Physics in Pictures by Topic
Electricity & Magnetism
Meet the Z-Machine
The incredible energy of the Z Pulsed Power Facility makes for an impressive sight.
Bubble Tracks: A Window on the Subatomic
How do we photograph something too small to be seen with the naked eye?
Color Charge: Hearing and Hair Bundles
We're thrilled to release the first page from our new all-ages coloring book project, Color Charge!
Coronal Loops
Plasma arcs from the surface of the sun, guided back down by powerful magnetic field lines.
The "Sunset Egg": Tyndall Scattering
The Tyndall Effect is responsible for the strange optical properties of this physics toy.
Diffraction Through a Spiderweb
Dew on a spiderweb's strands splits sunlight into a prismatic rainbow of colors.
Droplet Time Lapse
A time lapse image of a dyed water droplet falling into electrically-charged oil and water.
The Aurora Borealis
The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, shines above Bear Lake, Eielson Air Force Base. Find out about the physics behind this phenomenon.
Tiny Antennas
These antennas could be used in devices that use light in place of the electrical signals.
Molecular Transistor
Physicists have made what they believe to be the first true single molecule transistor.
AB Effect
In 1959 the Aharonov-Bohm effect took its place as a legitimate demonstration of unexpected physics in the quantum world.
Spin Ice Monopoles
Spin ice is like magnetic ice and physicists have made analogies of magnetic monopoles in spin ice.
Stalactite Meets Stalagmite
What might look like the top and bottom of a limestone cave, may actually revolutionize the world of tiny electronics.
The First Superconducting Magnet
The world’s first superconducting magnet, consisting of a wire coil made of lead, was manufactured in the Leiden Physics Laboratory in 1912.
Spin Kaleidoscope
This image shows a map of the electrical characteristics of a topological insulator, providing information that is helping physicists to better understand how these new materials work.
Laser-Plasma Creates Electro-Optic Shocks
High power laser pulses create shock-waves and bubbles in plasma.
Magnetic Properties of Thin Films
This spectroscopic image shows what are called microwave-frequency magnetic resonances of an array of parallel, metallic thin film nanowire "stripes". The peak in the center reflects resonances occurring at the stripe edges. The strong horizontal bar of violet, black, and white, is due to resonances in the body of the stripes.
MHDPD-Magneto Hydro Dynamic Propulsion Device: The Experiment/ The Attenuation
Red and green dye reveals the turbulent fluid flows from the magneto hydro dynamic propulsion device.
Simply Shocking
Sparks branch for the same reason that coral reefs and snowflakes do, according to new computer simulations.
Radioactive Hotdog?
A spark flying between a metal doorknob and your hand is an intricate chain of electrical events.
In Synch
Electrons don't normally know one direction from another, so researchers were perplexed a few years ago when they found a cold plane of electrons suddenly choosing to conduct many times better in one direction than in the perpendicular one.
