Latest news and comment Audience - Any Audience -AlumniIndustrySchools, prospective students and communityResearchUndergraduatesGraduatesDepartment of Physics (requires login) Research theme - Any Research theme -Accelerator physicsAstronomy and astrophysicsBiological physicsClimate physicsExoplanets and planetary physicsFields, strings, and quantum dynamicsFundamental particles and interactionsInstrumentationLasers and high energy density scienceParticle astrophysics & cosmologyPhotovoltaics and nanosciencePlasma physicsQuantum information and computationQuantum materialsQuantum optics & ultra-cold matter Sub-department - Any Sub-department -AstrophysicsAtmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary PhysicsAtomic and Laser PhysicsCondensed Matter PhysicsParticle PhysicsProfessional and support servicesRudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics Taking pride in physics The Department of Physics welcomed Professor Peter Coles from Maynooth University to its inaugural Pride Lecture. 26 June 2024 Dr Stevance recognised by RAS Dr Heloise Stevance, Schmidt AI in Science Fellow at the University of Oxford, has been awarded the Caroline Herschel Prize Lectureship 2024. 12 June 2024 Commentary: Dr Brian Lacki on SETI Breakthrough Listen’s Dr Brian C Lacki, a theoretical astronomer with the Breakthrough Listen Initiative, has recently published two papers that look at the search for extraterrestrial intelligence in a new light. 10 June 2024 Scientists detect slowest-spinning radio emitting neutron star ever recorded Scientists have detected what they believe to be a neutron star spinning at an unprecedentedly slow rate – slower than any of the more than 3,000 radio emitting neutron stars measured to date. 5 June 2024 James Webb Space Telescope discovers the most distant galaxy so far The discovery of the most distant galaxy yet seen was announced today by an international team, with Oxford astronomers playing a key role 30 May 2024 First proof of black hole ‘plunging regions' Einstein has been proved correct with a key prediction about black holes, an international team led by researchers from the Department of Physics at Oxford. 16 May 2024 Dr Siemion honoured by SETI Institute Dr Andrew Siemion has been awarded the SETI Institute’s 2024 Drake Award for his exceptional and pioneering contributions to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and radio astronomy and his leadership in the field. 28 March 2024 Royal Society Research Professorship for Professor Smartt Professor Stephen Smartt, Philip Wetton Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a prestigious Royal Society Research Professorship. 20 February 2024 Why mentoring matters The Department of Physics’ mentoring programme, aimed particularly at early career researchers, provides both mentors and mentees alike with a range of opportunities and positively benefits all those involved. 1 February 2024 Discovery of brightest OH maser Astrophysicists at the University of Oxford have discovered the brightest and most distant extragalactic hydroxyl maser from an untargeted survey with the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. 30 January 2024 Latest JWST images publicly released A set of highly detailed images of 19 nearby spiral galaxies from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have been publicly released today; the extraordinary images will provide several new puzzle pieces for astronomers and astrophysicists around the world. 29 January 2024 Professor Birkby Blavatnik Young Scientist Award finalist Professor Jayne Birkby has been recognised by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences as a finalist in the 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists. 17 January 2024 Load More
Taking pride in physics The Department of Physics welcomed Professor Peter Coles from Maynooth University to its inaugural Pride Lecture. 26 June 2024
Dr Stevance recognised by RAS Dr Heloise Stevance, Schmidt AI in Science Fellow at the University of Oxford, has been awarded the Caroline Herschel Prize Lectureship 2024. 12 June 2024
Commentary: Dr Brian Lacki on SETI Breakthrough Listen’s Dr Brian C Lacki, a theoretical astronomer with the Breakthrough Listen Initiative, has recently published two papers that look at the search for extraterrestrial intelligence in a new light. 10 June 2024
Scientists detect slowest-spinning radio emitting neutron star ever recorded Scientists have detected what they believe to be a neutron star spinning at an unprecedentedly slow rate – slower than any of the more than 3,000 radio emitting neutron stars measured to date. 5 June 2024
James Webb Space Telescope discovers the most distant galaxy so far The discovery of the most distant galaxy yet seen was announced today by an international team, with Oxford astronomers playing a key role 30 May 2024
First proof of black hole ‘plunging regions' Einstein has been proved correct with a key prediction about black holes, an international team led by researchers from the Department of Physics at Oxford. 16 May 2024
Dr Siemion honoured by SETI Institute Dr Andrew Siemion has been awarded the SETI Institute’s 2024 Drake Award for his exceptional and pioneering contributions to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and radio astronomy and his leadership in the field. 28 March 2024
Royal Society Research Professorship for Professor Smartt Professor Stephen Smartt, Philip Wetton Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, has been awarded a prestigious Royal Society Research Professorship. 20 February 2024
Why mentoring matters The Department of Physics’ mentoring programme, aimed particularly at early career researchers, provides both mentors and mentees alike with a range of opportunities and positively benefits all those involved. 1 February 2024
Discovery of brightest OH maser Astrophysicists at the University of Oxford have discovered the brightest and most distant extragalactic hydroxyl maser from an untargeted survey with the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. 30 January 2024
Latest JWST images publicly released A set of highly detailed images of 19 nearby spiral galaxies from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have been publicly released today; the extraordinary images will provide several new puzzle pieces for astronomers and astrophysicists around the world. 29 January 2024
Professor Birkby Blavatnik Young Scientist Award finalist Professor Jayne Birkby has been recognised by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and The New York Academy of Sciences as a finalist in the 2024 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists. 17 January 2024