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Faculty/Student Collaborative Research

GOUCHER COLLEGE SUMMER SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM

A number of faculty members in the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics remain on campus during the summer to conduct research.  Funding from government and private research foundations as well as generous donations from Goucher alumnae/i allow students to participate in this research.  Summer research at Goucher typically entails 10 weeks of full-time research, and includes a stipend for living expenses.  On-campus housing is substantially subsidized by the College.  Read more...

FACULTY/STUDENT PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY RESEARCH

The Department of Physics and Astronomy believes science is best learned, and mastered, through a combination of class work and hands-on research. Therefore, physics and astronomy faculty members are committed to promoting experiential learning outside of a classroom by involving students in collaborative scientific research on campus.

Every physics/astronomy faculty member has strong independent research program as evidenced by student/faculty co-authorship on publications and presentations at professional conferences.  Area of research include observational astronomy, atomic and laser physics, experimental materials physics and theoretical condensed matter physics. The scientific research in our department has been funded by the grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, the Research Corporation and others.

Additional research opportunities are available at nearby Johns Hopkins University, Space Telescope Science Institute, University of Maryland or Towson University.

Astronomy Research Group

Using observational data from ground and space-based observatories such as Gemini, Hubble and Spitzer, Dr. Sugerman’s research group studies what happens to stars immediately before and after they die.   On the one hand, echoes of the light pulse from a supernova light up the structures that the star created prior to exploding, and Dr.  Sugerman’s group models the structure and composition of these environments.  On the other hand, his group is also actively studying whether supernovae produce space dust, which has important implications for the evolution of the first stars and galaxies at the very beginning of the Universe.  Dr. Sugerman’s research is supported by grants from the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes.

Research Projects:

Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Research Group 

The experimental research in atomic,  molecular and optical physics uses the techniques of laser cooling and trapping to produce ultracold (~100 μK) atoms and convert them into ultracold molecules by the process of photoassociation where two colliding atoms are associated into a excited ultracold molecule by absorbing a resonant photon. Dr. Pichler's group studies the structure and properties of ultracold molecules, resonant mixing processes and different ways to obtain ultracold molecules in the ground electronic state. Further use of ultracold molecules is important for fundamental physics research involving novel quantum systems, as well as in applications such as quantum computing.

Research projects:

Materials Physics Research Group

Professor Bakhshai's experimental materials physics research group studies innovative methods of materials synthesis and nano-composites via mechanochemical reactions induced by ball milling techniques. The Ball-milling technique has also been used to create metallic coatings with significant hardness and corrosion resistance properties. This method has been proven to be cost effective, environmental friendly, and easily adaptable to tonnage proportion.

Research Projects:

Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics Research Group

Professor Dukan’s theoretical and computational physics research group studies microscopic behavior of superconductors and related materials in high magnetic fields.  Superconductivity is a technology of the future and Dr. Dukan's research possibly contributes to solutions  of the global energy challenge.  Dr. Dukan's research group has been supported  by the grants from the NSF, the Research Corporation and Goucher College.

Research projects: