The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers major and minor programs in physics, a minor in astronomy, and a second major curriculum for engineering majors. Physics is considered to be a foundation science for other sciences such as chemistry, astrophysics, and geophysics, and for applied fields such as engineering. Physics encompasses the study of the physical nature of the universe, on all scales ranging from those of subatomic elementary particles to the observable universe as a whole. There are many opportunities for physics majors to participate in research projects with physics and astronomy faculty.
Programs
The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers major and minor programs in physics and a minor in astronomy. The Department of Physics and Astronomy also has a second major curriculum for engineering majors.
- Major
- Minors
Physics Major for College of Engineering Students
The Department of Physics and Astronomy also has a second major curriculum for engineering majors. This combination of fundamental and applied physics can be highly advantageous when the graduate enters the job market. For more information, contact the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Faculty
Chair and Professor
- LeClair, Patrick R.
Professors
- Piepke, Andreas G.
- White, Raymond E. III
- Stancu, Ion
- Busenitz, Jerome K.
- Buta, Ronald J.
- Harms, Benjamin C.
- Keel, William C.
- Mankey, Gary J.
- Schad, Rainer
- Sarker, Sanjoy
- Stern, Allen B.
- Mewes, Tim
Associate Professors
- Mewes, Claudia
- Henderson, Conor
- Townsley, Dean
- Irwin, Jimmy
- Okada, Nobuchika
- Rumerio, Paolo
- Williams, Dawn R.
Assistant Professors
- Hauser, Adam
- Schwiete, Georg
- Ostrovskiy, Igor
- Bailin, Jeremy
- Irwin, Jimmy
- Kaminski, Matthias
- Araujo, Paulo
- Nair, Preethi
- Tse, Wang-Kong
Teaching Faculty
- Toale, Patrick A.
- Silverstone, Murray
Courses
This course surveys the development of our current understanding of the Universe, including our Solar System, exoplanets, stars and stellar evolution (including white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, and supernovae), galaxies and cosmology (dark matter, dark energy, the Big Bang, the accelerating universe, supermassive black holes), and life in the Universe. NOTE: If the student plans to apply AY 101 toward satisfaction of the N requirement of the University Core Curriculum, AY 102 must also be taken.
Lectures and laboratory. An algebra-based introductory course including classical mechanics and thermodynamics. Topics include: kinematics, Newtonian dynamics, conservation of energy and momentum, rotational motion, oscillations and waves, kinetic theory of gases, and thermodynamics. Degree credit can only be awarded for one of the following: PH 101, PH 105, or PH 125.