The week in physics: 11-15 January

Railroad seismology; Hot Jupiters; Biden's climate team. Forward this email  View in your browser THE WEEK IN PHYSICS: 11–15 JANUARY Railways could double as a tool for probing Earth's shallow crust Seismologists prospect for mineral deposits in Canada by recording the humming vibrations from freight trains. Rachel Berkowitz A hot Jupiter's clear atmosphere Observations presage the use of the James Webb Space Telescope to search for chemical clues to the origin of exoplanetary systems. Charles Day Advertisement Sapphire: "A truly transparent material that offers great features of technical ceramics" Sapphire, the single crystal form of Aluminum Oxide is inherently transparent and without color. Parts can be fabricated from this material by diamond grinding which exhibits a fine grind or frosted appearance. Surfaces can then be polished to reveal total clarity useful for lens and window applications. FROM THE VAULT: August 1994 Of love, physics and other passions: The letters of Albert and Mileva In the letters between the young Einstein and his classmate Mileva Marić, prophetic musings on the electrodynamics of moving bodies vie with urgent professions of love. Gerald Holton Advertisement Meet the world's leading scientists in magnetic imaging On February 9, 2021, attocube systems will host a full day online 'Magnetic Imaging Conference 2021' featuring various scientific contributions by leading scientists. The event covers latest research trends with magnetic imaging technologies such as MFM, NV magnetometry, and sSQUID. Attendance is free, learn more here. Biden builds out administration-wide climate team The president-elect has prioritized climate policy in his selection of two senior White House officials, an array of supporting staff members, and cabinet secretaries engaged with climate-related issues. Mitch Ambrose and Adria Schwarber A comprehensive theoretical survey of nuclei Ab initio calculations of the interactions between nucleons seek to predict whether various isotopes can hold on to all their nucleons. Andrew Grant Advertisement Read Now: The Latest News From Our Industry Partners Learn about industry news right from the source. This new page on the Physics Today website offers a way to read about the latest developments direct from our industry partners, all in one place. From new product launches to innovative collaborations, the Industry Partner news page is just one more way you can stay up to date with advancements across the physical science community. Read the latest headlines here. FROM THE JANUARY MAGAZINE A galactic fast radio burst finally reveals its origin Observations at multiple wavelengths provide compelling evidence that the first example of a fast radio burst detected in our galaxy came from a magnetized neutron star. Rachel Berkowitz FEATURED JOBS > Two Theoretical/Computational Condensed Matter Faculty Positions  |  Johns Hopkins University Department of Physics and Astronomy > Faculty Position in Astronomy & Astrophysics  |  Northwestern University Are you hiring? Do you want your job to appear here? Post with Physics Today and select the "Featured Job Listing: Physics Today 'The Week in Physics' e-newsletter" upgrade to easily showcase your job to 66 000 physicists and engineers. Physics Today is published by the American Institute of Physics 1 Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740 USA +1 301 209 3100 © 2021 American Institute of Physics. Unsubscribe  |  Email Preferences  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us