News

Three years ago, history was made when the first image of a black hole inspired wonder and awe around the world as we glimpsed the shadow of light escaping from the supermassive black hole M87*. Today, history is being made again as the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration releases the image of a second black hole — Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) — the one at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy.

Discovery advances understanding of theory of relativity and quantum

By Media Relations

Urja Nandivada, Physics and Astronomy

Urja Nandivada, an undergraduate student in Physics and Astronomy, provided students with an impactful experience as an undergraduate TA.  She has been described as a mentor who is passionate about her teaching, and who has not let chronic illness affect her performance in teaching and her attitude towards students.  Urja makes the classroom environment feel welcoming, inclusive, and comfortable

Professor Will Percival, Director of the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, has been awarded a grant by the Canadian Space Agency to support his work helping to lead the Euclid satellite mission. This mission, led by the European Space Agency and scheduled for launch early in 2023, will provide a map of the Universe that is far larger than scientists currently have and is more accurate thanks to Euclid's space-based observations.

Will Percival from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science has received funding from the Government of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF).

The project was part of two competitions: the 2021 Exploration competition and the NFRF special call on Innovative Approaches to Research in the Pandemic Context.

Robert Mann, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been named a University Professor by the University of Waterloo. This designation recognizes exceptional scholarly achievement and international pre-eminence, and is given to a maximum of two faculty members each year.

We are pleased to announce that one of the winners of this year’s Faculty of Science Excellence in Science Teaching Awards is Professor Stefan Idziak from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

The world watched breathlessly as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched on Christmas morning and travelled 1.5 million kilometers to its earth-trailing orbit. Now, we breathe a sigh of relief as the telescope has begun sending us the first images as it aligns and prepares for research, launching a new chapter in humanity’s endeavor to study the universe.

In a paper published in Science on March 4 2022, Alan Jamison from the Physics & Astronomy Department and his colleagues at MIT demonstrated precise control of chemical reactions at ultracold temperatures.

Using magnetic fields, they tuned quantum interference effects to change chemical reaction rates by more than a factor of 100.

Firas Kamal Mansour, 50, passed away on 29 December 2021. An exceptional teacher and colleague, Firas dedicated his professional life to physics education and to the well-being of his students. With a larger than life personality replete with wit and charm, Firas had a passion for physics and physics education.