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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

Josh Hawkins, UNLV
Campus News |

News highlights featuring UNLV students and staff who made (refreshing) waves in the headlines.

Artist rendering of NASA Swift Satellite
Research |

Two studies pair observational data with machine learning models to increase precision in distance estimates for GRBs. 

commencement profile (josh hawkins/unlv)
People |

President Keith E. Whitfield honors six graduates who have shown exemplary commitment to both the community and their studies.

students in spring
Campus News |

News highlights starring UNLV students and faculty who made local and national headlines.

AI rendering of binary planets orbiting eachother
Research |

Study in Nature Astronomy theorizes that dense stellar clusters may eject pairs of giant planets, which remain gravitationally bound to one another.
 

The Las Vegas strip as seen on Super Bowl weekend (Josh Hawkins/UNLV).
Campus News |

A collection of news stories and highlights featuring UNLV students and faculty.

Physics and Astronomy In The News

The Sun

The real reason airlines still board planes from front to back despite it causing huge aisle queues has been revealed. Passengers have long found boarding one of the most tiresome parts of flying - but an astrophysicist thinks there's a better way.

Science News

Supermassive black holes at the hearts of active galaxies may be churning out a lot of the universe’s high-energy neutrinos.

Travel + Leisure

The worst part about flying isn't the flight itself. It's not even airport security. What's always a pain is boarding the aircraft. There's something utterly chaotic about the process, from the jumbles of people crowding the gate to the shuffling down the aisle before being blocked by someone in front of you attempting to put their bag in the overhead bin (which they'll often do the wrong way). There must be a better way, so why do airlines board front to back?

Mashable

The skies can be clear, blue, and tranquil. "And all of a sudden, boom, you hit it," Dan Bubb, a former airline pilot and now an aviation historian at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Mashable.

Mashable

The skies can be clear, blue, and tranquil. "And all of a sudden, boom, you hit it," Dan Bubb, a former airline pilot and now an aviation historian at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told Mashable.

Earth.com

The dawn of artificial intelligence (AI) has ushered in a transformative era, promising to reshape every facet of our lives. Now, AI has moved off-world, helping NASA scientists unlock the secrets of the cosmos, including the location of gamma ray bursts (GRBs).

Physics and Astronomy Experts

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

Recent Physics and Astronomy Accomplishments

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…
Carrie Coppa (Physics and Astronomy) was nominated for and recently graduated the Administrative Academy Academy Path C.  The UNLV Administrative Assistant Academy is a training series designed to foster a culture of continuous improvement for all administrative assistants. The eight-week program outlines six competencies that UNLV…
Zhaohuan Zhu (Physics and Astronomy) with UNLV’s Nevada Center for Astrophysics is part of an international research team that recently published findings and images supporting the theory of gravitational instability in planet formation. Zhu, a co-author on an article published July 25 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, had published…
The American Astronomical Society (AAS) recently held their 241st AAS meeting in Seattle, Washington. During the meeting students from across the nation participated in the Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Poster Competition where students present their posters and are judged by volunteer judges.  Margaret Johnston (Physics and…