Illinois Physics | The Grainger College of Engineering | UIUC

Jessie Shelton quoted in Science: W boson's mass doesn't point to new physics

It was too good to be true. Two years ago, a measurement suggested a subatomic particle called the W boson was heavier than predicted by theory. The discrepancy raised hopes it was a sign of new particles and forces beyond those in physicists’ standard model, a 40-year-old theory that, with vexing reliability, has explained everything observed in particle accelerators—although it fails to include gravity. Now, a new measurement indicates the W is as massive as expected, spoiling the mystery.

MRL MVPs: Smitha Vishveshwara seamlessly weaves science and art together

As a “pen and paper” theorist, SMitha Vishveshwara enjoys thinking about the what ifs and letting her imagination flow.

“The language of math is a beautiful way of discovering new things, but the physicality of it also matters. I love proposing things that can be realized in experiments and also studying the mysteries that experiments bring. It’s been an amazing playground here at Illinois for that,” she says.   

Covey selected for DOE’s Early Career Research Program award

Illinois Physics Professor Jacob Covey has been selected for an Early Career Research Program (ECRP) award by the U.S. Department of Energy. 

Covey’s winning ECRP research proposal titled “Simulating nuclear physics with nuclear spin qudits” will leverage techniques, recently analyzed and proposed by his group, to encode multiple quantum bits (“qubits”) within a single atom. These techniques offer a route to improve the hardware efficiency of certain quantum computing and networking applications.

Illinois Physics PER alumnus Zhongzhou Chen on benefits of ChatGPT in physics education, in APS News

“Instead of viewing AI as an enemy, what we really should be doing is to help people develop skills to properly use AI, and understand its abilities and limitations,” says Zhongzhou Chen of the University of Central Florida, who presented his physics education research on ChatGPT at this year’s meeting of the APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics in Fort Worth, Texas.


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Research Highlights 

Click on a research highlight to vote for your favorite submission to the Research Highlight Science Writing Contest for graduate students.

Donor support for undergraduate research is funding student participation in cross-disciplinary study of dark matter

Donor support for undergraduate research is funding student participation in cross-disciplinary study of dark matter

Illinois Physics rising junior David Balut, the 2024 A.C. Anderson Undergraduate Research Scholar, has been a member of the Peter Abbamonte research group since November 2022. This summer, his donor-supported research includes collaborating with the Yoni Kahn group on the physics of dark matter, using organic scintillators for anisotropic detection. He will also continue to study strange metals in the Abbamonte lab. In addition to the AC Anderson Award, Balut is a recipient of the T.R. Schlaeder Engineering award, the Robert M. Stephens Engineering award, and has been a James Scholar since Fall 2022.

The A.C. Anderson Undergraduate Research Scholar award is made possible by Illinois Physics donors. The award is named for Ansel C. Anderson, an alumnus (PhD, 1961), faculty member (1962-1992), and department head (1986-1992) who  made seminal contributions to low-temperature physics, particularly on the thermal properties of metals and glasses. 

Learn more about how to become a donor and support initiatives like undergraduate research opportunities!

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ENGINEERING VISIONARY SCHOLARSHIPS 

Give to the Engineering Visionary Scholarship.

EVS attracts the brightest students, ensures a diverse and talented class, and helps reduce student debt.

“I love cosmology—the study of the large structures of the universe, the Big Bang, and the questions of dark energy and matter. I have a strong interest in developing astronomy instrumentation—telescopes, satellites, and sounding rockets. The Engineering Visionary Scholarship freed me up to pursue these interests while exploring the fundamentals of the universe through physics.”

— Kayleigh Excell, Class of '24, EVS Scholarship recipient

Learn More

Kayleigh Excell
Kayleigh Excell, Class of '24

 

Watch Illinois Physics and Astronomy Professor Charles Gammie on The UIUC Talkshow. From the origins of black holes to the nature of time itself, enjoy this captivating odyssey through the cosmos, guided by a brilliant scientific mind. 

 

Watch "The Physics PhD," a parody of the Barbie movie's "I'm just Ken" scene, created by graduate students in the Fahad Mahmood research group with support from the Illinois Physics graduate student community. Earning a PhD in physics is long road that can leave one feeling like they are living in a world of plastic... or maybe a graphene lattice.

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I am working on my science fair project- I am freezing orange juice and soda to see which will freeze faster. My orange juice froze before the soda- is it because of the carbonate water in the soda or the sugar?

Molly (age 10)

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The Illinois Physics Van is a traveling science show for kids! Visit the Physics Van

Upcoming Events

October
4

Condensed Matter Seminar - "Quantum mechanics of 2D electron crystals"

Ilya Esterlis, University of Wisconsin, Madison

ESB 190

1:00 PM

October
5

Saturday Physics for Everyone: Quantum Computing

Professor Brian DeMarco

LOBBY - Loomis Laboratory of Physics, University of Illinois: 1110 W Green St Urbana, IL 61801 United States

9:45 AM

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October
9

Physics Colloquium: "Ergodicity breaking in quantum dynamics"

Rahul Mahajan Nandkishore (University of Colorado)

Loomis Lab 141 and via Zoom

4:00 PM

October
16

Physics Colloquium: Timothy L. Killeen, President, University of Illinois System

Timothy L. Killeen, President, University of Illinois System

Loomis Lab 141 and via Zoom

4:00 PM

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October
7

Physics Careers Seminar: "Reflections After 10 Years in the Semiconductor Industry"

Dr. Xu Wang, Principal Quality Engineer, ARM Inc.

204 Loomis (Interaction Room)

11:00 AM

October
22

Physics Careers Seminar: "From Physics to Nursing. Yes Really"

Dr. Courtney Krafczyk, RN, MSN, Carle Foundation Hospital

464 Loomis

1:00 PM

November
14

Physics Careers Seminar: ""

Dr. Azton Wells, Computational Scientist, Argonne National Laboratory

204 Loomis (Interaction Room)

1:00 PM

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