Physics & Astronomy
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Legos Don’t Stand a Chance Against Time Reversal
A crowd of 29 stands still, positioned as lookouts in various directions. A chirp punctuates the silence before being replaced by a distinct buzz. The buzzing grows louder, then abruptly drops back into silence. Twenty-eight Lego figurines shift slightly — they survive. But one unlucky companion lies on his back, toppled by an invisible force.
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BYU Researchers Help Discover Massive Exoplanet
Clement Gaillard spent three or four nights a week operating BYU’s Orson Pratt Observatory telescope in the summer of 2015. On the night of June 23, the physics undergrad pointed the telescope toward a star more than a thousand light years away, recording meticulous data and hoping. Soon after, physics professor Denise Stephens and a visiting student reduced the data and looked anxiously at the plot points they had gathered. On a six-hour timeline, the dots congregated along a straight line for two hours, dipped down for two, then popped back up through the end.
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Measuring a Quintillion Photons at the Speed of Light
An individual could travel around the world more than seven times in a single second if moving at the speed of light. That’s pretty fast.
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Studying Planets Without Looking Through a Telescope
Darin Ragozzine has always been fascinated with space, planets, and stars—but he rarely looks through a telescope.
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The Science That Enables Other Sciences
Lithography, computer chips, and electron microscopes all need particle accelerators. Accelerators are scientific tools that use beams of charged particles to investigate particle physics. But there is a need for accelerators to be cheaper and brighter, and BYU is exploring how.
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Undergraduate Presents Jet Research at Acoustical Conference
Most who go to Hawaii find themselves at the beach, not presenting work on spectrum similarities of jet noise to a room full of acoustical researchers.
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The Sound of Science
Come learn the science behind sound at Sounds to Astound. The BYU Acoustics program offers free shows that explain how and why we hear what we hear.
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Evolving Stars, Evolving Methods
Almost everyone is fascinated by black holes. Dr. David Neilsen studies black holes, and he is also interested in processes that create black holes — like colliding neutron stars.
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BYU study finds inversion, rainy days have no effect on emotional distress
Rain, pollution and cold temperatures don’t necessarily get students down, but lack of sun time does, according to a study by BYU professors.
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Neilsen Balances Family, Research, Classes, and Receives Award
Dr. Tracianne Neilsen has spent many years trying to find a balance between family, mentoring students in acoustics, and teaching physics. After 12 years at BYU, Neilsen received the BYU Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award at the Annual University Conference in recognition for her outstanding contribution to the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and the University. The award is given to a part-time faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in teaching or in other professional responsibilities over a period of at least five years.
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Science You Can Play With at Astrofest
Children and adults of all ages enjoyed astronomy and physics-related shows, activities, and tours at Astrofest in the Eyring Science Center on Saturday, May 21.
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BYU Physics Professor Receives Outstanding Referee Award
Every college professor is part of a professional community. According to BYU physics professor Dr. Justin Peatross, peer reviewing is one way to give back to that community.
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BYU GALs Program Sheds Light on Physics
On May 31 and June 7, 2016, girls age nine through sixteen came to BYU to discover physics. For the past four years, BYU Physics professor Dallin Durfee has brought physics to life and “light” for these students through a program called BYU Girls and Light (GALs).
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Searching for Alien Comets: BYU Researchers Create Guidebook to Aid in First Discovery
Treasure needs a map, vehicles need a manual, and, as it turns out, interstellar discoveries need a guidebook.
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BYU Produces More Certified Physics Teachers Than Any Other U.S. College
BYU once again received The PhysTEC 5+ Club Award.
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Physics Professor Makes Nanomagnetism Discovery
Dr. Karine Chesnel has always been fascinated with understanding how things work, particularly the secrets of magnetism.
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Experience Stars, Science, and Smiles at Astrofest
BYU’s Astrofest brings physics and astronomy to life with rockets, robots, and planetarium shows.
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Vatican Astronomer Bridges Faith and Science at Summerhays Lecture
For Brother Guy Consolmagno, science and religion have always been intertwined, and to separate them would be to deny God’s creations.
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