Nature Physics May Issue

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TABLE OF CONTENTS May 2016 Volume 12, Issue 5 Editorials Research Highlights News and Views Editorial Commentaries Thesis Interview Reviews Letters Articles Corrigendum Erratum Measure for Measure Advertisement   The Naturejobs Career Expo is coming back to Boston! May 18, 2016 This career fair offers young, talented researchers an excellent opportunity to meet a diverse selection of national and international employers from academic institutions and scientific industries, such as pharmaceutical organisations, digital technology companies, science publishing and more.  Register for FREE today!  Subscribe   Facebook   RSS   Recommend to library   Twitter   Advertisement The EuroScience Open Forum is Europe's largest general science meeting where leading minds come together to discuss the latest topics in the sciences, social sciences and humanities. This year it is taking place in Manchester, UK from 23-27 July. Discounted registration is open until 30 April with tickets starting at £95 for a full pass. Register to attend here!   Advertisement An open access, online-only, multidisciplinary research journal dedicated to publishing the most important scientific advances in the life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering fields that are facilitated by spaceflight and analogue platforms. Explore the benefits of submitting your next research article.   Advertisement npj Quantum Information is an online-only open access journal providing important updates on quantum information research and theory. Recent published articles include: Multilayer microwave integrated quantum circuits for scalable quantum computing, and Achieving quantum precision limit in adaptive qubit state tomography.     Nuclear Fusion Harnessing the energy produced in nuclear fusion reactions is an ongoing grand challenge. This Insight focuses on the achievements made so far and the trials ahead, highlighting that at the core of nuclear fusion lies some fascinating physics. Nuclear Fusion Editorials Top Powerful physics   p375 doi:10.1038/nphys3769 Although driven by the promise of almost limitless energy, fusion research touches on plenty of gripping, fundamental physics - and the wider scientific community has every reason to be supportive. Research Highlights Top Black holes: Complexity growth | Active matter: Guided by the light | Cosmic-ray muons: Pictures from the sky | Microfluidics: A trap for two | Milky Way: We want to break free News and Views Top Vitrification: Machines learn to recognize glasses   pp377 - 378 Michele Ceriotti and Vincenzo Vitelli doi:10.1038/nphys3757 The dynamics of a viscous liquid undergo a dramatic slowdown when it is cooled to form a solid glass. Recognizing the structural changes across such a transition remains a major challenge. Machine-learning methods, similar to those Facebook uses to recognize groups of friends, have now been applied to this problem. See also: Letter by Schoenholz et al. Biophysics: Alive and twitching   pp378 - 379 Ana-Sunčana Smith doi:10.1038/nphys3703 Living systems are constantly being driven out of equilibrium by consuming energy. Studying fluctuations can tell us how they do so while maintaining order — and what this teaches us about non-equilibrium processes in general. See also: Article by Turlier et al. Physics JOBS of the week Faculty Positions in the Department of Physics South University of Science and Technology of China (SUSTC) Lecturer in Theoretical Physics in the School of Physics University College Dublin Editor / Senior Editor, Physics Springer Nature Professorship (W3) in Experimental Physics Universität Bielefeld More Science jobs from Physics EVENT The XXVII International Conference on Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics 03.07.16 London, UK More science events from Editorial Top Insight on Nuclear Fusion Nuclear fusion   p383 Bart Verberck and Andrea Taroni doi:10.1038/nphys3771 Commentaries Top Insight on Nuclear Fusion The quest for fusion power   pp384 - 386 Steven C. Cowley doi:10.1038/nphys3719 Fusion power is one of a very few sustainable options to replace fossil fuels as the world's primary energy source. Although the conditions for fusion have been reached, much remains to be done to turn scientific success into commercial electrical power. Insight on Nuclear Fusion Applied and fundamental aspects of fusion science   pp386 - 390 Alexander V. Melnikov doi:10.1038/nphys3759 Fusion research is driven by the applied goal of energy production from fusion reactions. There is, however, a wealth of fundamental physics to be discovered and studied along the way. This Commentary discusses selected developments in diagnostics and present-day research topics in high-temperature plasma physics. Insight on Nuclear Fusion Remote-handling challenges in fusion research and beyond   pp391 - 393 Rob Buckingham and Antony Loving doi:10.1038/nphys3755 Energy-producing nuclear fusion reactions taking place in tokamaks cause radiation damage and radioactivity. Remote-handling technology for repairing and replacing in-vessel components has evolved enormously over the past two decades — and is now being deployed elsewhere too. Thesis Top Insight on Nuclear Fusion Everything is plasma   p394 Mark Buchanan doi:10.1038/nphys3756 Interview Top Insight on Nuclear Fusion Building the way to fusion energy   pp395 - 397 Bart Verberck doi:10.1038/nphys3752 Construction of the ITER tokamak, arguably the largest scientific project ever, is well under way in the south of France. Nature Physics spoke with ITER's Director-General, Bernard Bigot, about the challenges ahead — a conversation about physics, engineering, politics and culture. Reviews Top Insight on Nuclear Fusion Magnetic-confinement fusion   pp398 - 410 J. Ongena, R. Koch, R. Wolf and H. Zohm doi:10.1038/nphys3745 One way of realizing controlled nuclear fusion reactions for the production of energy involves confining a hot plasma in a magnetic field. Here, the physics of magnetic-confinement fusion is reviewed, focusing on the tokamak and stellarator concepts. Insight on Nuclear Fusion Computational challenges in magnetic-confinement fusion physics   pp411 - 423 A. Fasoli, S. Brunner, W. A. Cooper, J. P. Graves, P. Ricci et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3744 Simulating magnetically confined fusion plasmas is crucial to understand and control them. Here, the state of the art and the multi-physics involved are discussed: electromagnetism and hydrodynamics combined over vast spatiotemporal ranges. Insight on Nuclear Fusion Materials research for fusion   pp424 - 434 J. Knaster, A. Moeslang and T. Muroga doi:10.1038/nphys3735 For achieving proper safety and efficiency of future fusion power plants, low-activation materials able to withstand the extreme fusion conditions are needed. Here, the irradiation physics at play and fusion materials research is reviewed. Insight on Nuclear Fusion Inertial-confinement fusion with lasers   pp435 - 448 R. Betti and O. A. Hurricane doi:10.1038/nphys3736 The quest for energy production from controlled nuclear fusion reactions has been ongoing for many decades. Here, the inertial confinement fusion approach, based on heating and compressing a fuel pellet with intense lasers, is reviewed. Letters Top Single-shot simulations of dynamic quantum many-body systems   pp451 - 454 Kaspar Sakmann and Mark Kasevich doi:10.1038/nphys3631 A simulation method connects single-shot measurements in ultracold atom experiments to the probability distribution of the many-body wavefunction, elucidating the role of the fluctuations in different experimental situations. Tuning ultrafast electron thermalization pathways in a van der Waals heterostructure   pp455 - 459 Qiong Ma, Trond I. Andersen, Nityan L. Nair, Nathaniel M. Gabor, Mathieu Massicotte et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3620 Interlayer transport can be made to occur slower or faster than intralayer scattering in van der Waals heterostructures, allowing the thermalization pathways for optically excited carriers to be tuned. Quantum-limited heat conduction over macroscopic distances   pp460 - 464 Matti Partanen, Kuan Yen Tan, Joonas Govenius, Russell E. Lake, Miika K. Mäkelä et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3642 Quantum mechanics sets a fundamental upper limit for the flow of heat. Such quantum-limited heat conduction is now observed over macroscopic distances, extending to a metre, in superconducting transmission lines. Strongly enhanced effects of Lorentz symmetry violation in entangled Yb+ ions   pp465 - 468 V. A. Dzuba, V. V. Flambaum, M. S. Safronova, S. G. Porsev, T. Pruttivarasin et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3610 Exotic theories predict the violation of Lorentz symmetry, which could potentially be spotted in low-energy experiments. Using ytterbium ions could improve the current sensitivity bounds by five orders of magnitude. A structural approach to relaxation in glassy liquids   pp469 - 471 S. S. Schoenholz, E. D. Cubuk, D. M. Sussman, E. Kaxiras and A. J. Liu doi:10.1038/nphys3644 The relation between structure and dynamics in glasses is not fully understood. A new approach based on machine learning now reveals a correlation between softness-a structural property-and glassy dynamics. See also: News and Views by Ceriotti & Vitelli Mechanical communication in cardiac cell synchronized beating   pp472 - 477 Ido Nitsan, Stavit Drori, Yair E. Lewis, Shlomi Cohen and Shelly Tzlil doi:10.1038/nphys3619 Mechanical communication between cells is revealed in experiments on cardiac cells. Deformation of an underlying substrate induces beating in isolated cells, at a rate that can be sustained for over an hour after the stimulation ceases. Articles Top Tying quantum knots   pp478 - 483 D. S. Hall, M. W. Ray, K. Tiurev, E. Ruokokoski, A. H. Gheorghe et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3624 Knots have been observed in a variety of classical systems, but so far not in the quantum regime. Knot solitons have now been created in a spinor Bose-Einstein condensate, exhibiting interesting topological structures, including Hopf fibration. Hybridization-controlled charge transfer and induced magnetism at correlated oxide interfaces   pp484 - 492 M. N. Grisolia, J. Varignon, G. Sanchez-Santolino, A. Arora, S. Valencia et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3627 The electronic properties of oxide interfaces are renowned for their richness. A comprehensive study of a series of perovskite nickelates examines the interplay between charge transfer and hybridization effects. Double-Q spin-density wave in iron arsenide superconductors   pp493 - 498 J. M. Allred, K. M. Taddei, D. E. Bugaris, M. J. Krogstad, S. H. Lapidus et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3629 A combination of neutron scattering, X-ray scattering and Mossbauer spectroscopy experiments reveal the existence of a collinear double-Q magnetic ordering in an iron arsenide superconductor. Visualizing fast electron energy transport into laser-compressed high-density fast-ignition targets   pp499 - 504 L. C. Jarrott, M. S. Wei, C. McGuffey, A. A. Solodov, W. Theobald et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3614 Fast-ignition laser fusion involves directing an intense relativistic electron beam onto a fuel target. Experiments and simulations now enable a visualization of the location of fast electrons and the energy-coupling mechanisms at play. Optically controlled dense current structures driven by relativistic plasma aperture-induced diffraction   pp505 - 512 Bruno Gonzalez-Izquierdo, Ross J. Gray, Martin King, Rachel J. Dance, Robbie Wilson et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3613 Shining intense laser light onto a thin aluminium foil creates a relativistic plasma aperture—and diffraction. As a result, an electron beam is generated with a spatial structure that can be changed by varying the characteristics of the laser pulse. Equilibrium physics breakdown reveals the active nature of red blood cell flickering   pp513 - 519 H. Turlier, D. A. Fedosov, B. Audoly, T. Auth, N. S. Gov et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3621 The membranes of red blood cells exhibit a flickering motion that has long been ascribed a thermal origin. Microrheology experiments provide direct evidence that flickering is an active process characterized by non-equilibrium dynamics. See also: News and Views by Smith Corrigendum Top Corrigendum: Interplay between topological and thermodynamic stability in a metastable magnetic skyrmion lattice   p520 Hiroshi Oike, Akiko Kikkawa, Naoya Kanazawa, Yasujiro Taguchi, Masashi Kawasaki et al. doi:10.1038/nphys3750 Erratum Top Erratum: Topological excitations and the dynamic structure factor of spin liquids on the kagome lattice   p520 Matthias Punk, Debanjan Chowdhury and Subir Sachdev doi:10.1038/nphys3762 Measure for Measure Top Counting atoms   p522 Enrico Massa and Giovanni Mana doi:10.1038/nphys3754 Enrico Massa and Giovanni Mana expound on the substance of the Avogadro constant. Top Advertisement Celebrating 10,000 articles published On the 20th April 2016, Nature Communications celebrated publishing its 10,000 article. To celebrate this milestone our editors have selected a sample of articles from each subject area published in the last five areas. 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