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Cosmic race ends in a tie
Result puts limit on how 'lumpy' space-time can be.
A race between two energetic photons that began more than 7 billion years ago and spanned half the cosmos has ended in a virtual dead heat. The result, if it stands up to scrutiny, would tighten the limits, suggested by some theories, on how 'lumpy' space-time can be. The work, to be presented on 11 January at the 219th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin, Texas, by Robert Nemiroff of the Michigan Technological University in Houghton and his colleagues, relies on an analysis of a short-lived, powerful stellar explosion known as a γ-ray burst that was recorded by NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope in May 2009 and dubbed GRB 090510A. The study focused on two photons, one with an energy of 25 gigaelectronvolts (GeV) and another of about 1.5 GeV, which were separated by just 0.00136 seconds. READ MORE
Nature, January 10, 2012

On the Road
Researchers from the Multiscale Technologies Institute (MuSTI) gained noticeable attention in the 2011 Materials Research Society Fall Meeting, held Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 in Boston. Professor Yoke Khin Yap (Physics) was the lead organizer of "Symposium AA: Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene, and Related Nanostructures." This symposium attracted about 450 contributed papers and 22 invited lectures and was the largest symposium of the 47 in the meeting.
Tech Today, December 14, 2011

On the Road
Numerous Michigan Tech faculty, staff and students are presenting at the American Geophysical Union Conference in San Francisco in December. Thirty-eight people from all across campus will be involved in more than forty sessions at the conference, which runs from Monday through Friday this week. Tech people are presenting on a variety of topics, including paleomagnetism, water management, organic aerosols, changing global environments, remote sensing, cloud evolution, wildfires and more. Represented are the Departments of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics, the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, the School of Technology, as well as the Michigan Tech Research Institute in Ann Arbor.
Tech Today, December 6, 2011

Cloud Chemistry
NSF funds will build a cloud chamber.
By Lynn Mazzoleni
In addition to interesting cloud chemistry questions, physics professors Raymond Shaw (lead PI), Will Cantrell, and Claudio Mazzoleni intend to study aerosol and cloud physics in the chamber. The group plans to conduct experiments in parallel whenever feasible, to better link the chemical and physical properties of aerosols. READ MORE (PDF)
CHeMnOTeS, Michigan Tech Department of Chemistry 2011 Newsletter, posted November 9, 2011

Michigan Tech Researchers to Study Atmospheric Aerosols at PICO Mountain Research Observatory
In 2001, Richard Honrath established an atmospheric research station on the top of Mt. Pico, a cold, lonely, extinct volcano in the Azores. Mt. Pico is the highest point in the Portuguese island chain and the only spot in the mid-Atlantic where the air is high enough to escape the effects of the ocean environment. Wife and husband Lynn and Claudio Mazzoleni have received separate grants to characterize aerosols at the PICO Mountain Observatory. Lynn Mazzoleni, an assistant professor of chemistry, will focus on understanding aerosols' chemistry and how they interact with sunlight. Claudio Mazzoleni, an assistant professor of physics, is a coinvestigator on the project and is lead investigator on a related two-year, $300,000 US Department of Energy grant to characterize how much sunlight aerosols are reflecting or absorbing and how their reflective properties change as they drift across the cloud-covered Atlantic. READ MORE
Michigan Tech News, October 18, 2011

Great Lakes Research Center brings new views to campus
Many different majors from Michigan Tech's campus will be associated with the Research Center. The Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Engineering departments are some currently associated with the GLRC.
Michigan Tech Lode, September 1, 2011

Molecular Syringes
A story on "Nanotech: Injections Or Sampling? New 'Molecular Syringes' Under Testing" based on Siegfried Höfinger's research has been picked up by several news outlets, such as Science Newsline Technology, Nanotechnology Now, and ScienceDaily. Höfinger is a research fellow with the Dipartimento di Chimica "G. Ciamician," Universita di Bologna, and an adjunct assistant professor with the Department of Physics at Michigan Tech. The research involves free energy calculations of membrane insertion of individual carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube bundles, published as Siegfried Höfinger, Manuel Melle-Franco, Tommaso Gallo, Andrea Cantelli, Matteo Calvaresi, José A.N.F. Gomes, Francesco Zerbetto. A computational analysis of the insertion of carbon nanotubes into cellular membranes. Biomaterials, 2011; DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.06.011
Physics News, July 19, 2011

Tech team creates nanotech filter
WLUC TV6, April 15, 2011 | Story and Video

Nanotech Filter Separates Oil and Water
Michigan Technological University scientists Yoke Khin Yap and Jaroslaw Drelich have created a filter that separates the two substances as quickly and cleanly as a ref breaking up a clinch. Their work was published in the Feb. 2 edition of the journal Carbon and is funded by the National Science Foundation. READ MORE
Michigan Tech News, April 12, 2011

Carbon Nanorods Feature as Journal Cover Image
Vertically-aligned carbon nanorods co-developed by Professor Yoke Khin Yap are being featured on the cover of Carbon (issue 49/8, July 2011). These nanorods contained nitrogen donors and will have enhanced electrical and electrochemical properties as compared to pure carbon nanomaterials. They were self-assembled into vertical arrays as induced by the applied electric fields and the incorporation of polarized isonitrile bonds [–N≡C] during the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. This work was conducted in the University of Malaya when Professor Yap was on his sabbatical visit during Jan-May 2009. The related article was published by Ritikos et al. in issue 49/6 (May 2011) of the journal. Carbon is a journal published by Elsevier with an impact factor of 4.5.
Physics News, April 11, 2011

In Print
Professor John Jaszczak (Physics), adjunct curator of the Seaman Mineral Museum, coauthored a paper, "Relationship between structure, morphology, and carbon isotopic composition of graphite in marbles: Implications for calcite-graphite carbon isotope thermometry," which was recently published in an issue of the American Mineralogist.
Tech Today, March 30, 2011

Michigan Tech Graduate Research Colloquium 2011
The Graduate School Government sponsored a campuswide research symposium on March 3-4, 2011. The main events of this symposium were a Poster Presentation Session and a Research Colloquium. A joint physics and mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics poster was presented, Zinc Oxide nanostructures decorated with Core Shell quantum dots for energy harvesting applications by Abhishek Prasad, Archana Pandey, Karl Walczak, Advisors: Drs. Craig Friedrich and Yoke Khin Yap.
Physics News, March 21, 2011

Michigan Tech Research Magazine 2011 has three features on physics research this year. Left is Ranjit Pati, whose research team built a molecular computer using lessons learned from the human brain. In the middle are David Nitz and Brian Fick, who are corecipients of Michigan Tech's 2010 Research Award in the fields of experimental particle physics and ultrahigh energy cosmic rays. On the right are boron nitride nanotubes representing the precision experimental work of Yoke Khin Yap and his research team.
Physics News, March 1, 2011

MTU studying clouds, weather
Mining Journal, January 3, 2011

New Michigan Tech Research Focuses On Clouds' Role In Climate
CBS Detroit, January 3, 2011

Michigan Tech to use $1.4M grant to study clouds
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Detroit News, December 30, 2010

Clouds with silver linings
Mining Gazette, December 30, 2010

Michigan Tech looks at clouds
National Science Foundation grant used to build research chamber
UpperPeninsula.biz, December 13, 2010

A Look at Clouds from All Sides Now
Michigan Tech News, December 13, 2010

An Element of Nobel-ity: Michigan Tech's Carbon Connection
Michigan Tech News, December 8, 2010

New Henes Gift Enables First Step Toward Institute of Quantum Phenomena at Michigan Tech
Michigan Tech News, October 28, 2010

Dr. Pandey “pulls off” new DNA sequencing method
Michigan Tech Lode, September 23, 2010

Yap Serves on Nanotechnology Task Force

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is seeking input to the development of a revised Strategic Plan for the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), planned for release in December 2010. In response to the Request for Information (RFI), the Materials Research Society (MRS) organized a task force preparing professional input to the NNI Strategic Plan. Associate Professor of Physics Dr. Yoke Khin Yap served as a task force member and sub-group leader to discuss and prepare the MRS input. The majority of the work was conducted using an MRS online collaboration project site.

Dr. Yap was responsible for preparing input about future NNI investments. Among the questions posted to the task force were:

1. What types of research and development investments should the NNI agencies create, sustain, and/or expand to achieve the NNI goals?

2. What is the appropriate balance for investment in nanotechnology among US private and public entities (i.e., government, corporate R&D, and venture capital) to achieve the NNI goals?

Physics News, September 15, 2010

Hansmann Co-Organizes CBSB10 Workshop
Tech Today, June 10, 2010

Lessons from the Brain: Toward an Intelligent Molecular Computer (Pati)
Michigan Tech News, April 26, 2010

Michigan Space Grant Consortium Funds 27 Projects at Michigan Tech
Michigan Tech News, April 15, 2010

New nano-bio hybrid material unveiled
Researchers in the US and Sweden have characterized from first principles the physisorption of nucleobases with boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) by employing density functional theory.
Nanotechweb.org, April 6, 2010 | Computational Solid State Theory & Materials Science Group

ACS Meeting
Professor Ulrich H.E. Hansmann (Physics) has attended the American Chemical Society Spring Meeting in San Francisco from March 21-25. As part of this meeting, he has organized, together with Wei Yang (Florida State University) and Jianpeng Ma (Rice University), a three-day symposium, "Generalized-Ensemble Simulation Methods," in honor of Bernd Berg's (Florida State University) 60th birthday.
Tech Today, March 29, 2010

Michigan Tech Research Magazine 2010 has three major features on physics research this year. Work done by Alex Kostinski and Raymond Shaw (left), Steven O'Malley and Don Beck (middle), and Ulrich Hansmann (right) constitute the focus of three major articles, reflecting much recent publicity as well as Dr. Hansmann's 2009 Research Award. Physics major Hansen Nordsiek and his Goldwater Scholarship were mentioned as well in Three Tech Students Win Goldwater Scholarships.
Physics News, March 16, 2010

Radio Signals, Diabetes, and Beavers: Just Another Graduate Research Colloquium (Yap Group)
Tech Today, March 1, 2010

Cloud Comments
Professor Raymond Shaw (Physics), is an author of a commentary published in this week's issue of the journal "Science." The topic is the need to better understand cloud processes and how that can be accomplished. The article entitled "Can We Understand Clouds Without Turbulence?" is published in the Perspectives section of the journal. The reference is E. Bodenschatz, S. P. Malinowski, R. A. Shaw, and F. Stratmann Science 19 February 2010: 970-971. The synopsis is "Advances at the interface between atmospheric and turbulence research are helping to elucidate fundamental properties of clouds."
Tech Today, February 19, 2010

Yap's Diva Article Picked Up by Numerous Media Outlets
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=116239
http://www.physorg.com/news182705815.html
http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=14355.php
http://www.azonano.com/news.asp?newsID=15464
http://www.nanotechwire.com/news.asp?nid=9297
http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/harnessing-divas-nanoworld-29193.html
http://www.innovations-report.com/
http://www.sciencecodex.com/harnessing_the_divas_of_the_nanoworld
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/560385/?sc=rssn
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1gTFo7/www.physorg.com/news182705815.html
http://www.nano.org.uk/news/index.php?article=345
http://content.usatoday.com/
...and many more.
Physics News, January 20, 2010

Yap: Harnessing the Divas of the Nanoworld
Michigan Tech News, January 14, 2010

Conical Nanotube Bundles Feature as Journal Cover Image (Yap)
Physics News, December 17, 2009

Yap Organizes Nanotube Symposium
Professor Yoke Khin Yap is the lead organizer of an international symposium, “Symposium K: Nanotubes and Related Nanostructures,” being held on Nov. 30-Dec 4, in Boston. This symposium consists of ~300 contributed papers and 25 invited lectures, the biggest symposium in the 2009 Material Research Society Fall Meeting. Yap research group will deliver six presentations in this symposium. In addition, Professor Craig Friedrich (MEEM, Director of MuSTI) will serve as a session chair, present an oral talk, and host the symposium banquet to all the invited speakers and organizers of the symposium.
Physics News, December 1, 2009

Materials Science & Engineering Seminar
Graduate student Chee Huei Lee (Physics) will present, "Synthesis of Boron Nitride Nanotube on Substrates and its Superhydrophobicity," from 3:30-3:50 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20, in M&M 610.
Tech Today, November 19, 2009

AM³: Macromolecular Conference
Professor Ulrich Hansmann (Physics) coorganized an international conference, "Algorithms in MacroMolecular Modeling," from Nov. 11-15 in Austin, Texas. Hansmann attended the conference with postdoc Maksim Kouza (Physics) and graduate student Priya Anand (Physics), and presented a talk, "Simulations of Small Globular Proteins."
Tech Today, November 17, 2009

Michigan Tech Team Models Molecular Transistor (Pandey, He, Karna)
Great Lakes IT Report, August 16, 2009

Pandey Group Models Molecular Transistor
Michigan Tech News, August 13, 2009

New Book in Nanoscale Science: B-C-N nanotubes and Related Nanostructures (Yap)
Physics News, August 3, 2009

Raindrop research gets up to speed (Shaw)
Toronto Star, July 15, 2009

Raindrops keep falling -- too quickly -- on my head (Kostinski, Shaw)
Los Angeles Times, June 20, 2009

Splash Article Picked Up by Science 360, Discovery Channel, BBC (Kostinski, Shaw)
Tech Today, June 15, 2009

Ulrich Hansmann Wins 2009 Michigan Tech Research Award
Michigan Tech News, June 12, 2009

Michigan Tech Physicists Make a Splash with Rain Discovery (Kostinski, Shaw)
Tech Today, June 11, 2009

Research Award Winners Ravi Pandey and Shuanglin Zhang
Pandey Finds a New Way to Sequence DNA
Michigan Tech Research Magazine 2009

The Incredible Shrinking Transistor (Pati)
Michigan Tech Research Magazine 2009

Filling in Some Age-Old Blanks: Physicists Calculate a Fundamental Property of the Rare Earths
Tech Today, March 12, 2009

O'Malley Completes the Lanthanide Anion Series
Physics News, March 12, 2009

Mathematical Sciences to Host Seminars on Emerging Computational Tools (Hansmann)
Tech Today, February 10, 2009

Michigan Tech Research Hits Top 10 Physics Stories (Auger)
Tech Today, January 8, 2009

In 1621 Willebrord Snell discovered that refraction of light is determined by the sine of the angle made by the incident ray (Snell's Law).