Physical Sciences

Space observatory controlled by Penn State captures its 1,000th gamma-ray burst
This illustration shows the positions of 1,000 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the Swift orbiting observatory on an all-sky map. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and 2MASS/J.Carpenter, T. H. Jarrett, and R. Hurt
World's 3rd largest optical telescope gets $25 million upgrade
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope. CREDIT: Ethan Tweedie Photography
Black hole caught in the act of ripping apart a star
Astronomers have observed material being blown away from a black hole after it tore a star apart in the center of a galaxy that is about 290 million light years away from Earth. The event, known as a “tidal disruption,” is depicted in this artist’s illustration. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/CI Lab
Penn State receives two awards for materials research and education
Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) involve outreach to excite budding scientists. Here, students discover how scientists control structure and defects to create certain properties in materials using a sheet of ball bearings. The students were visiting the Strange Matter Exhibit at the Casa Roig Museum in Humacao, Puerto Rico.
David Weiss named chair of the Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics of the American Physical Society
David Weiss
Chance effect of lab's fluorescent lights leads to discovery
Artist's rendition of optically-defined quantum circuits in a topological insulator. Credit: Peter Allen
Graduate students develop sustainability solutions to change the world
Penn State graduate students Freddy Magdama and Sarah Eissler teamed up to tackle the problem of diseases killing banana crops. Their project addressed the need to help farmers save their livelihood. Credit: Penn State
Penn State hosts 19 National Science Foundation graduate researchers
Penn State hosts 19 National Science Foundation graduate researchers
Gerald Mahan honored with 2015 International Thermoelectric Society Outstanding Achievement in Thermoelectrics Award
Gerald Mahan
Quantum computing advance locates neutral atoms
Neutral atom qubits don't take up much space and they don't interact with each other unless they are told to. Credit: iStock Photo monsitj
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