Physics & Astronomy

Physics forms the basis of virtually all scientific and engineering undertakings. Physicists and astrophysicists investigate fundamental questions about the universe and our place in it because of an intrinsic interest in understanding how the world works, which leads ultimately to applications that benefit society.

An education in physics or astrophysics provides a solid basis of such knowledge and trains students in the analytical thinking that has always been unique to physicists.

The degrees offered provide an important step toward pursuing a career in many different areas, where an overlap with curiosity and wonder are essential.

All-Time Physics and Astronomy Regular Faculty

Victor Acosta

Acosta, Victor

2015- ; PhD 2011, UC Berkeley; Quantum Sensing, Magnetic Resonance, and AMO Experiment

Ahluwalia, Harjit

1968-2014; PhD 1960, Gujarat University, India; Galactic Cosmic Radiation, Solar and Space Weather and Plasma Physics

Allahverdi, Rouzbeh

2007- ; PhD 2000, University of Alberta, Canada; Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology

Alpert, Seymour

1966-94; PhD 1962, UC Berkeley; Optics and Energetic Modeling of the Human Metabolism; Deceased March 2014

Angell, Martin

Professor of Physics and Engineering, 1903-04 and 1905-08; 1908-13; Dean of the College of Science and Engineering, 1909-13; MA (05), University of Wisconsin.

Bardsley, George

1919-20; MS, University of California

Barron, Darcy

2018- ; PhD 2015, UC San Diego; Cosmology, Cosmic Microwave Background Measurements including Instrumentation Development

Bassalleck, Bernd

1982-2015; Chair 2002-12; PhD 1977, Universität Karlsruhe, Germany; Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics

Becerra-Chavez, Francisco Elohim

2013- ; PhD 2009, Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Avanzados, Mexico; Experimental Quantum Optics, Nonlinear Optics, Quantum Information

Beckel, Charles

1966-94; PhD 1954, Johns Hopkins University; Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics, Biophysics; Deceased August 2009

Becker, Wilhelm

1987-92; PhD 1969, Technische Universität München, Germany; Quantum Optics and Physics in Intense Laser Fields

Bowen, L. Gerald

1948-55; MS 1949, University of New Mexico; Meteorology

Breiland, John

1942-70; Chair 1957-58 and 1961-62; University of Iowa; PhD 1956; Synoptic meteorology, thunderstorms, atmospheric ozone. Deceased September 1996

Brenneman, Jesse

1914-17; BS 1908, University of Chicago.

Brown, Robert Reginald

1953-56; PhD 1952, University of California, Berkeley. Cosmic ray time variations, auroral and ionospheric physics, geomagnetism; Deceased May 23, 2010

Bryant, Howard Carnes

1960-97; PhD 1961, University of Michigan; Solar Energy, Elementary Particle, Nuclear and High Energy Atomic Physics

Burns, Jack

1980-89; PhD 1978, Indiana University; Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology

Cahill, Kevin

1981- ; PhD 1967, Harvard; Quantum Optics, Theoretical Particle Physics, Computational Physics, Biophysics, Relativity and Cosmology

Campbell, Belva

1986-2001; PhD 1984, University of Arizona; Optical, Infrared and Radio Astronomy; Deceased January 2014

Campbell, Philip

1967-69; PhD 1963, University of Colorado at Boulder; Radiation transport, spherical galaxies

Caves, Carlton

1992-2018; PhD 1979, Caltech; Quantum information theory and quantum computation. Theory of open quantum systems and decoherence. Nonlinear dynamics and quantum chaos. Theoretical quantum optics

Chakraborty, Tonmoy

2020- ; PhD 2018, SUNY Albany; Biophotonics, Fluorescence Microscopy

Chandler, Colston

1966-68 and 1970-2004; PhD 1967, UC Berkeley; Scattering theory. Pion-nuclear physics. Atomic physics

Childs, Edward P.

1898-99; Dean of the College of Science, Literature and Arts, Director of Laboratories of Chemistry and Physics, and Professor of Physics and Mathematics, 1899-1902; BS, Denison University. Deceased October 21, 1951

Coleman, Francis Fleming

1934-36; Assistant Dean of Men, 35-36; PhD 1933, Oxford University; Vapor pressure of metals, molecular velocity spectrometer

Crosson, Elizabeth

2018-2023; PhD 2015, University of Washington; Theory of Quantum Information and Quantum Computation

Cyr-Racine, Francis-Yan

2019- ; PhD 2012, University of British Columbia, Canada; Particle Cosmology, Dark Matter Physics

Dean, Christopher

1963-78; PhD 1952, Harvard University; Radiofrequency spectroscopy, musical acoustics, satellite meteorology, high atmosphere. Deceased May 28, 1991

Deutsch, Ivan

1995- ; PhD 1992, UC Berkeley; Quantum Information Science, Quantum Optics, Atomic-Molecular-Optical Physics

Diels, Jean-Claude

1986- ; PhD 1973, University of Brussels, Belgium; Laser Physics, Nonlinear Optics, Ultrafast Phenomena

Dieterle, Byron

1970-99; PhD 1967, UC Berkeley; Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics

Dragomir, Diana

2020- ; PhD 2013, University of British Columbia; Optical and Infrared Astronomy, Exoplanet Detection, Characterization and Atmospheres

Drake, Tara

2019- ; PhD 2015, University of Colorado, Boulder; Nonlinear Optics

Duan, Huaiyu

2010- ; PhD 2004, University of Minnesota; Nuclear/Particle Astrophysics and Computation

Duhadway, Raymond

1918-19; AM 1918, University of Chicago.

Duncan, Robert

1996-2008; PhD 1988, UC Santa Barbara; Experimental Low-Temperature and Condensed Matter Physics, Metrology and Instrumentation Development

Dunlap, David

1989- ; PhD 1987, University of Rochester; Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics

Duric, Nebojsa

1986-2004; PhD 1984, University of Toronto; Origin of Cosmic Rays, Radio Astronomy

Elsasser, Walter M.

Professor of Physics, Chairman of the Department of Physics, 1961-62; PhD 1927, University of Gottingen; Theoretical physics. Deceased October 14, 1991

Evans, John Wainwright

1972-76; PhD 1938 Harvard University; Solar physics, solar terrestrial effects, optical design. Deceased October 31, 1999

Fields, Douglas

2001- ; PhD 1992, Indiana University; Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics

Finley, Daniel

1968-2011; Chair 1985-91; PhD 1968 UC Berkeley; Mathematical Physics and General Relativity

Friedland, Stephen Sholom

1948-49; PhD 1948 University of Pennsylvania; Radioisotopes in medicine

Gaines, Marshall

1892-94; AM

Geremia, J.M.

2005-09; PhD 2001, Princeton; Experimental Quantum Information Science

Gold, Michael S.

1991- ; PhD 1986, UC Berkeley; Experimental Elementary Particle Physics

Green, John Root

1950-81; Acting Chairman of the Department of Physics, 1954-55; PhD 1950, University of California, Berkeley; Cosmic radiation, extensive air showers, cloud chambers, scintillators, phase transformations and physical properties of plastic organic crystals. Deceased October 18, 2007

Gregory, Stephen

1984-2006; PhD 1974, University of Arizona; Large Scale Structure of the Universe, Active Galaxy Nuclei and Space Science

Grenchik, Raymond

1946-50; PhD 1956, Indiana University; Stellar atmospheres. Deceased: September 28, 2000

Henning, Patricia

1993-; PhD 1990, University of Maryland; Extragalactic Radio Astronomy, large-scale Structure of the Universe

Holzer, Robert Edward

1934-46; PhD 1930, University of California; Atmospheric electricity; electrical structure of thunderstorms. Deceased May 19, 1994

Howarth, John Lee

1964-78; PhD 1952, University of London; Radiological physics, visual perception, innovative undergraduate education. Deceased February 22, 2011

Hull, McAllister Hobart

1977-1989; PhD 1951, Yale University; UNM Provost 1977-1985; Theoretical Nuclear Physics; Deceased February 2011

Hyder, Charles Latif

1967-76; PhD 1964 University of Colorado; The sun, quasi-stellar objects, global and local environmental impact of energy sources. Deceased June 8, 2004

Johnson, Brad

1996-97; PhD 1991, University of Colorado; Condensed Matter Theory and Computational Physics

Katzenstein, Jack

1959; PhD 1949, Harvard University; Deceased January 1, 1986

Kenkre, Vasudev

1984-2016; PhD 1971, SUNY at Stony Brook; Interdisciplinary Connections of Physics to Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering; Mathematical Modeling of Epidemics

Kieffaber, Lois

1973-84; PhD 1973; University of New Mexico; Zodiacal light, airglow

King, David Soloman

1965-99; PhD 1965, University of Indiana; Stellar interiors, theory of pulsating variable stars, nonlinear self-excited oscillations in stellar envelopes; Deceased August 25, 2013

Koch, Robert Harry

1966-67; PhD 1959; Photoelectric photometry, polarimetry, visible band and ultraviolet spectroscopy, evolution of eclipsing variable stars. Deceased October 11, 2010.

Koch, Steve

2006-13; PhD 2003, Cornell University; Experimental Biophysics

Leavitt, Christopher

1956-65; Acting Chairman of the Department of Physics, 58-60; PhD 1952, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Nuclear and high energy physics, cosmic rays, space physics. Deceased November 2015

Lidke, Keith

2007- ; PhD 2002, University of Minnesota; Optical Techniques in Biophysics

Linsley, John

1977-84; PhD 1952; Origin and behavior of highest-energy cosmic rays by means of experimental and theoretical investigation of extensive air showers. Deceased September 22, 2002.

Lippincott, S.B.

1930-34; MS, Purdue University

Loomba, Dinesh

2002- ; PhD 1998, Boston University; Dark Matter Searches, Detector R&D for measuring Low Energy Ionization Tracks from Electrons/Nuclear Recoils

Mafi, Arash

2014-2023; PhD 2001, Ohio State University; Classical and Quantum Optics and Photonics

Magnussen, Carl

1902-03; PhD

Malloy, Kevin

2009-15; PhD 1984, Stanford; Semiconductors

Manjavacas, Alejandro

2015-2023; PhD 2013, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain; Theoretical Optics/Theoretical Nanophotonics

Martens, Frederick

1948-50; MS 1948, University of New Mexico. Electronics. Deceased October 6, 2012

Matthews, John

1991-; PhD 1971, University of Toronto; Experimental Particle Physics and Particle Astrophysics

McCarty, Lawrence Edward

1918-19; AM 1918, University of Texas

McGraw, John

1992-2018; PhD 1977, University of Texas Austin; Optical Astronomy, Stars and Optical Instrumentation

McIver, John

1984-2008; Chair 1997-2000; PhD 1979, University of Rochester; Interactions of Intense Laser Fields with Matter, Nonlinear Evolution Equations and Kinetics of Gas Dynamic Lasers

Miyake, Akimasa

2012- ; PhD 2004, University of Tokyo, Japan; Quantum Information, Quantum Computing and Quantum many-body Physics Theory

Nereson, Norris

1946-49; PhD 1943, Cornell University; Solid state physics and lasers, molecular spectroscopy. Deceased February 21, 2007

Panitz, John

1988-2004; PhD 1969, Penn State University; Experimental High Electric Field Phenomena The Atom Probe

Pelsor, Gene Thomas

1941-45; PhD 1941; Hydrodynamics, equation of state

Peterson, Alan W.

1967-84. PhD 1960, University of New Mexico; Zodiacal light photometry, thermal emission from interplanetary dust, infrared photometry, infrared airglow. Deceased June 6, 2009

Philip, A.G. Davis

1964-66; PhD 1964, Case Institute of Technology; Photometry, spectroscopy, galactic structure. Deceased March 28, 2016

Pihlström, Ylva

2005-; PhD 2001, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden; Radio Astronomy including Interferometry Observing Techniques

Prasad, Sudhakar

1985-2018; PhD 1983, Harvard; Quantum Optics, Optical Imaging, Classical and Quantum Information Theory

Price, R. Marcus

1979-2005; Chair 1979 - 1985 and 2000 - 2002; PhD 1966, Australian National University; Radio Astronomy, Cosmology, Vacuum, Elementary Particle Genesis

Rand, Richard

1996-; Chair 2019-; PhD 1991, California Institute of Technology; Interstellar Medium in Nearby Galaxies

Ray, Ward

1917-18; AM 1910, University of Wisconsin

Regener, Victor

1946-57 and 1962-79; Chair 1947-57 and 1962-79; PhD 1938, Technische Hochschule Stuttgart, Germany; Atmospheric ozone, cosmic radiation, zodiacal light, balloon and satellite experiments, optical studies of pulsars, electronics. Deceased January 20, 2006

Rockwood, Robert Spencer

1920-33, PhD 1932, University of Michigan. Deceased November 23, 1932.

Rowe, Walter

1904-05; BS

Roy, Mousumi

2011-; PhD 1997, MIT; Geophysics, Earth Deformation, Fluid Flow in Crust and Mantle, Volcano Deformation and Structure

Rudolph, Wolfgang

1991-; Chair 2012-18; PhD 1985, Universität Jena, Germany; Ultrafast Spectroscopy, Lasers, Imaging

Runge, Richard John

1946-53; PhD 1952, University of New Mexico. Theoretical geophysics, electromagnetic theory. Deceased April 22, 2007

Scully, Marlan O.

1980-1992; PhD 1965, Yale University; Theoretical Quantum Optics

Seaton, Norman T.

1954-55; PhD 1956, University of California, Berkeley; Cosmic rays, instrumentation. Deceased April 2009

Seidel, Sally C.

1991-; PhD 1987, University of Michigan; Experimental Particle Physics

Shafi, Mohammad

1967-72; PhD 1963 Georgetown University; Structure of diatomic molecules, theoretical and computer modeling of the geomagnetic field, systems analysis.

Sheik-Bahae, Mansoor

1994-2023; PhD 1987, SUNY Buffalo; Optical Science, Light-Matter Interactions, Laser Physics, and Ultrafast Phenomena. Deceased July 10, 2023

Skabelund, Donald E.

1957-64; PhD 1956, University of Utah. Magneto-hydrodynamic waves, quantification in medieval science. Deceased January 7, 2018

Snodgrass, Herschel Roy

1941-45, PhD 1953, University of California, Berkeley; Atmospheric electricity and optics, upper atmosphere instrumentation, meteorology, cosmic rays and solid state physics; superconductivity, geo-physical seismic prospecting. Deceased June 12, 1990

Street, Robert Elliott

1947-48; PhD 1939, Harvard University; Numerical fluid mechanics.

Suydam, Vernon

1913-14; PhD, Princeton University, 1913

Swinson, Derek Bertram

1965-95; PhD 1965, University of Alberta at Calgary; Cosmic Ray Physics using Underground Muon Telescopes. Deceased March 11, 2023

Taylor, Gregory

2005- ; PhD 1991, UCLA; Radio Astronomy and Associated Instrumentation

Thomas, James L.

2003- ; PhD 1991, Cornell; Microscopy and Modeling of Cell and Lipid Membranes

Thomas, Roy

1948-80; PhD 1942, University of California, Berkeley; Theoretical problems in atomic physics. Deceased March 18, 2005

Tinsley, Randolph W.

1896-98; University of Virginia

Wolfe, David

1971-2001; Chair 1991-1997; PhD 1966, University of Pennsylvania; Experimental Nuclear and Particle Physics

Workman, Everly John

1932-42, Head 33-46; PhD 1930, University of Virginia; Thunderstorms, atmospheric electricity and precipitation, mechanisms, instrumentation. Deceased 1982.

Zeilik, Michael

1975-2004; PhD 1975, Harvard; Astronomy and Astronomy Education. Deceased June 3, 2022.

Zimmer, William

1894-96; Ph.C.