Research

The faculty and students of the Department of Physics and Astronomy engage in a broad range of theoretical, experimental, and observational research. The major research efforts include: astrophysics; biophysics, cosmology; quantum/condensed matter theory and experiment; the physics of plasmas, fluids, and beams; and space physics.

Links to brief descriptions and images of the various research groups are included below. Faculty working in each area are listed below the names of the respective research groups.

How to get involved in undergraduate research

Astrophysics

• Brian Chaboyer
• Aaron Dotter
• Robert Fesen
• Ryan Hickox
• Burcin Mutlu-Pakdil
• Elisabeth Newton
• John Thorstensen

Particles, Fields, Gravitation, and Cosmology 

• Robert Caldwell
• Marcelo Gleiser
• Devin Walker

Gravitational Quantum Physics

• Miles Blencowe
• Roberto Onofrio
• Alexander Smith
• Lorenza Viola

Quantum & Condensed Matter Physics

• Miles Blencowe
• Rufus Boyack
• Chandrasekhar Ramanathan
• Alex Rimberg
• Rahul Sarpeshkar
• Lorenza Viola
• James Whitfield
• Kevin Wright

Plasma and Fluids

• David Montgomery
• Barrett Rogers
• Yi-Hsin Liu

Space Plasma Physics

• Mary Hudson
• James LaBelle
• Kristina Lynch
• Robyn Millan
• Barrett Rogers
• John Lyon
• Hans Müller
• Yi-Hsin Liu

Links to more detailed, individual research pages are included in the pull down menu above.

Click here to see a list of recent PhD graduates and their thesis topic.