News | The Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy

08/07/2025

Evidence Found for Planet around Closest Sun-Like Star

The candidate gas giant planet sits in the habitable zone around Alpha Centauri A.

Pinkish streaked planet is seen in foreground, with two bright stars in background.

08/05/2025

Quantum Chaos Kicks in Sooner Than Previously Thought

Whitney Clavin

Results could help researchers understand the fundamental limits of what is learnable in the quantum universe.

Blue geometric lines and dots represent quantum chaos.

08/05/2025

Go Big and Go to Jupiter: 10 Engineering Challenges Europa Clipper Had to Overcome

Sabrina Pirzada

When Europa Clipper launched in October 2024, the spacecraft began one of the most ambitious planetary science missions in history.

Jupiter in the background, Europa in the foreground, and rectangular shape of Clipper at front

07/22/2025

Tom Hutchcroft Honored by London Mathematical Society

Whitney Clavin

Tom Hutchcroft, the Gordon and Betty Moore Professor of Mathematics at Caltech, has received the 2025 Whitehead Prize from the London Mathematical Society.

07/21/2025

New PMA Chair Announced

Whitney Clavin

Physicist Hirosi Ooguri will become the next chair of the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy.

07/14/2025

LIGO Detects Most Massive Black Hole Merger to Date

Gravitational waves from massive black holes challenge current astrophysical models

Side-by-side-by of the twin LIGO detector buildings.

07/11/2025

Zwicky Transient Facility Nabs an Interstellar Visitor

Whitney Clavin

Observations from the survey camera helped pinpoint the object's path through the solar system.

07/08/2025

Calculating the Electron's Magnetic Moment

Cynthia Eller

Professor of Philosophy Chip Sebens explores a variety of paths to calculating the electron's magnetic moment with implications for foundational physics.