A magnetically levitated daisy

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A magnetically levitated daisy
Even flowers are weakly magnetic if you place
them in a strong field. The magnetic force can
be made strong enough to overcome gravity. This
is being used for zero-gravity research.
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Some of our students spend time in Fudan, China
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S0 Galaxy NGC 7457
We are the sole UK participant in the Planetary
Nebula Spectrograph project. This instrument
will allow us to study the motions of stars at
galactic radii five times larger than before.
This will allow us to measure the total masses
of these galaxies, and determine the total amount
of elusive "dark matter" that they contain.
Each point indicates the position of a planetary
nebula its colour indicates direction of motion.
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Using physics to study the growth of foetuses
Magnetic Resonance Imaging can be used to measure
many important physiological parameters. In this
case MRI is being used to measure placental blood
flow, to study pregnancies in which the baby is
growing too slowly
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Nanoscience
This is a schematic diagram of a carbon nanotube
being used to probe a surface in an atomic force
microscope. The tube has a particular chemical
group on its tip to allow it to investigate the
chemical make up of biologically interesting
surfaces. This is being used in pharmaceutical
research.
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GsAs Phonon Image
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Granular systems
Time
This image shows a mixture of glass and bronze
beads separating into two phases as they are
vibrated vertically at 60 Hz. An experimental
and theoretical project in the school is
investigating this well recognized, but poorly
understood phenomenon. This will have
implications for industrial processes where it
can either be made use of, or can be a nuisance.
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Nearby Galaxy N4321
The structure of galaxies is determined by the
way in which they form and evolve. Undergraduates
analysed this image to study the structure of
this spiral galaxy.
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Hardware for MRI
The School has long pioneered the development of
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). We are
currently working on improving the gradient coils
that are used to encode position in MRI. For
instance, MRI scanning can be very loud we are
developing coils that operate more quietly. This
picture shows a person lying inside a gradient
coil.
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The School won the Queens Anniversary Prize for
higher education
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Electrons bouncing between 2 walls can follow
highly irregular and chaotic paths.
In the quantum world, the electrons are described
by waves, as shown, which control the flow of
electrical current between the walls.
Walls
10 mm
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Magnetically levitated water droplet
Even water droplets are weakly magnetic if you
place them in a strong field. The magnetic force
can be made strong enough to overcome
gravity. This is being used for zero-gravity
research.
13
Understanding turbulence
Turbulence remains an unsolved problem in
physics. The differential equations governing
turbulence are also very difficult to solve, but
this may be simplified by working in 2D. This
third year project uses a 2D thin film of water
to study the factors causing turbulence to arise
in a system.
Third year lab
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The distribution of astronomical objects
This School leads the largest ever survey of the
distribution of galaxies in the Universe. We
have collected the redshifts of more than 200,000
galaxies, allowing us to map out their 3-D
distribution in space. This has revealed
clusters, superclusters, and huge voids in space.
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Understanding brain function
Sensory stimulation
We are developing Magnetic Resonance Imaging
techniques to study brain function, based on the
different magnetic properties of oxygenated and
deoxygenated blood.
Visual stimulation
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Microwave background
We are involved in studying the properties of the
cosmic microwave background that is left over
from the Big Bang. This shows a simulation of
the microwave background, which we plan to
compare to observations that will be made by the
Planck satellite in a few years time. This will
provide clues to how the Universe formed, and how
it will end.
Third year undergraduates involved in this project
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NMR microscopy of plants
Strucurtural
Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) of a plant stem,
illustrating the ability of MRI to measure
concentrations of important chemicals. This is
being used in the study of the flow of
metabolites in plants.
Resolution 375 mm
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Contacts on a Silicon Chip
Scanning electron microscope image of the
contacts on a Philips silicon chip circuit at
1,500x magnification. With miniaturisation of
chips, a scanning electron microscope is needed
to inspect the contacts when investigating the
failure of a device.
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We have several MRI scanners in the School
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Some of our students spend time in Toronto
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Safety in MRI
The changing magnetic fields used in Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI) produce electric fields
that could stimulate the patients nerves.
We are working to reduce these fields, as they
limit how fast we can obtain an image. The
pictures show the small electric fields produced
in the body during a typical MRI scan.
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Deep Space
A very deep image of the Universe from the Hubble
Space Telescope. The galaxies shown are so
distant that we see them as they were ten billion
years ago. We have analysed this image to see
how galaxies have changed over the lifetime of
the Universe.
Third year undergraduates are involved in this
project
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Scanning Electron Microscope
Flys head (x50). The dead fly had to be coated
with gold to make it conducting before imaging it.
At a magnification of x10000, details of the
flys compound eye can be seen.
Undergraduates are involved in this project
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2D wind tunnel
A third year project uses a thin fluid film as a
2D approximation of a wind tunnel. Interference
patterns in the light reflected off the film
shows its thickness, which is a measure of the
velocity at which the fluid is moving. Here it
is being used to study laminar and turbulent flow
around an aerofoil.
Laminar
Third year lab
Turbulent
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Scanning Tunnelling Microscope
A three-chamber ultrahigh vacuum system
containing a scanning tunnelling microscope. This
is used for imaging surfaces and for the
manipulation of individual atoms and molecules.
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Crystal growth
Crystal structure is determined by the conditions
in which the crystal grows. Crystal structure
can be determined using the diffraction of
X-rays. A model lattice of atoms has been
developed using a polystyrene spheres and their
relatively large size means that laser light
rather than X-rays will be diffracted by the
crystal.
Photo of beads
Laser diffraction pattern of beads
Third year lab
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Lung imaging
NMR is not sensitive to the components of air,
and so the lungs are usually invisible in
Magnetic Resonance Images. The School has a
project to produce highly magnetised helium, and
to use this to study lung function.
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Messier 81
An image of a relatively nearby galaxy, Messier
81. It has a spiral system similar to our own
Milky Way, and consists of tens of billions of
stars. This image was obtained using the
telescope on the roof of the School.
Third year undergraduates are involved in this
project
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Moving molecules
'Before' and 'After' images showing the
manipulation of C60 molecule (a bucky-ball
(highlighted) on a Silicon surface, using the tip
of a scanning tunnelling microscope. This
technology could be used to create novel
electronic devices.