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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

unlv pumpkins
Campus News |

A monthly roundup of the top news stories at UNLV, featuring the presidential election, gaming partnerships, and much more.

Undergrad researcher Benjamin Sabir helps H. Jeremy Cho examine an atmospheric water harvesting device. (Jeff Scheid/UNLV)
Campus News |

A monthly roundup of the top news stories featuring UNLV staff and students.

Students pass by Lied Library as they walk campus on the first day of Fall 2024 semester classes
Campus News |

A collection of news highlights featuring students and faculty.

Image of supermassive black hole Sagittarius A
Research |

UNLV astrophysicists analyze data from Event Horizon Telescope’s groundbreaking imaging of Sagittarius A* and suggest it formed by merger of two black holes roughly 9 billion years ago.
 

two men kneel on ground to put together lab equipment
Research |

The College of Sciences installs a dilution refrigerator, a machine used to study quantum particles and devices near absolute zero.

artist rendering of deep-space plasma bubble
Research |

New study by international team of scientists in the journal Nature has discovered the origin of the persistent emission of radiation observed in some deep-space fast radio bursts.

Physics and Astronomy In The News

Are We There Yet?

In 2006, NASA and its partners launched the Kepler telescope with a goal to try and identify planets in other solar systems. Since then, the telescope found over 2,700 planets orbiting different suns and existing in different solar systems before its retirement in 2018.

Live Science

The darkest time of the year is the winter solstice, the day with the least sunlight and the longest night. However, the coldest time of the year is typically about one month after the winter solstice. So why isn't the darkest time of the year also the coldest?

Adevarul.ro

Although you may not believe it, boarding passengers on a plane is one of the most difficult operational processes of airlines. It may seem simple and predictable to passengers, but " boarding " is a complex stage with rigorous logistics behind it, designed to reduce the time spent on the ground and ensure maximum efficiency. Romania, through its major airports, Otopeni, Cluj-Napoca and Iași, could implement on a large scale internationally tested methods to improve this stage and reduce unnecessary waiting and flight delays, thus gaining customer respect and higher competitiveness in the regional market.

Financiarul

Major change in airports. Efficient passenger boarding is an ongoing challenge for airlines and is essential to reduce delays and optimize the flight experience. In Romania, where air transport has become more and more accessible, the implementation of new rules could significantly improve this process. Following successful international strategies and adapting them to local airports could have a positive impact on passengers and airlines alike.

Coast to Coast AM

Jason Steffen is associate professor of physics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. A longtime science team member of NASA's Kepler mission, he has contributed to the discovery and characterization of thousands of exoplanets that orbit distant stars. In the first half, he shared insights into the journey of the Kepler mission and its groundbreaking discoveries. Launched in 2009, Kepler operated for about four years and then was repurposed in what was known as the K2 mission, providing an additional five years of data. He explained the distinctions between Kepler and the Hubble Space Telescope-- Kepler was designed to be very precise at making measurements of stars, which allowed it to identify over 2,700 new planets, while Hubble was more adept at taking stunning photos.

The Space Show

Jason discusses in new book "Hidden In The Heavens."

Physics and Astronomy Experts

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

Recent Physics and Astronomy Accomplishments

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…
Graduate student Simon Matin (Physics and Astronomy) was recently awarded a fellowship as part of the Nevada NASA Space Grant Graduate Fellowship program. This award recognizes Matin's accomplishments thus far and the strength of his proposed ongoing research work. The specific proposed project will simulate measurements of galaxies made with the…
During the spring 2024 semester, Yan Zhou (Physics and Astronomy) was invited to present his research on quantum sensors and information at: Center of Fundamental Physics colloquium, Northwestern University, February 2024. ECT (European Center for Theoretical studies in nuclear physics and related areas) workshop, Trento, Italy, March …
Bernard Zygelman (Physics and Astronomy) presented the April 9 Pittsburgh Quantum Institute (PQI) seminar titled "Effective Magnetic Monopoles, Molecular Dynamics, and Holonomic Quantum Computing" in addition to the U. Pittsburgh Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) undergraduate colloquium, "The Second Quantum Revolution." Zygelman…
Ph.D. candidate Shangjia Zhang (Physics and Astronomy) has been selected as a 2024 NASA Hubble Fellow. The NASA Hubble Fellowship Program supports promising postdoctoral scientists to pursue independent research that contributes to NASA Astrophysics, using theory, observation, experimentation, or instrument development.  Zhang's work was…