Latest news and comment | University of Oxford Department of Physics

Audience

Research theme

Sub-department

Globular cluster M80

Gravitational waves reveal secrets of biggest black holes

The most massive black holes in the Universe detected by the ripples they make in space time were not born directly from collapsing stars, according to a new study.

Single atom in ion trap

Oxford team achieves first-ever ‘quadsqueezing’ quantum interaction

Researchers at the University of Oxford have demonstrated a new type of quantum interaction using a single trapped ion.

Female from South Africa holding a phone showing the STEP into the Cosmos webapp

Astrophysics for all with Xhosa-language webapp

Professor Katherine Blundell launches Xhosa-language webapp STEP into the Cosmos to introduce curious minds to the foundations of astrophysics.

Rainfall

New insight into uncertainty of rainfall prediction

A new study reveals that a key part of the climate system - the large-scale wind patterns that determine where rain falls – can be underestimated by current climate models, helping explain why forecasts of regional rainfall remain uncertain.

Image of Lilli Freischem smiling, wearing rowing uniform, with All Souls Library in the background

Meet...Lilli Freischem

We work among extraordinary people doing extraordinary things; get to know some of them by reading these quick-fire interviews.

Thanks to this EPSRC-funded project, conventional X-ray linear accelerators currently being used to treat cancer could be adapted for next-gen FLASH radiotherapy.

Physics boosts cancer treatment

A new EPSRC-funded research project is bringing together the Department of Physics and the Department of Oncology.

Dr Robin Timmis

Dr Timmis awarded Culham Thesis Prize

Dr Robin Timmis from the Department of Physics has been awarded the Institute of Physics’ Culham Thesis Prize: Plasma Physics Group.

Dr Robin Timmis aligns the OHREX spectrometer

Scientists unlock new route to extreme light intensities

An international team of physicists has achieved a significant advance in laser science, demonstrating for the first time a practical route to dramatically boosting the intensity of high-power laser light.

Professor Maria Vincenzi

Professor Maria Vincenzi awarded New Horizons in Physics Prize

Professor Maria Vincenzi received a New Horizons in Physics Prize at this year's Breakthrough Prize ceremony in Los Angeles, in recognition of her work building and analysing some of the largest supernova datasets in modern cosmology.

Fermilab

Oxford physicists among Fermilab Breakthrough Prize recipients

Dr Babak Abi, Dr Farrukh Azfar and Dr Sam Henry have all been recognised for their work reporting the results from the measurement campaigns at Fermilab.

The strong stellar wind from the supergiant star pushes the jets launched by the black hole away from the star. This causes the jet direction to vary as the black hole and the supergiant star move around their orbit

Telescope reveals true power of black hole jets

New research from Curtin University and the University of Oxford has used a radio telescope that spans the Earth to snap images that measure the immense power of jets from black holes.

Practical session at the British Physics Olympiad. Students working at tables.

Training the next generation of physicists with the British Physics Olympiad

The Department of Physics hosted the British Physics Olympiad training camp, bringing together twenty-eight A-level students to compete for places on the UK's international teams.