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Department of Physics and Astronomy

The Department of Physics and Astronomy has a rich and long history dating back to the latter part of the 19th century. Our faculty and students are exploring nature at all length scales, from the subatomic (quarks and gluons) to the macroscopic (black holes and dark energy), and everything in between (atomic and biological systems).

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Professor Andreas Jung of Purdue Physics and Astronomy

Purdue Physics and Astronomy professor Andreas Jung’s research sits at the intersection of particle physics, detector mechanics, AI, machine learning and quantum computing. Watch the full-length video on how Jung and his team are tackling real-world problems, training students, and helping shape the future of physics at Purdue.

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On a flight into space, Purdue researchers will test forces that could determine how we find our way, build and survive in space

In 2027, Purdue researchers will follow that bead of liquid aboard a Virgin Galactic spacecraft and into microgravity, chasing answers that could determine how spacecraft navigate, how manufacturing for the supply chain can be accomplished in space, and how humans can survive and function there.

The Road to the Stars: Five out-of-this-world facts about campus astronomical observatories

AAC&U — Five out-of-this-world facts about campus astronomical observatories. PhysAstro's Danny Milisavljevic was quoted in the article.

AAS Journal Author Series: Miranda Pikus and Paul Duffell

YouTube — Miranda Pikus and Paul Duffell (Purdue University) chat about their article on how thermal cooling creates structural changes in supernova remnants as they evolve, finding that when the cooling timescale is shorter that ~1/400 of the Sedov time, the ejecta are shaped into a filamentary structure similar to Pa 30. The filament structures are created by the formation of Rayleigh–Taylor instability fingers where the cooling has prevented the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability from overturning and mixing out the tips.

Braiding Anyons in a Semiconductor Sandwich

YouTube — Every particle in the standard model is either a fermion or a boson. So how did physicists create a third kind of particle, and how did they know they had succeeded? Be sure to watch Purdue Physics and Astronomy Professor Erica Carlson's new video on The Quantum Age on YouTube.

Antihydrogen Measurement Sharpens Antimatter Symmetry Test

Physics APS — A 100-fold improvement in a key antihydrogen measurement strengthens tests of matter–antimatter symmetry, entering a regime sensitive to the antiproton’s internal structure. PhysAstro's Francis Robicheaux was part of the research team.

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Department of Physics and Astronomy, 525 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2036 • Phone: (765) 494-3000 • Fax: (765) 494-0706

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