Scientists make first detection of exotic “X” particles in quark-gluon plasma
The findings could redefine the kinds of particles that were abundant in the early universe.
Department
Physics
TESS Science Office at MIT hits milestone of 5,000 exoplanet candidates
Catalog of planet candidates nearly doubles in size during 2020-21.
Physicists detect a hybrid particle held together by uniquely intense “glue”
The discovery could offer a route to smaller, faster electronic devices.
Physicists watch as ultracold atoms form a crystal of quantum tornadoes
The new observations record a key crossover from classical to quantum behavior.
Kerstin Perez is searching the cosmos for signs of dark matter
“There need to be more building blocks than the ones we know about,” says the particle physicist.
MIT engineers produce the world’s longest flexible fiber battery
The rechargeable battery can be woven and washed, and could provide power for fiber-based electronic devices and sensors.
Sensor based on quantum physics could detect SARS-CoV-2 virus
Mathematical simulations show the new approach may offer faster, cheaper, and more accurate detection, including identifying new variants.
“Newer, nimbler, faster:” Venus probe will search for signs of life in clouds of sulfuric acid
Report led by MIT scientists details a suite of privately-funded missions to hunt for life on Earth's sibling planet.
NASA selects three MIT alumni for astronaut training
Marcos Berríos ’06, Christina Birch PhD ’15, and Christopher Williams PhD ’12 make up a third of the 2021 NASA astronaut candidate class.
Jelena Vučković delivers 2021 Dresselhaus Lecture on inverse-designed photonics
Electrical engineer and Stanford University professor discusses how computer software can support advanced designs and new functionalities.
Six MIT students named 2023 Schwarzman Scholars
Sihao Huang, William Kuhl, Tingyu Li, Giramnah Peña-Alcántara, Sreya Vangara, and Kelly Wu will pursue graduate studies in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Featured video: A musical encore for a re-imagined library
Graduate students perform Martinů’s “Piano Trio in D Minor,” originally commissioned for Hayden Library's 1950 dedication.
How ultracold, superdense atoms become invisible
A new study confirms that as atoms are chilled and squeezed to extremes, their ability to scatter light is suppressed.
Carina Letong Hong named a 2022 Rhodes Scholar for China
The MIT junior will pursue graduate studies in mathematics at Oxford University.
The poetry of physics
Condensed-matter theory PhD candidate Makinde Ogunnaike is featured in the Poetry of Science project.