Durham University Department of Physics

Last updated

Durham University Department of Physics
Durham Physics Building.jpg
Academic staff
78
150
Location, ,
CampusScience Site, Durham University
Website www.dur.ac.uk/physics

The Department of Physics at Durham University in Durham, England, is a physics and astronomy department involved in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and scientific research.

Contents

Durham has the largest group working on particle theory in the United Kingdom. [1] It is rated very highly for its work in Astronomy and Astrophysics, possessing the largest research group on galaxy evolution in Europe. [1]

Located on the Mountjoy site south of the River Wear, the department is also home to two research institutes: the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology and the Institute for Computational Cosmology. [1]

Research

There are a variety of research institutes, centres, and facilities: Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC), the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology, the Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI), the Centre for Materials Physics, the Centre for Particle Theory, the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy (CEA), Durham X-Ray Centre (XRDuR), Joint Quantum Centre (JQC), and the GJ Russell Microscopy Facility. [2] [3]

The department divides its research activities into five research groups:

Of the three astronomy research branches in the Durham Astronomy Research Cluster (CEA, the ICC, and the CfAI), the CEA focuses on observational research, the ICC on theoretical research, and the CfAI on astronomical instrumentation. [4]

Founded in 2012, the Joint Quantum Centre (JQC) is a partnership between Durham and nearby Newcastle University broadly dedicated to various aspects of quantum science and technology. Among its components is the Durham Quantum Light and Matter (QLM) research section, which studies the quantum properties of atoms, molecules and solids and their interactions with light, as well as the technological applications of these studies. [5] In 2020, the founding director of the JQC, Charles Adams, was awarded the Holweck Prize for work on light and atoms that 'could provide the ideal building blocks' for quantum computing. [6]

Assessment

The 2014 Research Excellence Framework considered 96% of research carried out within the department to be either 'internationally excellent quality' or 'world leading', while the remaining 4% was listed as 'internationally recognised' by the framework – a method for assessing quality of research at British universities. [7]

Undergraduate study

Each year the department admits approximately 170 undergraduates for courses in Physics, Physics and Astronomy, and Theoretical Physics. [8] Course structures are designed to offer flexibility, with both three-year BSc and four-year MPhys degrees available. [8] The BSc is suggested for prospective undergraduates interested in physics as preparation for another career, while the MPhys is recommended for those looking for a research-related career. [8]

Admissions

Entry requirements are high. As of 2019, a typical A-level offer demands grades of A*A*A, to includes Physics and Mathematics, and a typical offer for the IB Diploma is 38, to include 776 in higher level subjects. [8]

Graduate study

Taught postgraduate programmes include the MSc in Particles, Strings, and Cosmology and MSc in Scientific Computing and Data Analysis. [9] The department also offers a MSc by Research in Physics (MScR) as preparation for further postgraduate study towards a PhD in physics. [9]

Admissions

Applicants to these courses are required to have a good first or 2:1 UK honours degree (or the international equivalent) in Physics, Mathematics, or a related subject, with those interested in the MSc in Scientific Computing and Data Analysis also expected to possess 'profound programming knowledge' in both Python and C. [9]

For entry to the PhD applicants are required to have achieved a first class honours degree, or at least a 2:1 integrated master's degree or a master's degree in an appropriate subject. [10]

Astronomy

The Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics Ogden Centre (geograph 5908287).jpg
The Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics

Astronomy within the department dates back to 1975. [11] The scope of activity has grown substantially since then and it is now one of the largest astronomy groups in Europe. [12] The Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics building, designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind, opened in November 2016. [13]

Reputation

In recent years the department has been singled out for the quality of its astronomical research. In 2008, Durham placed first in Europe and fourth in the world for research into astronomy and astrophysics over the decade 1998 to 2008, according to the Times Higher Education . [14]

The Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers 2018 list placed Durham researchers first in the UK and second in Europe. [15] David Alexander and Carlos Frenk were highlighted for their research, as were Adrian Jenkins and Tom Theuns. [15]

In 2020 Frenk was made one of the Clarivate Citation Laureates in Physics (whose honourees are recognised for research judged to be 'of Nobel class') for his highly cited work on the evolution of the universe. [16]

Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy

In order to mark the 40th anniversary of Durham astronomy, the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy (CEA) was founded in 2015. Prior to this it was known as the Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology Group. [11]

The research conducted at the CEA covers a broad variety of extragalactic astrophysics, including galaxy formation and evolution, observational surveys, active galactic nuclei (AGN), cluster of galaxies and the intergalactic medium. [12]

The CEA consists of 20 faculty members, 12 postdoctoral researchers and 25 postgraduate researchers (correct as of December 2018). [17] The founding director of the CEA was Ian Smail. The current director, as of December 2018, is Professor David Alexander. [18]

Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics

The Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics is a professorship or chair in the Department of Physics at Durham University. The chair is named after Sir Peter Ogden. The chair was established in 2001, following a benefaction from Sir Peter. [19]

List of Ogden Professors

Staff

The current head of department is Paula Chadwick who succeeded Nigel Glover, a specialist in particle physics, who succeeded Simon Morris in 2017. [20] [21]

As of 2021, the department reports a staff of 37 professors, 12 readers, 11 senior lecturers, 18 lecturers, 'about 100 post-doctoral researchers and fellows', and 150 PhD students. [1]

Emeritus staff include, among others, Martyn Chamberlain, R. Keith Ellis, F. Richard Stephenson, and Brian Keith Tanner. [20]

Alumni

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John D. Barrow</span> British scientist

John David Barrow was an English cosmologist, theoretical physicist, and mathematician. He served as Gresham Professor of Geometry at Gresham College from 2008 to 2011. Barrow was also a writer of popular science and an amateur playwright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics</span>

The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics is a Max Planck Institute whose research is aimed at investigating Einstein's theory of relativity and beyond: Mathematics, quantum gravity, astrophysical relativity, and gravitational-wave astronomy. The institute was founded in 1995 and is located in the Potsdam Science Park in Golm, Potsdam and in Hannover where it closely collaborates with the Leibniz University Hannover. Both the Potsdam and the Hannover parts of the institute are organized in three research departments and host a number of independent research groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayant Narlikar</span> Indian physicist and author

Jayant Vishnu Narlikar is an Indian astrophysicist and emeritus professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). He developed with Sir Fred Hoyle the conformal gravity theory, known as Hoyle–Narlikar theory. It synthesises Albert Einstein's theory of relativity and Mach's principle. It proposes that the inertial mass of a particle is a function of the masses of all other particles, multiplied by a coupling constant, which is a function of cosmic epoch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Physical Research Laboratory</span>

The Physical Research Laboratory is a National Research Institute for space and allied sciences, supported mainly by Department of Space, Government of India. This research laboratory has ongoing research programmes in astronomy and astrophysics, atmospheric sciences and aeronomy, planetary and geosciences, Earth sciences, Solar System studies and theoretical physics. It also manages the Udaipur Solar Observatory and Mount Abu InfraRed Observatory. The PRL is located in Ahmedabad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlos Frenk</span> Mexican-British cosmologist

Carlos Silvestre Frenk is a Mexican-British cosmologist. Frenk graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the University of Cambridge, and spent his early research career in the United States, before settling permanently in the United Kingdom. He joined the Durham University Department of Physics in 1986 and since 2001 has served as the Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics at Durham University.

A Master of Physics honours (or MPhys (Hons)) degree is a specific master's degree for courses in the field of physics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thanu Padmanabhan</span> Indian physicist and cosmologist (1957–2021)

Thanu Padmanabhan was an Indian theoretical physicist and cosmologist whose research spanned a wide variety of topics in gravitation, structure formation in the universe and quantum gravity. He published nearly 300 papers and reviews in international journals and ten books in these areas. He made several contributions related to the analysis and modelling of dark energy in the universe and the interpretation of gravity as an emergent phenomenon. He was a Distinguished Professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) at Pune, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Stirling (physicist)</span> British particle physicist

William James Stirling was a physicist who served as the first Provost of Imperial College London. He was appointed to this role in August 2013 and retired in August 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon White</span> British astronomer

Simon David Manton White, FRS, is a British astrophysicist. He was one of directors at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics before his retirement in late 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. Shahid Qureshi</span> Pakistani astronomer

Muhammad Shahid Qureshi or Shahid Qureshi, styled as M. Shahid Qureshi, is a Pakistani mathematician, astrophysicist and a renowned astronomer. He is an academic and an eminent educationist from Pakistan who has published articles in the fields of astrophysics and astronomy. He is the retired professor of astrophysics and astronomy at Karachi University and Institute of Space and Planetary Astrophysics (ISPA), and former director of ISPA, the country's prominent institution in the field of planetary astrophysics and planetary astronomy. He previously served as an assistant professor of mathematics and computer science. He also the founding director of the Department of Mathematics at Institute of Business Administration, Karachi.

George Petros Efstathiou is a British astrophysicist who is Professor of Astrophysics (1909) at the University of Cambridge and was the first Director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmology at the University of Cambridge from 2008 to 2016. He was previously Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh</span>

The University of Edinburgh School of Physics and Astronomy is the physics department of the University of Edinburgh. The School was formed in 1993 by a merger of the Department of Physics and the Department of Astronomy, both at the University of Edinburgh. The Department of Physics itself was a merger between the Department of Natural Philosophy and the Department of Mathematical Physics in the late 1960s. The School is part of the University's College of Science and Engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Aničin</span>

Ivan Aničin, was Yugoslav and Serbian nuclear physicist, particle physicist, astrophysicist, and cosmologist, university Full Professor and Distinguished (teaching/research) Professor of scientific institutes in Belgrade (Serbia), Bristol, Grenoble (France), and Munich (Germany).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astrophysics Research Institute</span> Research institute in Merseyside, England

The Astrophysics Research Institute (ARI) is an astronomy and astrophysics research institute in Merseyside, UK. Formed in 1992, it stood on the Twelve Quays site in Birkenhead from 1998 until June 2013 when it relocated to the Liverpool Science Park in Liverpool. It is in the top 1% of institutions in the field of space science as measured by total citations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Institute for Computational Cosmology</span>

The Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC) is a Research Institute at Durham University, England. It was founded in November 2002 as part of the Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics, which also includes the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology (IPPP). The ICC's primary mission is to advance fundamental knowledge in cosmology. Topics of active research include: the nature of dark matter and dark energy, the evolution of cosmic structure, the formation of galaxies, and the determination of fundamental parameters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiranya Peiris</span> British astrophysicist who studies the big bang

Hiranya Vajramani Peiris is a British astrophysicist at University College London and Stockholm University, best known for her work on the cosmic microwave background radiation. She was one of 27 scientists who received the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics in 2018 for their "detailed maps of the early universe."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chanda Prescod-Weinstein</span> American cosmologist (born c. 1982)

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an American theoretical cosmologist and particle physicist at the University of New Hampshire. She is also an advocate of increasing diversity in science.

Ian Robert Smail is a British astrophysicist. He is Professor of Physics at the Durham University Department of Physics, based in the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, itself part of the Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics. Since 2015, he has been ranked as one of the most highly-cited researchers in Space Sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad K. Gibson</span> Australian-Canadian astrophysicist

Brad Gibson is an Australian-Canadian astrophysicist. He is the Head of the Department of Physics & Mathematics, and Director of the E.A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics, at the University of Hull. He is known for identifying the regions of the Galaxy most likely to harbor complex biological life, designing and constructing the first operational liquid mirror telescope observatory, and using supernovae as cosmological probes, the latter for which led to the 2009 Gruber Prize in Cosmology. A passionate advocate for Widening Participation, Gibson delivers more than 100 presentations annually to schools and the general public; his Changing Face of Physics campaign has been highlighted as Good Practice by the UK Equality Challenge Unit.

Gillian Wilson is a British-American astronomer and cosmologist.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Department of Physics : About the Department". Durham University. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  2. "Department of Physics : Research". Durham University. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  3. "Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy". Durham University. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  4. "Astronomy at Durham University". Durham University. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  5. "Quantum Light and Matter". Durham University. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  6. "Award for research that could revolutionise computing". Durham University. 3 December 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  7. "Durham Physics REF Results 2014". Durham University. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Physics". Durham University Undergraduate Prospectus 2019. Durham University: 112–113. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 "Physics". Durham University Postgraduate Prospectus (Science) 2021. Durham University: 44–45. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  10. "Department of Physics : Postgraduate Entry Requirements". Durham University. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  11. 1 2 "Astronomy & Astrophysics". Durham University. 22 November 2013. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Research in Observational Astronomy". Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  13. "Daniel Libeskind completes larch-clad cosmology centre for Durham University". Dezeen . 6 March 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  14. "Institutional rankings in space sciences". Times Higher Education (THE). 28 August 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  15. 1 2 "World top six ranking for space science". Durham University. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  16. "'Nobel class' accolade for Professor Carlos Frenk". The Ogden Trust. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  17. "Members". Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  18. "Prof DM Alexander". Durham University. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  19. "Research in the Department: Status and Outlook" (PDF). Durham University. March 2005. p. 2. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  20. 1 2 "Department of Physics : Staff". Durham University. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  21. "Simon Morris: Curriculum Vitae". Zotero . Retrieved 2 February 2021.