News
QMUL Astronomical Observatory undergoes significant upgrade
11 August 2022
The QMUL Astronomical Observatory is undergoing a major upgrade to allow full remote operation of the dome and telescopes. This will greatly expand the range of projects that students will be able to carry out as part of their final-year projects.
Exactmer and Queen Mary awarded Knowledge Transfer Partnership from Innovate UK
2 August 2022
The partnership will address barriers to the commercialisation of exact Polyethylene Glycol polymers (PEGs)
'Girls into Physics' Summer School
1 August 2022
The Girls into Physics summer school took place over three days in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Queen Mary University from the 27th - 29th July 2022.
Queen Mary Science and Engineering researchers awarded UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships to tackle heart irregular heart rhythms and explore turbulence in space plasma
Dr Caroline Roney and Dr Christopher Chen are among 84 promising leaders awarded fellowships totalling £98 million.
Physics and Astronomy at the Festival of Communities
12 June 2022
Members of the Department of Physics and Astronomy took part in QMUL's Festival of Communities to showcase our work to the public.
SAGEX Closing Meeting
30 May 2022
Queen Mary University of London hosts a celebratory final meeting of the European Commission Innovative Training Network SAGEX (Scattering Amplitudes: from Geometry to Experiment).
The EU Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska–Curie Actions Doctoral Network ‘PHYMOL’ has been awarded nearly €2.6m following an application coordinated by Queen Mary’s Dr Alston J. Misquitta.
Astronomy Unit academic awarded ERC grant to investigate how planets are formed from dust
27 April 2022
Dr Sijme-Jan Paardekooper has been awarded € 2,314,680 from the European Research Council (ERC) to study how dust distribution impacts the formation of planets.
SAGEX Exhibition
26 April 2022
Two PhD students from the Department of Physics and Astronomy had a key role in developing an online exhibition “SAGEX - At the Frontier of Physics”.
World Health Day - Redefining The Role Of Medical Imaging In The Advancing Healthcare Environment
4 April 2022
Thursday 7th April is World Health Day. This event, organised by the World Health Organisation is an annual event dedicated to promoting the benefits of good health and wellbeing worldwide. Many people do not associate Physics with healthcare but the science is vital for many advancements in medicine, including medical imaging. To mark the occasion, 1st year BSc Theoretical Physics student Shiksha Teeluck wrote about advancements in medical physics and how they are used today.
Grenville Davey obituary
22 March 2022
School of Physical and Chemical Sciences is sorry to learn of the loss of Grenville Davey, Artist in Residence at in Physics 2011-2014.
British Science Week - Chemistry, Passion and Gender
15 March 2022
The School of Physical and Chemical Sciences is celebrating British Science Week (11-20th March). British Science Week is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths, with the theme this year being 'Growth'. To celebrate her growth as a scientist, BSc Pharmaceutical Chemistry student Afra Nower decided to write about her journey to study Chemistry and the barriers she faced as a woman.
British Science Week - Why is Physics Important
14 March 2022
The School of Physical and Chemical Sciences is celebrating British Science Week (11-20th March). British Science Week is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths. To mark the occasion, 1st year BSc Theoretical Physics student Shiksha Teeluck shares why Physics is so important to her.
British Science Week - The Electromagnetic Spectrum: Seeing Beyond our Eyes
11 March 2022
The School of Physical and Chemical Sciences is celebrating British Science Week (11-20th March). British Science Week is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths, with the theme this year being 'Growth'. To celebrate his growth as a scientist, BSc Physics student Christopher wrote about a topic that really fascinates him; The Electromagnetic Spectrum.
Dr Lesley Howell and the QMUL team are the winners of the LearnSci Teaching Innovation Awards.
7 February 2022
Dr. Lesley Howell and the team from QMUL have won the LearnSci Teaching Innovation Award for their use of mixed reality technology in undergraduate labs.
The Department of Chemistry recognised as frontrunners in advancing Social Mobility
26 January 2022
The Sutton Trust, along with the Institute for Fiscal Studies, have written a report exploring how social mobility varies by University, subject and at course level. Thanks to analysis by Dr Micheal O’Neill at the University of Oxford, it has emerged that the Department of Chemistry at Queen Mary University of London is leading the way on advancing social mobility.
AU researchers join the LIGO Scientific Collaboration
24 January 2022
A team of researchers from the QMUL Cosmology & Relativity group have been admitted to the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the global organisation leading the detection and interpretation of gravitational wave events.
New Postdoctoral Position
24 December 2021
We're hiring a new postdoctoral research assistant in theoretical physics with closing date 12 January, 2022. Click on to find out more.
Parker Solar Probe enters the magnetic atmosphere of the Sun
14 December 2021
The NASA Parker Solar Probe mission has become the first spacecraft to enter the solar corona – the magnetically dominated atmosphere of the Sun. Researchers from the AU played a key role in the research confirming this historic event in space exploration.
Dr Christopher Chen was featured on BBC2's programme, Universe: The Sun.
29 October 2021
The Astronomy Unit's Dr Christopher Chen, Senior Lecturer in Space Plasma Physics from the Queen Mary University of London featured on BBC2's programme, Universe: The Sun.
SPCS students work to highlight the scientific contributions of minoritised communities.
12 October 2021
Black History Month is important for raising awareness around racial inequalities while holding a spotlight to and celebrating black inspirational figures.
Department of Chemistry a winner at Pearson’s inaugural HE Innovate Awards
20 September 2021
Department of Chemistry at Queen Mary University of London has won the award for ‘Most innovative hybrid or blended learning project’ at the first ever HE Innovate Awards.
Dr Christopher Chen awarded medal for outstanding contributions to space science
15 September 2021
Dr Christopher Chen from Queen Mary University of London has won American Geophysical Union’s James B. Macelwane Medal for his significant contributions to the geophysical sciences as an early career scientist.
Queen Mary University of London professors awarded prestigious medals by the Royal Society
24 August 2021
The Royal Society is a Fellowship of many of the world's most eminent scientists and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.
Faculty of Science and Engineering establishes new School structure to continue delivering excellence in research and education
The proposal to create a new School structure in Queen Mary’s Faculty of Science and Engineering has recently been approved by Senate and Council.
QMUL's Astronomical Observatory Captures Solar Eclipse
11 June 2021
Members of the Astronomy Unit gathered at the School of Physics and Astronomy's Observatory to witness the recent partial solar eclipse.
Black Holes: The Edge of All We Know
8 June 2021
A documentary film following the quest to understand the most mysterious objects in the Universe.
Queen Mary Physicist stars in new documentary opposite Stephen Hawking
8 June 2021
‘A black hole is stranger than anything dreamed up by science fiction writers. It’s a region of space where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape. Once you are over the edge, there’s no way back’
– Stephen Hawking
World Environment Day - Delivering the Battery Revolution
4 June 2021
As part of a series of events running up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021, Queen Mary University of London in collaboration with the National Battery Research Institute and the British Council will be running the workshop ‘Delivering battery revolution: Reducing the drivers of climate change in Indonesia’. The workshop aims to explore the role of the Island nations role in climate change, both globally and locally.
The primordial goo created by the Big Bang may have flowed like water.
3 June 2021
“We do not fully understand the origin of this striking similarity yet but we think it could be related to the fundamental physical constants which set both the universal lower limit of viscosity for both ordinary liquids and quark-gluon plasma,” Kostya Trachenko, a physics professor at Queen Mary University of London and author of the recent paper, said in the statement.
Linguistic Matrix Theory
24 May 2021
A collection of short articles based on the research of Dr Sanjaye Ramgoolam (CRST, QMUL) in the area of ``Linguistic Matrix Theory.’’
Linguistic Matrix Theory
24 May 2021
A collection of short articles based on the research of Dr Sanjaye Ramgoolam (CRST, QMUL) in the area of ``Linguistic Matrix Theory.’’
Important plasma waves in the solar atmosphere identified by AU researchers
11 May 2021
AU researchers have confirmed the existence of magnetic plasma waves, known as Alfvén waves, in the Sun’s photosphere.
National Space Day – Celebrating Queen Mary’s Astronomy Unit and their work exploring the Cosmos
7 May 2021
On the first Friday of May each year, countries around the world celebrate National Space Day. Established in the late 1990s, National Space Day encourages people to explore the wonders of the universe and promote cutting-edge astronomy and astrophysics research.
SEPnet Public Engagement Awards 2021
26 March 2021
Public engagement is central to Queen Mary’s commitment to work and collaborate with our local community for the good of all. We work hard to make sure that the world-class research carried out by the university and the School of Physics and Astronomy is understood and enjoyed by the public.
QMUL's Astronomy Unit Celebrates International Women's Day
8 March 2021
On Monday 8th March 2021, QMUL's Astronomy Unit celebrated International Women's Day by showcasing current staff, alumni, and eminent astrophysicists. A selection of tweets celebrating this day can be found below.
Celebrating Queen Mary Women in Science
22 February 2021
The UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February) aims to recognise the critical role women and girls play in science and technology communities.
Research led by the AU finds black holes could reach ‘stupendously large’ sizes
20 January 2021
A recent study suggests the possible existence of ‘stupendously large black holes’ or SLABS, even larger than the supermassive black holes already observed in the centres of galaxies.
Queen Mary spinout Chromosol wins Royal Society of Chemistry competition
30 September 2020
Chromosol, a spinout company from Queen Mary University of London has been announced as a winner of the Royal Society of Chemistry Emerging Technologies Competition.
Meet the Placement student - Nishma Thakor, BSc Chemistry with a Year in Industry
15 September 2020
We spoke to Nishma, who reflected on her time as a placement student at GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical Supply Chain at Ware in the Incoming Materials Quality Control Laboratory.
AU researchers win prestigious European Research Council grants
14 September 2020
Two cosmologists in the Astronomy Unit in the School of Physics and Astronomy have been awarded prestigious Starting Grants from the European Research Council.
Meet the Undergraduate - Simranjeet Duhra, MSci Chemistry
12 August 2020
Simranjeet is going into her final year of her MSci Chemistry degree and in this blog reflects on her time so far, including the impact of the pandemic on studying.
Student blog- How to survive uni life, Naeem Ahmed
11 August 2020
Naeem is just going into his final year of studying BSc Chemistry and in this blog shares his tips and tricks for new students
Meet the Undergraduate - Tayyib Ahmed Saddique, MSci Chemistry
11 August 2020
Tayyib has recently graduated from his MSci Chemistry degree and in this blog he explains what studying the subject at Queen Mary has been like
Rare naked-eye comet NEOWISE lights up the sky
19 July 2020
A recently-discovered comet has become visible to the naked eye during twilight. QMUL astronomer Thomas Haworth has been making the most of this rare opportunity by taking some photos!
Theory MSc Videos
16 July 2020
Several of our academics discuss their research interests and how these interests fit in with our Theoretical Physics MSc. Read on to find out more and view the videos. We are currently accepting new applications for the 2020-21 academic year.
Super-Earths discovered orbiting nearby star
26 June 2020
A system of super-Earth planets has been detected orbiting one of closest stars to the Sun, Gliese 887. An international team of astronomers, including Professor Richard Nelson and Dr Gavin Coleman of Queen Mary University of London, made the discovery as part of Red Dots, a project to detect terrestrial planets orbiting stars close to the Sun.
Super-Earths discovered orbiting nearby star
26 June 2020
A system of super-Earth planets has been detected orbiting one of closest stars to the Sun, Gliese 887. An international team of astronomers, including Professor Richard Nelson and Dr Gavin Coleman of Queen Mary University of London, made the discovery as part of Red Dots, a project to detect terrestrial planets orbiting stars close to the Sun.
Saturn's Moon Titan Drifting Away Faster Than Previously Thought
8 June 2020
Research involving scientists from Queen Mary University of London has shown that the moons of Saturn are moving outwards faster than first estimated, providing new insights into how the Saturn system formed.
Saturn's Moon Titan Drifting Away Faster Than Previously Thought
8 June 2020
Research involving scientists from Queen Mary University of London has shown that the moons of Saturn are moving outwards faster than first estimated, providing new insights into how the Saturn system formed.
Innovative spectrometer sees first light (and breaks a record)
1 June 2020
Astronomers at QMUL have developed an extremely high-resolution spectrometer for exoplanet studies that is many times smaller, lighter, and cheaper than current alternatives. Its first-light spectrum is thought to be the highest resolution ever taken from the UK!
Queen Mary astronomer makes the connection to Data Science
11 May 2020
The QMUL School of Physics and Astronomy is a member of the Data Intensive Science Centre in the South East Physics Network (DISCnet). DISCnet is an STFC funded Centre for Doctoral Training, aimed at training a new generation scientists in data science. Paula Soares, a cosmology PhD student in the Astronomy Unit being supervised by Dr Alkistis Pourtsidou, is part of DISCnet and undertook a 3-month long data science internship in the summer of 2019.
Queen Mary astronomers celebrate funding success
30 April 2020
Astronomers at QMUL are celebrating a bumper research funding award from the UK Government's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
Astronomy Unit hosts the Parker Solar Probe FIELDS team meeting
16 March 2020
The QMUL Astronomy Unit hosts a meeting for the team that designed and operates the FIELDS suite of instruments onbaord NASA's Parker Solar Probe spacecraft.
Astronomy Unit researchers help usher in a new era of radio cosmology
6 March 2020
Researchers at Queen Mary are leading the way as a new generation of cosmic surveys with radio telescopes begin.
Updates from the Planets group at Queen Mary
5 March 2020
The Planets group at Queen Mary has had another busy year! Here are some recent highlights.
Updates from the Planets group at Queen Mary
5 March 2020
The Planets group at Queen Mary has had another busy year! Here are some recent highlights.
Researchers uncover intense chaotic motions of the solar wind
3 February 2020
New research from Queen Mary University of London has observed the chaotic behaviour of the solar wind at distances closer to the Sun than ever before.
Researchers uncover intense chaotic motions of the solar wind
3 February 2020
New research from Queen Mary University of London has observed the chaotic behaviour of the solar wind at distances closer to the Sun than ever before.
Queen Mary researcher awarded prestigious Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship
6 January 2020
Dr Julian Adamek, a senior postdoctoral researcher in the Astronomy Unit, has been awarded a prestigious Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Closest-ever approach to the Sun reveals dynamic origins of solar wind
5 December 2019
Queen Mary researchers were part of an international team interpreting ground-breaking results from the Parker Solar Probespacecraft, which has flown closer to the Sun than ever before.
Astronomy Unit Members Attend the Les Houches School on Plasma Physics
27 May 2019
Members of the QMUL Astronomy Unit attended the Les Houches Physics School on "The multiple approaches to plasma physics from laboratory to astrophysics" and PhD student Alice Giroul won first prize for best poster presentation at the school.
Dr Alkistis Pourtsidou to explore the universe as a Future Leaders Fellow
9 May 2019
A Queen Mary cosmologist has been announced as a Future Leaders Fellow as part of a new government initiative to give leading researchers an opportunity to deliver global impact.
Spacecraft measurements reveal mechanism of solar wind heating
14 February 2019
Queen Mary University of London has led a study which describes the first direct measurement of how energy is transferred from the chaotic electromagnetic fields in space to the particles that make up the solar wind, leading to the heating of interplanetary space.
Astronomers find a super-Earth at Barnard's star
15 November 2018
Astronomers from the School of Physics and Astronomy are members of an international team that has found a planet in orbit around the second-closest star to the Sun, known as Barnard's star.
Queen Mary astronomer to play key role in ESA’s Ariel exoplanet mission
27 March 2018
Dr James Cho of the School of Physics and Astronomy is a member of the UK-led international team that will develop the European Space Agency’s Ariel mission, dedicated to observing and characterising planets in orbit around other stars (exoplanets).
QMUL Astronomer helps to find Dormant Black Hole
17 January 2018
Queen Mary astronomer Dr Guillem Anglada Escudé is a member of an international team of astronomers who have used a novel method to find a black hole hiding in a nearby group of stars.