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The wave nature of matter is well established for isolated particles, from electrons to molecules. Now experiment reveals that even deeply buried core-shell electrons in a diatomic molecule can emit coherently.
There is good reason to suppose that the Universe has more than three spatial dimensions. The first dedicated search for warped extra dimensions has drawn a blank, but hopes are high for the future.
Quantum information science has brought us novel means of calculation and communication. But could its theorems hold the key to understanding the quantum world at its most profound level? Do the truly fundamental laws of nature concern — not waves and particles — but information?
Crackling noise emitted in systems as diverse as candy wrappers and earthquakes show strikingly similar behaviour, but how it is influenced by the details of these systems is unclear. A study that identifies the microscopic origin of unexplained asymmetries in the noise emitted by a magnet could provide some answers.
Wet sand is more stable than dry sand, but exactly how this greater stability arises has been the subject of considerable discussion. Conflicting ideas are now unified by a hybrid theory that considers both surface and bulk properties of a sandpile.
Bose–Einstein condensates are not only fascinating in their own right, but they also provide a valuable tool for making high-precision measurements of fundamental physical phenomena.
Extreme solar conditions caused the Earth’s radiation belts to shrink temporarily, yielding an opportunity to investigate particle acceleration in those regions.