Exciting times in Gravitational Waves
On the 4th January 2017 a third gravitational wave signal (GW170104) was detected by both of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) detectors further establishing the era of gravitational wave astronomy .
Past Events
Annual Gathering
The highlight of the year is the SUPA Annual Gathering, a showcase and celebration of physics in Scotland.
The 2025 Annual Gathering took place in Dundee University on 28 May 2025.
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider discovers new sub-atomic particles which shed light on ‘strong force’
This week, the LHCb experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider announced the discovery of five new resonances (very short-lived particles), known as excited Ωc (Omega_c) baryons. Baryons are composed of three fundamental particles called quarks. Well-known examples of baryons are the protons and neutrons that are found in atomic nuclei. A proton is made of two “up” quarks and one “down” quark, bound together via the strong nuclear force.
RSE welcomes 60 new Fellows
Outstanding Academics, Celebrated Professionals and Royalty Join Scotland’s National Academy
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is delighted to announce that HRH The Duke of Cambridge has been elected to become an RSE Royal Honorary Fellow. We much look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with HRH, as we have with our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen, and our other Royal Fellows.¹
SSERC’s role in Scottish Physics Education
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Gregor Steele, Education Support (Physics), and Radiation Protection Adviser, gives some background on SSERC for SUPA;
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SUPA Careers Event 2016
The SUPA Careers Event 2016 took place at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh on 6th December. In keeping with the format used successfully in the past, we had a range of speakers from various industries who gave a brief introduction and then took part in round table sessions where delegates had the opportunity to chat with the speakers, ask questions, and get an insight into a variety of career options.
MagTEM at the University of Glasgow
In 2012 the Materials and Condensed Matter Physics Group opened the MagTEM facility at the University of Glasgow. MagTEM is a JEOL ARM (Atomic Resolution Microscope) 200cF which is a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) with aberration correction provided by CEOS. Aberration correction allows world leading performance of this instrument, and the capability of the instrument is summarised below:
The Glasgow LISA Pathfinder team wins Sir Arthur Clarke Award
University of Glasgow's LISA Pathfinder team has been awarded The Arthur C. Clarke Foundation and the British Interplanetary Society's 2016 Sir Arthur Clarke Award for "Space Achievement in Academic Research or Study".