APS News July 2019, Vol. 28, No.7

Murray Gell-Mann Back Page: Engaging Early 02│ 1929-2019 03│ APS Legacy Circle 05│ Visa Policy Survey 08│ Career Members

July 2019 • Vol. 28, No. 7 aps.org/apsnews

A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY

GOVERNANCE INTERNATIONAL PHYSICS OLYMPIAD New APS Ethics Committee Holds Inaugural Meeting The 2019 U.S. Physics Team Gets BY LEAH POFFENBERGER Ready for Israel

n 2002, the physics com- BY LISSIE CONNORS munity was shocked by two fter 10 intense days of were packed with rigorous high-profile cases of data I training at the University of physics lectures, problem-sets, fabrication—the Schön scandal Maryland, five students have labwork, and tests, where the high and controversy surrounding the A been chosen to represent the U.S. school students were tasked with discovery of element 118—spurring at this year’s International Physics digesting college-level material at calls to more effectively confront Olympiad. This July, high school a swift pace. ethical issues in the practice of students Vincent Bian, Sean Chen, “The camp elevates their physics. Then two years later, an Albert Qin, Sanjay Raman, and physics knowledge to a whole new APS task force identified other Edward Lu will compete against level,” remarked Jiajia Dong, the issues in physics beyond faulty teams from 79 countries in Tel Aviv. team’s new academic director and data collection, including poor This traveling team was selected an associate professor at Bucknell treatment of subordinates. from 20 students chosen from University. While this is her first As a result, APS began releasing Frances Houle Michael Marder high schools around the country. year serving as director, Dong has ethics statements over the years to Sitting and laughing together worked with the team for years as promote best practices in physics. Women in Physics, the Committee preservation and protection of at a ceremony on June 7, the team- a coach and as co-director, finding The chair line of the Panel on Public on Scientific Publications, the the scientific record.” mates looked like the closest of it rewarding each year to work Affairs (POPA) at APS has been Committee on Minorities, and Houle’s involvement with ethical friends, even though they had just with the students. traditionally responsible for evalu- the Committee on Education, and issues at APS dates back to the 2004 met a week before. When the final “It’s important for these ating issues of ethics and reviewing six other voting members from a Task Force on Ethics, which she travel team was announced, the students to find community here, ethics statements, but a new Ethics variety of backgrounds. served on alongside Kate Kirby, loudest cheers weren’t coming to study together, and spread the Committee, which convened for the “We tried to draw pretty broadly now CEO of APS. Together they from the crowd, but from their love and joy of physics,” said Dong. first time on June 6, will now lead across APS for stakeholders wrote an article for Physics Today fellow teammates. While the days The training camp is spon- the charge for promoting ethical and expertise, in particular on (November 2004) titled “Ethics were long and challenging, the sored annually by the American practices by APS members. matters that come up in ethics,” and the Welfare of the Physics numerous silly photos displayed Association of Physics Teachers The eleven-member standing says Frances Houle, a member of Profession,” detailing the results at the closing ceremony illustrated (AAPT) along with APS, the committee includes the past chair the committee. “That is, matters that the students had truly enjoyed of POPA and representatives from having to do with treatment of their time. the Committee on the Status of people and having to do with APS ETHICS CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 The team’s days at Maryland OLYMPIAD CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

MEMBERSHIP UNIT PROFILE SEXUAL HARASSMENT Vibrant Networking in the Far West Section APS Joins Consortium Aimed at BY ABIGAIL DOVE Ending Harassment in Science

hree thousand members graphical sections have expanded BY LEAH POFFENBERGER strong, the Far West Section to encompass the entire U.S.: In 2018 study by the U.S. (FWS) is the largest geo- addition to FWS these include Four T National Academies of graphical section in APS, forming Corners (4CS), Mid-Atlantic (MAS), Sciences, Engineering, and a home for researchers based in New England (NES), New York State A Medicine revealed the continued California, Nevada, and Hawaii. (NYSS), Northwest (NWS), Ohio- presence of sexual and gender Given the lively academic and Region (OSAPS), Prairie Section harassment in the sciences: More industrial climate in the far west, (PSAPS), Southeastern (SESAPS), than 50 percent of women faculty pooling our resources or knowledge it should come as no surprise that and Texas (TSAPS). and 20 to 50 percent of women or expertise, to develop shared tools FWS is one of the most vibrant geo- FWS chair Patti Sparks (Harvey students have experienced some and resources that we can use— graphical sections in the Society’s Mudd College) characterized form of sexual harassment. that’s the first benefit,” said Monica ranks. involvement in a geographical In response to this report, orga- Plisch, Director of Education and Geographical sections are an section as a valuable form of nizations in the fields of science, Diversity Programs at APS. “The important part of the APS eco- “continuing education” for APS technology, engineering, math- other benefit is to create a network system: In addition to acting as a members. For students, early career ematics, and medicine (STEMM) of organizations that are doing networking platform for physicists researchers, and senior staff alike, Patti Sparks are banding together to combat this work together and can learn in different fields and at different geographical sections foster oppor- of state universities and small this widespread issue. The Societies from each other.” stages of their careers, they also tunities to learn about research at undergraduate-focused institu- Consortium on Sexual Harassment The Consortium was launched provide a vehicle for interactions other institutions and—in contrast tions, which tend to specialize in in STEMM now includes repre- by the American Association for between nearby academic insti- to more discipline-centered mem- areas that don’t require expensive sentatives from more than one the Advancement of Science, the tutions (from small liberal arts bership units like divisions, topical and elaborate equipment. With the hundred organizations, including Association of American Medical colleges to large research univer- groups, and forums—can provide arrival of members from Nevada, APS. Colleges, and the American sities), government laboratories, unique exposure to other areas of FWS has broadened its strength “[The Consortium] is looking Geophysical Union. APS joins the and industry. physics outside of one’s particular in plasma physics, AMO (atomic, at the issue of sexual harassment FWS was established in 2000 field. molecular, and optical physics), very broadly and coming together, CONSORTIUM CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 as the California section—one of This is especially true for FWS: atmospheric science, condensed the first to be founded as part of The section features researchers matter, and high pressure physics. an APS initiative to build a bigger with notable strength in astro- A particular point of pride grassroots presence across the physics, high energy physics, and for FWS is its Annual Meeting— country. Nevada was added to the nuclear physics. In Sparks’ estima- hailed as a kind of “mini-March constituency in 2009, followed by tion, a major reason for this broad Meeting” for APS members in the TM Hawaii in 2013. At present, geo- expertise is the section’s backbone far west part of the country. The FWS Annual Meeting involves plenary sessions with leaders in 2019 GENERAL ELECTION their respective fields along with contributed talks and a poster session. Many of the presenters are undergraduates and graduate CAST YOUR VOTE! students having their first experi- ence of discussing their work at a

Voting ends July 31, 2019 go.aps.org/generalelection FAR WEST CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Revised 07/10/19 2 • July 2019

Murray Gell-Mann 1929-2019 THIS MONTH IN BY DANIEL GARISTO

urray Gell-Mann, who laid the groundwork Physics History M for modern theoretical particle physics, died May 24 at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 89. July 1915: William Lawrence Bragg Works on In addition to the Nobel Prize in Physics he won in 1969 for “for Sound Ranging for Artillery Detection his contributions and discoveries concerning the classification of uring World War I, it proved difficult for elementary particles and their British forces to pinpoint the location interactions,” Gell-Mann was also D of enemy artillery—at least until the awarded prizes for his environmen- development of a technique called sound ranging, which employed microphones to pick up the talism and humanism. He was an Murray Gell-Mann early member of the independent boom of the heavy guns firing. The leader of advisory group JASON, a member the group that developed it was a newly minted at Caltech. “And he was better than of the National Academy of Science, Nobel Laureate named William Lawrence Bragg. anyone in the world at doing that.” and a Fellow of APS. Born in Adelaide, Australia in 1890, young Gell-Mann had not always “For me as a young physi- William Lawrence came by his passion for science wanted to become a physicist. cist, Murray was both inspiring and math quite naturally, given that his father, Physics was a compromise with and intimidating,” said 2019 APS William Henry Bragg, was a physicist at the his father, who thought engineering President David Gross. “He pro- University of Adelaide. In fact, when young would be a more stable source of fessed to know everything about Lawrence fell off his tricycle and broke his arm, income than his other interests in everything and was usually correct.” his father used x-rays—then newly discov- linguistics, archaeology, and evo- Almost no part of today's ered by Willem Roentgen—to image the break, lutionary biology. Later on, these Standard Model was unaffected the first time x-rays were used for medical passions would lead to Gell-Mann’s by Gell-Mann’s contributions. At purposes in Australia. Bragg graduated from work co-founding the interdisci- a time when new particles seemed University of Adelaide in 1908, just as the family plinary Santa Fe Institute, where to pop up weekly, he brought order was moving to England so his father could he was finally able to blend simple to the chaotic zoo of hadrons and chair the physics department at the University principles of physics to explain mesons by reducing them to their of Leeds. This enabled him to pursue advanced complexity in other realms. fundamental constituents. studies at Cambridge University, finishing with A perfectionist, Gell-Mann was “There’s nothing more satisfying top honors in physics in 1911, becoming a fellow well-known for his insistence on to a physicist than to find the hidden of Trinity College three years later. William Lawrence Bragg order beneath all the chaos,” said Meanwhile, physicists around the globe were Sean Carroll, a theoretical physicist GELL-MAN CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 enthusiastically researching the properties of x-rays and exploring their potential for scientific cessful, in part because the heavier guns fired at applications. Bragg was inspired during a riv- such a low frequency the microphones couldn’t erside stroll with an insight into the diffraction detect them. experiments conducted by Max von Laue involving Bragg joined forces with astronomer Charles x-ray beams scattering off a crystal. He realized Nordmann and Lucien Bull, a medical researcher that this diffraction would be affected by both the investigating how to record heart beats. Together wavelength of the x-rays, the angle at which the they devised a solution: using microphones built beam hit the crystal, and the distance between out of ammunition boxes that were better at the crystal’s atomic sheets, which he expressed picking up the low frequencies of the guns firing, mathematically as the Bragg equation. and wrapping the microphones in fabric, thereby Bragg the elder devised an experimental reducing noise from the wind. They also employed apparatus to confirm Bragg junior’s equation. a “harp” galvanometer to record signals from Unfortunately, his father gave only passing several microphones positioned across a kilo- (unnamed) credit to “his son” for the equation meter range. When the microphones picked up in the resulting paper, but did not list him as a the sound of artillery, the electrical current they co-author, hurting Bragg deeply. Nonetheless, produced would flow through the galvanometer he shared the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics with wires placed in a magnetic field, causing the wires his father, “For their services in the analysis of to vibrate. The shadows of the moving wires were crystal structure by means of x-ray.” He remains recorded on a continuous roll of film that could be the youngest recipient of the physics Nobel developed in minutes, enabling quick calculations to this day, and his work with his father laid of the enemy’s location. MILLIE DRESSELHAUS the groundwork for the development of x-ray After World War I, Bragg joined the faculty of Fund for Science and Society crystallography. the Victoria University of Manchester, replacing That same year, both Bragg and his brother Ernest Rutherford, who was moving to Cambridge. Honoring her remarkable scientific career and Robert enlisted to fight for Great Britain in He continued his work in crystallography, focusing legacy, APS has created the Millie Dresselhaus World War I. Tragically, his brother was killed on inorganic compounds to avoid direct competition in September, just before Bragg and his father with his father’s research into organic crystals. Fund for Science and Society to reflect and support received the Nobel Prize. Bragg started out in Along with R.W. James, he figured out how to areas in which she excelled and on which she left the Royal Horse Artillery, but that summer he measure the number of electrons in the reflecting her indelible marks. was sent to the Royal Engineers and assigned the task of developing sound ranging to locate Learn more and donate today: enemy artillery. Prior attempts had proved unsuc- BRAGG CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 go.aps.org/dresselhaus

Series II, Vol. 28, No. 7 July 2019 APS COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES 2019 General Councilors Materials Physics), Baha Balantekin* (Division of © 2019 American Physical Society Bonnie Fleming, Andrea J. Liu*, Nuclear Physics), Elizabeth Simmons (Division of President Vivian F. Incera*, Robin L. B. Selinger Particles and Fields), Stuart Henderson (Division David J. Gross*, Kavli Institute for Theoretical of Physics of Beams), Amitava Bhattacharjee (Di- Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara International Councilors vision of Plasma Physics), Murugappan Muthu- Editor...... David Voss Johanna Stachel, Marta Losada*, kumar (Division of Polymer Physics), Charles H. Staff Science Writer...... Leah Poffenberger President-Elect Ahmadou Wagué*, Enge Wang Bennett (Division of Quantum Information), Noah Philip H. Bucksbaum*, Stanford University and Finkelstein (Forum on Education), Julia Gon- Contributing Correspondent ...... Alaina G. Levine SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Chair, Nominating Committee ski (Forum on Graduate Student Affairs), Virginia Design and Production...... Nancy Bennett-Karasik Larry D. Gladney, Yale University Trimble (Forum on the History of Physics), John Vice President Rumble, Jr.*(Forum on Industrial and Applied Sylvester J. Gates*, Brown Theoretical Physics Chair, Panel on Public Affairs Physics), Emanuela Barzi (Forum on International APS News (ISSN: 1058-8132) is published APS News, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD Center, Brown University James D. Wells, University of Michigan Physics), Pushpa Bhat* (Forum on Physics and So- monthly, except for a combined August-Sep- 20740-3844, Email: [email protected]. ciety), Philip R. Johnson (Mid-Atlantic Section), tember issue, 11 times per year, by the Ameri- Past President Editor in Chief Nora Berrah (New England Section) can Physical Society, One Physics Ellipse, Col- Subscriptions: APS News is an on-membership Roger W. Falcone*, University of California, Michael Thoennessen, Michigan State University lege Park, MD 20740-3844, (301) 209-3200. It publication delivered by Periodical Mail Postage Berkeley (on leave) Senior Management Team contains news of the Society and of its Divisions, Paid at College Park, MD and at additional mail- Mark Doyle, Chief Information Officer; Topical Groups, Sections, and Forums; advance ing offices. Chief Executive Officer Division, Forum, and Section Councilors Kate P. Kirby, Chief Executive Officer;Matthew information on meetings of the Society; and re- Kate P. Kirby, Harvard Smithsonian (retired) Michael Coleman Miller Division of Astrophys- M. Salter, Publisher; Francis Slakey, Chief ports to the Society by its committees and task For address changes, please send both the old ( ics), David Schultz (Division of Atomic, Molecular, Government Affairs Officer; James W. Taylor, forces, as well as opinions. and new addresses, and, if possible, include a Speaker of the Council and Optical Physics), William Bialek (Division of Deputy Executive Officer and Chief Operating mailing label from a recent issue. Changes can be John Rumble, Jr.*, R&R Data Services Biological Physics), Robert Continetti (Division of Officer; Michael Thoennessen, Editor in Chief Letters to the editor are welcomed from the emailed to [email protected]. Postmaster: Chemical Physics), John Bradley Marston* (Di- membership. Letters must be signed and should Send address changes to APS News, Membership Treasurer vision of Condensed Matter Physics), Giulia Galli * Voting Members of the APS Board of Directors include an address and daytime telephone num- Department, American Physical Society, One James Hollenhorst* Agilent Technologies (Division of Computational Physics), Howard Stone ber. APS reserves the right to select and to edit Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844. , (Division of Fluid Dynamics), Beverly Berger* (Di- for length and clarity. All correspondence re- Corporate Secretary vision of Gravitational Physics), John Fourkas (Di- garding APS News should be directed to: Editor, Coden: ANWSEN ISSN: 1058-8132 Jeanette Russo, American Physical Society vision of Laser Science), Samuel Bader (Division of July 2019 • 3

DEVELOPMENT Holocaust Survivor George Zimmerman leaves Legacy PhysTEC to APS eorge Zimmerman, who the ZerRes Corporation, which fab- ees or roposas passed away in May, led a ricated specialized materials for G life of distinguished service high-temperature superconductor in physics and education. His wife applications. rong nng o ep pss of 54 years, Isa, also an accom- “George’s lab was like the eaer prep progras re. plished educator, says that he was United Nations,” says Isa. “At one a remarkable man with a remark- point, he had about half a dozen able story. students and they were from all Born in 1935 in Katowice, Poland, over the world.” In addition, he ran Deadline: September 27 George’s family hired a guide to a summer program for high-school pse.org/rp help them escape Hitler’s regime, students who had taken physics but the guide took their money and in their junior year. The program turned them over to the Nazis at still exists, thanks to NSF funding George Zimmerman the border. From there, the family and Boston University’s adoption was split up and George and his of it, she says. and joined the APS Legacy Circle. father were transported to the Isa Zimmerman has been “He was very active and cared a lot Auschwitz concentration camp. an educator, with experience about the organization,” says Isa. George survived by a quirk of fate— spanning 50 years and is president “My advice is, if you are a physicist he had contracted scarlet fever and of IKZAdvisors, a STEM educa- and want to leave a legacy for the was quarantined at the camp clinic. tion consultancy. She has been future, APS is a good organization He was still there when the camp a superintendent, a high school to work with.” was liberated. principal and an assistant prin- For more about George After the war, he found his cipal, junior high school teacher, Zimmerman, see “The Triumph mother and was adopted by a distant division director of the Technology of Wounded Souls: Seven Holocaust relative. They were moved to New in Education Program, and an asso- Survivors’ Lives,” by Bernice Lerner Haven, Connecticut. George went ciate professor at Lesley University. (University of Notre Dame Press, to Yale University and received his She was senior fellow for STEM at 2004). PhD in 1963 in condensed matter the University of Massachusetts physics, after which he joined Donahue Institute and the UMass Boston University as a professor President’s Office. She was a Planned giving (aps.org/about/sup- of physics and later Department member of both the Massachusetts port/planned.cfm) is one of many ways Chairman. Until he became emeritus and Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory you can donate to APS. Please also consider joining the APS Legacy Circle professor at BU in 2001, his research Councils. (aps.org/about/support/legacy.cfm) focused on superconductivity, As part of their estate planning as a way to support the work of APS. magnetoresistance, and various before George passed away, he and For more information, contact Irene aspects of low temperature physics. Isa chose APS as one of the orga- I. Lukoff, Director of Development, at In the 1990s, he founded and led nizations they wanted to support 202-209-3224 or [email protected].

APRIL MEETING Sorting Out the Neutron Lifetime BRAGG CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 BY SOPHIA CHEN targets used in the scattering using some form of x-ray analysis. or over a decade, physi- experiments, enabling them to When World War II broke out, cists have puzzled over the determine the structures of silicates Bragg shifted focus to the structure F neutron lifetime: how long, and other more complex crystals. of metals, as well as consulting on average, it takes the isolated From 1937 to 1938, he briefly served for the military on sonar and particle to decay into a proton, as director of the National Physical sound ranging technologies. He electron, and antineutrino. Counting Laboratory in Teddington but was was knighted in 1941, one year the number of neutrons in a con- unhappy with how much adminis- before the death of his father. He tainer over time, they measure the trative duties kept him from doing also began a long affiliation with half-life to be about 14 minutes research. the Royal Institution, eventually and 39 seconds. Using a different Then Rutherford died, and succeeding his father as a resident experimental method where they Bragg was selected to replace professor in 1953, and serving as count one of the neutron’s decay him as director of the Cavendish director from 1965-1966. He died products, they measure the lifetime Laboratory at Cambridge. While its near his Ipswich home on July 1, to be about 8 seconds longer. stellar reputation had been built 1971 and is buried in Trinity College. “It’s an exciting time to work on atomic physics, Bragg proved in the field,” says Shannon an able administrator and set up Further Reading: Bragg, Sir William Lawrence. Artillery Hoogerheide of the National a small research group in crystal- NIST proton trap for measuring neutron lifetime. A free neutron entering the Survey in the First World War, Field Institute of Standards and lography. Among his early students: trap as part of a beam will decay into a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino. Survey Association, 1971. Technology (NIST). In 2018, three The number of protons detected can be used to calculate the neutron an Austrian refugee named Max Hunter, Graeme. Light Is A Messenger: independent teams of physicists lifetime. IMAGE F. WEBBER/NIST Perutz, who went on to use x-ray The Life and Science of William have published new measurements diffraction to unlock the struc- Lawrence Bragg, Oxford University of the neutron lifetime, which have meter diameter container—“the Researchers were particularly ture of large biological molecules Press, 2004. improved precision but preserve bathtub,” they call it. excited to discuss whether the dis- like myoglobin and hemoglobin. Jenkin, John. William and Lawrence the discrepancy. “We fill it with neutrons, and crepancy arose from an unknown Perutz shared the 1962 Nobel Prize Bragg, Father and Son: The Most During a mini-symposium at then we count,” he says. “And we dark matter decay product. This in Chemistry with John Kendrew Extraordinary Collaboration in this year’s APS April meeting in fill it again, wait longer, and count theory, proposed by Bartosz Fornal for that work. In total, there have Science, Oxford University Press, Denver, experts gathered to develop again. Then we fit an exponential and Benjamin Grinstein of the been 28 Nobel Prizes for research 2008. strategies for resolving the dis- to that decay.” The three 2018 mea- University of California, San Diego, crepancy, including a tantalizing surements, one made by Hickerson’s has the neutron decaying into a theory involving dark matter decay. group, were all bottle experiments, dark matter particle 1 percent of Read But the discrepancy could still be albeit with slightly different setups the time. This particle would have the result of systematic uncertain- [Science 360, 627 (2018)]. a mass of about 1 GeV, about 100 ties, so some groups are working to The other method, known as a times lighter than the weakly inter- online make better measurements. beam experiment, involves counting acting massive particles usually “We’ve taken more lifetime data the protons that the neutrons decay predicted by supersymmetry. If this year, and we’re analyzing it into. At NIST, researchers send neutrons occasionally became dark right now,” says Kevin Hickerson a beam of neutrons through an particles, that would explain why of the Ultracold Neutron Tau (UCNτ) electromagnetic field, which traps neutrons disappear more quickly in experiment at Los Alamos National and then deflects any proton decay the bottle experiment than proton Laboratory. products, explained Hoogerheide. decay products appear in the beam Hickerson’s method, a so- NIST’s experiment yielded the experiment. “If this turns out to be called bottle experiment, involves most recent beam result in 2005. how nature works, this would turn counting neutrons over time and Using the same data, they updated out to be a very inexpensive way results in the shorter measured those results with better cali- of trying to probe dark matter,” lifetime. He and his colleagues trap bration in 2013, and her team is says Fornal. aps.org/apsnews ultracold neutrons at a temperature currently working to improve that of about a millikelvin inside a one- measurement. NEUTRON CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 4 • July 2019

OUTREACH AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS PhysicsQuest Reaches New Heights International Students Key to Colorado Economy BY LEAH POFFENBERGER BY NOAH FINKELSTEIN

or the past 14 years, APS has from last year’s kits, bringing the merica has been a destination year, the percentage of interna- sent comic books featuring concepts from the comic book to for the best and brightest tional students applying to graduate F the escapades of Spectra, a life. As Roche demonstrated the A students in the world who physics PhD programs at U.S. insti- superhero with laser powers, and experiment, Thompson discussed contribute to our cutting-edge tutions declined by an alarming PhysicsQuest teaching kits linked ways students could gather both research projects. Unfortunately, 12 percent. This decline has also to the books’ physics concepts to qualitative and quantitative data we’re losing our draw as many happened here in Colorado. And classrooms around the world. The from the experiment in a classroom. international students confront while we’ve been facing declines, outreach team at APS has traveled to “Pendulums are a great experi- challenging legal paths to study other countries such as China, venues like Comic-Con International ment when working with potential in the U.S. Many of these world- Australia, Canada, and Germany in San Diego to spread the word and and kinetic energy, and there’s class students are now going all experienced increases. interact with fans of all ages. Now, all kinds of things you can have elsewhere, to the benefit of other We must take immediate steps Spectra and PhysicsQuest have hit students measure,” Thompson countries. Thankfully, U.S. Senator to once again make the U.S. the the Mile-High City, with an exclu- explained during the session. “You Cory Gardner is in a position to top destination for the best inter- sive workshop at the Denver Pop can have them record frequency and help preserve our country’s global national students in the world to Culture Con this past May. find the period of the pendulum science leadership. come, study and then build their Noah Finkelstein James Roche, APS Outreach with a stopwatch, and they can It’s no secret that part of ideas and businesses here. Programs Manager, headed up the also experiment with different America’s economic success Despite the complexities sur- students to our Colorado institu- workshop on May 31, assisted by pendulum lengths or using multiple comes from the contributions of rounding immigration, at least one tions. Right now, the F-1 is single Rebecca Thompson, author of the pendulums.” immigrants. My grandparents and issue has garnered the support of the intent—students can come here Spectra comics. For an audience of A chain of rubber bands, great-grandparents came to this White House and members of both to study, but they must state that teachers and science fans, Roche stretched between two chairs, country and helped build the cities parties of Congress. Attracting and they intend to leave the U.S. after and Thompson explained how to supported four pendulums, made and towns they lived in, creating retaining “the best and brightest” completing their degree. That needs best use the PhysicsQuest kits in from metal nuts and pipe cleaners better lives for themselves and students to America is one of the to change. Why would we train a classroom and demonstrated an of two different lengths. By having our society. From construction major goals of the recently unveiled international students and not experiment from Spectra’s Energetic sets of pendulums at these different to technology to pharmaceutical White House immigration plan. encourage them to stay and invest Escape. lengths—one set at six inches and companies, immigrants—students Whatever immigration plan their talents in the country that “Any time there is opportu- the other at two and a quarter—the in particular—have played crucial Congress passes, it should make invested in them? nity to connect our programs to experiment goes beyond just mea- roles in building the businesses the F-1 student visa “dual intent” Supporting legislation that new audiences, we get excited. The suring the frequency or period of that strengthen the U.S. economy. and provide a path to citizenship makes the F-1 visa dual intent Spectra comics and the PhysicsQuest a single pendulum, but also delves But our nation is now at high for international STEM graduate and creates a path to citizenship program are natural fits at comic into the resonant energy transfer risk of no longer attracting the best students. That would be a transfor- conventions, and the Denver Pop that goes on between pendulums students around the world. Last mative step to attracting the best IMMIGRANTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Culture Con was no exception,” of the same length. Swinging one says Roche. “The glowing reception six-inch pendulum will eventually from the thousands of attendees cause the other—but not the shorter who stopped by the Spectra booth pendulums—to swing too. Signal Boost is a monthly email video newsletter alerting APS and the subset that attended the The PhysicsQuest Teacher’s members to policy issues and identifying opportunities to get involved. Past issues are available at go.aps.org/2nr298D. Join PhysicsQuest workshop is exactly Guide includes a full explanation Our Mailing List: visit the sign-up page at go.aps.org/2nqGtJP. what drives us to push forward.” of this experiment and three others: The APS PhysicsQuest program Friction Fun, Straw Rockets, and Pinwheel Power. Student guides has been sending comic books and FYI: SCIENCE POLICY NEWS FROM AIP accompanying kits, which include are also included with instructions a teacher’s guide and materials for for conducting the experiment, original physics demos, to middle collecting data, and analyzing the school classrooms since 2005. results. A new PhysicsQuest kit Looming Lab Workforce Shortfall Worries Top Physics Quest: Spectra’s Energetic covering thermodynamics will be Appropriator Escape is the 13th kit produced by available this year, thanks in part to APS and accompanies the 10th issue funding from Google, and a special BY JONATHAN BEHRENS of the Spectra series. LIGO edition of Spectra on gravita- into the sciences using the power Each issue of Spectra incorporates tional waves is also in the works. ust before House appropriators of our research labs?” a set of physics concepts into the “PhysicsQuest continues to be an advanced spending legisla- Among the federal labs facing adventures of Lucy Hene—alias integral part of our public engage- J tion for the Department of significant staffing challenges are Spectra—a middle school student ment,” says Roche. “Over the past Energy (DOE) this spring, Rep. the three overseen by DOE’s National with the power to turn into a human year, we’ve strived to evaluate and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) announced Nuclear Security Administration laser beam. Energetic Escape sees improve the program to better serve her interest in addressing the (NNSA): Los Alamos, Lawrence Spectra and friends using their the students and educators that impending wave of retirements Livermore, and Sandia National directed the agency to develop a knowledge of pendulums, friction, have made it such a success.” at federal laboratories. Kaptur has Laboratories. Together they certify weapons workforce and produc- and potential and kinetic energy in considerable influence over DOE’s the safety and reliability of the tion infrastructure that is more a competition for concert tickets 17 national laboratories as chair of For more on the Spectra series and the subcommittee that prepares the current nuclear weapons stockpile “responsive” to potential shifts that turns dangerous. the PhysicsQuest program visit House’s spending proposals for the and support a broad portfolio of in the geopolitical or technical Roche and Thompson demon- physicscentral.com/experiment/ scientific research. landscape. strated a pendulum experiment physicsquest/. department. She also raised more general concerns about the ability NNSA Administrator Lisa Gordon-Hagerty said it is crucial of the U.S. to develop its domestic Gordon-Hagerty has stressed the that NNSA develop a new paradigm scientific workforce. labs’ growing workforce needs at for recruiting given the magnitude “I just wanted to say to the entire several congressional hearings this of its staffing needs. She explained committee, there’s one area I’m year. Speaking before the Senate the agency is experimenting with really uncomfortable with,” she Armed Services Committee in May, new mechanisms to attract and began. “We didn’t address it heavily she noted that more than 40% of develop technical talent. These in this bill because I don’t have the NNSA’s workforce will be eligible include partnering with universi- formation of the idea complete in for retirement over the next five ties to develop training programs my mind, but just know I’m deeply years at a time when the agency is for specific areas of need, such worried, as one member, about the facing its heaviest workload since as radiological technicians, and ability of our country to recruit the end of the Cold War. holding much larger recruitment Americans to work at the highest “Los Alamos is looking to hire fairs that leverage rapid hiring levels of science in this country.” 1,000 people this year. Sandia is procedures. Citing conversations with looking to hire 1,000 this year. “We’re finding different ways directors of federal laboratories, Livermore is looking to hire 500 of trying to resource, if you will, she said that “30 to 40% of their people,” she told the committee. or source the next generation, the highest-level scientists” are nearing “We’re talking about really thou- best and brightest. And those are retirement age, representing a sands of people in our workforce, scientists, those are engineers, serious recruitment challenge that not only in the next five years, those are technicians,” she said. is exacerbated by the private sector’s but now, in order to handle the ability to offer higher salaries. increasing workload that’s on us.” The author is a Science Policy Analyst “So I am looking for ideas,” she NNSA is currently undertaking with FYI. continued. Pointing to the military a comprehensive modernization FY has been a trusted source of academies such as West Point as of the nuclear security enterprise science policy and funding news one potential training model to to address shortfalls stemming since 1989, and is read by members consider, she added, “Why couldn’t from aging infrastructure across of Congress and their staff, federal the country think about how to the weapons complex. Through agency heads, journalists, and U.S. APS Outreach Programs Manager James Roche and Spectra author Rebecca piece together an initiative that its Nuclear Posture Review, the scientific leaders. Sign up for free Thompson demonstrate energy transfer in pendulums. would help to draw young people Trump administration has also FYI emails at aip.org/fyi. July 2019 • 5

EDUCATION AND DIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS STEP UP: Changing the Face of APS Offices Partner on U.S. Visa Policy Survey Physics BY TAWANDA W. JOHNSON

o you know any high school he APS Office of Government shared with policymakers, along physics teachers? Did you Affairs (APS OGA) and with compelling stories, to better D know that they are the most T the APS Department of illuminate the damage of visa issues cited source of inspiration for young International Affairs have part- to the United States’s reputation as women pursuing a physics degree nered to survey graduate students’ an attractive place to study.” in college? Although half of high opinions about issues related to Added Francis Slakey, APS Chief school physics students are women, U.S. visa policies. Government Affairs Officer, “We’re they go on to make up only 20% Specifically, the anonymous stepping up our use of data to make of physicists at the undergraduate, survey, which will circulate to a more effective case for our science graduate, and early professional members of the APS Forum on policy initiatives, and we plan to physics students from underrep- visa, which requires a full-time levels. This is why APS and its Graduate Affairs (FGSA) during July, use the information to ultimately resented groups, faculty interested academic load but prohibits off- partner institutions have spent will ask students whether they’ve help continue to attract the best in discussions of diversity and campus employment, the H-1B the last two years in a new, but experienced difficulties obtaining and brightest students to the U.S.” mentoring within physics educa- visa allows U.S. employers to tem- vital, venue for changing the face an F-1 student visa, which allows Allen Hu, APS Policy Analyst, tion, representatives from summer porarily hire foreign workers into of physics: high school physics them to enter the United States to said the FGSA survey will include research internship programs, specialty occupations. classrooms. study at American universities. questions such as: and other physics professionals Last year, a survey conducted The STEP UP project has built Participants’ identifying infor- • Did you have any issues with to attend. by APS OGA of 49 of the largest a national consortium of physics mation will not be included in the initially obtaining a student Travel and housing funding will graduate physics programs in the educators, researchers, and profes- survey results. visa to study in the United be available for NMC Mentors and U.S. revealed that the percentage sional societies to optimize two “This is, to my knowledge, the States? Mentees. of international students applying self-contained lessons for physics first time a widespread, systematic • Did you have any issues For more information visit declined by an average of 12 percent classrooms. STEP UP’s lessons have approach has been taken to under- renewing your student visa the conference website at aps. from 2017 to 2018. In response, APS shown great effects, especially for stand visa issues encountered by to complete your program of org/programs/minorities/nmc/ members worked with APS OGA young women, of increased student physics students who wish to study study? conference/ to write op-eds and meet with interest and likelihood to pursue in the U.S.,” said Amy Flatten, APS • Have you dealt with any issues congressional staffers, both locally a career in physics. Now, these Save the Date! Director of International Affairs. while transitioning from an F-1 lessons need to be adopted by high 2020 PhysTEC Conference to be held “We hope that the survey will yield student visa to an H-1B visa? school physics teachers to lead to February 29 - March 1 in Denver, some quantitative data that can be In contrast to the F-1 student VISA POLICY CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 a nationwide boost in women’s Colorado. interest in physics when declaring Join us at the nation’s largest NEUTRON CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 college majors. meeting dedicated to the educa- This is where you come in! Ask a tion of future physics teachers, However, new analyses have the Big Bang. “Helium is made by motivate astronomers to take a teacher to register with STEP UP at immediately preceding the APS already constrained some of Fornal protons capturing neutrons,” says closer look at these gas clouds. STEPUPphysics.org. Sign up yourself March Meeting 2020, and attend and Grinstein’s suggested experi- Hickerson. “So the rate at which The UCN collaboration is to continue to support the STEP UP workshops on best practices, panel τ mental signatures, including a neutrons disappear from the early planning to build an experiment movement. Reach out to local high discussions by national leaders, and scenario that releases telltale universe determines how fast they where they count neutrons and school physics teachers or other excellent networking opportuni- gamma ray and one that produces can [combine with] protons to form their decay products simultane- networks of physics teachers and ties for physics teacher educators. an electron-positron pair. helium.” ously. “It’s basically like doing a recruit them to join the campaign. Visit the PhysTEC conference site At the meeting, theorists debated Hickerson and his colleagues beam and a bottle experiment at the Together, we can be sure that future at phystec.org/conferences/2020/. whether this dark matter decay have created an open-source code same time,” says Hickerson. They generations of physics majors Funding for New PhysTEC Sites product is consistent with observed called AlterBBN to simulate the pro- want to include a neutron counter, include the rich diversity that the PhysTEC expects to award neutron stars. Some theorists had duction of light elements, in which proton counter, and electron counter country has to offer. Recruiting Grants to up to five suggested that this dark matter the neutron lifetime is a variable. in this experiment so that it would Save the Date! new sites. Awardees will receive particle would render neutron stars They then compare the elemental be sensitive to Fornal’s proposed National Mentoring Community $25,000 to implement a two-year at observed masses unstable. They abundances produced in the simula- neutron dark decay. Conference 2020, February 6 - 8, improvement plan that focuses have largely resolved the issue, tions to spectroscopic observations The beam experimentalists, 2020, University of Central Florida, on implementing some of the best according to Fornal, by introducing of low-metallicity clouds of gas meanwhile, are improving their Orlando, Florida practices found in the PTEPA Rubric. the possibility that the dark matter from the early universe (astro- proton counting and investi- Join us for the APS National Funding is set to begin on July 1, could be self-repulsive. This would physicists call elements heavier than gating their major systematics. Mentoring Community Conference 2020. The rubric, the full Request for allow for the observed neutron hydrogen and helium “metals”). Hoogerheide has high hopes for 2020, held in partnership with the Proposals, and submission instruc- star masses. The astrophysical observations and the future. “Given the number of National Society of Black Physicists tions are available on the PhysTEC The neutron lifetime has impor- simulations should agree with each projects working on it, we should and National Society of Hispanic website at phystec.org. Proposals tant implications for cosmology. other within their range of uncer- have a resolution to this within the Physicists. are due September 27, 2019 at 5 For example, it helps determine tainties, but the neutron lifetime is next five to ten years,” she says. We encourage undergraduate p.m. local time. the amount of light elements, the limiting factor, says Hickerson. particularly helium atoms, that So if they can zero in on a more The author is a science writer based formed from hydrogen right after precise neutron lifetime, it could in Tucson, Arizona.

APRIL MEETING Particle Physics on a Tabletop BY SOPHIA CHEN

he Large Hadron Collider from the Standard Model in parts may be the flashy face of per billion and smaller. Deviations, T particle physics, with its if they spot them, might hint at the oiee gargantuan tunnel and the atten- existence of new particles. tion of thousands of researchers. Elongated Electrons? But smaller teams of physicists are Along with John Doyle (Harvard) ee quietly chipping away at similar and Gerald Gabrielse (Northwestern fundamental particle physics University), David DeMille of Yale Help steer the progress and development questions using less expensive University co-leads a collaboration equipment. These tabletop experi- to measure how round the electron of APS by nominating a qualified colleague ments are small enough to fit in is—the so-called electron electric (or yourself) with relevant experience for a a single university lab and cost a dipole moment (EDM). This quantity mere several millions of dollars, as describes how evenly the particle’s seat on an APS Committee in 2020. opposed to the LHC’s billions. At negative charge is distributed. A The ARIADNE experiment seeks to the APS April Meeting in Denver nonzero value would mean that detect axions with a rotating mass this year, researchers discussed the charge is not spread uniformly. interacting with spin-polarized helium Submit your nomination by nuclei. IMAGE: ARIADNE their progress hunting for hypoth- In the Standard Model, the Friday, August 16, 2019. esized exotic particles using these electron is a point particle with metry is so subtle that it cannot humbler setups. zero EDM. But under real-world be detected with any conceivable Unlike, collider physicists, who conditions, quantum field theory experiment. So if DeMille’s team did investigate the bits and pieces left predicts that an electron constantly discern a slight elongation to the over from high energy particle col- emits and reabsorbs virtual par- electron, that would be evidence of lisions, tabletop experimentalists ticles, which would make its charge new particles outside the Standard probe low-energy systems. These distribution appear egg-shaped. physicists look for any deviations Theory predicts that this asym- TABLETOP CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 6 • July 2019

VISA POLICY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 GELL-MAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

and in Washington, D.C., in an effort “America should always be are welcome on our campuses and accuracy in all things and unstinting a tongue-in-cheek name for a to persuade lawmakers to address looking to maintain a strong STEM in our country.” criticism. classification scheme that would the issue. workforce because it will help us APS President David Gross hailed “Working with Murray was revolutionize the way particles Additionally, APS leadership has compete in the global economy,” the FGSA survey as a crucial tool delightful,” said economist Ole were organized: the Eightfold met with key officials representing said Durbin in a joint press release to gather pertinent information Peters, a professor at the Santa Way. Organizing particles by their various agencies, including the State with the bill’s co-sponsors. “By about the F-1 visa issue. Fe Institute. “One time we had symmetry, he (and Yuval Ne’eman, Department, Office of Science and denying international students “International students are an thought about a particular problem, independently) were able to predict Technology Policy, National Security with STEM degrees a chance to important part of the STEM edu- written down some equations, and the omega-minus, which was dis- Council, Department of Energy, continue their work in America, we cation and workforce pipelines, convinced ourselves that this was covered in 1964. National Science Foundation, are shipping their talents overseas and working alongside American the way to do it. I felt a sense of That year, Gell-Mann and George Commerce Department, Department and won’t see the positive impacts students, they offer diverse perspec- achievement, leaned back and put Zweig independently proposed of Defense, FBI and the Office of the of their American education. We tives on some of the nation’s most my pen down. Murray said: ‘OK, so that hadrons were composed of Director of National Intelligence. think this bill represents a common challenging scientific research. why is this wrong?’” constituent particles, then little APS is also supporting the Keep sense idea that the Senate should This survey will help us better But many found him irascible more than mathematical constructs. STEM Talent Act of 2019, which has take seriously.” understand the issues international and tough to work with. Taken from a line in James Joyce’s been co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Dick Added Harris, “Ours is a nation students face as they strive to study “I think the difficult aspect of Finnegan’s Wake—“Three quarks Durbin (D-IL); Richard Blumenthal of immigrants, and our strength and work in the United States,” his personality was his pride in for Muster Mark!”—Gell-Mann’s (D-CT); Kamala Harris (D-CA); Amy has always come from our diversity said Gross. his own intellectual achievement, name for the new particles stuck. Klobuchar (D-MN); and Ron Wyden and our unity. We have invested in To participate in the anonymous which he certainly merited,” said To better organize the quarks and (D-OR). The bill would remove these students who have learned at FGSA survey go to surveymonkey. theoretical physicist Helen Quinn. gluons he’d postulated, Gell-Mann barriers for international students our universities, and we must do com/r/QL8NVNX. To tell your “Somehow he held onto it tighter put forward the concept of color who pursue advanced STEM degrees everything we can to keep their senator to support the Keep STEM than he needed to when everybody charge with Harald Fritsch, in 1972. at U.S. institutions and provide talent here. I am proud to join my Talent Act of 2019, visit aps.org/ was recognizing it.” As experimental discoveries green cards to students who earn colleagues on this important leg- policy/issues/immigration.cfm. Murray Gell-Mann was born rolled in throughout the 1970s and advanced STEM degrees from U.S. islation, which will ensure the U.S. September 15, 1929 in Manhattan 1980s, they substantiated the theo- institutions and secure job offers remains competitive in the global The author is the APS Senior Press to Pauline (Reichstein) and Arthur retical foundations that Gell-Mann from U.S. companies. economy, and hardworking students Secretary. Isidore Gell-Mann, Jewish immi- had laid, which had become the grants from Europe. As a child, Standard Model. With his stature Gell-Mann and his older brother in the field, Gell-Mann was able APS ETHICS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Ben explored the flora and fauna of to give support and legitimacy to New York City, which they regarded a then maligned subfield: string of surveys the task force conducted. you could go to,” says Houle, who which physics has to rest.” as a forest that had simply been theory. “The task force had the charge was chair of POPA at the time. “But In addition to overseeing imple- “over logged.” He became fas- In 1984, he co-founded the Santa of understanding how ethics are part of the conversation among the mentation of ethics policies and cinated with his father’s books Fe Institute to pursue old inter- taught in the physics curriculum group working on this was that we updating the ethics guidelines, on etymology and language—an ests. For Gell-Mann, the simple in and what people learned from it,” really need an ethics committee the Ethics Committee will provide interest he never let go. particle physics was deeply related says Houle. “We did a bunch of to keep this guidance document resources to promote ethical best After graduating as high school to the complexity of organisms and surveys and short answer is that current, to correct it, to update it practices through educational valedictorian at 14, Gell-Mann languages. The title of a book he programs and events organized it isn’t—ethics are not taught.” as needed.” earned a scholarship to Yale. For wrote about this relationship—The at APS meetings. At the inaugural The 2004 Physics Today article New sections were added to the his PhD, Gell-Mann moved on to Quark and the Jaguar—was taken meeting of the Ethics Committee, primarily focused on the experi- APS ethics guidelines, covering MIT, where his supervisor was from a poem by Arthur Sze: “The a subcommittee was tasked with ences of early career members of issues in publishing such as Victor Weisskopf. In 1955, after a world of the quark has everything creating resources for the new APS and highlighted ethical issues redundant publication; addressing number of visiting professorships, to do/ with a jaguar circling in the Committee website, with the vision involving mistreatment of graduate explicit, systemic and implicit biases Gell-Mann settled down at Caltech, night.” including harassment; and laying of it becoming a hub for the physics students and early career scientists. where he would remain until 1993. Gell-Mann spent his later years out professional guidelines for use community to access materials to “Since then, I think those who Although their rivalry was later at the Santa Fe Institute, where he of social media, use of public funds, promote ethical practices. were aware of the problems that infamous, Gell-Mann worked with worked on unsolved problems in and conflicts of interest. These Another task of the Ethics were brought up thought that his colleague Richard Feynman complex adaptive systems until additions were extensively reviewed Committee will be to create a policy there should be a sustained set of to explain the weak interaction. his death. actions to take care of these issues,” and presented to APS members for for revocation of membership or (Though they were beaten to the “I think his greatest charac- says Michael Marder, professor of comment before their approval by honors based on instances of ethical punch by Robert Marshak and teristic was not just that ‘he knew misconduct or harassment. physics at the University of Texas at the APS Council in April 2019. everything.’ But he somehow was “Part of our charge is to consider George Sudarshan.) Austin and chair of the new Ethics The Ethics Committee, offi- able to integrate a lot of things,” the way that we’re going to respond Gell-Mann’s most notable work Committee. “These actions would cially established in November 2018, said physicist Geoffrey West, former to allegations of different forms of was on the classification of par- be efforts to educate physicists was also made possible by Houle president of the Santa Fe Institute. harassment,” says Marder. “We’ll ticles. To explain the long decay on good practices for treatment and Marder’s mutual belief in the “And I think out of that came this have to consider the question of times of kaons and hyperons, Gell- of graduate students, guidelines importance of continued focus on extraordinary ability to ask, so to whether there may be circum- Mann and Abraham Pais developed a on work-life balance, and ways addressing ethical issues. As the speak, the right question.” stances where revocation of APS conserved quantity—strangeness— to respond to different forms of successor to Houle as chair of POPA, membership might be appropriate, which was only not conserved in harassment.” Marder was able to continue her where individuals might not be the infrequent weak interactions. The author is a freelance science writer The establishment of an Ethics efforts. eligible for APS awards and offices— In 1961, Gell-Mann introduced based in New York. Committee was in part motivated by “The committee was something there are members of the APS who several APS Ethics Statements that that the previous chair [Houle] feel this is an urgent matter to came up for review by POPA in 2017 had already put a huge amount of consider and the committee is OLYMPIAD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 and an effort to consolidate these work into—a single year was not considering what we should do.” statements into a single guiding enough time to complete the work,” American Institute of Physics, administered at secondary schools document. says Marder. “It was really quite and its member organizations, all across the country. For more on the new APS Ethics “In 2017, the ethics statements necessary that I put the effort into providing a challenging but exhil- Since 1986, when the U.S. first came up for review, and I’ve always making sure that this went through. Committee, visit aps.org/about/gov- ernance/committees/ethics/. The full arating experience for the high participated in the International thought it was a problem that they I was convinced that the ethical text of the ethics guidelines adopted by schoolers. The program is designed Physics Olympiad, the team has were fragmented, that there wasn’t standards of the community are the APS Council is available at aps.org/ to encourage all students to study consistently ranked in the top ten, a coherent single document that really an essential foundation on policy/statements/guidlinesethics.cfm. physics and gives team members and they hope to bring home more a unique chance to travel interna- medals this year. tionally. To qualify, students on the team had to show exceptional The author is a Science Communication performance on a series of exams Intern at APS. Lead Editor, Physical Review D

APS is conducting an international search for a new Lead Editor of Physical Review D. Physical Review D is a leading journal in elementary particle physics, field theory, gravitation, and cosmology and is one of the top-cited journals in high-energy physics.

The Lead Editor will provide intellectual leadership and vision for editorial standards and policies, direct the journal, and lead its editorial board and staff of editors. They will be appointed as a consultant and may maintain their present appointment and location while devoting up to 20% of their time to this position.

Review of applications will begin on 1 August 2019 and continue until a candidate is selected. View full details and how to apply at go.aps.org/prd-ed-2020 The full 2019 U.S. Physics Team at the closing ceremony at the American Center for Physics (ACP) in College Park, Maryland. IMAGE: AAPT July 2019 • 7

TABLETOP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

Model. In particular, these particles perfectly round and uniform. This also relates the rest mass of an or it must be weakly coupled to Geraci’s experiment should help would have to violate charge-parity result, the most precise to date, is atom to its ground state energy. electrons,” says Müller. determine the mass of the axion. symmetry, which means that they almost nine times more precise Müller measures the fine structure Their latest measurement, pub- “The axion mass determines how could help explain why matter than their previous measurement constant using this relation- lished in April 2018 in Science, agrees far the interaction can occur,” he outnumbers antimatter in our published in 2014. DeMille char- ship: he finds alpha indirectly by with the next best result to about says. So even if he doesn’t see the universe. acterizes ACME’s sensitivity this measuring the mass of a cesium 2.5 sigma. But they plan to improve axion, he can place bounds on its The research team measures way: if an electron were the size of atom via atom interferometry. In their experimental precision by mass. Currently, theory predictions the electron EDM within molecules Earth, the experiment would be able the experiment, he uses a laser better controlling the laser photons are vague; the axion could exist over of thorium monoxide (ThO). This to detect a three-nanometer-thick photon with a known momentum used to kick the cesium atoms, a mass range spanning nine orders experiment, known as the Advanced slice taken from the northern hemi- to kick a cesium atom that is in a says Müller. of magnitude. Other researchers, Cold Molecule Electron Electric sphere and pasted on the southern superposition of two states. Of this Elusive Axions such as those at the Axion Dark Dipole Moment Search (ACME), hemisphere. superposition, only one receives Andrew Geraci’s experiment, on Matter Experiment, are probing a takes place in a basement labora- They are currently working the photon’s momentum; the other the other hand, is just getting off different mass range than Geraci. tory at Harvard University. They to make an even more precise reflects it. Müller then lets the two the ground, having received full Like their particle collider vaporize ThO molecules within measurement by improving their states of this single atom inter- funding last year. The Northwestern siblings, these tabletop experi- a cryogenic chamber, which exit statistical uncertainty by measuring fere, and the resulting interference University physicist is currently ments have not found compelling to form a beam at 4 kelvin. Then, more ThO molecules at a time, pattern reveals the cesium atom’s building a tabletop experiment evidence for particles beyond the using lasers, they align the spins of Standard Model. But DeMille is says DeMille. “ACME anticipates kinetic energy, which he can use for detecting axions. This hypoth- the electrons in the ThO molecules. optimistic: these experiments seem improving our statistical uncer- to calculate its mass. He then uses esized particle has two theoretical Electric and magnetic fields apply a poised to improve their precision tainty by another factor of ten to this mass to calculate alpha. motivations: it explains why strong torque to these spins, which causes steadily over the next few years. twenty within five years,” he says. Müller’s alpha measurement interactions preserve charge-parity the molecules’ spins to precess symmetry in quantum chromody- DeMille’s EDM experiment is A Finer Value for Alpha requires very few theoretical like wobbly tops, at two different namics, and it is also a candidate now sensitive to certain types of Holger Müller of the University assumptions. “You only need very rates depending on whether they for dark matter. particles in the 30 TeV mass range, of California, Berkeley, has been basic assumptions like momentum are in one of two quantum states. The axion is supposed to mediate more than twice the highest col- conducting a tabletop experi- conservation,” he says. In contrast, As the molecules fly through the a tiny force that couples the mass lision energy achieved at the LHC. the next best measurement of the apparatus, this slow precession ment to measure the fine structure of an object to an atom’s nuclear In this sense, they are paving the fine structure constant is extremely accumulates to change the direction constant, or alpha. This dimen- spin. Other tabletop experiments way for collider physicists. Tabletop indirect. Researchers calculate it of the electrons’ spin axes. Using sionless number, equal to about use various methods to search for experiments won’t replace collision from measurements of the electron fluorescence techniques, they can 1/137, characterizes the strength axions, but Geraci’s experiment experiments, as they are sensitive measure how the electron spin axes of the electromagnetic interaction magnetic moment, a calculation involves bringing a heavy tungsten to different particle properties, but change in time. Molecules in dif- between elementary particles. Our that involves the entire Standard wheel within tens of microns to a DeMille thinks that they can help ferent quantum states precess at universe looks the way that it does, Model and requires some 10,000 collection of helium nuclei. If the guide collision experiments toward different angles, and the difference in part, because alpha is what it is, Feynman diagrams. The level of dis- axion exists, it would cause the more fruitful research questions. in angle reveals the magnitude of says Müller. “It’s a huge puzzle in crepancy also places bounds on the helium nuclei’s magnetic moment to “We’re going to be the advanced the electron EDM. physics as to why the fine structure properties of several hypothesized precess. Geraci’s team will shield the scouts for particle physics,” he says. In their latest measurement, has this value,” he says. “It’s very particles, including one known as apparatus from all other external published in October 2018 in Nature, important that it’s so small.” a dark photon. “If the dark photon magnetic fields and try to detect The author is a science writer in the electron charge still appears The fine structure constant exists, it must be extremely heavy this tiny spin precession. Tucson, Arizona.

IMMIGRANTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 CONSORTIUM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 for international students would employed by immigrant-owned to ensure that scientific research three originating societies and six tion of a survey to learn what its only help Colorado’s economy. firms. And, immigrant-owned busi- continues to be that driver of the other societies on the Consortium’s 108 member societies are doing to According to the Center for nesses in our state generated $566.4 Colorado economy. As Congress Executive Committee, which will address sexual harassment in their American Entrepreneurship, as million in business income in 2014. wrestles with the various immi- help steer the direction of the respective fields. of 2017, 30 percent of Fortune 500 Changing the F-1 provision and gration issues, Gardner needs to Consortium. The Consortium “Many of the members are companies based in the state were providing a path to citizenship is support the visa changes that can is also working closely with looking for resources at this point founded by immigrants or their something that Gardner should keep us the destination of choice EducationCouncil, an organiza- and have just started to implement a children. Ball Corp., a Broomfield- support, given his strong history of for the best and brightest students tion that provides policy and law code of conduct at society meetings, based metal packaging company backing legislation that promotes in the world. support to improve education on but not a lot of societies have gone with a major aerospace division, America’s scientific global competi- all levels. beyond that,” says Plisch. “We’re is one example. Founded in 1880, tiveness, including the American “EducationCouncil is managing all looking to each other for how Noah Finkelstein is a professor of the company employs more than Innovation and Competitiveness the work of the consortium. They’re to move forward.” physics and a Presidential Teaching 17,500 people throughout the world. Act, which was signed into law in Scholar at the University of Colorado. doing the work of producing tools In September, delegates from And last year, it boasted net sales 2017. He knows just how much this He is also involved in various state and and resources and gathering each of the member societies will of $11.6 billion. matters to our state: “In Colorado, national STEM education initiatives. information, but we provide the gather for the first time to build Moreover, businesses owned scientific research is a major This op-ed was first published inThe oversight, we provide the steering,” a society network and discuss by immigrants or their children economic driver… (and) … it’s an Gazette (Colorado Springs) on May says Plisch. “[Being on the execu- tools, survey results, and exchange are doing their part to create jobs embrace of the spirit of America that 20, 2019. tive committee] is a particularly experiences. in our state. According to the New encourages us to continue to dream To read more about the F-1 important role as the Consortium is “The National Academy report American Economy [organization], big,” Gardner previously stated. visa issue and to participate in getting launched to see that it gets that came out last summer made 102,298 people in Colorado are Immediate steps need to be taken an anonymous survey, see page 5. launched in the right direction.” it really clear that issues of sexual One of the Consortium’s first harassment are still pervasive priorities was to create a model throughout the sciences and some- FAR WEST CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 policy for revoking or withholding thing needs to be done because we honors, drawing on experience are losing talent—sexual harass- professional meeting. Past plenary is slated for November 1 and 2 at of the importance of the APS to from organizations within the ment is an issue that significantly topics included such diverse areas Stanford University. physicists in the far west area, Consortium and legal guidance impacts the enterprise of science,” as neutrino physics, nanoscience In parallel with the Annual and vice versa.” She added that from EducationCouncil. This model says Plisch. “I think our greatest and nanotechnology, dark energy Meeting, FWS also held a one-day FWS—particularly its Annual policy can be used as a starting hope would be that by coming in the universe, science commu- symposium at the University of Meeting—provides a vehicle for APS point for leadership at organiza- together and pushing in the same nication, biofuels, comet dust, and Hawaii to reach out to the physics to hear from physicists who might tions to create their own policies direction, we actually might be solar power. community in the very Far West. not otherwise attend the larger regarding consequences for ethical able to make significant progress The FWS Annual Meeting To further increase these interac- March Meeting or April Meeting. violations such as sexual harass- toward eradicating sexual harass- organizers stress the breadth tions, FWS is planning to hold its Geographical sections like FWS ment. The policy was presented at ment in the sciences. And that’s a of participation at this event: 2020 Annual Meeting in Hawaii. therefore play an important role in the June 6 meeting of the Society’s big dream, but it’s also something Industrial physicists are an integral As further evidence of the representing the needs of industrial new standing Ethics Committee we have to do.” part of the FWS community and are section’s focus on mentorship physicists, students, and the faculty (see article on page 1). prominently featured as speakers, for young physicists, the past- at “non-R1” institutions, and can in Another priority for the For more information, visit educa- and high school physics teachers chair Hendrik Ohldag (Lawrence turn help make APS more important Consortium is the implementa- tioncounsel.com/societiesconsortium/ are actively encouraged to attend. Berkeley Laboratory) organized in their professional lives. FWS also works hard to capture the a very popular Career Workshop Overall, FWS stands out as an range of physicists in all stages of at the SLAC National Accelerator active and community-driven geo- their careers at the Annual Meeting. Laboratory last summer (see APS graphical section, with plenty to The event additionally features News, November 2018). The one-day offer members in terms of men- ample career development advice workshop offered professional torship, professional development, for students and early-career development advice tailored to and diverse learning opportunities. researchers, including a Saturday undergraduates, graduate students, More information on this unit can panel discussion that focuses spe- and post docs and featured oppor- be found at aps.org/units/fws. News and commentary about research from cifically on career paths outside of tunities to network with established the APS journals academia—a domain that is often physicists.

TM unfamiliar to young scientists. As chair, Sparks’ wish for the The author is a freelance writer in Sign up for Alerts: physics.aps.org This year’s FWS Annual Meeting FWS is to “increase an awareness Helsinki, Finland. 8 • July 2019 THE BACK PAGE

The Future of APS: Engaging Early Career Members for Equity and Inclusion BY JULIA GONSKI

ver 40% of current APS membership is composed equity, and harassment prevention. Another is to ensure of student or early career members [1]. This group that the ethics policies of APS are robust and consistent O encompasses an incredible variety of physicists, from with the membership’s expectations [5], potentially via attendees of the Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Male an organization-wide code of conduct in addition to the Physics all the way to junior faculty. As the sole graduate Female current one that covers meetings only (aps.org/meetings/ student on the APS Council for the past four years, I have policies/code-conduct.cfm). The report also recommended learned that it’s not an easy task to provide tailored and that APS simply give early career members a greater role effective support to such a diverse constituency. But it is in the organization’s governing structure, ensuring that an important one. students themselves can effect the change they wish to see. APS considers early career members to be students or With a session in the books and with the report in scientists within five years of receiving their PhD degrees. hand, the Council was ready and able to act. In April 2019, These typically young physicists are often drawn to the we revisited the topic of junior member empowerment, Society by professional opportunities (think meetings or incorporating the report recommendations, and passed two journals), with perks like travel grants and career resources critical motions. The first was to mandate an early career providing a crucial added value. And it’s a good thing that member on all APS Unit executive committees, an enormous they do. Not only are our early career members vital to APS step for young physicist representation in society leader- at present, but they represent the future leadership of the Figure 1 ship. Second, the Council tasked a joint working group of organization. the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics and the So how can we attract even more young scientists to APS? Committee on Minorities with exploring an expansion of And are we doing all that we can to support them? When I the popular Climate Site Visit program (aps.org/programs/ attended my first APS Council meeting in 2016 as the Forum Male women/sitevisits/). on Graduate Student Affairs (FGSA) Councilor, these were Female Specifically, the site visit program should incorporate hot discussion topics. Given that I had an ear to the ground requests from students or junior members of a physics of the student community, I was aware of certain problems program, rather than solely from the department’s chair. that keep resurfacing for this group, problems that everyone This represents a huge opportunity for students working in knows are occurring, but no one knows quite how to solve. harmful university environments and unsure of where to These thorny issues are linked to power dynamics in turn for assistance. Though ultimately a site visit cannot academia, where those at the top hold immense sway over proceed without the consent of the department, allowing more junior participants. In this regard, there are strong requests from those in lower positions of power helps APS connections between the experiences of young scientists and allocate its resources to the students who need them most. those of scientists from underrepresented demographics. In conjunction with the new standing Ethics Committee (see For one, young scientists are generally the most diverse Figure 2 page 1), this holds promise for a future in which all young group within physics. But even further, in academic power physicists are empowered to demand the treatment, envi- structures both groups are underempowered, in that their ronment, and career in physics that they deserve. outcomes are disproportionately influenced by forces outside concurrent studies of the field [3,4]. But since our survey On a personal level, I am incredibly excited about the of their control. was not limited to identity-based harassment, it was able to energy I’ve seen for tackling these issues, from all corners shed light on even more undiscussed abuses. It’s therefore of APS, during my term as Councilor. And I can tell that perhaps even more shocking that substantial fractions of this energy has already made a difference. Between the “Race-based discrimination, unreasonable respondents reported general abuse of graduate students or member survey, Council session, and follow-up report, we work expectations, and ethical violations exploitative treatment of subordinates (Figure 2). learned that our society can be a haven and an impactful The unifying root cause of both identity-based harass- resource for young scientists. This especially holds true in in research committed by an adviser can ment and student exploitation? Power dynamics. Many an environment where students can be driven from physics all have catastrophic effects.” respondents emphasized in free response sections that for reasons unrelated to their capability. Taking action accountability was lacking for those in positions of power, increases young member recruitment and retention, so it often because individual universities simply “protect their is mutually beneficial for both APS and the broader early own.” The emotion and frustration in these anonymous career physics community. The past few years have made There’s no shortage of recent literature about the prevalence personal testimonies is striking. It emphasizes the potential it all the more clear that this is the right course, and now and effects of sexual harassment in the physics community. for APS, as a national society with influence across university is the time to step up. But this is just one example in which an improperly wielded lines, to create top-down change. The actions I’ve mentioned here are truly just the tip of the power structure can unfairly hinder an individual’s progress iceberg for addressing equity-related issues and increasing in physics. Race-based discrimination, unreasonable work early career scientist representation in APS. The coming years expectations, and ethical violations in research committed will see an increasing variety of new opportunities for junior by an adviser can all have similarly catastrophic effects. “One early career member stated that members, in both established programs like Congressional Given the challenges of pushing back against abuses in such 'Meeting Council members who seemed Visits Day or the Forum on Early Career Scientists, and novel a hierarchical structure, APS stepping to the forefront on ones like the Student Ambassadors program. Serving in these issues would truly be a game changer for the early to genuinely care about my experiences any of these capacities is a great professional development career community. made me optimistic about the future of opportunity, providing a way to gain leadership skills and In bringing these issues to light with APS leadership, I APS.” network with top physicists around the world. So if you’re found that a general consenus quickly emerged: something reading this as an early career member, I highly encourage had to be done. We planned to hold an early career session you to get involved. APS is our society, and together we can at the November 2018 Council meeting, dedicating four make it work for you! hours for Councilors to learn about the issues affecting With this backdrop, we had our work cut out for us. The students and junior physicists, discuss their impacts, and early career Council session held in November 2018 was an brainstorm solutions. To provide a comprehensive picture invaluable opportunity for both large-scale discussion and The author is a postdoc at Columbia University, having recently of the climate, several early career scientists were invited interpersonal interaction. Participants cited “passionate obtained her PhD in high energy experimental physics from to participate, and The Greater Us consultancy [2] was hired volunteers” and a culture that values “open expression of Harvard. Her physics interests focus on the search for beyond the Standard Model physics using the ATLAS Experiment at the Large to mediate the conversation. opinions” as strengths of APS, which uniquely position it Hadron Collider. Outside of research she is active in science policy APS early career members were directly surveyed before to help mitigate barriers for junior scientists. One invited and outreach, and she serves on the APS Council as the Councilor the session, to motivate topic coverage and amplify the voices early career member stated that “I had been pessimistic that for the Forum on Graduate Student Affairs and the Forum on Early of young scientists in the process. Survey questions covered these issues would ever be addressed, or that I even fit in Career Scientists. topics such as participant demographics, ethics and harass- and had a place within the physics community. But meeting References: ment in physics, structural support for problem resolution, Council members who seemed to genuinely care about my 1. APS membership statistics: aps.org/membership/statistics/ and the role of APS in the process of career development. experiences made me optimistic about the future of APS.” categories.cfm Nearly 600 survey responses were recorded, approximately Following the survey and session, The Greater Us prepared 2. The Greater Us. thegreaterus.com. 80% of which came from students or postdocs. a report to document the results of recent efforts and 3. “Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Conse- The survey results paint a grave picture. About 70% of offer recommendations based on these findings. First and quences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine”, female respondents felt “excluded, unsafe, or treated dif- foremost, it was recommended that APS fully commit to the National Academies of Science. 2018. ferently because of their gender,” with examples of specific support of all early career physicists, regardless of identity 4. “Yes, Sexual Harassment Still Drives Women Out of Physics”, hostile behaviors shown in Figure 1. Over a quarter of or origin, and to back up this commitment with concrete J. Libarkin, Physics 12, 43 (2019). respondents reported bystander observations of gender and actions. Examples of such actions include offering workshops 5. On April 10, 2019 the APS Council approved a new compre- race-based discrimination. These statistics, while disheart- or training sessions to APS members, particularly those in hensive set of ethics guidelines: aps.org/policy/statements/ ening, are now well-known and essentially consistent with mentorship roles, to improve understanding of inclusion, guidlinesethics.cfm.

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