The International Commission on Physics Education (C14) was established by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) in 1960 to promote the exchange of information and views among the members of the international scientific community in Physics Education. Today, IUPAP C14 invites physicists from all corners of the world and at all levels of education to apply for the ICPE Medal Award, which honours outstanding contributions to physics teaching that transcend national boundaries. We particularly encourage nominations from individuals and communities who are traditionally under‑represented in international awards. Eligibility Criteria:
Largest image of its kind shows hidden chemistry at the heart of the Milky Way
ESO, 25th February 2026, Press release Astronomers have captured the central region of our Milky Way in a striking new image, unveiling a complex network of filaments of cosmic gas in unprecedented detail. Obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), this rich dataset — the largest ALMA image to date — will allow astronomers to probe the lives of stars in the most extreme region of our galaxy, next to the supermassive black hole at its centre. “It’s a place of extremes, invisible to our eyes, but now revealed in extraordinary detail,” says Ashley Barnes, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Germany who is part of the team that obtained the new data. The observations provide a unique view of the cold gas — the raw material from which stars form — within the so-called Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of our galaxy. It is the first time the cold gas across this whole region has been explored in such detail. The region featured in the new image spans more than 650 light-years. It harbours dense clouds of gas and dust, surrounding the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. “It is the only galactic nucleus close enough to Earth for us to study in such fine detail,” says Barnes. The dataset reveals the CMZ like never before, from gas structures dozens of light-years across all the way down to small gas clouds around individual stars. The gas that ACES — the ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey — specifically explores is cold molecular gas. The survey unpacks the intricate chemistry of the CMZ, detecting dozens of different molecules, from simple ones such as silicon monoxide to more complex organic ones like methanol, acetone or ethanol. Cold molecular gas flows along filaments feeding into clumps of matter out of which stars can grow. In the outskirts of the Milky Way we know how this process happens, but within the central region the events are much more extreme. “The CMZ hosts some of the most massive stars known in our galaxy, many of which live fast and die young, ending their lives in powerful supernova explosions, and even hypernovae,” says ACES leader Steve Longmore, a professor of astrophysics at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. With ACES, astronomers hope to better understand how these phenomena influence the birth of stars and whether our theories of star formation hold in extreme environments. “By studying how stars are born in the CMZ, we can also gain a clearer picture of how galaxies grew and evolved,” Longmore adds. “We believe the region shares many features with galaxies in the early Universe, where stars were forming in chaotic, extreme environments.” To collect this new dataset, astronomers used ALMA, which is operated by ESO and partners in Chile’s Atacama Desert. In fact, this is the first time such a large area has been scanned with this facility, making this the largest ALMA image ever. Seen in the sky, the mosaic — obtained by stitching together many individual observations like putting puzzle pieces together — is as long as three full Moons side-by-side. “We anticipated a high level of detail when designing the survey, but we were genuinely surprised by the complexity and richness revealed in the final mosaic,” says Katharina Immer, an ALMA astronomer at ESO who is also part of the project. The data from ACES are presented in five papers accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, with a sixth in the final review stages. “The upcoming ALMA Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade, along with ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope, will soon allow us to push even deeper into this region — resolving finer structures, tracing more complex chemistry, and exploring the interplay between stars, gas and black holes with unprecedented clarity,” says Barnes. “In many ways, this is just the beginning.” More information This research was presented in a series of papers presenting the ACES data, to appear in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: The data itself will be available from the ALMA Science Portal at https://almascience.org/alma-data/lp/aces. Links
The February issue 2026 of e-EPS is out!
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The IceCube experiment is ready to uncover more secrets of the universe
GSI Press release, 12th February 2026 The world’s largest neutrino detector has been successfully upgraded The name “IceCube” not only serves as the title of the experiment, but also describes its appearance. Embedded in the transparent ice of the South Pole, a three-dimensional grid of more than 5,000 extremely sensitive light sensors forms a giant cube with a volume of one cubic kilometer. This unique arrangement serves as an observatory for detecting neutrinos, the most difficult elementary particles to detect. In order to detect neutrinos, they must interact with matter, creating charged particles whose light can be measured. These light measurements can be used to determine information about the properties of neutrinos. However, the probability of neutrinos interacting with matter is extremely low, so they usually pass through it without leaving a trace, which makes their detection considerably more difficult. For this reason, a large detector volume is required to increase the probability of interaction, and state-of-the-art technology is crucial for detecting such rare interactions. The basic operating principle of IceCube is to detect the light that is produced when a neutrino interacts with the ice. IceCube acts like a telescope that “sees” neutrinos. This characteristic blue Cherenkov light travels through the ice and is detected by sensors called digital optical modules (DOMs). Using these measurements, researchers can then reconstruct the energy and direction of the original neutrino. Since 2010, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has been searching for high-energy neutrinos from space. In recent years, it has already provided important insights into the nature of these particles and the sources of these high-energy neutrinos in the universe. For example, it offered a first glimpse into the interior of an active galaxy. The recently completed upgrade of the observatory will ensure that the experiment will provide even more information about the properties of neutrinos and the cosmos. Scientists from the working group of Professor Dr. Sebastian Böser from the Institute of Physics and the PRISMA++ Cluster of Excellence at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) are part of the IceCube Collaboration. The collaboration has been represented at JGU since 1999, initially under the leadership of Professor Dr. Lutz Köpke. “In Mainz, we are primarily researching neutrinos at the lower end of the energy spectrum detectable by IceCube, such as those produced in the atmosphere or in supernova explosions. These are difficult to detect, but they can also provide us with new insights into the properties of neutrinos themselves,” explains Böser. More sensors improve the telescope The main array of IceCube consists of 86 sensor strings embedded in the ice at intervals of 125 meters. As part of the IceCube upgrade, six new strings were installed between December 2025 and January 2026. This added over 650 modern photodetectors and calibration devices to the existing IceCube detector. The new instruments will improve our understanding of how light emitted by neutrino interactions in the ice propagates through the detector. Thanks to the higher instrument density, the experiment can now measure signals at lower energies that were previously unattainable. This increases the “sharpness” of the telescope, making it more sensitive to the properties of neutrinos. In addition, the higher resolution achieved by the upgrade can also be applied retroactively to data already collected and stored during the first ten years of IceCube operation, resulting in an immediate and significant improvement. An innovative type of module The new components of the upgrade also include nine wavelength-shifting optical modules (WOMs): innovative detectors specialized for UV light. “With IceCube, we want to measure Cherenkov light. This light has a large UV component that the DOMs cannot measure. This means that a large part of the light produced during neutrino interactions is lost because the sensors are not sensitive enough for it,” explains Lea Schlickmann, a PhD student in Böser’s group and the person primarily responsible for building these modules. “The WOMs have a tube coated with a special wavelength-shifting paint. When UV photons hit this tube, their wavelength is shifted into the visible range and they are then directed to the so-called photomultipliers, where they are detected.” The WOMs were developed, produced, and tested in Mainz in collaboration with research groups from Wuppertal and Madison, with additional support from Uppsala and Berlin. These first modules serve as proof of principle for their performance and their measurements of UV Cherenkov light in ice. “In the future, WOMs will be able to provide extremely important information about neutrinos and their origin in the universe. They would be particularly suitable for detecting neutrinos produced in a supernova, which would be extremely interesting to observe,” says Schlickmann. In addition to her contribution to the hardware development of the detector, Schlickmann was also part of the first group of researchers allowed to travel to the South Pole to work on the IceCube upgrade. There, she not only tested the WOMs one last time before they were installed in the ice, but also helped with all kinds of tasks necessary for the success of the mission – from shoveling snow to clear equipment to testing and loading the first 300 modules. The IceCube collaboration consists of over 450 physicists from 58 institutions in 14 countries. This international team is leading the scientific program, and many of its members contributed to designing and constructing the detector. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is mainly funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the United States, with significant support from partner organizations worldwide. Germany is the second-largest contributor, with eleven institutions, and makes a significant and visible contribution to IceCube through funding from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). In addition to JGU, the collaboration includes Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Humboldt University Berlin, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Ruhr University Bochum, RWTH Aachen University, Technical University Dortmund, Technical University Munich, University of Münster, University of Wuppertal, and the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY).
EPS Recognised Journals: Welcome to Frontiers in Physics and Frontiers in Astronomy & Space Sciences!
Author: Hannah Means, Frontiers We at Frontiers are honored to share that Frontiers in Physics and Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences have been added to the Recognized Journals list of the European Physical Society. This recognition reflects the community’s trust in our rigorous and high- quality peer review. We will continue to uphold a trustworthy peer review process to further our mission: to keep science open for everyone. Frontiers in Physics, a multidisciplinary journal established in 2013, features 22 sections that cover all areas of physics, from theoretical, to computational, to experimental. Some of the largest sections include Condensed Matter Physics, Optics and Photonics, and Social Physics. The journal is led by Field Chief Editor Professor Alex Hansen (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway). As of January 2026, Frontiers in Physics contains over 5,500 articles and 54,000 citations across all sections, corresponding to an Impact Factor of 2.1 and CiteScore of 4.6. Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences is a multidisciplinary journal established in 2014. Field Chief Editor Julio Navarro (University of Victoria, Canada) leads the journal, which contains 14 sections that explore all areas of astronomy and space sciences. Some of the largest sections include Cosmology, Space Physics, and Stellar and Solar Physics. As of January 2026, Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences contains over 1,800 articles and 15,000 citations across all sections, corresponding to an Impact Factor of 2.6 and CiteScore of 4.7. Both journals are indexed in Scopus, Web of Science (SCIE), the DOAJ, and more. Additionally, both journals accept a wide range of article types, including but not limited to original research articles, reviews, perspectives, and methods. Dedicated editors and reviewers in each journal help handle and review these articles. We at Frontiers sincerely thank our editorial boards for helping us achieve this recognition. Through this new collaboration, we are eager to make new connections across the European Physical Society. We look forward to supporting EPS members and the wider community by publishing rigorous, impactful research across physics and the space sciences.
EPS Executive Committee and Staff activities in 2026
You will find below the activities of the members of the EPS Executive Committee and of the EPS Staff. January 7th, 13th, 20th and 27th January: Alessandra Fantoni participated in the Energy conference meeting14th January: a meeting of the EPS Executive Committee was held online16th January: Alessandra Fantoni participated in EPS-EPLA meeting 23rd January: Alessandra Fantoni and José María De Teresa took part in the EPS finances meeting February 2nd, 9th and 16th February: Alessandra Fantoni and Gabriel Chardin participated in the meeting to organise the Energy Conference to be held in Brussels in April18th February: an online EPS Executive Committee meeting was organised 18th February: Karin Zach and José María De Teresa participated in a videoconference between DPG representatives (president, board member for international activities) and EPS (president, president elect and secretary general) to prepare a meeting of the presidents of the EPS member societies which will be held in Berlin in November 2026. In February, Gabriel Chardin did the liaising with the French Physical Society and proofread the report on Physics Education in Europe. Members of the EPS Executive Committee: Mairi Sakellariadou (EPS President), José María De Teresa (EPS President-Elect), Alessandra Fantoni, Anna Di Ciaccio, Brian Fulton, Christian Beck, Kristel Crombé, Eugenio Coccia, Gabriel Chardin, Karin Zach, Katharina Lorenz, Sascha Schmeling, Ulrich Husemann Members of the EPS Staff: Anne Pawsey (EPS Secretary General), Xavier de Araujo, Milan Milicevic, Ophélia Fornari, Chahira Boudeliou, Gina Gunaratnam, Ahmed Ouarab and Adriana Zerafa Members of the EPL Staff: Frédéric Burr (EPL Staff Editor), Kevin Desse and Tomy Zede.
Antonino Zichichi (1929-2026)
Author: Luisa Cifarelli Antonino Zichichi, an influential and leading figure in high energy particle physics, passed away on 9 February 2026 at the age of 96. Professor Emeritus at the University of Bologna, Benedictine Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Institute of Bologna, and founder of the “Ettore Majorana” Centre for Scientific Culture in Erice, he held numerous prominent roles in the international scientific community. These included President of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), the “Enrico Fermi” Historical Museum of Physics and Study and Research Centre, the European Physical Society, the World Federation of Scientists, and the World Laboratory. The conception and creation of the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratories are credited to him. His contributions and decisive drive were also fundamental to the realization of major particle accelerators, such as LEP at CERN and HERA at DESY. His visionary project for a proton supercollider, named ELOISATRON and proposed in the late 1970s, had anticipated the LHC at CERN as its first phase and foreshadowed the Future Circular Collider (FCC) project, an integral part of CERN’s strategic plan for the coming decades. A true promoter of cutting-edge experimental research at the laboratories of Frascati, CERN, DESY, and Gran Sasso, he and his team achieved fundamental results in nuclear and subnuclear physics. These include the discovery of the antideuteron —the first example of nuclear antimatter— the discovery of new phenomena in QCD (such as the leading effect and effective energy), and the discovery of the first beauty baryon. He also established significant limits on free quark production in strong and weak interations, and on heavy lepton (t) production in e+e– collisions, the existence of which he first proposed, developing and testing a new method to search for it, which then led to its actual discovery. Furthermore, he pioneered original particle detection techniques, such as the preshower in calorimetry, and achieved intense R&D for new detectors within the framework of the CERN LAA project. Notably, he led the development of novel microeletronic chips and of the Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPCs) for measuring particle time-of-flight (TOF) with record precision; these devices still constitute the large TOF apparatus for particle identification of the ALICE experiment. His commitment to disseminating scientific culture was remarkable, innovative, and of immense scope, spanning articles, interviews, television appearances, seminars throughout Italy and beyond, and numerous books for a general audience on major themes and figures of physics. As for dissemination, it is worth mentioning the unique and still ongoing EEE project he has launched and successfully expanded over the years. This is a true astroparticle physics experiment carried out through a network of muon telescopes (each made up of three layers of MRPCs) installed in more than 50 high schools throughout Italy and all connected to the INFN CNAF computer centre. Together, these telescopes form an unprecedented observatory that combines teaching and research in physics, involving hundreds of students every year. His leadership in international collaboration for the study of planetary emergencies, advocating for a science without secrets or borders, leaves an indelible mark on the scientific community. The Erice Statement, which he co-authored in 1982 with Nobel laureates Paul A. M. Dirac and Piotr Kapitza, remains a milestone in the quest for a peaceful future in the face of ongoing nuclear proliferation threats. With the passing of Antonino Zichichi, we lose an eminent figure in contemporary science and a key player in physics at the turn of two centuries. We also lose an outstanding mentor who always offered great opportunities to all those who had the privilege of working with him and whose legacy will live on for future generations.
SCIENCE POP-UP by GSI/FAIR
SCIENCE POP-UP by GSI/FAIR becomes a permanent place to go for science enthusiasts in the inner city of Darmstadt 28.01.2026 | What started as a temporary project will now become a permanent inner-city institution in Darmstadt for the next two years: The SCIENCE POP-UP project, an interactive hands-on exhibition for science enthusiasts of all ages, remains at its location at Ernst-Ludwig-Straße 22 in the long term. This establishes the successful initiative of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung and the international accelerator center FAIR as a long-term point of contact for anyone interested in experiencing cutting-edge research first-hand. Since its opening in March 2025, the innovative SCIENCE POP-UP project has attracted about 10,000 visitors, including 55 school classes and numerous workshop participants. Initially planned as a temporary project lasting until the summer months, the interactive space was first extended to the end of December 2025 due to the overwhelming response. Thanks to the new long-term lease, it is now becoming an integral part of the inner city and the scientific landscape of Darmstadt. Exciting innovations are underway, as is the expansion of offerings for school classes of all age levels. As cutting-edge research breaks new ground in many areas and the FAIR mega-project on the Darmstadt-Wixhausen campus progresses extremely well, the interactive space will reinvent itself constantly while retaining its proven concept. This ranges from creative knowledge transfer for all interested parties to the targeted didactic support of future researchers. Casual pedestrians and school classes alike can discover the world of particle accelerators, the origin of the elements, and working with state-of-the-art technology in a playful way. Popular stations include the throwing game, simulating the production of new elements; the accelerator game, the cloud chamber, and the VR station. Using virtual reality headsets, the VR station takes visitors directly to the GSI and FAIR facilities. A qualitative analysis of the offering revealed: More than three-quarters of visitors rated the exhibition as “very positive”. The interactive and vivid presentation of complex content was particularly well received. Knowledge transfer was also measurably successful: before the visit, the proportion of correctly answered quiz questions ranged from 46 to 65 per cent—after the visit, the figure rose to over 85 per cent. A scientific evaluation conducted in cooperation with the Technical University of Darmstadt confirmed the success of the concept. Professor Thomas Nilsson, Scientific Managing Director of GSI/FAIR, emphasized: “Our SCIENCE POP-UP has demonstrated the strong interest in science and technology in Darmstadt. By establishing it permanently, we want to give even more people the opportunity to get in touch with our research. Our goal is to spark a fascination for physics in people of all ages – and we are succeeding in doing so here in an exemplary manner.” (BP) Opening hours and further information The SCIENCE POP-UP at Ernst-Ludwig-Straße 22 invites anyone interested to explore the world of cutting-edge research for themselves. Further information about offers and events, as well as opening hours, can be found on the GSI/FAIR website. GSI is an EPS Associate Member. Image credit:GSI
Richard Zeltner: Reflecting on my time as EPS Young Minds Action Committee Member
Author: Richard Zeltner When I first joined the EPS Young Minds Action Committee (EPS YM AC) in 2018, I was excited to contribute to the development of a programme which has a scope and vision that aligns very much with my own beliefs. I found it to be a valuable opportunity to gain insights into the operations and the management of a large scientific organisation, as well as to increase my professional network and gather experience in international scientific collaboration. Looking back at my time in the EPS YM AC, and as committee chair from 2020 to 2022, it is safe to say that my expectations on the professional learning and growth opportunities have been met. For example, during my time as chair, in particular, I had the pleasure to take on an active role in the organisation of the 2022 EPS Forum. This was the first time that I contributed to shaping a large scientific conference, taking responsibility for, and eventually chairing, several sessions. My engagement provided me with insights on many details of the logistics, budgeting and programming of the meeting that go unnoticed as a conference participant. It also allowed me to directly collaborate with senior and experienced delegates of the EPS and its national member associations. This extended my network in the wider physics community and was also a valuable learning opportunity on how to integrate many good ideas and visions of the meeting coherently into the programme schedule. I further initiated a webinar series together with Optica, allowing me to gain first-hand experiences in facilitating, managing and maintaining collaboration between scientific organisations. These, and many other, activities certainly sharpened and extended my skillset, benefiting my professional career beyond EPS Young Minds. Yet the very first associations that come to my mind when remembering my experiences in the EPS YM are actually about the people I have met and connected to. Personally, I completed all of my studies in Germany, and also after transitioning to industry, I never quite ventured out far enough to experience life abroad or academic systems in other parts of Europe and beyond. But the conversations I had about moving and living abroad, cultural diversity, different academic systems and struggles of the young minds I met, presented an incredibly enriching experience that helped me to vastly widen my perspective. This brought me a little bit closer to the 33 countries that are part of the EPS Young Minds network. I believe that most interpersonal skills cannot be learnt in the classroom or books. I have, however, found them to be highly valuable for my personal and professional growth. Connecting with people from different backgrounds and learning how to connect and relate to them, is a critical skill in today’s fast-paced and diverse work environments. My time in the EPS YM AC taught me many lessons on how to do so effectively.
EPS Plasma Physics Conference 2026: Final reminder for abstract submission
The 52nd conference will be set in the stunning city of Edinburgh from 29 June to 3 July 2026. The Annual Conference will be held across spectacular and unique venues carefully selected to host guests. The conference will be at the Edinburgh International Conference and Exhibition Centre, conveniently located in the centre of Edinburgh. Plasma physics topics that will be included in the 52nd conference programme include: