Physics and Astronomy Research

Faculty in the department are active in many areas of astronomical and astrophysical research:

• Dr. Nathan Miller uses data from NASA and ESA satellites to study the X-rays emitted from stars which are hotter, more massive, and have much stronger winds than our Sun.  With the discoveries of so many extrasolar planets during the last ten years, he has recently been exploring the meaning of those discoveries for hot star research.
• Drs. George Stecher and Lyle Ford make photometric observations of astronomical objects using telescopes at Casey and Hobbs Observatories. They have been primarily obtaining the light curves of asteroids but are currently exploring working on other objects.
• Dr. Bill Wolf conducts computational research on the lives and deaths of stars with a focus on explosions known as novae and supernovae.

• Dr. Jim Ryblicki’s research interests focus on organic electronics, a young field which has shown promise in applications such as memory storage, television and cellphone displays, and solar cells. Of particular interest are organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). The appeal of OLED's comes, in part, from their low production costs, the ability to manufacture mechanically flexible display screens, and their high emissivity which makes them ideal for outdoor viewing.
• Recent work has involved the investigation of magneto-resistance in OLEDs (dubbed OMAR for ‘organic magneto-resistance’). As a magnetic field is introduced into the region of the material, the amount of current flowing through the organic layer changes. This appealing effect provides a new functionality in electronic applications. OLEDs are already in use as pixels for displays. With the addition of magneto-resistance, what was previously just a pixel now becomes a sensor, as well. The array of organic devices could be used simultaneously to detect the position of a magnetic stylus and light up to produce an image of the user’s writing.

Emeritus professor Dr. Kim Pierson carries out research projects that involve renewable energy and robotics.  A current renewable energy project involves developing a low-cost light-weight solar water heater that can not only be used to pre-heat hot water for electric and gas water heaters but it can also provide hot water to be used with a ground-source heat pumps to heat buildings.  A current robotics project involves the design and fabrication of autonomous robots that can navigate and avoid obstacles using an array of sensors and cameras that can provide a 360 degree field of view around the robot. The robots can communicate with each other and perform coordinated activities. The robots can also serve as “avatars” for human operators. Dr. Pierson is also involved in the new unmanned aerial systems program (UAS) through the Geography Department that teaches students how to safely design, fabricate and fly small drones and planes to collect geospatial data for analysis and mapping. In addition, Dr. Pierson collaborates with local and regional companies to develop software/hardware systems to control industrial processes and equipment using the computer interfacing program called LabVIEW.