SPIDER 4 ITER: the largest Ion Beam Source in the world has been switched on
There is a big step forward at Consorzio RFX (the fusion research unit in Padova, Italy – partners: CNR, ENEA, INFN, Università di Padova, Acciaierie Venete Spa): SPIDER, the full-scale ITER negative ion beam source prototype has entered into operation. The first pulse was carried out on 11 June 2018, during an international inauguration ceremony which saw the participation of about 360 attendees from Europe, Japan, India and Russia.
49th International Physics Olympiad, IPhO2018
The 49th edition of the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO2018) took place in Lisbon, from 21 to 29 July. The IPhO is an annual competition in physics for secondary school students, aiming at promoting physics and the development of international contacts in physics education, involving individual theoretical and experimental exams. The IPhO began in Warsaw, Poland, in 1967, with 5 participating countries. Since then, IPhO has grown to worldwide coverage and this year 396 competitors from 86 countries attended the competition in Lisbon, organised by the Portuguese Physical Society on behalf of the Portuguese Ministry of Education.
PolarQuest: Mission accomplished! Expedition achievements and highlights
Polarquest 2018’s sailboat Nanuq has successfully completed the circumnavigation of the Svalbard archipelago closing the loop in Isfjord, just outside Longyearbyen, where the Svalbard leg of the expedition started on August 4, logging 1500 nautical miles and reaching the outer boundary of the ice shelf at 82°07 N at 16h50 UTC on August 13. The sailing conditions were “exceptionally favorable, with absolutely no ice until very high latitude and only one gale with gusts up to 50 knots” – said Captain Peter Gallinelli, upon arrival. “More than weather and ice, the real challenge was a few very poorly or completely uncharted areas, especially on the East coast of the Nordaustlandet island, where we were often surprised by unmarked shoals and sailed inside completely uncharted fjords”.
Science by Women
The Women in Africa foundation, true to its mission of contributing to the development of Africa through its women, is launching the fourth edition of the SCIENCE BY WOMEN programme with the aim to promote African women’s leadership in scientific research and technology transfer and to foster the capacity of the research centres in their home countries. The main goal is to enable African women researchers and scientists to tackle the great challenges faced by Africa through research in health, agriculture and food security, water, energy and climate change, which can be transferred into products and technologies with an impact on people´s lives.
Visualising ultra-fast phenomena
Professor Carsten P. Welsch, EuPRAXIA’s Director of Communication, Group Leader at The Cockcroft Institute and Head of Physics at Liverpool University, explains how the EuPRAXIA network is collaborating to design the world’s first plasma-based accelerator with industrial beam quality.
Petition for an increased EU Budget for Research and Innovation
The European Commission, under the leadership of Commissioner Carlos Moedas, has recently published its proposal for Horizon Europe, the upcoming European Research and Innovation Programme for the period from 2021 to 2027.
Call for bids to host the Applied Nuclear Physics Conference in 2020
The board of the Nuclear Physics Division (NPD) of the European Physical Society (EPS) is seeking candidates to host a new EPS-NPD divisional conference in 2020. The conference will have a particular emphasis on Applied Nuclear Physics (ANP), with sections specifically devoted to themes such as energy, health, space, security, environment, material science, preservation and study of cultural heritage.
Physics in YOUR life: celebrate physics with the EPS!
In 2018 the European Physical Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To mark the event, the EPS created a series of twelve banners covering several topics of physic
ESRF blazes a trail with the Extremely Brilliant Source programme
Since its inception thirty years ago as the world’s first third-generation synchrotron light source for research, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, has become a centre of scientific excellence, breaking records for its scientific output (30,000 publications, four Nobel prizes) as well as for the brilliance and stability of its X-ray beams.
EU General Data Protection Regulation
Since 25 May 2018, Europe has adopted the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which was designed to harmonise data privacy laws across Europe, to protect all EU citizens data privacy and to reshape the way organisations across the region approach data privacy.
Flares in the universe can now be studied on earth
Solar flares, cosmic radiation, and the northern lights are well-known phenomena. But exactly how their enormous energy arises is not as well understood. Now, physicists at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have discovered a new way to study these spectacular space plasma phenomena in a laboratory environment.
