We can learn a lot by studying microscopic and macroscopic changes in a material as it crosses from one phase to another, for example from ice to water to steam. A new study examines systems ...

Most people know that there are three fundamental states of matter: Solids, liquids and gases. However, there are actually several additional, more unfamiliar forms, including plasma—which is found in ...

Spinning around: superfluid vortices could provide an insight into their classical counterparts Quasiparticles within a rotating sample of superfluid helium-3 create unexpected friction in a material ...

Perhaps the best-known example of hysteresis is the response of the magnetization of a ferromagnetic material to an applied magnetic field. If the material is initially unmagnetized, slowly turning on ...

Two recent experiments have highlighted the links between low-temperature physics and fluid dynamics When the pilot gives the order to fasten seat belts during a flight, and the other passengers start ...

Figure 3: The damping force as a function of velocity for oscillatory (a.c.) motion compared with steady (d.c.) motion. Figure 4: The processes involved in oscillatory (a.c.) motion. Suppose the ...