Department Office
Optics Building
Room 201 B
Huntsville AL 35899
Tel: 256-824-2483
Research in the Department
Our main areas of research are astrophysics, optics, and space science. Both graduate and undergraduate students are deeply involved in the Department's research groups and projects, which are summarized below.
Space Physics
Research on a variety of space physics subjects, including (1) the solar wind/local interstellar medium interaction, (2) plasma turbulence, (3) solar energetic particle events and space weather, and (4) computational physics. Read more...
Faculty: G Zank (six additional faculty to be added for Fall 2008)
HIgh-Energy Solar Physics
Research on understanding particle acceleration and transport, and the resulting X- and gamma-ray emissions, from solar flares. Data from a variety of NASA missions (such as RHESSI) are diagnostics of the high-energy processes in these energetic events. This data is used to guide and constrain numerical simulations, which are used to model and probe the flare's basic workings.
Faculty: J Miller
High-Energy Astrophysics
High-energy astrophysics research at UAH is focused primarily on observations of gamma-ray bursts (especially spectroscopy), galactic black hole candidates, low-mass X-ray binaries, active galaxies and galaxy clusters using satellite-borne instruments. UAH was a major participant in CGRO/BATSE and is now supporting development of the GLAST Burst Monitor, scheduled to be launched in May 2008. Group members have extensive experience analyzing data from various satellites, including RXTE, INTEGRAL, Chandra, RHESSE and Swift. Development of instrumentation and instrument concepts for future space missions is also an important research component. The group’s activities are facilitated by its close association with CSPAR and the NSSTC.
Faculty: M. Bonamente, R. Miller, W. Paciesas, R. Preece
Staff: M. Briggs
Observational Astrophysics
A key component to the Department's astrophysics research is observational studies of celestial objects. One very active area is star, brown dwarf and planet formation and includes a high-precision radial velocity search for recently formed planets. A second is the study of galaxy clusters, with the aim of understanding galaxy evolution and testing cosmological models. This work is carried out using a variety of both ground-based observatories (W. M. Keck Telescope, NASA's IRTF) and space-based observatories (Chandra, Spitzer). Faculty are also developing future space-telescopes to study cosmic rays (JEM-EUSO) and neutrinos (LOCO) emitted in violent events such as supernovae, and constructing extreme-ultraviolet source catalogs and studying thermal and non-thermal processes in clusters of galaxies.
Faculty: M Bonamente, R Miller, Y Takahashi, R White, R Lieu
Stellar Physics
Properties of asymptotic giant branch stars - cool supergiant stars that are losing mass to interstellar space at prodigious rates. The AGB stars are very bright in the infrared because of the warm dust that forms in their envelopes. The produce strong maser emission from abundant molecules such as OH, water, and SiO. By making interferometric maps and obtaining spectra of the maser and infrared emission we can learn details about the temporal and spatial structure of the mass flows from the AGB stars and the mechanism that causes the outflows. Ultraviolet observations of the emission from interstellar dust can be used to study the ultraviolet optical properties of the dust.
Faculty: J Fix
Gravitational Physics
Research in the department focuses on black hole physics (studies of the physical and geometrical structure of singularities and black hole interiors, and black hole perturbations, in particular radiation tails), gravitational-wave physics and astronomy (studies of gravitational
wave sources in particular for the NASA/ESA mission LISA), self interaction in general relativity, and theoretical and mathematical aspects of numerical relativity (in particular the development of a robust wave extraction method).
Faculty: L Burko
Astrophysics with the Moon
Our primary research efforts are directed toward the development of new approaches to particle and high-energy astrophysics, particularly endeavors utilizing the Moon. To survey the cosmos at energies relevant for nuclear astrophysics we are leading the development of the Lunar Occultation Observer (LOCO) mission concept. We are also evaluating future concepts that will detect the by-products of neutrino interactions in the Moon. In support of these projects we are developing detector instrumentation, doing mathematical modeling, performing large-scale computer simulations, as well as analyzing data from a number of NASA space missions. Related work includes the development of advanced algorithms for image and pattern recognition, as well as evaluating detector technologies for medical imaging, planetary exploration, and national security applications. Undergraduate and graduate students have been instrumental in all aspects of this work.
Faculty: R Miller
High-Precision Laser Physics
Current research focuses on developing two types of laser systems with extreme spectral properties: (1) compact low-phase-noise lasers with ultra-narrow linewidths (<100 Hz) and (2) fiber-laser-based optical frequency combs with ultra-broad spectra (1000-2000 nm). Both types of lasers are powerful tools for precision optical sensing and optical metrology, which are also studied and developed based on our laser systems.
Faculty: L Duan
Nanophotonics
Current experimental and theoretical research emphasizes (1) the coherent control of optical properties of nanostructures in the presence intense laser fields and plasmonic effects; (2) the development of new optical materials; (3) energy transfer between nanostructures; and (4) the engineering of the electronic and relaxation properties of nanostructures using metallic nanoparticles. Concurrent research is carried out to utilize these concepts to develop active nanostructures, functional photonic band gaps based on coherent effects and superradiant excitons, and various optical devices including new laser system.
Faculty: S Sadeghi
Materials Physics
Research areas include the theory of impurity atom diffusion in solids; the interaction of gases with solids; the generation of shock waves and hypervelocity impact phenomena; and the nucleation, growth, and coarsening of crystals precipitating from solution. In the areas of chemical and biophysics, current efforts include experimental and theoretical investigations of the application of the principle of critical point universality in chemistry, and the mechanism of protein crystallization.
Faculty: J Baird
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