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Department of Physics

Students asked a physicist

Lovisa Jansson has a master's degree in physics from Fysikum and is now a doctoral student in the Department of Chemical Physics. ‘I met with 80 pupils from Sjöviksskolan who asked me questions about physics,’ says Lovisa. Teacher Hanna Lindberg prepared the questions with the classes. ‘The visit was greatly appreciated by both pupils and teachers,’ says Hanna.

Doktorand Lovisa Jansson, Fysikum, och lärare Hanna Lindberg, Sjöviksskolan
Department of Physics

Scientists turn the faint quantum “glow” of empty space into a measurable flash

Researchers from Stockholm University and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali have reported a practical way to spot one of physics’ strangest predictions: the Unruh effect, which says that an object speeding up (accelerating) would perceive empty space as faintly warm. But, trying to heat something up by accelerating it unimaginably fast is a non-starter in the lab. The team shows how to convert that tiny effect into a clear, timestamped flash of light.

AI illustration of the proposed experiment - Time-Resolved and Superradiantly Amplified Unruh Effect
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Department of Physics

Quantum Leap: Exploring the High-Energy Universe

Kind reminder of todays seminar! Interested in and curious of high energy physics? You are welcome to join the researchers in the zoom event today, Thursday October 30 at 13.00! You'll find the zoom link here: https://indico.fysik.su.se/event/9415/ Welcome! Nordita – the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Department of Physics at Stockholm University – is organizing an event that brings together a diverse panel of researchers to share their insights into the fascinating world of high-energy physics. Following the success of the first Quantum Leap event on quantum technology, this edition aims to offer an inspiring and intellectually stimulating discussion that highlights both the depth and breadth of the field. Join the event on October 30 at 1 p.m. via Zoom.

Quantum Leap - Exploring the High Energy Universe
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Department of Physics

How oxygen molecules neutralize each other – and why their vibrations matter

When positively and negatively charged oxygen molecules meet, they usually neutralize and fall apart into separate atoms. Using ultra-cold ion beams and advanced imaging, researchers have shown that most of these reactions produce oxygen atoms in their normal state, while a smaller fraction end up excited. The study reveals that tiny molecular vibrations can change how the reaction unfolds — a key insight for understanding processes in phenomena like lightning sprites and electrical discharges in air. The editors at Nature Communications have put together an Editors’ Highlights webpage of recent research called “Inorganic and physical chemistry” and are pleased to inform that the editor chose to feature your article, entitled “Vibrationally-dependent molecular dynamics in mutual neutralisation reactions of molecular oxygen ions”.

a Dalitz representation analysis showing (i) the relation between Dalitz coordinates η1, η2
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