A hallmark of our department is the research conducted by our faculty members together with undergraduate and master's students. Our programs include experimental, computational, and theoretical physics, astronomy, and physics education research. The faculty and students involved have earned national physics and astronomy awards, attract federal funding, and regularly publish and present their research. Current focus areas include:
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Atomic and molecular collision science, experiment (Khakoo, Childers, Hargreaves)
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Biological Physics, Soft and Active Matter (Ahmed)
- Observational astronomy (Cheng)
- Condensed-matter and surface science, theory (Tifrea)
- Fiber- and quantum-optical science, experiment and theory (Wanser, Fearn)
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Gravitational-wave physics and astronomy with LIGO, including neutron-star astrophysics (Read), black-hole simulation (Lovelace), and experimental detection (Smith)
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Physics education research (Loverude, Passante)
- String theory and general relativity (Fearn, Woodward)