European Physical Society unveils new website design

The European Physical Society website has undergone a major facelift. Following many suggestions for improvements, a new design has been implemented, with better navigation, a crisp new layout and more information on society activities.

Individual Members will benefit from a new feature, allowing them to indicate their research fields, and upload CVs and publication lists.

The new website will foster the exchange of information among Individual Members, divisions and groups.

Report from ‘Low cost high physics…’ conference

The ‘Low cost high physics and appropriate solutions to real life for developing countries’ conference was held in Yaounde, Cameroon, on 8-9 December last year.

The scope of the conference was to:

• find solutions for building experiments, enabling results to be compared with applied mathematical calculations…

Core of fusion experiment completed

The last major part of the Wendelstein 7-X fusion experiment was installed on 21 December last year. The addition of the 14 tonne final part of the device – the lid of the thermally insulating outer shell – sees the completion of the ring-like base machine, at the Greifswald branch of the Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics, which will begin operation in 2014.

Fusion research aims to draw energy from the fusion of atomic nuclei – the same power source which drives the sun. To achieve this, hydrogen plasma must be superheated to temperatures above 100 million degrees, within the confines of…

Serbia to be CERN Associate Member

The CERN Council unanimously voted to admit the Republic of Serbia as an Associate Member State of CERN, during their 161st council meeting, on 16 December last year. The final step in this process will involve the signature of the related agreement, and ratification by the Serbian Parliament. Following a five year maximum period of Associate Membership, the council will decide on the admission of Serbia to full membership.

“It’s a pleasure to welcome Serbia back into the family,” said CERN Director General Rolf Heuer…

Nicolae-Victor Zamfir new Nuclear Physics Division chair

Nicolae-Victor Zamfir is the new chair of the European Physical Society’s Nuclear Physics Division. Zamfir, from Bucharest, took up the role on the 1 January this year.

“I am sure with his scientific reputation and management experience, Victor [will be] an excellent chairman for the next two years,” said Zsolt Fulop, the outgoing chair.

Zamfir, who is the Director General of the National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering in Bucharest…

Morning on the Open Access Gold model

A brainstorming session focusing on the Open Access Gold model for physics publications is being held at the Institut Henri Poincare, Paris, on 19 January, 2012. The European Physical Society president, Luisa Cifarelli, will be speaking at the event.

The event is being organised by the Société Française de Physique, with support from the Commissariat à l’énergie atomique, EDP Sciences and Centre national de la recherche scientifique.

Registration at the event is free, but required. For more information, please visit the event website.