Method for decoding asteroid interiors could help aim asteroid-deflecting missions
Astronomers have found a way to determine an asteroid’s interior structure based on how its spin changes during a close encounter with Earth.
Department
Physics
Making quantum computers more accurate
PhD student Alex Greene studies superconducting quantum computing systems while rounding out their busy schedule with water sanitation projects.
What drives ecosystems to instability?
With only a little information, researchers can predict the circumstances under which an ecosystem will be stable or unstable.
Two winners of 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry have MIT roots
K. Barry Sharpless is a former member of the chemistry faculty, while Carolyn Bertozzi is the daughter of Physics Professor Emeritus William Bertozzi and a Lemelson-MIT Prize winner.
Documentary featuring Professor Sara Seager wins Emmy Award
“The Hunt for Planet B” follows Seager and others on their search for extraterrestrial life; three other nominated films feature MIT affiliates.
Astronomers find a “cataclysmic” pair of stars with the shortest orbit yet
The stars circle each other every 51 minutes, confirming a decades-old prediction.
Small eddies play a big role in feeding ocean microbes
Swirling waters replenish nutrients in open ocean, a new study finds, and could mitigate some climate change effects.
Peter Shor wins Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
MIT professor to share $3 million prize with three others; Daniel Spielman PhD ’95 wins Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics.
Saturn’s rings and tilt could be the product of an ancient, missing moon
A “grazing encounter” may have smashed the moon to bits to form Saturn’s rings, a new study suggests.
MIT students contribute to success of historic fusion experiment
Students are part of large team that achieved fusion ignition for the first time in a laboratory.
Deepto Chakrabarty named head of the Department of Physics
High-energy astrophysicist to lead MIT School of Science physics community.
Scientists capture first-ever view of a hidden quantum phase in a 2D crystal
Single-shot spectroscopy techniques provide researchers with a new understanding of a mysterious light-driven process.
Fusion’s newest ambassador
High school student Tuba Balta engages new audiences through her MIT internship.
Donald “Bruce” Montgomery, influential electromagnet engineer, dies at 89
Longtime MIT researcher and former associate director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center contributed to fusion energy progress on campus and around the world.
MIT welcomes eight MLK Visiting Professors and Scholars for 2022-23
Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professors and Scholars will enhance and enrich the MIT community through engagement with students and faculty.