Low Temperature Physics Division

Grand challenges in low-temperature plasma physics

INTRODUCTION A plasma is a hot ionized gas and classification of this fourth state of matter can be initially done using the basic concept of temperature. A prime example is the Sun which exhibits a very hot plasma in its core with temperatures of about 1.5 × 107 K (a result of fusion reactions with a proton density of ∼1026 cm−3) and cooler surface temperatures of about 6000 K [1]: the Solar w...

Physics of Proteins at Low Temperature

We present results of a hole burning study with thermal cycling and waiting time spectral diffusion experiments on a modified cytochrome c protein in its native as well as in its denatured state. The experiments show features which seem to be characteristic for the protein state of matter and its associated dynamics at low temperature. The properties responsible for the observed patterns are or...

Quantum Physics Division (JILA)

The Quantum Physics Division is the NIST part of JILA*, a joint research, training, and technology innovation institute between NIST and the University of Colorado, Boulder (CU). Founded in 1962, JILA is the nation’s first full university-government partnership, where Federal employee scientists and university scientists are physically co-located and work continuously and collaboratively on res...

Low-temperature conditional cell division mutants of Escherichia coli.

Fifteen low-temperature conditional division mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 was isolated. They grew normally at 39 degrees C but formed filaments at 30 degrees C. All exhibited a coordinated burst of cell division when the filaments were shifted to the permissive temperature (39 degrees C). None of the various agents that stimulate cell division in other mutant systems (salt, sucrose, ethanol...

Majorana “spin-flip” and ultra-low temperature atomic physics