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Department of Physics and Astronomy News

The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers comprehensive programs on two of the most basic and fundamental sciences–physics and astronomy. Physics is the study of matter, energy, motion, and force. Its concepts help us understand how the universe behaves. Astronomy studies the universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere, including celestial objects and the formation and development of the universe.

Current Physics and Astronomy News

artist depiction of collision of black holes in deep space
Research |

Updated LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA catalog features 161 gravitational wave events between April 2024 and January 2025, including evidence of second-generation black holes and the clearest-ever gravitational wave signal.

Pravica and his X-ray device.
Research |

UNLV physics lab works on new research harnessing the power of X-rays to extend the lifespan of batteries in electric cars and cell phones.

springtime bees
Campus News |

A flowery collection of top headlines featuring UNLV faculty and students.

spring campus
Campus News |

Some of the most vibrant headlines featuring UNLV faculty and students.

Artist depiction of cataclysmic variable star system
Research |

UNLV-led team of astrophysicists resolves decades-old conundrum with new theory on mechanisms driving periodic brightness variations in cataclysmic variable star systems. 
 

Campus landscape
Campus News |

Some of the hottest headlines featuring UNLV faculty, staff, and students.

Physics and Astronomy In The News

KLAS-TV: 8 News Now

Many people shy away from tackling the deep questions everyone has. Questions like “Why are we here?” “Where are we going?” and “What is the meaning of life?” UNLV Professor Dr. Michael Pravica is not one of those people. In fact, he’s spent much of his academic life attempting to answer those very questions with his background as a physicist providing a rational underpinning for his beliefs.

Hackster

Stuck lithium ions, responsible for older batteries' loss in capacity, could be freed if gently encouraged by high-energy X-rays.

New UNLV-led research may prove the contrary, adding years to the lifespan of our beloved battery-powered electronic devices.

Popular Mechanics

Awareness itself may predate our universe.

Popular Mechanics

Imagine homing in on the source of your consciousness like an airport metal detector finds the keys stashed in your pocket.

Homes & Gardens

Have you found that allergies worsen during extreme weather? It can be due to thunderstorm asthma, also known as thunder fever, when a thunderstorm puts huge amounts of pollen into the air. What causes thunderstorm pollen strikes, and what should homeowners do to stay safe?

Physics and Astronomy Experts

An expert in astronomy, dark matter, and general physics.
A physics professor, whose specialties include high pressure science, explosives, and high radiation flux.
An expert in physics and chemistry.
An internationally recognized expert in astrophysics.

Recent Physics and Astronomy Accomplishments

Bernard Zygelman (Physics and Astronomy) attended the San Diego Quantum Convening, held at the Qualcomm Institute on the Campus of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) on May 18-19. An invitation-only event, "The Quantum San Diego Convening (QSDC) is a 1.5-day gathering bringing together leaders from industry, academia, national…
Fabian Vargas Rowan, a prospective Ph.D. student at UNLV, has been awarded the 2026 U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Beginning in fall 2026, he will join Yan Zhou’s group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy to work on developing novel quantum sensors aimed at probing fundamental symmetry breaking and exploring…
Yan Zhou (Physics and Astronomy) received a five-year Early Career Award from the Department of Energy in the amount of $875,000. By integrating techniques from trapped-ion quantum information processing with the exceptional sensitivity of molecules, Zhou’s team will develop a tabletop experiment capable of probing combined Charge and Parity (CP)…
Jason Steffen (Physics and Astronomy) gave a public lecture as part of the science series for the Goettingen Literary Festival in Germany. This invitation was for his book "Hidden in the Heavens" about NASA's Kepler mission. The festival spans two weeks in October and November. Several dozen speakers, including journalists, athletes, authors,…
Jason Steffen (Physics and Astronomy) published a book, Hidden in the Heavens, with Princeton University Press. The book is about the NASA Kepler mission, which was instrumental in the discovery of over 5000 planets that orbit distant stars. Steffen was a member of the science team for that mission and was co-chair of one of the working groups.
Zhaohuan Zhu (Physics and Astronomy) has been awarded two grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and one from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), serving as Principal Investigator for all three. These grants will support his cutting-edge research in astrophysics and planetary science. The NSF Astronomy and…