Physics
Chairman's Introduction, Robert M. Wald | Faculty Research Summaries
The Department of Physics pursues research and offers Ph.D. programs in many areas of physics. Most of the experimental and theoretical research of Physics faculty and graduate students is carried out within the Enrico Fermi Institute, the James Franck Institute and the Institute for Biophysical Dynamics.These Research Institutes provide close interdisciplinary contact, crossing the traditional boundaries between departments.
In the Enrico Fermi Institute, members of the Department of Physics carry out theoretical research in particle theory, string theory, field theory, general relativity, and theoretical astrophysics and cosmology. There are active experimental groups in high energy physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics and space physics, studies of the cosmic microwave background, cosmochemistry, infrared and optical astronomy, and electron and ion microscopy. Some of this research is conducted at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, at Argonne National Laboratory, and at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva , Switzerland .
Physics faculty in the James Franck Institute study chemical, solid state, condensed matter, biological, statistical, and atomic and molecular physics. Fields of interest include chaos, chemical kinetics, critical phenomena, high Tc superconductivity, non-linear dynamics, low temperature, disordered and amorphous systems, the dynamics of glasses, fluid dynamics, surface and interface phenomena, non-linear and nanoscale optics, unstable and metastable systems, polymer physics, cellular signaling, biopolymers, the role of noise and information in biological systems, and ultra cold atomic and molecular systems. Much of the research utilizes specialized facilities operated by the Institute, including a low temperature laboratory, a materials preparation laboratory, x-ray diffraction and analytical chemistry laboratories, laser equipment, a scanning-tunneling microscope, and extensive shop facilities.
A new interdisciplinary research institute, called the Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, has been formed at Chicago . It includes members of both the Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences Divisions, and focuses on the physical basis for molecular and cellular processes. This interface between the physical and biological sciences is an exciting area that we expect to develop rapidly over the next few years, with a bidirectional impact. Initial research topics include the creation of physical materials by biological self-assembly, the molecular basis of macromolecular interactions and cellular signaling, the derivation of sequence-structure-function relationships by computational means, and structure-function relationships in membranes.
Student participation is crucial to virtually all research projects, and both graduate and undergraduate research and training are given high priority. Students' formal classwork takes place in the modern lecture halls, classrooms, and instructional laboratories of the Kersten Physics Teaching Center . This building houses special equipment and support facilities for student experimental projects, departmental administrative offices, and meeting rooms. The Kersten Physics Teaching Center is connected to the Research Institutes by an enclosed bridge and is adjacent to the new Gordon Center for Integrative Science, which houses the James Franck Institute, the Chemistry Department, and units of the Biological Sciences Division. The Center is situated on the science quadrangle near the John Crerar Science Library, which holds over 1,000,000 volumes and is equipped with modern literature search and data retrieval systems.
Robert M. Wald, Chairman