LSU Department of Physics and Astronomy

Meet summer researcher Caroline Redman - a rising junior physics major Samford University Athletics Samford University Howard College of Arts and Sciences. Caroline participated in an National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates LSU Physics & Astronomy REU Program working with Professor Thomas Kutter in the experimental high energy physics group LSU College of Science.

“I worked with the DUNE Collaboration group,” said Caroline. “My project is titled ‘The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE): Readout Electronics and Proton Decay in the Vertical Drift (VD) Detector.’ LSU Discover - Undergraduate Research Program Specifically, I am working to maintain quality control in adapter boards that will be installed in the far detector system. I’ve also been learning ROOT programming to run Monte Carlo simulations on particle events using detector information.”

Dr. Kutter explained the importance of Caroline’s work. “In the next several years we will be installing the far detectors of DUNE at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota. All detector components that arrive underground need to be in excellent working condition, which requires us to perform very careful quality control. Caroline has helped to define the setup of one of the quality control stations.”

“In preparation for data we are developing analysis tools and studying the expected response of the experiment with simulations on a computer,” said Kutter. “Caroline studied simulated data and explored some of the detector performance parameters.”

“I had not previously worked in physics research, so I was eager to seek out opportunities this summer to learn more about specific fields that I may want to pursue,” said Caroline. “It has
been a privilege to work with the LSU Physics Department over the past two months, and I am
looking forward to what comes next.”

While at LSU, “I have really loved getting to know my cohort this summer. There are no two students with the same home institution, but we all share a common excitement for researching new things. I’ve made great friends here, and I hope we cross paths at a conference sometime soon!”

Meet summer researcher Austin Chunn - a rising senior physics major Harding Engineering Harding University. This summer Austin participated in a ten-week National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates program LSU Physics & Astronomy REU Program, working with Professor Daniel Sheehy in the theoretical condensed matter physics group LSU College of Science.

“My project is titled, ‘Phonon Dynamics in Analog-Gravity Bose-Einstein Condensates,’ said Austin LSU Discover - Undergraduate Research Program. “Specifically, I am studying the connection between sound waves traveling through an interacting condensate and waves traveling through a curved spacetime.”

Dr. Sheehy studies the theoretical physics of quantum many-particle systems in which interactions are qualitatively important and lead to novel behavior. Examples of the systems he is interested in include Bose-Einstein condensates and paired fermion superfluidity, that are phenomena from the realm of ultracold atoms, as well as condensed-matter systems such as graphene (a one-atom thick layer of carbon with interesting electronic properties), heavy-fermion materials, and high-temperature superconductors.

“Austin's theoretical physics research studied ultra-cold atomic gases that can mimic the physics of our expanding universe, showing how the physics of curved spacetime can be realized in a laboratory experiment,” said Dr. Sheehy.

We asked Austin about his summer experience in Louisiana. “At LSU I have enjoyed learning about the technical aspects of my field from mentors who have a wealth of experience and are very approachable, also I enjoyed visiting several state-of-the-art physics facilities such as the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices, CAMD and the U.S. National Science Foundation Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, LIGO - Livingston.”

Meet summer researcher Nathan Cammarata
Nathan is a rising senior double major in applied mathematics and general engineering with a computational modeling concentration Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA. This summer Nathan participated in a ten-week National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded LSU Physics & Astronomy REU Program, working with Aaron Ryan, Doug Granger and Professor Greg Guzik on computational balloon physics research at Louisiana State University.

“I work with the Louisiana Space Grant & NASA EPSCoR Programs at LSU College of Science, which oversees the Louisiana Aerospace Catalyst Experiences for Students (LaACES) program,” said Nathan. “My project LSU Discover - Undergraduate Research Program is titled ‘Developing an Automated Sounding Balloon Flight Simulator.’ Specifically, I created a program that autonomously pulls NOAA weather data and runs sounding balloon flight trajectories at various launch locations and times.”

Research Associate Aaron Ryan further explained the significance of Nathan’s research project. “The flight prediction software we currently use is limited because it must be manually run for each potential launch,” said Aaron. “Nathan's automated tool will allow us to have on-demand flight predictions for mission planning as well as build an archive of predictions to allow for assessment of the accuracy of these predictions. Both these outcomes will improve our ability to plan flight missions for our student sounding balloon programs.”

This is not Nathan’s first visit to Louisiana, as he presented on Saint Francis University’s solar eclipse science outreach in January at the 243rd American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting in New Orleans, LA. https://www.francis.edu/blog/sfu-students-present-american-astronomical-society-meeting-new-orleans. Francis University in the Stratosphere

While at LSU, Nathan has enjoyed going to the LSU University Recreation (UREC) Center, attending Astronomy on Tap, Baton Rouge & spending time with his fellow REU students.

Following graduation from St. Francis University, Nathan plans to attend graduate school for physics or astrophysics.

Perseid Meteor Shower | BREC Every summer the Earth plows through a trail of cometary debris. HRPO hosts a viewing session during the nighttime period with the best chance of high meteor rates.

World record & Olympic gold for Mondo Duplantis! While at LSU, LSU College of Science Physics Prof. broke down LSU Track & Field Mondo's jump at the SEC Network championship "To be really good, you have to have the speed of a world class sprinter, the ability of a long jumper, the agility of a gymnast, & the flexibility of a ballerina." Check out the 'Physics of a Pole Vault' with LSU Physicist David Young.

The Physics of a Pole Vault LSU pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis soared to a record height of 19 feet, five inches at the SEC Indoor Track and Field Championships. Check out the Physics of ...

Our LSU Physics & Astronomy REU Program involves 10 weeks of undergrad research with LSU College of Science faculty, but there is also time for fun & learning the art of fencing Red Stick School of Fencing

Geaux Christian! Working with 2019 PhD LSU Medical & Health Physics Graduate Program alumna Lydia Wilson is amazing.

Christian's summer is beaming with scientific discovery! ☀️🔬

senior and MARC scholar Christian Foti is conducting summer research in Prof. Lydia Wilson's lab at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Utilizing a cutting-edge Ionizing Quantum Imaging Detector (iQID), Christian is mapping alpha particle decay and investigating the activity-to-dose calculation for Pluvicto, a radiopharmaceutical drug. The research aims to enable the Wilson lab to target cancer cells more precisely, improving patient outcomes.

🌌✨ Join Astronomy on Tap, Baton Rouge Thursday July 25th for an illuminating discussion about our favorite moon and stargazers at this month's Astronomy on Tap event!
📅 Date: Thursday, July 25th, 2024
📍 Location: Varsity Theatre
⏰ Time: Doors open at 6:30 PM, event begins at 7 PM
🌟 Speaker 1: 2024 LSU PhD Alumna Dr. Allison Crisp
Title: "Can You Own the Moon?"
🌟 Speaker 2: LSU PhD Candidate Ashley Elliott
Title: Stargazers and Trailblazers: The Women of Astronomy Part 2"
🌌🍻 Immerse yourself in astronomical discoveries, trivia, exciting raffles, and illuminate the night with glowing sticks. Astronomy on Tap events are not only free but also suitable for all ages! Bring your friends and family for an evening of scientific wonder.
Save the date and spread the word! Let's explore the universe's enigmas together. 🌟🚀

LSU College of Science The Reveille LSU Physics & Astronomy REU Program

Do you want to get out of the heat for a night of astronomical FUN? Mark your calendar to join Astronomy on Tap, Baton Rouge next Thurs. 7/25 Varsity Theatre - Baton Rouge, LA. New PhD grad Dr. Ali Crisp will share public policy about 'Can you buy the Moon?' and LSU Graduate School student Ashley Elliott will be on stage talking about 'Stargazers and Trailblazers: The Women of Astronomy.' LSU College of Science Baton Rouge Astronomical Society Highland Road Park Observatory Louisiana Art & Science Museum Louisiana Biomedical Research Network LSU Women in Science The Reveille Tiger TV 91.1 KLSU FM 225 Magazine LSU Physics & Astronomy REU Program

Research by quantum researchers highlighted at Nature Portfolio!



.portfolio
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Plasmonic patterns💡

Plasmons are the waves or “ripples” of energy that travel along the surface of a metal upon interaction with light. Operating at the nanoscale, they are important in fields such as nanotechnology and optics. Surface plasmons typically display classical properties, or the characteristics of either bosons or fermions (two subatomic particle types). However, most research in this field has been theoretical to date.

Researchers measured the dynamics of a plasmonic system in order to isolate and better understand its nonclassical properties. The team aimed light at a gold nanostructure and observed its behaviour as the light was scattered across the surface of the metal. Scattering was measured using a pair of photon-number-resolving (PNR) detectors. The properties of the multiparticle subsystems that make up the larger plasmonic system were isolated and compared. The surface plasmons could be seen to display the behaviour of both bosons and fermions, thereby exhibiting nonclassical behaviours (e.g. moving in different directions). These results may support the development of future quantum technologies, such as the creation of sensors with improved sensitivity and precision.

This research was published in Nature Physics. Chenglong You and Bianca Scolaro explain more in the Physics Community (link in bio).

This image shows a light beam exciting plasmonic waves on the surface of a metallic nanostructure. These are then scattered by a slit to produce multiparticle systems with specific quantum properties. Credit: Chenglong You and Bianca Scolaro.

The rare strawberry moon will illuminate Louisiana's night sky. Here's when to see it.

Supporting our teaching mission as a TA or grader is often a vital
chore, and some of our LSU Graduate School students do an exemplary job. David He recvd the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award!
Research Specialist Amir Javaid’s nomination included the following: “David He has been an excellent TA in my PHYS 2109 lab. He has been helping me out in training new Teaching Assistants and takes the lead in setting up the lab equipment. He is a very responsible TA, provides me valuable input about important lab issues and has demonstrated a high level of commitment and dedication to the job. He has been an asset for my lab course."

2019 BS Miner Alumni Association Reagan Dugan is a new Medical Physics PhD who conducted research with Owen Carmichael Pennington Biomedical Research Center resulting in his dissertation “Augmentation and Analysis of Diffusion MRI Data Via Machine Learning Methods” https://bit.ly/45orcP6 LSU College of Science

Brookings, South Dakota native The Brookings Register & 2019 BS physics alumna from Minnesota State University Moorhead Jane Glanzer graduated from Louisiana State University with a PhD in physics.

Advised by Boyd Professor of Physics Gabriela González, Glanzer conducted research resulting in her dissertation titled “Characterizing and Mitigating Transient Noise In LIGO Observatories for Gravitational Wave Detection.”

“I am very proud of Jane's work, she has improved the reach of the LIGO instruments to see more black holes and neutron stars farther in the Universe,” said González LSU College of Science.

In 2022, Glanzer received the LIGO Scientific Collaboration Honorable Mention Laboratory Award for Excellence in Detector Characterization and Calibration for critical investigations of increased detector noise due to trains at LIGO - Livingston. Glanzer also won the poster prize at the 2022 Cardiff, Wales LVK meeting for best poster in the experimental/instrumentation category.

“Being so close to the LIGO Livingston Observatory gave me the opportunity to work with scientists and commissioners who know so much about the detector and it really helped me learn a lot,” said Glanzer. “Additionally, being a part of the LSU LIGO group was great. I got to travel all over the country and world to attend LIGO conferences, giving me the opportunity to network with many different people.”

Following graduation, Glanzer will pursue a Postdoctoral Research position at the Caltech.

The Department of Physics & Astronomy Service and Outreach Award goes to undergraduates for their dedication and volunteer work in community STEM events. This year we honor

• Caleb Robinson

Assistant Professor Natalie Hinkel’s nomination included: “Caleb Robinson took advantage of an opportunity to attend the American Astronomical Society's winter meeting (Jan 2024) in New Orleans. Because of that, he became very well acquainted with graduate students and media/public relations manager (Mimi LaValle) within the department. Since then, Caleb has become a frequent volunteer for outreach programs and special weekend events. I often hear Mimi sing Caleb's praises about how much time he has dedicated to the department and how well he is able to communicate with members of the public, other students, or alumni. Caleb has established himself as a personable, knowledgeable, adaptable, and generous member of the department with how often he volunteers his time and effort. The department is very lucky to have Caleb around.”
LSU College of Science

Ball Undergraduate Student Award for a physics major with a minimum 3.5 gpa, continuing academic excellence and research performance is presented to two students this year:
Gianna Hammill & Isaac Ponder!

Gianna, working under the mentorship of Assoc. Prof. Kristina Launey LSU College of Science, is seeking to gain experience along her path to medical school. She has worked one-on-one with an array of students from a wide demographic in biology and calculus, & served as a math tutor. Her current research project aims to build a simulation for nuclear systems using quantum computing.

Isaac is majoring in physics, with a concentration in medical physics. Isaac has worked with Asst. Prof. Jeffery Chancellor in the SPARTAN lab, which focuses on understanding the impact of space radiation has on both the health of human spaceflight crews and the resilience of space vehicle hardware systems. Before this, Isaac volunteered in a biological engineering cancer research lab with Dr. Elizabeth Martin and Dr. Todd Monroe LSU College of Engineering

Bring your space explorers to LSU Museum of Art this Sunday for a great FREE & family-friendly event, featuring an inflatable planetarium provided by LSU College of Science & Louisiana Space Grant & NASA EPSCoR Programs

Henry Vo is the 2024 recipient of the Barbara and Barry C**n Annual Physics & Astronomy Scholarship! “Henry has been working with me on the analysis of data from the CALET Gamma ray Burst Monitor instrument on the International Space Station – specifically on the automated classification of events as cosmic gamma ray bursts, solar flares, or geomagnetic enhancements," said LSU College of Science Professor Emeritus Michael Cherry.

The named scholarship is in honor of Barry C**n, who received his PhD at LSU in 1966 LSU Alumni Association. He is a retired Vice President at Conoco Phillips and he and his wife set up a scholarship to support physics students LSU Foundation.

Our new 2024 LSU Physics & Astronomy REU Program student researchers have arrived! Looking forward to a great summer LSU College of Science

Kick off you summer this Wednesday May 29th for Astronomy on Tap, Baton Rouge with an illuminating discussion about neutron stars and exoplanets
📅 Date: Wednesday, May 29th, 2024
📍 Location: Varsity Theatre, Baton Rouge, LA
⏰ Time: Doors open at 6:30 PM, event begins at 7 PM

🌟 Speaker 1: Caleb Robinson will give a talk entitled "Navigating Neutron Stars: A Concise Coverage of the Compact Objects".
He will demonstrate a top-down investigation of neutron stars, from how they came to be, what they're made of, and why we should continue studying them.

🌟 Speaker 2: Emelly Tiburcio will talk about "Charting the Evolutionary Dance of Long-Period Algol KU Cygni", in which
the photometric and spectroscopic monitoring of the long-period Algol type binary system, KU Cygni, will be shown.
Baton Rouge Astronomical Society Landolt Astronomical Observatory at LSU Louisiana Space Grant & NASA EPSCoR Programs Louisiana Art & Science Museum Louisiana Biomedical Research Network Highland Road Park Observatory LSU Museum of Art

Kyle A. Hamer, Lafayette High School & 2019 LSU College of Science BS in Physics Alumnus graduated from LSU with a PhD in physics.

Advised by Assistant Professor Francois Mauger, Hamer conducted research in the Ultrafast Atomic, Molecular and Optical Science theoretical research group, resulting in his dissertation titled “All-Optical Probes of Particle-Like Charge Migration Dynamics.”

“During my time at LSU, I used our on-campus high-performance computing resources to perform first-principles simulations of the ultrafast motion of electrons,” said Hamer. This research has resulted in innovative methods to both initiate and measure charge migration dynamics within organic molecules.”

“Kyle embodies everything one hopes for in a graduate student: smart, positively curious, and hardworking,” said Mauger. “He has quickly become the leading force behind his research project, and he is now our group’s expert in the types of ultrafast-science simulations and analyses he does. His outstanding scientific production speaks to the quality and importance of his research discoveries. We have been very lucky to have Kyle in our group over the past few years.”

Following graduation, Hamer will further his career in academia.

Angelina Liemkeo with a BS in physics LSU College of Science. While at LSU, she presented ‘Ultraviolet Spectrum of the Corona vs. the Photosphere’ LSU Discover - Undergraduate Research Program Day Louisiana Space Grant & NASA EPSCoR Programs, was a member of the Amateur Radio Society-call sign K5LSU ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio, & attended American Physical Society in 2023 & 2024.

We 🎊 new PhD Frank McKay's dissertation "Surface and Bulk Properties of Multi-component Metal Alloys" w/mentor Prof. Phil Sprunger ☑️ https://bit.ly/4bnXOLa. Dr. McKay UW Alumni Association & Bellevue College alumnus is now Postdoctoral Researcher at LSU's synchrotron facility Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD). LSU College of Science LSU Graduate School
The mission of CAMD is to provide infrastructure for research and education in synchrotron-based science and technology.
The heart of the facility is a 1.3 GeV electron storage ring that was built exclusively to provide synchrotron radiation. Research in basic sciences and nanofabrication is conducted by scientist and engineers from Louisiana universities, along with distinguished scientists from national and international institutions.

LSU postdoctoral researcher Beatriz Elizaga Navascués has won the Bronstein Prize for her work to bridge general relativity and quantum mechanics to provide a deeper understanding of our universe and everything in it.

She wanted to come to LSU to learn more about using astronomical observations of extreme events, such as black holes, to understand physics on an atomic level.

“Black holes and light coming to us from across the universe, from a distant past, could be a source for us to learn about fundamental aspects of physics that we may not be able to observe any other way.”

Meet her: https://www.lsu.edu/mediacenter/news/2024/05/20_bronsteinprize.php

LSU College of Science Universidad Complutense de Madrid FAU Germany Waseda University

Congrats to Jane Glanzer on successfully defending her PhD dissertation ‘Characterizing and Mitigating Transient Noise In LIGO Observatories for Gravitational Wave Detection’ with mentorship by LSU Boyd Professor Gabriela Gonzalez read it here https://bit.ly/3UYgECW
LIGO - Livingston LIGO Scientific Collaboration LSU Graduate School LSU College of Science

Congrats to Kyle A. Hamer on successfully defending his PhD dissertation ‘All-Optical Probes of Particle-Like Charge Migration’ with mentorship by Asst. Prof. Francois Mauger 🙌 read his dissertation here https://bit.ly/44ZgPkZ

“It was in the lively ambiance of the enchanting city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece I first developed a passion for solving riddles and understanding the mysteries of nature,” Kranas said. “This led me to pursue a degree in physics and delve deeper into theoretical physics.”
Dimitrios Kranas recieves the 2024 LSU Alumni Association LSU Graduate School Distinguished Dissertation Award in STEM for ‘Entanglement in the Hawking Effect: from Astrophysical to Optical Black Holes’ https://bit.ly/4bCq4JJ which opens a promising window for the observability of the quantum origin of the Hawking effect in the lab using different input quantum states of light. https://bit.ly/44JTTFV
LSU College of Science Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης

PhD Alumnus Dimitrios Kranas Receives 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award in STEM The LSU Alumni Association 2024 Distinguished Dissertation Award in Science, Engineering and Technology has been awarded to Dimitrios Kranas from Thessaloniki, Greece, who joined LSU and the Hearne Institute of Theoretical Physics under the mentorship of Associate Professor of Physics Ivan Agullo in...

“Becoming a researcher, or even a scientist in general, is not a straightforward path. Science by itself isn’t always straightforward,” said Christian Foti.
Learn about Christian’s research in Prof. Wayne Newhauser’s lab LSU Medical & Health Physics Graduate Program where they focus on improving the understanding of health issues that cancer patients face with radiation therapy. https://bit.ly/3UF1mlh “One big problem in treating cancer with radiation is that sometimes blood may stop flowing properly within the vessels, so tissues don't get enough oxygen, and cells may die.” Christian's research utilizes computational blood vessel generation coupled with radiation therapy simulations.
LSU Department of Chemistry LSU College of Science Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center LSU Discover - Undergraduate Research Program

From Fields to Modeling: Navigating the Unexpected Journey to Becoming a Researcher Explore Christian Foti's journey from an uncertain freshman to a dedicated student researcher. As a first-generation college student majoring in chemistry, Christian navigated early career uncertainties. Yet, a pivotal summer job ignited a passion for scientific exploration. Through the MARC program...

"The reason why I picked this particular show for the museum is because LSU Research does so much work with NASA. We have so many partnerships and programs going on with NASA, and I wanted to highlight the fact that we, as a research university, are part of the space program, as well. And that's why I chose this particular work." LSU Museum of Art

In a galaxy not so far away, planets fill LSU Museum of Art's celestial display Marie Jeanne Welsch dreamed of being an astronaut, but she knew she would never realize that goal, because, as she writes, "I didn't have the vision or the grades."