Katie Neith

Alexei Kitaev, professor of theoretical physics, computer science, and mathematics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), has been named an inaugural winner of the Fundamental Physics Prize—a $3 million award that represents the largest academic prize given to an individual in the history of science. White House Honors Caltech and JPL Scientists and Engineers 07/24/2012 ## White House Honors Caltech and JPL Scientists and Engineers Brian Bell Chiara Daraio, professor of aeronautics and applied physics, and Christopher Hirata, professor of astrophysics, both at Caltech, and Ian Clark of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)—which is managed by Caltech—are winners of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. This is the highest award given by the United States government to science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Caltech Physicists are Awarded New Funding from the Simons Foundation 07/24/2012 ## Caltech Physicists are Awarded New Funding from the Simons Foundation Katie Neith For nearly 20 years, the Simons Foundation has worked to advance mathematics and the physical sciences through grants and educational programs. Now the organization is taking its support of research one step further by naming 21 scientists as the first-ever Simons Investigators. Caltech physicists Chris Hirata and Hirosi Ooguri are among this inaugural group of recipients, each of whom are eligible to receive more than$1.3 million over the next ten years to fund innovative research.

A New Kind of Amplifier
07/13/2012

## A New Kind of Amplifier

Marcus Woo

Researchers at Caltech and JPL have developed a new type of amplifier for boosting electrical signals. The device can be used for everything from studying stars, galaxies, and black holes to exploring the quantum world and developing quantum computers.

Peering Into the Heart of a Supernova
07/12/2012

## Peering Into the Heart of a Supernova

Kimm Fesenmaier

Using computer simulations, Caltech researchers have determined that if the interior of a dying star is spinning rapidly just before it explodes in a magnificent supernova, two different types of signals emanating from that stellar core will oscillate together at the same frequency.

Physicists Discover a New Particle that May Be the Higgs Boson
07/04/2012

## Physicists Discover a New Particle that May Be the Higgs Boson

Marcus Woo

Physicists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland, have discovered a new particle that may be the long-sought Higgs boson, the fundamental particle that is thought to endow elementary particles with mass.

Caltech at the LHC
07/04/2012

## Caltech at the LHC

Marcus Woo

Maria Spiropulu and Harvey Newman, both professors of physics at Caltech, lead the Caltech team of 40 physicists, students, and engineers that is part of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

X-ray Telescope Takes First Image
06/29/2012

## X-ray Telescope Takes First Image

Marcus Woo

NASA's NuSTAR space telescope has taken its first image, snapping a shot of the high-energy X rays from a black hole in the constellation Cygnus. NuSTAR will explore black holes, the dense remnants of dead stars, energetic cosmic explosions, and even our very own sun.

Put a Seismometer in Your Living Room
06/18/2012

## Put a Seismometer in Your Living Room

Douglas Smith

Back in the 1960s, Charlie Richter (PhD '28) installed a seismometer in his living room. Now, if you live in the Pasadena area, you can have one, too.

NuSTAR Space Telescope Blasts Off
06/13/2012

## NuSTAR Space Telescope Blasts Off

Marcus Woo

This morning, NASA's NuSTAR telescope was launched into the low-Earth orbit from which it will begin exploring the high-energy X-ray universe to uncover the secrets of black holes, the dense remnants of dead stars, energetic cosmic explosions, and even our very own sun.