REU Site:Physics REU Program at the University of Notre Dame

University Of Notre Dame, Notre Dame IN

Investigators

Abstract

The University of Notre Dame physics department NSF-REU program provides an opportunity for at least 12 undergraduate physics majors/year to discover the excitement of physics research. Additional students (typically 3-4 per year), beyond those funded by the NSF, will be supported, as has been the case in the past, by the physics department and by various research grants. The program lasts for 10 weeks during Summer (typically starting on the day after Memorial Day) and consists of participation in a research project, weekly research seminars, development of a research logbook, a research paper, contact with various research groups, and social gatherings with other members of the department. The areas available for research projects are: nuclear physics (nuclear structure and lifetimes, nucleosynsthesis, heavy-ion reactions, nuclear astrophysics), atomic physics (theory, laser cooling, atomic lifetimes), astrophysics (g-ray and neutrino astrophysics, physics of comets, irregular satellites, chemistry of young stellar systems), high energy physics (theory, development of scintillating-fiber detectors, physics at BaBar, Tevatron and LHC), and solid state physics and microelectronics (crystal growth, scanning tunneling microscope development, low temperature superconductivity, theory, EXAFS physics). All students are involved with active and ongoing research efforts and are encouraged to become contributing members in the everyday problem-solving events. The REU students are also provided an opportunity to become acquainted with other areas of research within the department.