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Spin Control

1 July 2008
A new system can smoothly guide a pendulum from stable to unstable motion and find the border between the two states. Similar set-ups might someday improve testing of auto or airplane parts.
article link PRL (20 June 2008)
article link videos
stable and unstable pendulum

A Nanoscale Tractor Beam

25 June 2008
A new theory on the interactions of nanoparticles with laser light predicts some surprising effects when more than one particle is involved, such as a particle being drawn toward the source of the beam, against the flow of photons.
article link PRB (June 2008)
nozzle spraying water

Desktop Continental Drift

12 June 2008
The rotational flow of fluid in a heated tank containing some heavy beads periodically reverses direction, mimicking some aspects of the motion of Earth's continents over geologic time.
article link PRL (20 June 2008)
article link videos
tank and beads schematic
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Click on APS Article to see the research paper described in the story.