Cloud Hosting

In part 1 of this two-part series, ANSTO scientists from across the organisation became film critics to review Christopher Nolans new movie, Oppenheimer, which explores the life of the director of the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic weapon.

In part 2, we explore more of the thoughts captured by ANSTOs scientists. Overall our reviewers, who took to the task with enthusiasm, were impressed with Nolan taking on a complex subject and individualdelivering a thought-provoking film but would have preferred more of a depiction of the physics involved.

Instrument scientist Dr Rachel Williamson, who undertook some postdoc work at Los Alamos National Lab (LANL) using stable isotope analysis earlier in her career said, I wasnt focused on the nitty-gritty of the science (Im a chemist, not a quantum physicist!), but I did enjoy watching a science, or rather, a scientist-centred movie with a strong emphasis on how pivotal scientific events, whether for good or bad, shape our world. The Atomic Age, which we all live in today, began with Oppenheimer and his teams successful test at Trinity Site.

I had a particular interest in seeing the movie because of the time I spent working at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Oppenheimer loomed large in the mythos of Los Alamos, along with the unfairness of his treatment after his incredible efforts in the Manhattan Project era. It was uniformly agreed that no one apart from Oppenheimer could have brought together and led that team to achieve such an outcome within the timeframe that they had.

I did enjoy the depiction of science leadership in the film, and how much depends on building the right team, such as knowing who you need to bring in and when and trying to remove any barriers in the way. Interestingly, to this day, Los Alamos National Laboratory recruits scientists from all over the world.

For me, Nolans film packed a truly emotional punch when depicting the political machinations involved in tearing Oppenheimer down and rescinding his Q clearance, effectively shutting down his career and removing his platform. I thought the film did a great job of showing the tension between politics and science (and how inconvenient we scientists can be).

A lighter moment in the film was when Oppenheimer talked about combining New Mexico and physics. New Mexico is a beautiful area filled with incredible scenery. Whilst at Los Alamos, I made the long journey down to the south of New Mexico to Trinity Site, a place with its own strange empty beauty, and I stood at ground zero.

Where a tower containing a bomb once stood, there is now a slightly underwhelming stone obelisk. It does seem odd to me that Oppenheimer chose to detonate the gadget in New Mexico, a place so dear to his heart. But he was a man of contradictions, and I think Nolans film was brilliant at conveying just how complicated and contradictory he was.

Dr Ceri Brenner, Leader of the Centre for Accelerator Science, said that she enjoyed and appreciated the snippets of science that were included in the script and the visuals to explain some of the main physics themes that are central to this story.

"They were short but sweet and got the right balance of inclusivity while maintaining flow and pace needed for a film that packed a lot in. For example, the explanations of fission and fusion, and the introduction to the paradox of light being both a particle and a wave that Oppenheimer gave to the one student who turned up for his first lectures in the US, were key to the story.

"This underlying principle of quantum physics was striking within the physics community at the time and still remains a mysterious idea for those outside that have never come across it before (which is most people who havent studied physics, maths and chemistry).

"I also enjoyed the discussion of theory vs experiment and another aspect of science that came across but not often gets airtime: that when we are doing something for the first time, its often that you get it wrong a hundred times before you get something right and make progress.

"The process of discovery and innovation is a winding road, full of dead ends and potholes, and certainly not a smooth straight line. Group discussion, such as peer review, is our process in science for challenging ideas and findings, so it was good to see this included in the storyline.

"The only thing that I would have liked to see, and would have been a key science communication opportunity, is that when the device went off, we got the flash of light and the silence, but I didnt notice anyone reacting to the immediate experience of heat that accompanied the visual of the flash.

"The energy emitted from fission is radiative and carried long distances via electromagnetic radiation, which travels at the speed of light, compared to conductive or convective heat that propagates more like the sound wave boom that arrived shortly after that travels at the speed of light. I saw a documentary where someone described it as being similar to opening an oven door and feeling the immediate bath of heat emerging. "

Dr Mitra Safavi Naeini, saw the film in Japan, where she is undertaking research relating to the anti-cancer therapy treatment NCEPT she co-developed.

The movie ends with a dialogue between Oppenheimer and Einstein, the essence of it summarised by another one of Oppenheimer's quotes from the Bhagavad Gita, "I have become death, the destroyer of worlds".

We do not get a primer on fission, quantum mechanics or particle physics. Instead, Nolan depicts the real-world experience of theoretical physicists convincingly, focusing on both their individual journeys and their collective dynamics. The film captures Oppenheimer as an intellectually curious individual, captivated by quantum mechanics and deeply engaged with various areas of science, including astrophysics, spectroscopy, and nuclear physics.

In an interesting cross-reference, Nolan has used models developed by Oppenheimer and his student, Snyder, to illustrate star collapse and the creation of a black hole, an aspect we've seen in his earlier movie Interstellar.

I was struck by how well the movie handles the influence of external events on personal trajectories. Oppenheimer, initially an academic, is thrust into a leadership role by the onset of World War II. The story doesn't shy away from depicting his humanity, showing him as a complex individual with many facets.

The film sets its drama against a background of a world in turmoil. With the rise of Nazi Germany, many renowned physicists, including Einstein and Born, were forced to flee (a few, like Heisenberg, stayed behind). These refugee scientists, exiled and concerned, played a pivotal role in alerting the world to the growing Nazi threat.

The depiction of the Kangaroo Courts, which handled the theme of suspicion and guilt by association, using the example of Oppenheimer's security hearing, was striking.

In my opinion, Oppenheimer asks an important question: Should decisions with cataclysmic potential be left to individuals with their own agenda?

"What an epic and intense movie!" commented Instrument scientist Dr Joseph Bevitt.

"In societal memory, the enormous endeavour to split the atom and control the reaction was overshadowed by the horror of subsequent weaponisation Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the Cold War. Nolan was right to focus on the events leading to the singular achievement of the Trinity demonstration on July 16, 1945.

"The film is centred around the complex psychological trauma, ethical dilemmas and political challenges experienced by theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. 'Oppie' was the Director of the Manhattan Project, who was later castigated by political opponents.

"As a scientist who has studied the relevant mathematics and work of key scientists who participated in the Manhattan Project, I was absolutely engrossed by Oppenheimer, its characters and the suspense leading to one of the greatest collaborative feats in human history.

"To anyone who has not prepared for the film, including three of my four family members who attended with me, its abstract scientific complexity and the depiction of obsessively driven characters were thought-provoking, fascinating and terrifying. Oppenheimer demands a second watch.

"At the end of the three hours, I asked, Is that it?. I craved more. But why? The significance of the Chicago pile reactor, built under stadium seating, was glossed over. The first criticality of the X-10 reactor at Oak Ridge National Lab, the contributions of Enrico Fermi, and so much more, were omitted.

"The ramifications of the atomic bombings for humanity were suggested, but I needed closure. The formation of the Atoms for Peace program, the establishment of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the positive real-life impacts that atomic research and neutron science have on everyday health and technological advancement followed those events.

"It is easy to be critical of the film and what it omits. Watch it for what it is: a modern-day tragedy and historical account of one of the most intense moments in human history, seen through the eyes of a brilliant and tortured mind torn between the passion for the science he loves, and the things he cannot control."

See more here:

ANSTO scientists would have preferred more about the physics but ... - ANSTO

Before becoming "the father of the atom bomb," J. Robert Oppenheimer made a significant contribution to the science of black holes.

Oppenheimer will forever, for better or for worse, be associated with the incredible destructive power of the atomic bomb and the image of the mushroom cloud, a near-Biblical symbol of destruction. That association will only strengthen in the public eye with today's (July 21) release of "Oppenheimer," Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated biopic about the physicist.

But before journeying to Los Alamos, New Mexico, in 1942 to contribute to the development of the atomic bomb, Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist focusing on quantum physics.

In 1939, he and his University of California, Berkeley colleague Hartland S. Snyder published a pioneering paper entitled "On Continued Gravitational Contraction," which used the equations of Albert Einstein's theory of gravity, general relativity, to show how black holes could be born.

"Oppenheimer proposed the very first collapse model to describe how a star could collapse into a black hole," Xavier Calmet, a professor of physics at the University of Sussex in England, told Space.com. "This model explains the formation of black holes as a dynamical astrophysical process, the final stage of the evolution of heavy-enough stars.This model is still being used today."

Related: 'Oppenheimer' trailer reveals Cillian Murphy as Manhattan Project's genius bomb maker

Calmet said that he recently used the model himself, in a paper describing the collapse of black holes when considering quantum gravity.

"This model is very significant because it is analytically solvable solving the equations can be done with pen and paper and does not require numerical work. All the physics is thus easily trackable," he said. "Yet, despite its simplicity and maybe even crudeness, it is complex enough to describe many of the features of a collapsing star."

Ironically, as Oppenheimer and Snyder worked on the paper, which so heavily depended on the 1915 theory of general relativity, the father of that theory, Einsten, was himself completing research aimed at showing that black holes could not exist.

History would show Oppenheimer to be right about black holes, of course.

Related: Albert Einstein: His life, theories and impact on science

Eight years before Oppenheimer's theory of star collapse and black hole birth, another theoretical physicist was thinking about what happens when stars run out of fuel for nuclear fusion.

When this fuel is exhausted, a star can no longer support itself against gravitational collapse. While the star's outer layers are shed, its core rapidly contracts, leaving an exotic stellar remnant. The nature of the remnant depends on the mass of the stellar core.

Indian-American physicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar realized that, for stellar cores with a mass less than 1.4 times that of the sun, gravitational collapse would halt due to quantum effects that prevent particles from "squashing" too close together.

This would come to be known as the Chandrasekhar limit, and any star below it unless it has a stellar companion feeding it material is doomed to end its existence as a smoldering stellar remnant called a white dwarf. That will be the fate of our star, the sun, after it exhausts the hydrogen at its core in around 5 billion years.

Related: When will the sun die?

For stellar cores at least 1.4 times more massive than the sun, there is enough pressure, and thus heat, generated during gravitational collapse that further bouts of nuclear fusion can be triggered, with the helium created by the fusion of hydrogen itself forging heavier elements like nitrogen, oxygen and carbon.

The most massive stars undergo a series of these collapses and bouts of nuclear fusion. But Oppenheimer and his students wanted to know where this gravitational collapse path leads and, thus, what is the final state of the universe's biggest stars.

This answer had already been delivered by a German physicist in 1916. Oppenheimer just had to find out how to get there.

In 1915, while serving on the front with the German army during the First World War, astronomer Karl Schwarzschild got his hands on a copy of Einstein's theory of general relativity. Astoundingly, and to the shock of Einstein, under these incredibly harsh conditions, Schwarzschild managed to calculate an exact mathematical solution to the field equations of general relativity.

In these solutions lurked two disturbing things places known as "singularities" where physics as we know it completely breaks down. These singularities indicated the existence of objects with gravity so intense that they could "swallow" light.

One of the singularities was deemed a coordinate singularity, which could be removed with a little clever mathematical manipulation. This coordinate singularity would come to be known as the Schwarzschild radius the point at which the gravity of a body becomes so great that the velocity needed to escape its clutches is greater than the speed of light.

This one-way light-trapping surface is called the "event horizon," and it represents the outer boundary of the black hole.

The other singularity, the true or gravitational singularity, could not be dealt with mathematically. Nothing could remove it, so it was, and still is, the point at which physics completely breaks down the heart of the black hole.

That was the theoretical birth of the black hole concept, but it didn't say anything about the creation of these cosmic titans just that they can exist.

While Einstein toiled in 1939 to destroy this gravitational singularity, and thus the concept of the black hole, Oppenheimer was delving into how such objects could come to exist.

Working with simple assumptions that neglect quantum effects and don't consider rotation, Oppenheimer set Snyder to work. And this paid off when the latter researcher discovered that what appears to happen to a collapsing star is dependent on an observer's point of view.

Snyder theorized that, at some distance from the collapsing star, light from a source close to the event horizon would have its wavelength stretched by gravity, a process called redshift, with it becoming ever more red.

At the same time, the frequency of this light is being reduced from the observer's perspective. This frequency reduction continues until, for the distant observer, the light is effectively "frozen."

Oppenheimer and collaborators realized the story is quite different for an observer unfortunate enough to be falling with the surface of the collapsing star. An observer in this position would fall beyond the event horizon without noticing anything significant about it.

Of course, in reality, an observer would be "spaghettified" by intense tidal forces caused by the difference in the gravitational pull on their upper and lower body. This would kill them before they hit the event horizon, at least for smaller black holes, in which the Schwarzschild radius is close to the gravitational singularity.

This concept was initially referred to as a "frozen star" due to the apparent freezing of light at the event horizon. It wouldn't receive its more familiar and snappier name until 1967, when Princeton University physicist John Wheeler coined the term "black hole" during a lecture.

Oppenheimer and colleagues may have taken a different path than Schwarzschild, but still, the two teams of physicists arrived at the same destination: the concept of a stellar body so massive that its gravity traps light and causes infinite redshift. Schwarzschild had the theory, but Oppenheimer and colleagues were the first scientists who truly understood the physical birth of a black hole.

Three years later, Oppenheimer would travel to Los Alamos, cementing his place in history and in the perception of the public. But many, scientists especially, remember him as the father of black holes.

"Oppenheimer made very significant contributions to black hole physics and physics as a whole," Calmet concluded. "While the general public may associate his name with the bomb and the Manhattan Project, his contributions to physics and astrophysics are well appreciated by the scientific community.

"He was one of the leading physicists during his lifetime and was extremely influential, and his seminal work is still relevant today."

More here:

Was Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, also the father of ... - Space.com

Researchers have created a quantum superposition state in a semiconductor nanostructure that might serve as a basis for quantum computing. The trick: two optical laser pulses that act as a single terahertz laser pulse.

A German-Chinese research team has successfully created a quantum bit in a semiconductor nanostructure. Using a special energy transition, the researchers created a superposition state in a quantum dot -- a tiny area of the semiconductor -- in which an electron hole simultaneously possessed two different energy levels. Such superposition states are fundamental for quantum computing. However, excitation of the state would require a large-scale free-electron laser that can emit light in the terahertz range. Additionally, this wavelength is too long to focus the beam on the tiny quantum dot. The German-Chinese team has now achieved the excitation with two finely tuned short-wavelength optical laser pulses.

The team headed by Feng Liu from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, together with a group led by Dr. Arne Ludwig from Ruhr University Bochum and other researchers from China and the UK, report their findings in the journal "Nature Nanotechnology," published online on 24 July 2023.

Lasers trigger the radiative Auger process

The team made use of the so-called radiative Auger transition. In this process, an electron recombines with a hole, releasing its energy partly in the form of a single photon and partly by transferring the energy to another electron. The same process can also be observed with electron holes -- in other words, missing electrons. In 2021, a research team succeeded for the first time in specifically stimulating the radiative Auger transition in a semiconductor.

In the current project, the researchers showed that the radiative Auger process can be coherently driven: they used two different laser beams with intensities in a specific ratio to each other. With the first laser, they excited an electron-hole pair in the quantum dot to create a quasiparticle consisting of two holes and an electron. With a second laser, they triggered the radiative Auger process to elevate one hole to a series of higher energy states.

Two states simultaneously

The team used finely tuned laser pulses to create a superposition between the hole ground state and the higher energy state. The hole thus existed in both states simultaneously. Such superpositions are the basis for quantum bits, which, unlike conventional bits, exist not only in the states "0" and "1," but also in superpositions of both.

Hans-Georg Babin produced the high-purity semiconductor samples for the experiment at Ruhr University Bochum under the supervision of Dr. Arne Ludwig at the Chair for Applied Solid State Physics headed by Professor Andreas Wieck. In the process, the researchers increased the ensemble homogeneity of the quantum dots and ensured the high purity of the structures produced. These measures facilitated the performance of the experiments by the Chinese partners working with Jun-Yong Yan and Feng Liu.

Here is the original post:

A new type of quantum bit in semiconductor nanostructures - Science Daily

(Thisletter is part of a seriesby The Indian Express where we bring to you the experiences of students at different foreign universities. From scholarships and loans to food and cultural experiences students tell us how life is different in those countries and things they are learning other than academics)

Similar to most students, I was also applying to the US for higher studies after completing my degree programme in India. I graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur with a dual degree (MS + BS) in Physics and was looking for options for pursuing a PhD. It was then that someone suggested that Anton Zeilinger, a well-known physicist and now a Nobel laureate, has a group at the University of Vienna and I should consider applying in Austria.

I researched some more about the university and decided to take admission to the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) after much deliberation. I did not apply to the University of Vienna as at times you dont get to work with such renowned physicists directly. Instead, its their students with whom you have to work. Anton Zeilinger was part of a group called CoQuS Complex Quantum Systems and ISTA and the University of Vienna were a part of it.

CoQus was an initiative of the Austrian government for research on quantum physics. Initially, it was more exclusive with only a few professors but now it has transformed into VCQ Vienna Centre for Quantum Sciences. VCQ is a bigger collaboration of many research groups from University of Vienna, Technical University of Vienna and ISTA. It promotes sharing and discussion of ideas, viewpoints by organising summer schools, colloquiums and conferences.

I was also drawn towards ISTA as Johannes Fink was a part of the programme. I was following Mr Fink and his work in the field of quantum optics and quantum computing.

My application process for ISTA

After sending in my application, I emailed Johannes Fink explaining my interest in the field of quantum physics, especially in the topics he was researching. After reading my email, Mr Fink conducted a Skype interview with me. Thankfully, he liked me and said that he will make sure that my application gets through.

The application process is quite standard. I had to submit my transcripts, rsum, letters of recommendation, and statement of purpose. Once that is done, ISTA calls you for an interview. They select a bunch of 100 to 150 students for interviews from all the applications received. Its a three day event which is hosted by ISTA where they take care of flight tickets to hotel bookings.

They organise everything, show you around the campus, around the town, you can talk to the students present on the campus, talk to the professors and experience everything by yourself. For me particularly, it showed how rich the institute is which ensures that your funding will be secured and research will be well-funded.

Once you are selected, you get a letter of invitation which has to be shown at the embassy so that you can get a visa.

Other than ISTA, I had offers from the University of Rochester, USA and Heriot-Watt University, Scotland. I did not choose the US because I felt the university wasnt that great and for the other university I was a bit uncertain about the funding.

ISTA literally holds your hand

After I decided to join ISTA and accepted their offer, they sent me the logistics details. Over here, they really take care of you. In fact, for the first year, they literally hand-held us. For those in the first years, the accommodation is provided on the campus and it is fully furnished so all you have to do is take the key.For the on-campus accommodation, the international students are given a priority over local students from Austria or neighboring countries.

Once youre in your second year, they ask you to find your accommodation the reason being that the apartments have to be emptied out for the next batch of students. After one year, we developed basic communication skills in German to communicate with the locals and find a place for ourselves. During the initial years, my work was more experimental, so I used to live near the campus. Once it became more theoretical, I shifted to the city of Vienna.

One unique aspect of ISTA is that it is a mix of US and European systems, i.e., when you apply for a PhD you dont need a masters degree.

My life in Austria

I came to Austria in September 2018 and have been living here since then. I completed my PhD in June this year (2023) and currently, I am a post Doctoral student at the institute. My research topic is quantum communication. ISTA allows you to be a post Doctoral student for one year after completing your PhD. In this, you get an increment in your salary and a different contract.

The research is well-funded. Unlike in India where you have to go through a whole process for getting lab equipment, here you can ask for it and you will get it. Even the stipend provided by ISTA is good enough for one person to sustain themselves, enjoy their lives and save money as well.

Vienna is very beautiful and my life here is always bustling with activity. The decision to come here has been one of the best decisions so far. Over the years, I have made a lot of friends here. There is something new to do every evening be it playing volleyball, dancing or indulging in fitness activities. I keep myself free every weekend as my friends and I are always up for some random activity. Last weekend, we went cycling, after that we plucked apricots and later in the day I baked an apricot cake for everyone.

I really enjoy my life here and I would hate to move out of Vienna. There are a lot of Physics related jobs, work-life balance and a good standard of living. Over here, there is great social security, medical and other expenses are covered by the government. Its one of the most livable places in the world and with time I have learned the language as well. There is no reason for me to move out of here. I will soon be applying for permanent residency. In some ways, I am more European than Indian now.

I have travelled a lot across Europe Italy, Switzerland, Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia, Czechia, Denmark and outside Europe, I have been to the US and China. I last visited India in December 2022.

Biggest learning from my experience so far

If you have a choice between solving a problem yourself and getting help from an expert, swallow your pride and get help. Its the most efficient way. Use the saved time elsewhere. Instead of researching a topic, I just find someone with whom I can talk and get a much better idea about what to do in 10-15 mins. It saves a lot of time and prevents me from going down the wrong rabbit hole. And its not limited to research, I use it everywhere, for example, when hunting for a job.

When you are applying for higher studies abroad, its a lot more about probability than you think. Have an open mind, apply to a lot of places and try to reach a person instead of a website portal. It will be a lot more helpful. Once you are in a different place, try to adapt to their culture and be more accepting towards people.

Here is the original post:

Life in a Foreign University | How pursuing PhD at ISTA in Austria benefitted this IIT-Kanpur student - The Indian Express

The Law of Attraction is an age-old principle that suggests that our words, thoughts, and emotions can shape our reality. This concept is deeply ingrained in the notion that like attracts like. But what does this mean? Simply, it implies that our mind operates like a magnet, drawing situations and experiences that align with our mental and emotional states.

This belief has resonated with many, finding its place in various religious and philosophical discourses over centuries. Today, the Law of Attraction has become a staple in self-help books, motivational speeches, and wellness discussions, demonstrating its relevance in contemporary society.

The principle of the Law of Attraction is not just philosophical or spiritual; it is also grounded in scientific concepts. Quantum physics suggests that energy vibrations tend to align with similar frequencies. In other words, positive thoughts can attract positive experiences and vice versa.

Additionally, neuroscience brings forth the concept of brain plasticity our brains ability to rewire and adapt based on our thought patterns. This further validates the idea that our thoughts can indeed shape our reality.

The Law of Attraction, despite its popularity, is often misunderstood. Its essential to clear these misconceptions to make the most of this principle.

Firstly, its not merely about positive thinking; its about aligning our thoughts, emotions, and actions toward what we desire. Secondly, it doesnt promote guilt or blame for undesired outcomes. Lifes complex, and attributing all negatives to our thoughts can be oversimplifying and harmful. Lastly, it doesnt promise immediate gratification or overnight riches. Instead, it emphasizes consistent action alongside belief and emotional alignment.

Now that we somewhat understand the Law of Attraction lets discuss how to apply it effectively in daily life.

Begin by identifying your genuine desires. Knowing your goals will help channel your mental energies effectively. Try journaling or creating a vision board to help materialize your objectives.

A positive and clear mindset is critical. Overcome negativity, limit beliefs, and cultivate positivity. Utilize techniques such as affirmations or gratitude practices to assist you in this journey.

Vividly and consistently visualize your desires. Visualization is a powerful tool that helps imprint your goals onto your subconscious mind, increasing the likelihood of achieving them. Imagine living your desired reality in as much detail as possible regularly.

Gratitude emits powerful positive vibrations, influencing what you attract into your life. Make it a habit to note down things you are thankful for daily to cultivate a mindset of abundance.

Merely thinking about desires isnt enough. Taking action is crucial for manifestation. Trust your intuition and take steps that align with your goals.

The Law of Attraction is not limited to personal growth or professional success. It extends to societal or global change, underlining its vast potential. Whether you want to improve your health, advance your career, or contribute to societal development, the Law of Attraction can be an effective tool.

There are numerous resources available for further understanding the Law of Attraction. You may want to check out The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, the You Are Creators podcast, or the documentary The Quantum Activist. Alternatively, some prefer hands-on learning through workshops like the Law of Attraction Centre offers.

Read the original here:

The Law Of Attraction - How It Really Works and How To Use It - New Trader U