Newswise — Distant places on Earth and in our galaxy take the spotlight in the July issue of Physics Today.
In the “Issues and Events” section, Physics Today explores science in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago located entirely above 74 degrees north latitude where polar bears outnumber humans. Nestled within Svalbard’s hundreds of glaciers is a unique research station called the University Center in Svalbard, or UNIS, which is poised to gain worldwide prominence as climate change transforms the Arctic in coming decades. Working at UNIS, described as “the world’s northernmost education institute,” is not for the timid: overwintering researchers endure months of darkness, and all visiting students learn to shoot a rifle and must carry one when traveling off base. But it’s worth it, researchers there report. “It’s stunning beautiful,” says Steve Coulson, a UNIS ecologist. “And when I walk out the door, I am at my field site.”
UNIS scientists’ climate-related projects include studies of glacier movement, pesticide transport from distant parts of the globe, and organisms that make their home in (disappearing) sea ice. The Center is also home to the world’s largest optical observatory for studying auroras, which may be affected by changing atmospheric composition. As the climate warms, however, the direction of UNIS’s future research may be increasingly shaped by economic and political forces: oil exploration, shipping, fishing and tourism are all on the rise in the Arctic. UNIS leaders are currently debating what role the institute will take in shaping the science on these issues.
Moving from a remote spot on our planet to the far reaches of our galaxy, planetary scientist Heather A. Knutson of the California Institute of Technology reports in Physics Today on the emerging field of exoplanet atmospheres. Less than two decades since astronomers first found bodies orbiting stars other than our Sun, scientists can now use sensitive spectral instruments to study the wispy blankets of gas surrounding these planets. They are finding that even among seemingly similar planets—for instance the “hot Jupiter” gas giants that orbit close to their suns—atmospheric composition, temperature gradients, and weather can vary significantly. What causes these differences is an area of active research.
Elsewhere in Physics Today is a report on the quest for artificial photosynthesis. Scientists around the globe are searching for catalysts to mimic what plants and algae have been doing for billions of years: efficiently split the strong bonds of water and carbon dioxide and repackage their atoms into energy-rich fuels. Also included in this month’s issue is a report by physics education researchers Dawn Meredith of the University of New Hampshire and Edward (Joe) Redish of the University of Maryland on efforts to retool the physics courses that universities require for premeds and life-sciences majors.
Physics Today is the flagship publication of the American Institute of Physics, and includes a mix of in-depth feature articles, news coverage and analysis, and fresh perspectives on scientific advances and ground-breaking research.
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