中性的分子也能被同步加速器加速！

中性的分子也能被同步加速器加速

一个可以加速中性粒子――而不是通常的带电粒子――的同步加速器在德国建成。这个装置使得在绝对零度的条件下中性分子发生碰撞成为了可能。在绝对零度附近，分子的行为更加像一个波，而不是粒子。

Synchrotron accelerates neutral molecules (Jan 21)
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/11/1/18
A synchrotron that can accelerate neutral -- rather than charged --
particles has been unveiled by physicists in Germany. The device opens
up the possibility of colliding neutral molecules at temperatures close
to absolute zero, where molecules behave less like particles and more
like waves (Nature Physics doi:10.1038/nphys513).

声速打破光速极限

声速打破光速极限

美国物理学家设计了一种不同寻常的波导，使得声音在其中的传播速度超过光速。

Sound breaks the light barrier (Jan 12)
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/11/1/8
Nothing can travel faster than lightâEUR¦ except for sound. This is the
claim of some US physicists, who say they have designed an unusual
waveguide to make sound move at "superluminal" speeds (Appl. Phys. Lett.
90 014102).

通过核磁共振寻找核废料储存容器上的漏孔

通过核磁共振发现核废料储存容器上的漏孔

一种曾被捧为有存储放射性废料潜力的陶瓷材料其实只具有比之前想象少得多的抗辐射损伤能力。英国物理学家使用高分辨率的核磁共振(NMR)成像技术表明阿耳法粒子能够对锆合金材料造成严重的损伤，无法保证长时间存储核废料的安全。他们认为NMR技术能够帮助从其它潜在的陶瓷材料里发现具有长期存储能力的材料，因为NMR使我们能够了解发生在更深的、原子尺度上的辐射损伤。

NMR finds holes in nuclear waste storage (Jan 10)
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/11/1/5

A ceramic material touted for its potential to store radioactive waste
is much less resilient to radiation damage than previously thought.
Physicists in the UK used a high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance
(NMR) technique to show that alpha-radiation causes too much damage in
zircon to ensure safety over long timescales. They now claim the NMR
technique will help to assess the long-term durability of other
potential ceramics by providing a deeper, atomic-scale understanding of
damage events (Nature 445 190).

通过纳米同轴"光"缆对光进行挤压

美国物理学家创造了世界上第一个用于光传输的纳米尺度同轴"光"缆。与用于传输电视和收音机信号的同轴电缆的类似，同轴"光"缆可以传送波长将近4倍于其直径(200nm)的光信号。研究人员还声称，在小于波长的距离上对光进行控制的能力可能会有利于制作更好的光学显微镜，更小的计算机芯片以及更有效的太阳能电池等。

Light squeezes through nano coax (Jan 10)
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/11/1/6

Physicists in the US have created the first nanoscale coaxial cables for
the transmission of light. Operating much like the coaxial cables used
to distribute television and radio signals, the cables can transmit
light with wavelengths nearly four times their 200 nm diameter. The
researchers claim that the ability to control light over sub-wavelength
distances could lead to better optical microscopes, smaller computer
chips and more efficient solar panels (Appl Phys Lett 90 021104)

在布拉格观察到破纪录的气候变化，而不是在费城

在布拉格观察到破纪录的气候变化，而不是在费城

对气候变化越来越多的关注意味着创纪录的平均气温肯定会是一条大新闻，但这到底是因为全球变暖导致破纪录的事件经常发生呢？还是仅仅不过是统计学上不相关的正常波动呢？美国的物理学家们认为这个问题最简单的回答是：这依赖于某一特定地区的气温变化历史数据积累的多少。对布拉格和费城两地气温数据的分析表明，全球变暖效应正在变得越来越明显，而之前的130年的气温记录基本保持不变。

Climate-change breaks records in Prague, not Philadelphia (Jan 11)
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/11/1/7

Growing concern about climate change means that record-breaking
temperatures are big news -- but is global warming making
record-breaking events more common, or are they unrelated statistical
fluctuations? The simple answer, according to physicists in the US, is
that it depends on how long historical temperature data have been
gathered for a specific locale. The analysis of temperature data from
Prague and Philadelphia suggests that the effects of global warming
become apparent after about 130 years of record keeping.