January 1997 Physics Today Contents


Articles:

Porous Silicon: From Luminescence to LEDs

With its tunable light emission, room-temperature quantum efficiencies near 10% and increasingly efficient light-emitting diodes, porous silicon may hold the promise of fully integrated optoelectronic devices -- Reuben T. Collins, Philippe M. Fauchet and Michael A. Tischler

The Discovery of the Risk of Global Warming

An accidental confluence of old interests and new techniques led a few scientists in the 1950s to realize that human activity might be changing the world's climate -- Spencer R. Weart

Physicists in Finance

Though the challenges of "quantitative finance" are diverse and often exhilarating, success for the erstwhile physicist is not at all assured. What factors are involved in making the transition to finance? -- Joseph M. Pimbley


Departments:

Search and Discovery

Hysteresis steps demonstrate quantum tunneling of molecular spins. When molecular spins in a crystal tunnel in lockstep under potential barriers, one sees not only a spectacular demonstration of quantum effects, but also the promise of magnetic information storage by individual molecules.

Experiment signals a new phase of quantum dot measurements. A sophisticated experiment has measured the phase change in the electronic wavefunction as a charge crosses a quantum dot, a tiny, nearly isolated bit of conducting material. The phase change gives new information about the electronic interactions, previously studied only through measurements of the magnitude of the transmission.

Washington Reports

Research Council panel tries to end controversy linking EMFs with cancer and other health disorders

Whither physics? NRC panel initiates new survey in era of limits

Engineering academy pays $687,500 hush money to ousted president to avoid unseemly squabble

NSF drafts new criteria for judging proposal reviews

Physics Community

PPPL seeks new director, new directions. Budget cuts are causing the US fusion energy research program to fission.

Suicide and resignation at Russian nuclear weapons labs symbolizes plight of scientists and increases fears in west

Nuclear waste shipment sparks protests

Melliar-Smith is new Sematech president

AIP celebrates 60 years of ties with industry

Kirkpatrick elected vice president of AAPT

Friedman will lead APS in 1999

Opinion

Was Sokal's hoax justified? -- Kurt Gottfried

Books

A History of Modern Planetary Physics, Vols. I, II and III, S. G. Brush (reviewed by C. Wilson)

The Pioneers of NMR and Magnetic Resonance in Medicine: The Story of MRI, J. Mattson and M. Simon (reviewed by P. R. Moran)

The Quantum Theory of Fields, Vol. II: Modern Applications, S. Weinberg (reviewed by O. W. Greenberg)

Time's Arrow and Archimedes' Point, H. Price (reviewed by J. Lebowitz)

Modelling Molecular Structures, A. Hindcliffe (reviewed by M. Ratner)

Blind Watchers of the Sky: The People and Ideas that Shaped Our View of the Universe, R. Kolb (reviewed by A. Dressler)

Solar System Astronomy in America: Communities, Patronage, and Interdisciplinary Science, 1920-1960, R. E. Doel (reviewed by D. E. Osterbrock)

Driving Force: The Natural Magic of Magnets, J. D. Livingston (reviewed by F. R. Fickett)

Plus...

Our regular sections: Physics Update, Letters, New Products, We Hear That, and Information Exchange.


Links to...

Previous issue
Next issue
Other 1997 contents summaries
Other contents summaries
Back to Physics Today home page