KU Department of
Physics and Astronomy
An overview for prospective
graduate students
Fall 2008
KU Physics and Astronomy
by the numbers…
101 Undergraduate Physics or Astronomy Majors
44 Masters and Ph.D. Students
6
Postdoctoral research associates
26 Full-time Faculty
13 Support Personnel (machinists, secretaries, etc.)
How much do they make? Starting Salaries
University faculty
usually have
postdocs before
taking that position.
College faculty
starting salaries are
often similar to
those of University
postdocs. Postdocs
usually last 2-3
years.
Research programs – University of Kansas
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Fall 2008
Research programs: KU
Department of Physics and Astronomy
• observational astronomy
• astrobiophysics
• cosmology
• space and plasma physics
• experimental nuclear physics
• experimental particle physics
• theoretical particle physics
•biophysics
• non-linear dynamics
• experimental condensed matter physics
Cosmology at KU
Galaxy Shapes
Cutting edge Research
Large Scale Structure: Cover of Nature
Cosmic Microwave
Background Radiation
Ph.Ds in the last decade
include research fellows,
four college/university
faculty members and a
supercomputer consultant.
Cluster
Alignment
Velocities in
the Universe
Molecular Biophysics
Dr. Fischer
Protein-DNA Interactions
Molecular Motors
Dr. Antonik
Single-Molecular Spectroscopy
Conformational Dynamics
distant galaxies
Astronomy at KU
Active Galactic
Nuclei
Using telescopes on the
ground and in space
Galaxy clusters
Star clusters
Nebulae
SPACE PHYSICS
at KU
Research is conducted
for NASA and NSF on
the upper atmospheres
of the planets and how
solar radiation and
particles interact with the
planetary environments.
Size of
each image
is 60 Earth
radii.
This journal cover shows
some our group’s predictions
of x-ray intensities of the
Earth’s extended hydrogen
atmosphere.
High-Energy, Plasma & Lab Astrophysics
M.V. Medvedev’s group
A star can violently explode to
produce a very intense burst of
radiation -- a Gamma-Ray Burst
(GRB) -- that outshines all the
stars altogether in the Universe for
a fraction of a second.
Such an explosion is even stronger
than famous Supernova explosions
(below)
An exploding star can produce a Black Hole or a
Neutron Star – the objects with huge gravity. How
space-time continuum around them looks like? What
happens to objects and gas near a Black Hole Horizon?
Can we find Black Holes using telescopes? Does the
Einstein’s General Relativity theory is valid? What
observations can tell us about space and time ? These
are the questions we are trying to answer.
To study what the GRBs and Supernovae are
and how they shine, we make theoretical
models and computer simulations of relevant
plasma physical processes (a realistic
computer simulation result is shown below)
Amazingly, these astrophysical objects can
be reproduced in lab experiments with
present-day high-intensity lasers, which
power exceeds way the whole-world
electric power production !!!
Nuclear physics @ the Large Hadron
Collider
We collide lead ions on lead
ions at the highest energies
in the world to understand
the fabric of the vacuum.
KU is responsible for the
Zero Degree Calorimeter
that detects photons and
neutrons produced in the
collisions.
Nano-devices
Barrier
modulation
BO
BO
Au
Au
T
l
H
g
Nanowire junctions
Si
Switching
magnetometer
Qubit
Thin Film
Quantum computing
Si
Si
Si
Flux bias e
Si
Making the Highest-Tc (135K)
Superconductor via atomic
surgery
Schrodinger’s Cat
alive
Ultrafast Lasers
dead
semiconductors
KU Condensed Matter Physics Program
(3 profs, 3 postdocs, 11 grads, 5 undergrads)
Quantum Devices & Circuits —Siyuan Han
Thin Film & Nanoscience—Judy Wu
Lasers & Semiconductors—Hui Zhao
spintronics
Astrobiophysics
Faculty: Melott & Medvedev, plus others in
various KU departments.
Emphasis: astrophysical ionizing radiation
effects upon the Earth’s biosphere; mass
extinctions; cycles in biodiversity over 100+
million-year timescales.
Above: Image from a
NASA press release
about KU research results
Collaboration: Combining research in highenergy astrophysics, paleontology, atmospheric
science, geophysics, radiation biology, and more.
Results: Publications in a wide variety of
scientific journals, student and faculty research
awards, international news coverage, research
symposia, National Geographic TV special
Theoretical
Physics
Ali
Danny
John
Azar
Mihailo
Doug
Farida
Nefer
Rainer
Enrico
14
Theory Group
Experimental Particle Physics
at KU
PROJECTS:
CLEO, CMS, D0,
ILC,RICE, AURA,
Detector
R&D,
QUARKED!TM,
QuarkNet
PROFESSORS:
Baringer,Bean,
Besson, Wilson
For more information:
http://www.physics.ku.edu/
There are links for graduate
application, information on
teaching
assistantships,research, etc.
Self Graduate Fellowship:
http://www2.ku.edu/~selfpro/
“Doctoral Fellowships for Tomorrow’s
Leaders”