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Visuals: Graphics

2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey: Galactic studies such as the "2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey" will improve our understanding of the distribution of dark and normal matter. (Unit: 10)

Abundance of Light Elements: The abundance of light elements indicates that most of the universe is not protons, neutrons, or electrons. (Unit: 11)

Acceleration and Gravity: A person in an accelerating rocket feels the same downward pull as a person on Earth feels from gravity. (Unit: 3)

Accreting Black Hole: Artist's conception of a black hole accreting matter from a companion star. (Unit: 4)

AdS/CFT Duality: The AdS/CFT duality relates a theory on the boundary of a region to a theory with gravity in the interior. (Unit: 4)

ARPES: Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is a direct experimental technique to observe the distribution of the electrons (more precisely, the density of single-particle electronic excitations) in the reciprocal space of solids. (Unit: 8)

Atom Refrigerator Sketch: Sketch of experimental setup used to created ultracold atoms. (Unit: 7)

Atomic Fountain: Schematic diagram of an atomic fountain clock. (Unit: 5)

BCS Quasiparticle Formation: An illustration of the process by which a BCS quasiparticle becomes a mixture of a normal state quasiparticle and quasihole and in so doing acquires an energy gap. (Unit: 8)

BEC Oscillations: Super-oscillations of a quantum gas and their dissipation on heating. (Unit: 6)

Bending of Light: Bending of light in an accelerating rocket. (Unit: 3)

Beta Decay: An example of beta decay. (Unit: 2)

Beta Decay Spectrum: Beta decay spectrum: The puzzling process explained by the detection of the neutrino. (Unit: 1)

Binary Pulsar Decay: Orbital period of the binary neutron star system PSR 1913+15 measured from 1975 to 2000. (Unit: 3)

Binding Site Logo: This sequence logo is a compact way of displaying information contained in a piece of genetic material. (Unit: 9)

Bits and Binary Numbers: Classical computers use bits that can be valued either 0 or 1. (Unit: 7)

Black Hole Jet: This VLBI image of jets from a black hole could not have been produced without atomic clocks. (Unit: 5)

Blackbody Spectra: The spectrum of blackbody radiation at different temperatures. (Unit: 6)

Bohr's Model of the Atom: Model of the atom by Niels Bohr. (Unit: 5)

Bose Condensate: Atoms in a Bose condensate at 0 K. (Unit: 6)

Bose-Einstein Condensation: Some of the first experimental evidence for a gaseous macroscopic quantum state. (Unit: 6)

Bose-Einstein Condensation: Three stages of cooling, and a quantum phase transition to a BEC. (Unit: 6)

Bosons and Fermions: Atoms in a trap at 0 K: bosons form a BEC (left) and fermions form a degenerate Fermi gas (right). (Unit: 6)

Brane Inflation: A brane and an antibrane moving toward one another and colliding could have caused inflation and the Big Bang. (Unit: 4)

Branes and Strings: Strings can break open and end on a brane. (Unit: 4)

Carrying Around Light Pulses: Turning light into matter in one Bose-Einstein condensate and then matter back into light in a second BEC in a different location. (Unit: 7)

Causal Dynamical Triangulation: Causal Dynamical Triangulation builds the spacetime in which we live from tiny triangles. (Unit: 3)

Classic Michelson Interferometer: The Michelson interferometer now finds application in a 21st century experiment: the search for gravitational waves. The diagram shows the original version of the instrument. (Unit: 3)

Combined Evidence for Dark Energy: Combining evidence from supernova and the CMB makes a strong case for dark energy. (Unit: 11)

Coming Full Circle: Was Newton right after all: "Are not gross Bodies and Light convertible into one another... ?" (Unit: 7)

Compactification: An extra dimension can curl up in a manner that is nearly impossible to discern for an inhabitant of the larger, uncurled dimensions. (Unit: 2)

Compactified Extra Dimension: String theorists generally believe that extra dimensions are compactified, or curled up. (Unit: 4)

Complex Adaptive Behavior: A schematic view of what constitutes a complex adaptive system. (Unit: 9)

Complex Quantum Wave: While the complex part of a quantum wavefunction "waves," the probability density does not. (Unit: 6)

Components of the Universe: The composition of the universe, with 96 percent invisible and unfamiliar. (Unit: 11)

Composite Fermions and Bosons: Protons in LHC collisions (left) and electrons in a superconductor (right) are examples of composite fermions and bosons. (Unit: 6)

Composite Higgs: This Feynman diagram representing a composite Higgs and top quark is a part of the Higgs mass calculation in a supersymmetric model. (Unit: 2)

Compton Scattering: Arthur Holly Compton (left) discovered that the frequency of light can change as it scatters off of matter. (Unit: 2)

Computer Schematic: Schematic of a modern digital computer. (Unit: 9)

Conserved Charge: The total amount of electric charge is conserved, even in complicated interactions like this one. (Unit: 2)

Constituents of the Universe: The composition of the universe, with 96 percent invisible and unfamiliar. (Unit: 10)

Cosmic Microwave Background: Map of the temperature variations in the cosmic microwave background measured by the WMAP satellite. (Unit: 10)

Cosmic Microwave Background: Dark energy is now the dominant factor pushing the universe to expand. (Unit: 11)

Cosmic Microwave Background: Map of the temperature variations in the cosmic microwave background measured by the WMAP satellite. (Unit: 4)

Cosmic Microwave Background Spectrum: Spectrum of the cosmic microwave background radiation. (Unit: 5)

Creation of the Earliest Elements: This series of reactions created the lightest elements in the infant universe. (Unit: 10)

Cuprate Superconductors: A candidate phase diagram based, in part, on magnetic measurements of normal state behavior, for the cuprate superconductors. (Unit: 8)

Curved Spacetime: Triangles on curved surfaces. (Unit: 3)

Density and Geometry: The geometry of the universe depends on its density. (Unit: 11)

Detecting the Direction of the WIMP Wind: If they exist, WIMPs could stream toward Earth in a specific direction in a "WIMP wind" that might be experimentally detectable. (Unit: 10)

Diffraction in Random Media: Diffraction of green laser light passing though a random medium. (Unit: 6)

Diffraction of Atoms: This diffraction pattern appeared when a beam of sodium molecules encountered a series of small slits, showing their wave-like nature. (Unit: 5)

Discovering Quarks at the SLAC: Overview of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. (Unit: 1)

DNA Configurations: The DNA double helix, in three of its possible configurations. (Unit: 9)

Doppler Cooling: Red-detuned lasers don't affect an atom at rest (left) but will slow an atom moving towards the light source (right). (Unit: 5)

Early Periodic Table: An early version of Mendeleev's Periodic Table, showing the positions of missing elements. (Unit: 6)

Effective Interaction: The net effective interaction between electrons in a metal. (Unit: 8)

Einstein's Gravitational Warp: In Einstein's theory of general relativity, mass warps the fabric of space. (Unit: 11)

Electromagnetic Spectrum: The electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays. (Unit: 5)

Electron Interference: An interference pattern builds up as individual electrons pass through two slits. (Unit: 5)

Electronic Band Structure: Comparison of the electronic band structures of metals, semiconductors, and insulators. (Unit: 8)

Electrostatic and Gravitational Shielding: Comparison of the shielding of electrostatic and gravitational forces. (Unit: 3)

Elementary Particles: This chart shows the known fundamental particles—those of matter and those of force. (Unit: 2)

Energy Landscape: Here, we see two possible paths across an energy landscape strewn with local minima. (Unit: 9)

Enzymes: The enzyme on the left has a much easier time reading DNA than the enzyme on the right due to structural details that are difficult to predict from first principles. (Unit: 9)

Equivalent String Configurations: The consequences of strings winding around a larger extra dimension are the same as strings moving around a smaller extra dimension. (Unit: 4)

Evaporative Cooling: Evaporative cooling into the ground state. (Unit: 7)

Expanding Universe: General relativity is consistent with all the cosmological data that characterizes our visible universe. (Unit: 4)

Expanding Universe: If we run time backwards, the entire universe collapses into a single, infinitely dense point. (Unit: 4)

Experimental Limits on ISL Violations: Experimental limits on the universality of free fall. (Unit: 3)

Experimental Setup for Slow Light: Experimental realization of slow light. (Unit: 7)

Extra-Dimensional Space: A depiction of one of the six-dimensional spaces that seem promising for string compactification. (Unit: 4)

Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope: NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has spotted an excess of normal matter particles that may have arisen when WIMPs annihilated each other. (Unit: 10)

Fermi Surface with Holes and Electrons: The Fermi surface reveals how the energy varies with momentum for the highest-energy electrons—those that have the Fermi energy. (Unit: 8)

Feynman Diagram of a Jet: In this Feynman diagram of a jet, a single quark decays into a shower of quarks and gluons. (Unit: 2)

Feynman diagrams: Feynman diagram representing a simple scattering of two particles (left) and a more complicated scattering process involving two particles (right). (Unit: 2)

Fitness Landscape: Natural selection can be viewed as movement on a fitness landscape. (Unit: 9)

Friction, Close Up: A microscopic view of friction. (Unit: 2)

Frustrated Spin System: This simple system of three spins is frustrated, and has no clear ground state. (Unit: 9)

Fundamental Particles: Three generations of quarks and leptons. (Unit: 1)

Galactic Case for Dark Matter: Observed and predicted rotation curves for the galaxy M33, also known as the "Triangulum Galaxy." (Unit: 10)

GRACE Mission: GRACE mission gravity map of the Earth. (Unit: 3)

Gravitational Attraction: Gravitational attraction between two spheres causes a tiny change in their positions. (Unit: 3)

Gravitational Field Lines: The gravitational field lines spread out radially from a massive particle. (Unit: 4)

Gravitational Wave Detector: Schematic of a laser interferometer that can detect gravitational waves. (Unit: 2)

Gravitational Waves: Distortion of space from a gravitational wave. (Unit: 3)

Graviton Exchange: Gravitons arise naturally in string theory, leading to Feynman diagrams like the one on the right. (Unit: 4)

Gravity and Extra Dimensions: Gravity leaking into extra dimensions could explain the hierarchy problem. (Unit: 4)

Ground State of Helium: The ground state of helium: energy levels and electron probability distribution. (Unit: 6)

Harmonic Oscillator: A simple harmonic oscillator (bottom) and its energy diagram (top). (Unit: 5)

Harmonic Oscillator Energy Levels: Low-lying energy levels of a harmonic oscillator. (Unit: 5)

Harmonic Oscillator, n=40: The wavefunction (left) and probability distribution (right) of a harmonic oscillator in the state n = 40. (Unit: 5)

Hawking Radiation: Black holes radiate by a quantum mechanical process. (Unit: 4)

Helium Atom: Mass of a helium atom is not equal to the sum of its constituent parts. (Unit: 3)

Helium Isotopes: The two isotopes of helium: a fermion and a boson. (Unit: 6)

Helium Phases: Temperature-pressure phase diagrams of the two quantum materials, ³He and ⁴He, that remain liquid down to the lowest temperatures in the absence of pressure compared to a typical liquid-solid phase diagram. (Unit: 8)

Horizon Problem: Both sides of the universe look the same, although light could not have traveled from one side to the other. (Unit: 4)

Hubble Diagram: Hubble diagram, plotting velocity vs. distance for galaxies outside our own. (Unit: 11)

Hydrogen Atom: The size of a hydrogen atom is determined by the uncertainty principle. (Unit: 5)

Hydrogen Spectrum: The spectrum of atomic hydrogen. (Unit: 5)

Inflation: During the period of inflation, the universe grew by a factor of at least 10²⁵. (Unit: 4)

Inflaton Potential: A potential like the one shown above for the inflaton field could have caused inflation. (Unit: 4)

INS and Phonon Spectrum: Top: Experimental set-up for measurement of energy loss spectrum of neutrons that are inelastically scattered by a crystal. Bottom: A typical phonon spectrum obtained through an elastic neutron scattering (INS) experiment. (Unit: 8)

Interfering Bose-Einstein Condensates: Interference of two coherent BECs, separated and allowed to recombine. (Unit: 6)

Internal Energy Levels of a Sodium Atom: Internal, quantized energy levels of the atom. (Unit: 7)

Inverse Beta Decay: The inverse beta decay that revealed the neutrino. (Unit: 1)

Joint Dark Energy Mission: The Joint Dark Energy Mission will make precise measurements of the effects of dark energy from space. (Unit: 11)

Kaon-Box Diagram: Neutral kaon oscillation. (Unit: 1)

Kondo Lattice Scaling Behavior: A candidate phase diagram for CeRhIn₅ depicting the changes in its emergent behavior and ordering temperatures as a function of pressure. (Unit: 8)

Length Scale: Quantum effects meet general relativity somewhere near the center of this length scale. (Unit: 4)

Lewis Shell Model: The Lewis shell model for the first three atoms in the modern periodic table. (Unit: 6)

Li, Na, and K Energy Levels: Electrons in atomic energy levels for Li, Na, and K. (Unit: 6)

Light Curves: Light curve shape standardization. (Unit: 11)

LISA Satellites: Artist's conception of the LISA satellites in space. (Unit: 3)

Loop Quantum Gravity: Visualization of a stage in the quantum evolution of geometry, according to Loop Quantum Gravity. (Unit: 3)

LUX Detector: The Large Underground Xenon detector will have 100 times more sensitivity to WIMPs than previous detection methods. (Unit: 10)

Magnetic Interaction: Magnetic interaction potential in a lattice. (Unit: 8)

Magnetic Quasiparticle Interaction: The magnetic quasiparticle interaction between spins s and s'. (Unit: 8)

Matter and Antimatter: Matter and antimatter: An imperfect mirror. (Unit: 1)

Measurement of Ultra-Slow Light: Measurement of ultra-slow light in a cold atom cloud. (Unit: 7)

Mesons and Baryons: The periodic table for heavier mesons and baryons. (Unit: 1)

Mirror Symmetry: For the weak force, an electron's mirror image is a different type of object. (Unit: 2)

Models of the Universe: The future scale of the universe depends on the nature of dark energy. (Unit: 11)

Modern Hubble Diagram: Adding high-redshift supernovae to the Hubble diagram revealed the effects of dark energy. (Unit: 11)

Molecular BEC interference: Interference pattern created by the overlap of two clouds of molecular BECs, each composed of ⁶Li₂ diatomic molecules. (Unit: 6)

Multiwavelength Milky Way: Our galaxy, imaged at many different wavelengths. (Unit: 6)

Muon Decay: The muon's most common decay path. (Unit: 1)

Myoglobin: The structure of myoglobin (left) and the form it actually takes in space (right). (Unit: 9)

Natural Selection: Sewall Wright sketched the path different populations might take on the fitness landscape. (Unit: 9)

Neutralized Charges: Neutralized charges in QED and QCD. (Unit: 2)

Neutron Decay: Neutron decay from the inside. (Unit: 2)

Neutron Star Cross-Section: A cross section of a neutron star shows the rich variety of emergent quantum matter expected in its crust and core. (Unit: 8)

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation: Law of universal gravitation force diagram. (Unit: 3)

NIST F1 Clock: This apparatus houses the NIST F1 cesium fountain clock, which is the primary time and frequency standard of the United States. (Unit: 5)

Nuclides: As this chart shows, not every imaginable nucleus is stable. (Unit: 6)

Optical Lattice: Atoms trapped in an optical lattice. (Unit: 5)

Origin of Particles: All the Standard Model particles could have been produced by the inflaton oscillating around its ground state like a ball rolling around in a valley. (Unit: 4)

Oscillating Model of Helium Atom: A simple classical model fails to explain the stability of the helium atom. (Unit: 6)

Particle in a Box: The first three allowed de Broglie wave modes for a particle in a box. (Unit: 5)

Periodic Table: The periodic table of elements. (Unit: 1)

Photoelectric Effect: When light shines on a metal, electrons pop out. (Unit: 2)

Pinning: An illustration of two possible regimes of pinning for superfluid vortices in the crust of a neutron star. (Unit: 8)

Pion Decay: Pions play an important role in explaining why atomic nuclei do not split apart. (Unit: 1)

Planck Satellite: The Planck satellite will make precise measurements of fluctuations in the CMB. (Unit: 4)

Prion Structures: Two possible conformations of a prion protein: on the left as a beta sheet; on the right as an alpha helix. (Unit: 9)

Protein Folding Funnel: A schematic of how minimizing the free energy of a molecule could lead to protein folding. (Unit: 9)

Proton Decay: The X boson mediates the decay of the proton. (Unit: 2)

Pseudogaps: Illustration of the temperature evolution of the Fermi surface in underdoped cuprates. (Unit: 8)

QCD at Different Energies: The QCD coupling depends on energy. (Unit: 2)

QED Coupling: QED at high energies and short distances. (Unit: 2)

Quantum Vortices: Quantum vortices in a BEC (top) and the corresponding phase of the quantum wavefunction (bottom). (Unit: 6)

Quark Flux Tubes: As quarks are pulled apart, eventually new quarks appear. (Unit: 4)

Quark-Gluon Plasma: The aftermath of a heavy ion collision at RHIC, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. (Unit: 4)

Quasars and Gravitational Lenses: Gravitational lensing produces more than one image of distant quasars, as seen in this shot from the Hubble Space Telescope. (Unit: 10)

Quasiparticles: As shown in the figure, dimensionality can influence dramatically the behavior of quasiparticles in metals. (Unit: 8)

Qubits and Superposition: Quantum computers use qubits. (Unit: 7)

Race Between a Biker and a Light Pulse.: The biker wins the race against the light pulse! (Unit: 7)

Reference Frames: Experimental results remain the same whether they are performed at rest or at a constant velocity. (Unit: 2)

Refractive Index and Transmission: Refractive index variation with the frequency of a probe laser pulse. (Unit: 7)

Repressilator: The circuit diagram (top), bacterial population (center), and plot of the dynamics (bottom) of the repressilator, an example of a simple synthetic biological network. (Unit: 9)

Riemann Surfaces: These objects are Riemann surfaces with genus 0, 1, and 2. (Unit: 4)

RNA: The chemical structure of RNA (left), and the form the folded molecule takes (right). (Unit: 9)

RNA and DNA: Molecules of life: RNA (left) and DNA (right). (Unit: 9)

Rotation: Rotations in physical space and "particle space." (Unit: 2)

Rutherford's Hydrogen Atom: Rutherford's model of a hydrogen atom. (Unit: 6)

Scattering Cross Sections: Two examples of a scattering cross section. (Unit: 2)

Shell Model for Molecules: Molecules in the Lewis shell picture: the pair bond for H₂ and Li₂. (Unit: 6)

Short-Distance Gravity Test: Torsion pendulum to test the inverse square law of gravity at sub-millimeter distances. (Unit: 3)

Simulated Higgs Event: Simulation of a Higgs event at the LHC. (Unit: 2)

Simulated LHC Collision: The rules of quantum gravity must predict the probability of different collision fragments forming at the LHC, such as the miniature black hole simulated here. (Unit: 4)

Single-Slit Interference: Ripple tank picture of plane waves incident on a slit that is about two wavelengths wide. (Unit: 5)

SLAC's Evidence for the J/Psi: Computer reconstruction of a psi-prime decay in the SLAC Mark I detector. (Unit: 1)

Soliton: Density notch soliton. (Unit: 6)

Spacetime in General Relativity: In Einstein's theory of gravity, space is warped but featureless. (Unit: 11)

Spin Pairing in Molecules: Spin pairing in the molecules H₂ and Li₂. (Unit: 6)

SQUID Amplifiers in the ADMX Detector: SQUID technology boosts the ability of the Axion Dark Matter experiment to detect the faint signals that would indicate the presence of axions. (Unit: 10)

Standard Model: Fundamental particles of the Standard Model. (Unit: 1)

Standard Model: The Standard Model of particle physics. (Unit: 4)

Standing Waves: Standing waves on a string between two fixed endpoints. (Unit: 5)

String Collision: String collisions are softer than particle collisions. (Unit: 4)

String Landscape: Typical string theories or supersymmetric field theories have many candidate scalar field inflatons. (Unit: 4)

String on a Double Torus: Strings can wind around a double torus in many distinct ways. (Unit: 4)

Structure Formation: Small fluctuations in density in the leftmost box collapse into large structures on the right in this computer simulation of the universe. (Unit: 4)

Structure in the Universe: Simulations of structure formation in the universe show the influence of gravity and dark energy. (Unit: 3)

Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect: The Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect allows astronomers to find the signature of galaxy clusters in the CMB. (Unit: 11)

Superconducting SQUID: A Superconducting Qantum Interference Device (SQUID) is the most sensitive type of detector of magnetic fields known to science. (Unit: 8)

Superfluid Vortex: Geometry of a straight vortex line in a superfluid. (Unit: 8)

Superstring: The fundamental units of matter may be minuscule bits of string. (Unit: 4)

Supersymmetry: Canceling loops in supersymmetry. (Unit: 2)

Temperature and the de Broglie Wavelength: Atomic de Broglie waves overlap as temperatures are lowered. (Unit: 6)

Temperature Scale: Temperature scale in physics. (Unit: 5)

Temperatures, Energies, and Lengths: Changes in short-distance physics—at the Planck scale—can produce profound changes in cosmology, at the largest imaginable distances. (Unit: 4)

Temperatures, Energies, and Lengths: Energies, sizes, and temperatures in physics, and in nature. (Unit: 2)

Thomson's Experiments: Thomson used the cathode ray tube in three different experiments. (Unit: 1)

Tidal Water Level: Plot of the tidal Water Level (WL) at Port Townsend, Washington. (Unit: 3)

Timeline of the Universe: The history of the universe according to our standard model of cosmology. (Unit: 10)

Timeline of the Universe: Dark energy is now the dominant factor pushing the universe to expand. (Unit: 11)

Torsion Balance to Measure G: Schematic of a torsion balance to measure the gravitational constant, G. (Unit: 3)

Train: Spin flipping on the train. (Unit: 2)

Traveling Salesman Problem: An optimal travelling salesman problem (TSP) tour through Germany's 15 largest cities. It is the shortest among 43,589,145,600 possible tours visiting each city exactly once. (Unit: 9)

Turing Test: Player C is trying to determine which player—A or B—is a computer and which is a human. (Unit: 9)

Twin Paradox: Time dilation/twin "paradox." (Unit: 3)

Two Types of Superconductors: Left: conventional superconductors, and right: heavy-electron superconductors. (Unit: 8)

Two-Wave Interference: Two waves interfere as they cross paths. (Unit: 5)

Type Ia Supernova Spectrum: The spectrum of a Type Ia supernova, shown here, distinguishes it from other supernova types. (Unit: 11)

Underground Neutrino Experiment: Drawing of the underground Brookhaven Solar Neutrino Observatory. (Unit: 1)

Unification of Quarks and Leptons: Quarks and leptons, unified. (Unit: 2)

Uniform Gravitational Field: Equality of gravitational and inertial mass. (Unit: 3)

Unifying the Forces: In the Standard Model (left), the couplings for the strong, weak and electromagnetic forces never meet, while in supersymmetry (right), these forces unify near 10¹⁵ GeV. (Unit: 2)

Various Interference Effects: The two-slit interference pattern depends on the distance between the slits. (Unit: 5)

Vela Pulsar: Radiotelescope observations of glitches and postglitch behavior in the Vela pulsar. (Unit: 8)

W Boson Scattering: Scattering of W particles in Feynman diagrams. (Unit: 2)

Water: The electromagnetic force and the constituents of matter. (Unit: 2)

Wavefunction and Probability Distribution: The ground state wavefunction of a harmonic oscillator (left) and the corresponding probability distribution (right). (Unit: 5)

Wavefunctions: (a)-(d) Some wavefunctions for a particle in a box. Curve (e) is the sum of curves (a-d). (Unit: 5)

Waves on a Circle: If a particle is constrained to move on a circle, its wave must resemble the left drawing rather than the right. (Unit: 4)

Wine Bottle Potential: The wine-bottle potential that is characteristic of spontaneous symmetry breaking. (Unit: 2)

World as a Membrane: The Standard Model particles could be confined to the surface of a membrane, while gravity is free to leak into other dimensions. (Unit: 2)

Z Boson: The Z particle at SLAC. (Unit: 2)