conversation about gender equality, not just women. The Left: DPhil student Franziska Kirschner; Centre: Oxfordshire beyond that provided centrally by the Department. One term also included a Christmas lunch and a banquet Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) members opening the ox.ac.uk with contributions of the Society’s key goals is to provide access to role dinner hosted at Christ Church, which was attended CfAS lab in the Department; Above: Prof Paolo Radaelli with or to find out more. models in an environment where the number of female by 45 people ranging from undergraduates to staff; a Secretary of State for Defence, Sir Michael Fallon, greeting true testament of the strength of the Society. In Trinity Prof Stephen Blundell and Prof Amalia Coldea at the Term we also had a packed programme, including Department of Materials during the event. fortnightly tea sessions, a dinner at Merton College and a special celebration for International Women’s Day on 8 March. International Women’s Day provided a perfect backdrop for the Society to celebrate the ever Left: Elettra Marconi (centre) increasing diversity of physics and to highlight the Princess Maria Elettra Marconi, daughter with Dr Alexy Karenowska significant number of women now following a career and members of the of Guglielmo Marconi, visited the ￭ Department of Physics/ in this fascinating science. Department of Physics and Oxford ODPM lab during her visit to To find out more, please see our website or join Physics; Centre: a portrait of our Facebook group. Guglielmo Marconi presented to the Museum of the History www.physics.ox.ac.uk/equality-and-diversity/ of Science (MHS), Oxford; women-in-physics-society Below: Elettra Marconi with Dr Silke Ackermann (Director of www.facebook.com/Oxford.Women.in.Physics. MHS) and guests, viewing one Society of Mr Marconi’s instruments currently on display at the Left: Women in Physics dinner at Christ Church Museum. Sir Martin Wood visits the new In March, Prof Paolo Radaelli and Dr Alexy Karenowska hosted a visit from the daughter of Guglielmo Marconi, pioneer in long-distance radio transmission, CfAS laboratory developer of Marconi’s law and radio telegraph systems. Among many other Far right: Dr Amir Haghighirad talks things, they visited the ODPM laboratory in Physics and the Museum of the History to Sir Martin Wood. Left: Sir and of Science, where a specially commissioned portrait of her father was unveiled, to Lady Wood visiting the CfAS lab – a be displayed next to his original artefacts. continuation of his pioneering work in the Department of Physics.

18 | Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 | 19 PEOPLE PEOPLE

FIVE MINUTES WITH...MARCO DEL LETTER TO THE EDITOR TUTTO Letters are welcome and should be addressed to [email protected] DPhil student in Particle Physics

Tell us a bit about your background… We also need much higher track resolution But there are also others that are not directly I read with interest Prof Terence Meaden’s Thirdly, Prof Meaden mentions that Martin in the development of niobium-titanium and I was born and raised in Rome, Italy, a city in order to study nuclear effects in the liquid related to physics, like the cure for cancer and memories of the Clarendon in the Autumn 2016 Wood was ‘already experimenting with niobium-tin magnets. Martin Wood was Senior that I love and really miss. I got my Bachelor’s argon when neutrinos interact. This is why the illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease. edition of the Department of Physics Newsletter, superconducting magnets’ in 1957. This seems Research Officer in charge of magnets and a and Master’s degrees at the University of Rome MicroBooNE detector is a Liquid Argon Time but my own recollections differ from his in a a little early. There had been some pioneering foremost expert in the design of high-field, water- Sapienza. I spent time at Fermilab, a laboratory Projection Chamber: this kind of detector offers What are your plans in the future? number of instances. work on superconducting magnets in the United cooled copper solenoids. He realised the huge exquisite image resolution. States when I started my graduate studies in potential of superconducting magnets in scientific in the USA, as a summer student and for my I’d love to continue being a physicist and doing First, he mentions that Nicholas Kurti did not 1959. In the next year, S H Autler reported the applications and also started to experiment with Master’s thesis. I am now reading for a DPhil in research. I like neutrino physics but also believe speak perfect English. In fact, Nicholas spoke use of niobium wire to produce solenoids giving them in this period. He went on to build the first Particle Physics working on the MicroBooNE What interests do you have besides physics? that changing field at some point can be of great English impeccably albeit quickly and with a fields up to 0.43 T (Rev. Sci. Instr. 31, 1960, 369). commercial magnets at Oxford Instruments. neutrino experiment with Dr Roxanne Guenette I am very interested in science outreach and in benefit instead of dedicating all your research to fairly strong accent. He was my supervisor, and After reading Autler’s paper, I wound a solenoid as my supervisor. the development and design of mobile phone the same topic. I’d also love to continue doing when I was writing my DPhil thesis, although I of niobium for use in our nuclear orientation I do agree with Prof Meaden that this was a apps. I combined my passions by developing science outreach, I believe it is an important part thought that I was reasonably proficient in English, experiments, replacing the cumbersome external memorable and exciting period to be in the a smartphone app called ‘VENu: The Virtual of being a physicist. When/how did you decide to become a Nicholas suggested a number of amendments that electromagnets that were used to magnetically Clarendon laboratory. Environment for Neutrinos’. VENu consists of physicist? improved the grammatical construction of the saturate our specimens and that hampered the data from the MicroBooNE experiment. The When I was a kid I was attracted by how electrical Can you share the main positives of being a work. He also spoke French and German very well. detection of gamma-rays from the samples. Later, With best wishes, app explains neutrinos and enables users to play and mechanical equipment works. So my first physics student at Oxford? Further, he was a wonderful, generous gentleman. we used molybdenum-rhenium alloy coils that Brian Turrell games to catch the particles in virtual reality using thought was to become an engineer. But then I One of the main positives is that we have the had a larger critical field. In the nuclear cooling Professor Emeritus a smartphone paired with any consumer virtual realised that I was mostly fascinated by the basic opportunity to work with, and talk to, many Secondly, after the retirement of Lord Cherwell, Sir group, Bob March and Orest Symko also started to University of British Columbia reality headset or Google Cardboard. I am the principles which govern natural phenomena. This experts in our field. Being at Oxford also means Francis Simon was appointed Dr Lee’s Professor of use superconducting magnets in thermal switches project leader of VENu, I worked on the physics happened towards the end of high school, when working with a number of international students. Experimental Philosophy and Head in 1956 but between the paramagnetic and nuclear cooling and the development and design of the app. I decided to study physics. This is important as it improves the exchange unfortunately died shortly afterwards. It was then stages. The area of high-field superconductors of ideas, it allows you to be more open-minded that Brebis Bleaney was appointed to the position. grew over this short period, 1960-62, culminating Why do you think it is important to study What scientific breakthrough would you like and to have better human relations. Also, many physics? to see in your lifetime? tools that improve our skills and increase our Physics addresses questions of how nature works. There are many of them! Of course I’m biased knowledge are available to students. ￭ Professor Michael but I would really like to see the neutrino mass OXFORD ALUMNUS SHARES THE From a philosophical point of view, this allows us Kosterlitz to better understand the world we live in. At the problem solved – I’m rooting for Majorana-like For further information visit the App website venu.physics.ox.ac.uk. Here you 2016 NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS IMAGE CREDIT: N. ELMEHED. same time, research in physics quite often results neutrinos! © NOBEL MEDIA 2016 in technological breakthroughs and innovations. will find links to download from the App But there are also many other things, for example Store and Google Play. Michael Kosterlitz, who read for his DPhil at The Academy said: ‘This year’s Laureates opened at that time working the unification of the fundamental laws of physics, Images and background information Brasenose College between 1966 and 1969, has the door to an unknown world where matter can in theoretical Can you explain the work you do? ie the inclusion of gravity in what will be a ‘theory are available at: venu.physics.ox.ac.uk/ been named a Nobel Laureate for his pioneering assume strange states. They have used advanced particle physics I am currently working on measuring the neutrino of everything’. work to help reveal the secrets of exotic phases mathematical methods to study unusual phases from Monday to interaction cross section with the liquid argon downloads.html of matter. of matter, such as superconductors, superfluids or Thursday, but on (LAr) in our detector. This measurement is On another point of view, it would be fantastic Launch event images and press release: thin magnetic films. Thanks to their pioneering Friday he would fundamental to our understanding of neutrino to assist in the first human settlement on any Professor Kosterlitz, now of Brown University, venu.physics.ox.ac.uk/stargazing.html work, the hunt is now on for new and exotic disappear and head interactions and is also crucial for future neutrino planet apart from earth, or in the discovery of USA, shared half the prize with Professor If you are interested in contacting phases of matter. off in his car to the Scottish mountains for the experiments. This will be the first ever neutrino other life-forms in the universe. Duncan Haldane of Princeton University, the developer, email Marco at weekend. Mike was an avid climber, and to cross section measurement on argon in the 1 GeV USA, with the other half going to Professor ‘The three Laureates’ use of topological concepts [email protected] reduce the likelihood of falling off a rock-face energy range. This is extremely important for the David Thouless of the University of Washington, in physics was decisive for their discoveries. Below: Marco explaining VENu he had a wrist strengthener, which he would next generation of LAr neutrino detectors that USA. Topology is a branch of mathematics that squeeze in his left fist while writing with a pen in will operate in the same energy range, since cross describes properties that only change step-wise. his right hand (those were the days when people section uncertainties are one of the dominant The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences cited In the early 1970s, Michael Kosterlitz and David actually wrote on paper rather than typed on systematics for these experiments. the three scientists’ ‘theoretical discoveries of Thouless overturned the then current theory topological phase transitions and topological that superconductivity or suprafluidity could laptops). Whenever he paused for thought, he phases of matter’. not occur in thin layers. They demonstrated would put down the pen and transfer the wrist What are the current challenges in this field? that superconductivity could occur at low strengthener to his right fist. Neutrinos have a very low probability to interact. Topology is a branch of mathematics that deals temperatures and also explained the mechanism, ‘After he left Oxford he moved into condensed We have overcome this either by building large with the idea that some things can be smoothly phase transition, that makes superconductivity matter physics and did his great work on what detectors or, by having an intense neutrino beam, deformed into each other, whereas other things disappear at higher temperatures.’ became known as Kosterlitz-Thouless vortices. like we have at Fermilab. cannot without something disruptive happening And he kept climbing. I am delighted that he has along the way. For example, a soccer ball can be Frank Close, Professor of Physics at Oxford reached the top of another mountain.’ ￭ To further study neutrino oscillations and solve smoothly deformed into a rugby ball, but not University and a Fellow of Exeter College, the mass hierarchy problem, longer baselines REPRODUCED FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY NEWS PAGE into a coffee cup, because there would be some Oxford, shared an office with Prof Kosterlitz WWW.OX.AC.UK/NEWS/2016-10-04-OXFORD-ALUMNUS-SHARES- are needed. DUNE, for instance, is a future long distinct moment when the handle of the cup when they were studying for their DPhils in NOBEL-PRIZE-PH baseline experiment which will use the technology has to be closed up. Oxford in the late 1960s. He recalled: ‘Mike was already developed and optimised by MicroBooNE. 20 | Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 | 21 PEOPLE PEOPLE

Electrical Engineering. This was a joint chair and I taught I am, of course, often asked how and conducted research for both departments. It is an different do I find life as an artist ALUMNI STORIES interesting facet of scientific history that, at that time, compared to that of a scientist. We welcome stories from all alumni. Please email: [email protected] Electrical Engineers were using the ‘new’ mks units My answer, which usually surprises, but physicists were using the traditional ‘mixed’ esu/ emu units (does anyone remember ‘mixed’ units now?) is that I do not find that much difference. and one of my tasks was to persuade the physicists to As an academic scientist, I was convert to mks. not told what to do but was CHRISTOPHER ROSE-INNES, MERTON COLLEGE, 1944-54 Yet again, I set up a low temperature laboratory and expected to think up my own initiated low temperature research. The research ideas. The same goes for consisted of developing new techniques for obtaining, an artist. A somewhat varied career: started as a lawyer, became It was designed for ease of servicing, which was controlling and measuring low temperatures, and a physicist, ended as an artist. necessary, because it had more than 300 electronic our research at these temperatures concentrated on in science, it will become clear whether it was right or valves, each of which had only a limited lifetime. My superconductivity. Later, I became Dean of the Faculty In 1944, having only just turned seventeen, I entered wrong. Others repeat your experiments, check your experience with radar kindled in me a dormant love of Technology of Manchester University and served a Merton to read Law. In those days, a third of the first calculations and usually there will be agreement as to of physical science. When I left after four years and term as Vice Principal of UMIST. year law course consisted of Roman law studied in Latin. returned to Merton, I changed to reading Physics, and whether your work was right or wrong. The situation Nevertheless, after two terms I passed Law Mods, much in art is, of course, quite different, there are no absolute in 1951, as the OU degree certificate puts it, ‘appeared’ FROM SCIENCE TO ART to my surprise as I had spent more time sailing on the to have satisfied the examiners. criteria. One of my biggest shocks, when I became a very river than studying law. It was still wartime, and I joined Please email us at: In addition to my interest in physics, I had always had mature art student, was that one tutor would look at the Oxford University Naval Division, which prepared the work I was doing and say ‘that is rather promising, RESEARCH AT THE CLARENDON [email protected] an interest in art, attending evening classes in drawing us for service in the Navy. Part of our training was on and sculpture, and I decided that before I went senile I think you should develop that’. Another tutor would the Isis on a whaler which had a destroyer’s bridge At that time, it happened that a visiting fellow in the I would like to do this ‘properly’. I took slightly early look at the same work and say ‘I don’t think much of mounted on it. It was so top-heavy that if one altered Clarendon Laboratory’s Low Temperature Group, retirement and at the age of sixty-three enrolled as that, you should try a different approach’, but I am not course by more than a few points it was liable to capsize! Dr Dirk Bijl, was looking for a research student with an undergraduate fine art student at Manchester complaining, this is the way art is. experience in microwaves because he wanted to start Polytechnic (now MMU). The experiences of an elderly I then joined the Royal Navy. At the initial interviewing Christopher Rose-Innes I now practice as a professional sculptor and artist. research in paramagnetic resonance at low temperatures. ex-physics professor in a class of 20-year-old art students board I was told that, as I had an elementary qualification Does my scientific background show in my sculpture We designed and built an X-band ESR spectrometer could make an article in itself. At the end of the four in law, I was clearly suitable to be a radio and radar and other art work? No, I do not think so. Except which could operate down to about 5K. We obtained year course, specialising in sculpture, I graduated and maintenance instructor! I was sent on an admirable that my work tends to be rather neat, planned rather this temperature by desorption of helium from charcoal. I now practice as a professional artist, mainly involved course on electricity and electronics at what was then than spontaneous. I may be missing a great source of In those days, before liquid helium could be bought, in sculpture. Northampton Polytechnic (now City University), inspiration but it seems that science and art occupy every low temperature apparatus had to incorporate its arriving on the day the first V1 flying bomb attack different areas of my brain. own ‘refrigerator’ and we had to use as little helium as I am, of course, often asked how different do I find life on London began. After nine months, I joined HMS possible. Helium was rare and expensive so, to encourage as an artist compared to that of a scientist. My answer, Collingwood, the Navy`s electrical and electronics Examples of my art work can be seen on the websites of thrift, research students had to pay for any that was which usually surprises, is that I do not find that much school, where we were taught the details of naval radio The Royal British Sculptors Society and the Stockport lost out of their own pockets! The particular research difference. As an academic scientist, I was not told what and radar sets and how to maintain them. I was then Art Guild. ￭ project with which I was engaged, was rather pedestrian to do but was expected to think up my own ideas. The selected to be an instructor, and sent on an excellent and to my good fortune the Clarendon Laboratory same goes for an artist. As an experimental physicist teaching course, which stood me in good stead in my liquefier which supplied the liquid hydrogen, in those I had certain tools such as instruments, chemicals, subsequent academic career. I was specially involved days essential for low temperature work, blew up, so vacuum pumps etc to put my ideas into effect. As with the 271 gun-ranging radar, which was at that time low temperature work was not possible for several an artist, I use tools such as clay, mallets, paint etc one of the most advanced pieces of electronic equipment. to produce art from my ideas. More significantly, I months. We therefore had to look for another project. Christopher during his time at experience the same emotional highs and lows in both It happened that a chemist, Dr Kainer, was looking Physics at mechanisms which stabilised organic free radicals science and art, feeling one day that I am achieving and because free radicals have non-zero electron spin something worthwhile but, at another time, that what they can be detected in an ESR apparatus. We agreed I am trying to do is doomed to failure. I find going into to cooperate and so, my DPhil research was on organic the studio little different from going into the laboratory. chemistry. This shows that with a physics training one Of course, it would be silly to say that science and art are can do anything! exactly the same. When one has produced something On leaving Oxford I was recruited into the Services Electronics Research Laboratory (SERL) to build a low temperature laboratory for research into semiconductors and superconductors. SERL, as part of the Royal Naval Scientific Service did research on electronic devices for the Government, in general.

FROM SERL TO UMIST

After ten years at SERL I was invited to join UMIST, Plaque erected in 1988 by English Heritage at The University of Manchester Institute of Science and

Railway Bridge, Grove Road, Bow, London E3, Technology, where I became professor of Physics and V1 flying bomb; Fieseler Fi 103; Flakzielgerät 76 UNIVERSITYTHE MANCHESTER OF CREDIT: PHOTO ARTIST. THE © London Borough of Tower Hamlets. (FZG-76) (Source: Wikipedia) Christopher Rose-Innes by Stephen Ashurst 22 | Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 Department of Physics Newsletter | Spring 2017 | 23 PEOPLE COMINGS, GOINGS & AWARDS... IN REMEMBRANCE AWARDS

It is with great sorrow that we mourn EDMUND PROF ROGER DAVIES will become President of the ‘TED’ WILSON, who died on 3 November 2016 after European Astronomical Society with effect from July a short illness. Ted was born on 18 March 1938 in 2017. Liverpool, the son of school teacher John Wesley Wilson and nurse Anna Wilson. He was a great accelerator physicist and an inspired and inspiring teacher. He was an engaging and entertaining DR HANNAH CHRISTENSEN was a runner up for the companion, being one of those people who, while Lloyds Science of Risk Peter Taylor Prize. being quite serious about everything, never takes themselves too seriously; he lived life to the full, doing as much good as he could along the way. Ted is survived by his wife Monika, his three sons, Martin, Alexander and Nicholas and five grandchildren. Our thoughts are PROF CHRIS DAMERELL was awarded the 2016 with them. He will be greatly missed. Glenn Knoll Radiation Instrumentation Outstanding Achievement Award by the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma COMINGS... Science Society. PROF STEVE COWLEY Professorial Research Fellow | Theory PROF ACHILLEFS KAPANIDIS DR RICK HAMILTON Senior Research Assistant | CMP has won an MPLS Impact Award in recognition of his research that led to the DR IAN HEYWOOD Hintze Research Fellow | Astro development of the Nanoimager; a compact, robust, easy- to-use high-resolution fluorescence microscope based on DR DAVID JENNINGS Royal Society Fellow | ALP detecting single molecules.

MRS GALE LOCKWOOD Interconnect Operations Manager | Particle PROF MYLES ALLEN received the MPLS Lifetime Award in recognition of his work engaging the public and PROF BRIAN SMITH Programme Leader | ALP advancing public understanding of anthropomorphic DR MIKA VESTERINEN STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellow | Particle climate change and its links to extreme weather. Prof Allen has pioneered the use of ‘citizen science’ through public-participation computer modelling experiments GOINGS... under the climateprediction.net and weather@home initiatives. DR PATRICK BAIRD Head of Graduate Studies | ALP

PROF JOHN COBB Research Reader | Particle DR JOEL SPRATT received the 2016 Arthur Cooke Prize for distinguished work by a first year research student in DR IGOR MEKHOV EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellow | ALP Condensed Matter Physics.

DR JUAN ROJO STFC Rutherford Fellow | Theory

DR SONIA TRIGUEROS Post Doctoral Research Assistant | CMP PROF SUBIR SARKAR was awarded the 2017 IUPAP- DR BOB WATKINS Research Assistant | AOPP TIFR Homi Bhabha Medal and Prize for his distinguished contributions in high energy cosmic ray physics and astro-particle physics.

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