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 Professor Ferreira recognised by RAS Professor Pedro Ferreira has been awarded the Royal Astronomical Society’s Eddington Medal 2024 for investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics. 12 January 2024 Most sensitive search for intelligent life beyond our galaxy to date Breakthrough Listen announce findings from the most sensitive search to date for ‘technosignatures’ – signs of intelligent life – beyond the Milky Way. 6 December 2023 Extraordinary new space phenomenon mystifies scientists Astrophysicists at the University of Oxford have helped to discover a spectacularly bright and unusual explosion in a galaxy 4.4 billion light-years away. The findings have been published in the journal Nature. 15 November 2023 First detection of heavy element from star merger Researchers from the University of Oxford's Department of Physics have contributed to an international effort to identify the neutron star merger responsible for an exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst. 25 October 2023 New Oxford HQ for Breakthrough Listen University of Oxford partners with Breakthrough Prize Foundation in search for life beyond Earth. 18 October 2023 Commentary: Sophia Vaughan on searching for an exo-rainbow DPhil student Sophia Vaughan comments on her work with an international collaboration on how the search for exo-rainbows could soon reveal an Earth-like planet. 31 July 2023 The dust of ages The James Webb Space Telescope detects interstellar dust grains in the first billion years of cosmic time 20 July 2023 Why we need to go back to the Moon Emeritus Professor Joe Silk on why we need to go back to the Moon 20 July 2023 Celebrating Professor Roger Davies On 30 June 2023, more than 100 people gathered in the Martin Wood lecture theatre to celebrate the contributions, achievements and career of Professor Roger Davies. 17 July 2023 Smartt learning Professor Stephen Smartt from the Department of Physics has collaborated with renowned author and illustrator, Oliver Jeffers, to produce a suite of learning resources to challenge kids to think about life, earth and the universe in a whole new way. 5 July 2023 Successful launch for Euclid The European Space Agency's (ESA) Euclid flagship Dark Energy Satellite Mission successfully launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Saturday 1 July 2023 3 July 2023 New instruments to improve understanding of universe A team at Oxford are leading an international consortium to develop the Extremely Large Telescope's first light spectroscopic facility instrument known as HARMONI. 29 June 2023 Load More
Professor Ferreira recognised by RAS Professor Pedro Ferreira has been awarded the Royal Astronomical Society’s Eddington Medal 2024 for investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics. 12 January 2024
Most sensitive search for intelligent life beyond our galaxy to date Breakthrough Listen announce findings from the most sensitive search to date for ‘technosignatures’ – signs of intelligent life – beyond the Milky Way. 6 December 2023
Extraordinary new space phenomenon mystifies scientists Astrophysicists at the University of Oxford have helped to discover a spectacularly bright and unusual explosion in a galaxy 4.4 billion light-years away. The findings have been published in the journal Nature. 15 November 2023
First detection of heavy element from star merger Researchers from the University of Oxford's Department of Physics have contributed to an international effort to identify the neutron star merger responsible for an exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst. 25 October 2023
New Oxford HQ for Breakthrough Listen University of Oxford partners with Breakthrough Prize Foundation in search for life beyond Earth. 18 October 2023
Commentary: Sophia Vaughan on searching for an exo-rainbow DPhil student Sophia Vaughan comments on her work with an international collaboration on how the search for exo-rainbows could soon reveal an Earth-like planet. 31 July 2023
The dust of ages The James Webb Space Telescope detects interstellar dust grains in the first billion years of cosmic time 20 July 2023
Why we need to go back to the Moon Emeritus Professor Joe Silk on why we need to go back to the Moon 20 July 2023
Celebrating Professor Roger Davies On 30 June 2023, more than 100 people gathered in the Martin Wood lecture theatre to celebrate the contributions, achievements and career of Professor Roger Davies. 17 July 2023
Smartt learning Professor Stephen Smartt from the Department of Physics has collaborated with renowned author and illustrator, Oliver Jeffers, to produce a suite of learning resources to challenge kids to think about life, earth and the universe in a whole new way. 5 July 2023
Successful launch for Euclid The European Space Agency's (ESA) Euclid flagship Dark Energy Satellite Mission successfully launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Saturday 1 July 2023 3 July 2023
New instruments to improve understanding of universe A team at Oxford are leading an international consortium to develop the Extremely Large Telescope's first light spectroscopic facility instrument known as HARMONI. 29 June 2023