Research

The Department of Physics is proud to offer an undergraduate minor in astronomy, as well as research opportunities using the department’s telescopes, spectrometer, and CCD camera. The Reno campus has long offered observing from the Planetarium and from Leifson Physics. In 2011, these resources were further augmented with the opening of the MacLean Observatory at the Redfield Campus in South Reno. The observatory features twin observing domes with 22-inch and 14-inch telescopes.  We are also a partner institution of the 0.7 meter robotic Great Basin Observatory located in Great Basin National Park in Eastern Nevada (an International Dark Sky Park). This is the only research-grade telescope in a U.S. National Park.  Undergraduate and graduate students also perform original research using ground-based radio telescopes (e.g., the Very Large Array) and space-based telescopes operated by NASA (e.g., the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope).

The astronomy minor is designed to attract students not only from the sciences, but also such diverse majors as anthropology, journalism, and education. Most departments have a range of research projects that would benefit from these studies.

The on-campus atmospheric science group develops and uses multispectral photoacoustic instruments and sun photometers to measure atmospheric aerosols, with applications to climate, visibility, air pollution and public health. Instruments are used in both ground-based and airborne applications. These instruments use optical and acoustical methods to measure particle size, composition, and morphology of small particles in the atmosphere.

The University's Department of Physics actively collaborates with the Division of Atmospheric Science at the Desert Research Institute.

Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Chemical Physics research at the University of Nevada, Reno first began in the 1960's and was further expanded in the 1990's to become one of the department's core strengths. This tradition continues today, with new faculty additions to this rapidly growing field. Research at the University of Nevada, Reno encompasses both theory and experiment, and addresses both fundamental physics and practical applications.

Theoretical work spans a wide range of fields, including:

• Precision calculations of atomic structure for tests of the Standard Model of elementary particles
• Research to improve the accuracy of atomic clocks
• Calculations and models of atomic interactions and spectroscopy in dense plasma environments
• Quantum computing
• Physics of ultracold degenerate gases

Experiments are conducted in newly renovated on-campus laboratories, as well as through collaborations at renowned research facilities such as the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Experiments explore physics such as:

• Studies of atomic and molecular interactions at low temperatures
• Quantum information
• Ion-ion and ion-photon collision studies for understanding high-temperature fusion energy and astrophysical plasma environments
• Optomechanics and quantum precision sensors
• Hybrid quantum systems and quantum computing

Department faculty, postdoctoral scholars and students benefit from active collaborations with researchers from throughout the world.

The materials physics group focuses on improving our understanding of the behavior of condensed matter. Materials of interest range from single crystals and aggregates of crystals such as minerals, metals and rocks, to amorphous and disordered materials such as polymers and glasses. Knowledge of the fundamental properties of these materials can be applied in diverse arenas, including solid state physics, geophysics and engineered materials.

The materials physics group uses primarily acoustic and optical techniques to extract information from samples, including Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS), Raman Spectroscopy, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Typically, these tools are used to interrogate samples while they undergo changes in state variables such as temperature or pressure. Changes in the state variables can induce concomitant changes in the arrangement of atoms within the materials, which in turn can lead to changes in microscopic and macroscopic properties of the material.

The fields of plasma physics and high energy density science are some of the department's core strengths, with active research in experiment, theory, and modeling. Research groups are carrying out theoretical, computational, experimental and applied investigations into many physical systems under extremes of pressure, temperature and density.

Research areas include studies of the formation and time evolution of plasmas, and investigations of conditions ranging from the physics of the upper atmosphere to extreme pressures and temperatures found in astrophysical events.

The Department of Physics has a number of distinctive research facilities that enhance the research activities in plasma physics and high energy density science including a 2 TW z-pinch accelerator, a 100 TW, 350 femtosecond laser, and a 800 cores cluster computer. In addition to these rich on-campus resources, additional research is done through collaborations at national research facilities such as the Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Sandia National Laboratory, and Livermore National Laboratory.

HEDP Theory and Simulation Lab

The state-of-art laser system can produce a pulse with petawatt power. Such laser can create extremely hot and dense matters, which exists only in the interior of stars in nature, in laboratory. Developing a massively paralleled plasma simulation code on a cluster computer system, I study the high energy density physics in the extreme matter created by laser lights in numerical simulations (virtual lab). Works are related to the physics of particle accelerations, x-ray radiations, anti-matter positron production, and laser fusion science for the future energy.

Our department understands the importance of outreach in K-12 education so we devote a portion of our education efforts in outreach to our community through "Physics road shows" as well as presentations to classes visiting our department. The department is committed to fulfilling the expectation of a first-rate education. By staying current with new classroom technologies, such as the "Personal Response Systems," we've kept our courses up-to-date and engaging.