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UC Irvine Physical Sciences

@uciphysicalsciences

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Driving foundational and transformational discoveries in mathematics and the physical sciences. #math #physics #astronomy #chemistry #earthscience

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The School of Social Ecology is among the University of California, Irvine sponsors of "Houston, We Have a Mission: VOTE!" 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, in ISEB Auditorium.

Lunch is included in the get-out-the-vote experience that brings former NASA Astronauts Danny Olivas and Steve Smith to campus as part of the Astronauts For America national college tour.

Please RSVP by scanning the QR code on the flier or clicking on the link in our bio.

@UCIrvine @AstronautsForAmerica @DannyOlivasOfficial @AstroSteveSmith @UCIBioSci @UCIPhysicalSciences @UCIEngineering @UCIBrenICS #VoteMission #UCI #AstronautsForAmerica #GetOutTheVote #SpaceEducation #NASAExperience #SocialEcology #Vote2026 #BallotstarGalactica #AllInForAll Flyer announcing a NASA Astronauts For America event with Danny Olivas and Steve Smith discussing voting on Oct 8, 2026, at UC Irvine's ISEB Auditorium. by @uciphysicalsciences

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16 days ago

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23 days ago

Meet the new dean of the UC Irvine School of Physical Sciences, Professor Seth Cohen! Cohen comes to UC Irvine after about 25 years working as a chemistry professor at UC San Diego. Watch until the end to see Cohen give his inaugural Zot! Zot! Zot!

Follow our link in bio to read an in-depth interview with Cohen, and to discover his vision for the school. by @uciphysicalsciences

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a month ago

Join us for the Ruth Ann and John Evan’s Beyond Lecture. Dr. Kevork N. Abazajian, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, will present “The Oldest Light and the Darkest Matter: Irvine’s Search for the Invisible Universe.” October 28, 2026 from 4:30 - 7:00 PM in ISEB 1010.

More info in our bio! by @uciphysicalsciences

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a month ago

Ava McIlvaine had to get to Greenland.

McIlvaine, who’s a Ph.D. candidate in the lab of Professor Brett Walker and Ellen Druffel in the UC Irvine Department of Earth System Science, studies the role organic matter dissolved in seawater plays in the global carbon cycle, with a focus on how marine microbes influence the flow of organic carbon.

This summer, McIlvaine boarded a research ship — the RRS James Cook — and sailed from Canada to Greenland so she could retrieve crucial samples from the Labrador Sea. The ship was almost at her sampling sites — she could even see Greenland — but then the vessel turned around and started heading back toward Canada.

McIlvaine’s heart dropped. Find out what happened by diving into McIlvaine’s field notes from her expedition. Link in bio. by @uciphysicalsciences

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a month ago

A Moment of Science

What if the secret to designing more energy-efficient technologies is right beneath our noses? Or, rather, right behind our noses? The lab of Professor Zuzanna Siwy in the UC Irvine Department of Physics & Astronomy draws inspiration from the way the human brain operates in order to design chips that require far less energy than chips in conventional technologies. The work helps address a burgeoning need for energy-efficient tech.

In the photo, one of Siwy’s graduate students, Matt Schiel, holds up an experimental chip that uses fluids to help keep it cool. “The neurons in our brain use nanoscale pores to efficiently transmit information and make computations every second,” said Schiel, who alongside Siwy published a recent paper in ACS Nano describing their research. “We’re working on making synthetic nanopores that respond to external signals in a similar way to turn on and off the flow of ions in water while using less energy to do this switching.”

Paper: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.6c03174 UC Irvine chemistry graduate student Matt Schiel displays slide used in research. by @uciphysicalsciences

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2 months ago

Student research spotlight: Meet Ciara Gillis, a Ph.D. student in Professor Jenny Yang’s Lab in the UC Irvine Department of Chemistry who researches ways of capturing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Follow the link in our bio to see a video about Gillis’ work. Photo of UC Irvine Department of Chemistry Ph.D. student Ciara Gillis. by @uciphysicalsciences

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2 months ago

Press release: UC Irvine astronomers discover exoplanet that may harbor life. The planet is twice the size of Earth, and at only 25 light years away from Earth, it’s our cosmic next-door neighbor. Find out how much we know – and still don’t know – about the planet, and what it all means for future planet-hunting telescopes. Follow the link in our bio to learn more. #astronomy #astrobiology #exoplanets #extraterrestriallife An artist’s interpretation of a newly discovered exoplanet called GJ 3378b. by @uciphysicalsciences

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4 months ago

🧊 What’s happening to Antarctica’s glaciers?

A new study led by UC Irvine and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists analyzed three decades of satellite observations to track changes across Antarctica’s entire coastline.

The findings revealed that more than three-quarters of Antarctica’s coast-reaching glaciers remain relatively stable, while roughly one-quarter are undergoing aggressive melting, with vulnerable regions losing ice at a rate equal to the size of Greater Los Angeles every three years.

The research combined data from an international network of government and commercial satellites, demonstrating how decades of Earth observation can help scientists better understand the impacts of climate change in one of the planet’s most remote regions.

Video description: Video and imagery of Antarctica's ice and coastline highlighting research from UC Irvine scientists that tracked glacier changes across the continent using three decades of satellite observations.

💵 The research was supported by funding from @nasa
#SpeakUp4Science by @uciphysicalsciences

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4 months ago

This week, the UC Irvine Department of Physics & Astronomy is hosting Neutrino 2026 — an international scientific conference featuring the latest research into the neutrino, which is a subatomic particle that was co-discovered by Nobel laureate and the founding dean of the UC Irvine School of Physical Sciences, Frederick Reines. The conference has 639 attendees representing 33 countries across six continents.

“Neutrino 2026 has been an extraordinary week, showcasing exciting new discoveries and increasingly precise measurements that are deepening our understanding of neutrino properties and their role in the universe,” said Mu-Chun Chen, UC Irvine professor of physics and one of the organizers of the conference. A large seated crowd listens to a scientific talk about neutrinos. by @uciphysicalsciences

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4 months ago

How can artificial intelligence advance our understanding of the universe’s most elusive particles? At UC Irvine, researchers are applying AI to solve the neutrino puzzle, opening new pathways for discovery in particle physics and theoretical model building. Read more at the link in our bio.

Image description: Black-and-white split portrait of professors Jianming Bian (left) and Pierre Baldi (right) shown side by side in close-up against neutral backgrounds. Bian wears glasses and faces forward, while Baldi rests a hand near the chin in a thoughtful pose.

#Physics #Neutrino #AI #ComputerScience taken in University of California, Irvine by @uciphysicalsciences

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4 months ago

With heavy hearts, we share that our trusted colleague and friend of more than 25 years, Francois William Primeau, passed away on Friday. This is an unimaginable loss for all who knew him. He is survived by his wife, Juno, and their son, Louis. We were all fortunate to know him and to count him among our community. Read the full statement at the link in our bio. taken in University of California, Irvine by @uciphysicalsciences

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4 months ago