Research Overview
Research is a crucial facet of the Clemson University Department of Physics and Astronomy. In addition to fully equipped laboratories in Jordan Hall and at the Advanced Materials Research Lab, our faculty and students in astrophysics and atmospheric physics conduct research at locations that stretch from near the North Pole to the southern hemisphere. The Department of Physics and Astronomy traces its roots at Clemson University back to physics courses that were taught to the first graduating class of 1896 in the old Mechanical College. Now part of the College of Science, the department holds the distinction of awarding the first physics doctoral degree in South Carolina in 1964.
Research Areas and Resources
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Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Circumstellar disks and planetary atmospheres
- Astro-particle physics and cosmology
- Gamma-ray astronomy
- Meteorites and stardust
- Nuclear astrophysics
- Radioactivity
- Star and planet formation
- Stellar evolution
- Stellar atmospheres
- Supernovae
Find out more about astronomy and astrophysics.
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Atmospheric and Space Physics
- Atmospheric dynamics using ground-based remote sensing techniques
- Atmospheric dynamics using satellite data
- Experimental ionospheric physics and data analysis: Ionospheric and auroral electrodynamics, rocket-based hardware development, incoherent scatter radar data analysis, and high frequency remote sensing of the bottomside ionosphere and software defined radio hardware development.
- Observational study and numerical modeling of the atmospheric dynamics and space weather, atmospheric gravity waves, planetary waves and tides
- Studies of the dynamics of the ionosphere, including waves and turbulence
- Waves, instabilities and turbulence in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere
Find out more about atmospheric and space physics.
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Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
- Electron beam ion trapping (CU-EBIT)
- Spectroscopy with cold, trapped atomic and molecular ions
- X-Ray spectroscopy: X-ray spectroscopy, highly charged ions, high-energy radiation, biomedical physics
Find out more about atomic, molecular and optical physics.
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Biophysics
- Computational Biophysics and Bioinformatics Laboratory
- Nano-Bio Laboratory
- Structure, Dynamics and Function of Biomolecules Laboratory
- Single-Molecule Biophysics Laboratory
Find out more about biophysics.
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Condensed Matter Physics
- Nanomaterials
- Quantum computation
- Quantum materials and devices
- Surface and interface nanoscience
- Theory of materials
Find out more about condensed matter physics.
Faculty Research
The department boasts approximately 23 faculty members. Faculty research is divided into five key focus areas: astronomy/astrophysics, atmospheric and space physics, atomic/molecular/optical physics, biophysics, and condensed matter physics.
Students and faculty enjoy access to state-of-the-art facilities and labs, including the Palmetto Cluster supercomputer, the Clemson Nanomaterial Institute, the Clemson University Light Imaging Facility and the SARA consortium telescopes located in Arizona, Chile and the Canary Islands. Moreover, the department boasts a planetarium, which is used for outreach and is visited by hundreds of people every year.
