In new research appearing in Physical Review Letters, an international research team, including UC Davis physicists, has expanded the Fermi-Hubbard model, allowing for a more detailed exploration of materials and their properties. In the study, the researchers measured the equation of state for Ytterbium atoms in an optical lattice. Specifically, they used the fermionic isotope 173Yb, which is a metallic element with atoms that can adopt six possible states.
To crack the code of whale communication, scientists rely on underwater microphones called hydrophones to gain access to the animals’ soundscapes. In aqueous environments, sound travels about five times faster than it does in air. What’s more, acoustic waves face less dissipation in water, traveling farther and differently than in air. New advances in hydrophone technology spearheaded by a UC Davis scientist are giving us an unprecedented view into the lives of whales.
What does space look like at a really, really small scale? Answering that question could resolve one of the most difficult problems in modern physics, the huge mismatch between Einstein’s General Relativity, quantum theory and the measured acceleration of the expansion of the universe.
Richard Scalettar, distinguished professor of physics, is this year’s recipient of the Charles P. Nash Prize, recognizing faculty members who have taken on Nash’s mantle of promoting shared governance, and advocating for faculty interests and welfare.
