Today’s physics news: Friday 5 February

UK’s eyes on Saturn blindfolded
Due to funding concerns, the Science and Technology Facilities Council has withdrawn funding for UK involvement in the Cassini Project.  UK astronomers on the project are credited with discovering the ice volcanoes of the Saturn moon Enceladus, the rich chemistry of the pre-biotic atmosphere of Titan and the mechanism of Saturn’s auroras.  Writing in a letter to The Times, eight of the researchers say the research council, despite the damage being done to the UK’s reputation, is only saving itself £700,000.

Times article

Times letter

Has climate change mole been found?
A scientist at the University of East Anglia has been questioned by detectives ­investigating how controversial emails were leaked from the campus’s climate research unit.  Norfolk police have interviewed and taken a formal statement from Paul Dennis, 54, another climate researcher who heads an adjacent laboratory.

Guardian

Slowly ramping up energy at the LHC
Phyiscs World features a close look at the pace at which researchers are ramping up the energies at the Large Hadron Collider.  Taking it steady to avoid another technical fault, CERN researchers are still confident they can get to the Higgs before Fermilab.

Physics World