News: Institute of Physics

Abstract: Theoretical prediction for the distribution of the angle between electrons and positrons originating in internal pair creations is a monotonic featureless decrease with the opening angle. Studies on excited states of 8Be and 4He nuclei, made in ATOMKI, Hungary, over the last decade, revealed deviations from this expectation. If true, the anomaly can be explained by introducing a new short-lived neutral boson that can still fit into known experimental and theoretical constraints. Although several independent laboratories have been trying to verify these results world wide, a satisfactory model does not exist yet.In this seminar I will give an overview of a selection of different experiments aiming at the solution of the ATOMKI anomaly and summarise their results. I will also describe the ongoing construction of a spectrometer for light charged particles at the Van-de-Graaff accelerator facility of the Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics (IEAP) at the Czech Technical University in Prague in order to either confirm or disprove the above-mentioned anomaly. 

A new study by scientists led by Oleg Lunov of the Division of Optics of the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences sheds light on how a cell's shape and mechanics influence its absorption of drug carriers. This research could lead to innovative targeted therapies, particularly in cancer treatment, where nanostructures could deliver drugs directly to cancer cells. The experiments have been carried out on liver cancer cell lines. The results were published in the prestigious Journal of Materials Chemistry B. 

A consortium of 18 partners from Czechia, Lithuania, and Ukraine has embarked on a groundbreaking project to transform the European hi-tech industry through advanced laser technologies. To mark the official launch, the consortium members gathered for a Kick-Off Meeting at the HiLASE Centre in Dolni Brezany, where they outlined the project’s strategic direction, key objectives, and collaborative framework for the coming years. 

A team of scientists from the Czech Academy of Sciences and Masaryk University has made a major contribution to research into the accumulation of impurities at the interface between crystals, a phenomenon having caused e.g. a series of accidents at nuclear power stations in the UK in the 1960s. The study, published in the prestigious journal Progress in Materials Science, furthers the development of more resistant alloys or new technological processes for their production. 

Dear colleagues,we would like to invite you to the seminar of Division of Elementary Particle Physics of Institute of Physics, presented by Marek Taševský.For more info, please see invitation.

This year we will also celebrate twenty years of Researchers' Night in the Czech Republic at the Institute of Physics! In 2025, the Institute of Physics will also participate in the nationwide event Researchers' Night, during which hundreds of scientific buildings will come alive! You can look forward to excursions, workshops, a fun zone and much more. The theme of this year's event is Wealth. The event will take place on Friday 26 September 2024 from approximately 16:00 to 21:00. While we are preparing the program for you, you can have fun with the online program or look back at last year's Night of Science at www.nocvedcu.cz.

The conference program of ICOMAT 2025 will cover all branches of research in the field of martensitic transitions and phase-transforming materials, ranging from the latest theoretical, technological and characterization advancements to the state-of-art engineering applications, bringing together experts from all over the globe. 

Scientists led by Jakub Dostalek from the Division of Optics of the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences have published a review article on the latest advancements of optical biosensors using plasmon enhanced fluorescence (PEF). This cutting-edge technology enables exceptionally sensitive detection of biomarkers with applications ranging from disease diagnosis and environmental pollution monitoring to single molecule analysis. The paper was published in the prestigious journal TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry.

This year, we mark the tenth anniversary of International Women and Girls in Science Day with the life story of our colleague Evgenia Chitrova, head of the Rare-Earth and Actinide Science Research Group in the Department of Magnetic Measurements and Materials. Her story is the perfect proof that encounters with science and an indomitable curiosity shape a lifelong commitment to scientific work.

Dear colleagues,we would like to invite you to the seminar of Division of Elementary Particle Physics of Institute of Physics, presented by Pavla Federičová.For more info, please see invitation.

Abstract: In 1997 Maldacena proposed a remarkable equivalence between  quantum gravity and gauge theory.  Since then this `holographic' duality has had a profound impact on many areas of physics. In this talk I will attempt to give a gentle introduction to the basics of the duality as well as a tour of its successes and applications. I will also touch on  some recent advances and generalizations.More info at: https://indico.fzu.cz/event/277/   

Better understanding of microorganisms, advances in retrovirus research, the development of promising systems for molecular electronics, as well as uncovering the archaeological heritage of the Sahara or law focused on climate protection. This is a brief selection of the broad range of research topics supported between 2013 and 2019 by the Akademická Prémie and Lumina Quaeruntur awards. The recipients of these prestigious awards, granted by the Czech Academy of Sciences, will present their research findings from February 10 to 12, 2025.

This year we will be looking forward to everyone at VědaFest, the 13th annual fun science festival, which takes place under the open sky at Vítězné náměstí in Dejvice. 

For the second time this year, we will visit a family weekend event called ABC Festival, which will take place again this year in the premises of the National Agricultural Museum in Prague!       

Want to learn what the physics of the future looks like? Or solve puzzles and try out our exhibits? At the stand of the Institute of Physics at the Science Fair, we will transport you to the world of modern materials or cosmology.      

Dear colleagues,we would like to invite you to the seminar of Division of Elementary Particle Physics of Institute of Physics, presented by Jakub Vícha.For more info, please see invitation.