The week in physics: Small exoplanets; Weighing a galactic microlens; Two-faced ion batteries

Two exoplanets have unexpectedly small radii Forward this email  View in your browser THE WEEK IN PHYSICS: 20–31 DECEMBER Webinar Live Webinar: Dust Devils on Earth and Mars Desert whirlwinds or dust devils can be destructive, and even lethal. On Mars, they are a prominent meteorological phenomenon, causing surface changes, allowing us to track winds, and sometimes cleaning the solar panels of rovers. New observations and analyses let us predict their effects. Register now. Two-faced ions form a promising battery material Electrolyte molecules that have both positive and negative charges stay in place while lithium ions move through them. Johanna L. Miller Two exoplanets have unexpectedly small radii The bodies orbit a star that's about 20 million years old, but their mass–radius combinations are consistent with those of planets that are much older. Christine Middleton Advertisement The Only Grad Guide You Will Ever Need The Student Guide to Grad School in Physics, Astronomy & Related Fields is here! Read this new magazine from GradSchoolShopper to get advice from real students, faculty and leadership at the Society of Physics Students. Then use GradSchoolShopper.com to explore hundreds of grad programs exclusively in the physical sciences! Read the issue now. FROM THE VAULT: July 1961 Optics and information theory Modern optical technology is being revolutionized through the use of the statistical methods of information theory in problems involving light‐gathering processes. Richard K. McDonald Interferometry helps weigh a galactic microlens The technique could also be used to measure the masses of neutron stars, lightweight black holes, and other objects that would otherwise evade detection. Andrew Grant Spectroscopy shines a light on an electrode–water interface With an increasingly negative electric potential, sodium spectator ions help split water to form molecular hydrogen. Alex Lopatka FROM THE JANUARY MAGAZINE Advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion: a how-to guide Physics remains one of the least diverse fields in science. Here's how individuals at all career stages can contribute to fostering an inclusive environment for everyone. Rowan M. Thomson Get notified about our webinars and whitepapers Sign up Get Physics Today delivered for just $25 per year Subscribe FEATURED JOBS > Tenure-track Faculty Positions in Particle Physics and Cosmology  |  Hong Kong University of Science and Technology > Research Assistant Professor  |  University of Pittsburgh Are you hiring? Do you want your job to appear here? Post with Physics Today and select the "Publication" enhancement 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 © 2022 American Institute of Physics. Unsubscribe  |  Email Preferences  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us