physics

Steven T. Bramwell

Steven T. Bramwell is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Steven T. Bramwell rather than just read about it. In short: Steven T. Bramwell (born 7 June 1961) is a British physicist and chemist who works at the London Centre for Nanotechnology and the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London.

Key takeaways

Steven T. Bramwell belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
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Reproduce the core statement of Steven T. Bramwell from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Steven T. Bramwell (born 7 June 1961) is a British physicist and chemist who works at the London Centre for Nanotechnology and the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London. He is known for his experimental discovery of spin ice with M. J. Harris and his calculation of a critical exponent observed in two-dimensional magnets with P. C. W. Holdsworth. A probability distribution for global quantities in complex systems, the "Bramwell-Holdsworth-Pinton (BHP) distribution", (to be implemented in Mathematica) is named after him. In 2009 Bramwell's group was one of several to report experimental evidence of magnetic monopole excitations in spin ice. He coined the term "magnetricity" to describe currents of these effective magnetic "monopoles" in condensed-matter systems. Bramwell studied chemistry at Oxford University, obtaining his PhD in 1989. He was a professor of physical chemistry at University College London from 2000-2009, before becoming a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Honours and distinctions Bramwell was awarded the 2010 Holweck Prize of the British Institute of Physics and the Société Française de Physique (SFP) for "pioneering new concepts in the experimental and theoretical study of spin systems". He shared the 2012 Europhysics Prize of the European Physical Society Condensed Matter Division "for the prediction and experimental observation of magnetic monopoles in spin ice". He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics. In 2010 he won the Times Higher Education research project of the year for "magnetricity", and was named by The Times on their list of the 100 top UK scientists. In 2019, Bramwell was awarded an honorary doctorate (FDhc) at Uppsala University in recognition of his work on spin ice, two-dimensional magnetism and longstanding collaboration with researchers at the Ångström Laboratory.

Selected publications Harris, M.; Bramwell, S.; McMorrow, D.; Zeiske, T.; Godfrey, K. (1997). "Geometrical Frustration in the Ferromagnetic Pyrochlore Ho2Ti2O7" (PDF). Physical Review Letters. 79 (13): 2554–2557. Bibcode:1997PhRvL..79.2554H. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.79.2554. hdl:20.500.11820/f7958ee9-5fb1-4965-8ab3-70c50216943c. Bramwell, S T; Harris, M J (13 April 1998). "Frustration in Ising-type spin models on the pyrochlore lattice". Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. 10 (14): L215–L220. Bibcode:1998JPCM...10L.215B. doi:10.1088/0953-8984/10/14/002. S2CID 250785872. Bramwell, S. T. (16 November 2001). "Spin Ice State in Frustrated Magnetic Pyrochlore Materials". Science. 294 (5546): 1495–1501. arXiv:cond-mat/0201427. Bibcode:2001Sci...294.1495B. doi:10.1126/science.1064761. PMID 11711667. S2CID 9402061. Bramwell, S T; Holdsworth, P C W (25 January 1993). "Magnetization and universal sub-critical behaviour in two-dimensional XY magnets". Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. 5 (4): L53–L59. Bibcode:1993JPCM....5L..53B. doi:10.1088/0953-8984/5/4/004. S2CID 250912649. Holdsworth, P. C. W.; Bramwell, S. T.; Pinton, J.-F. (10 December 1998). "Universality of rare fluctuations in turbulence and critical phenomena". Nature. 396 (6711): 552–554. Bibcode:1998Natur.396..552B. doi:10.1038/25083. S2CID 4373805. Bramwell, S.; Christensen, K.; Fortin, J.-Y.; Holdsworth, P.; Jensen, H.; Lise, S.; López, J.; Nicodemi, M.; Pinton, J.-F.; Sellitto, M. (2000). "Universal Fluctuations in Correlated Systems". Physical Review Letters. 84 (17): 3744–3747. arXiv:cond-mat/9912255. Bibcode:2000PhRvL..84.3744B. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.3744. PMID 11019195. S2CID 46664222. Fennell, T.; Deen, P. P.; Wildes, A. R.; Schmalzl, K.; Prabhakaran, D.; Boothroyd, A. T.; Aldus, R. J.; McMorrow, D. F.; Bramwell, S. T. (3 September 2009). "Magnetic Coulomb Phase in the Spin Ice Ho2Ti2O7". Science. 326 (5951): 415–417. arXiv:0907.0954. Bibcode:2009Sci...326..415F. doi:10.1126/science.1177582. PMID 19729619. S2CID 206521792. Bramwell, S. T.; Giblin, S. R.; Calder, S.; Aldus, R.; Prabhakaran, D.; Fennell, T. (15 October 2009). "Measurement of the charge and current of magnetic monopoles in spin ice". Nature. 461 (7266): 956–959. arXiv:0907.0956. Bibcode:2009Natur.461..956B. doi:10.1038/nature08500. PMID 19829376. S2CID 4399620.

References

External links Steve Bramwell | London Centre for Nanotechnology Survey of two dimensional critical exponents by Taroni, Bramwell and Holdsworth Mini-lecture: Professor Steve Bramwell on 'magnetricity' (UCL) on YouTube Spin ice monopole creation and magnetricity on YouTube Steve Bramwell discusses Marie and Pierre Curie on Radio 4's In Our Time

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Steven T. Bramwell

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Steven T. Bramwell claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Steven T. Bramwell before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Steven T. Bramwell ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Steven T. Bramwell

In research: Steven T. Bramwell appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Steven T. Bramwell in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Steven T. Bramwell is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1961 births, Academics of University College London, Alumni of the University of Oxford, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Steven T. Bramwell outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Steven T. Bramwell in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Steven T. Bramwell in simple terms?

Steven T. Bramwell (born 7 June 1961) is a British physicist and chemist who works at the London Centre for Nanotechnology and the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London.

Why does Steven T. Bramwell matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Steven T. Bramwell?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Steven T. Bramwell.