physics Archives - Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

OIT Helps Physics Researchers

OIT Blog Originally Posted: April 11, 2018 When some Physics researchers needed a few dedicated computers for running experiments, they reached out to OIT Customer Service Director Rachel Mulry to see if she could help. The requirements for the computers were minimal compared to current university standards but had to be stable enough to run their experiment and priced within their small budget. Within 24 hours, several laptops were found that could be donated to meet the needs of the ATLAS experiment. The laptops were used for the production tests of the ATLAS experiment, in which involved the testing of 15,000 chips with multiple setups from many students. Once that was successful, they realized the need for a few additional computers were needed for the [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-04-16T08:09:44+00:00 April 16th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Events, Graduate News, Physics|Comments Off

Solving the dark energy mystery: A new sky survey assignment for a 45-year-old telescope

SMU Research Originally Posted: Feb. 19, 2018 SMU and other members of a scientific consortium prepare for installation of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument to survey the night sky from a mile-high mountain peak in Arizona As part of a large scientific consortium studying dark energy, SMU physicists are on course to help create the largest 3-D map of the universe ever made. The map will emerge from data gathered by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) being installed on the Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope atop a mountain in Arizona. The map could help solve the mystery of dark energy, which is driving the accelerating expansion of the universe. DESI will capture about 10 times more data than a predecessor survey of space using an array of 5,000 swiveling [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-02-19T09:55:54+00:00 February 19th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Faculty News, Physics|Comments Off

Exploring the mysteries of the universe: Reality in the Shadows

SMU Research Originally Posted: December 21, 2017 New knowledge has caused us to reconsider many previous conclusions about what the universe is and how it works. Despite centuries of scientific advancements, there is much about the universe that remains unknown. New knowledge and discoveries in the last 20 years have challenged previously accepted ideas and theories that were once regarded as scientific truth and have subjected them to increasing scrutiny. These additions to our knowledge have caused scientists to reconsider many previous conclusions about what the universe is and how it works. “Reality in the Shadows” or “What the Heck’s the Higgs?” is a new book that explores the concepts that shape our current understanding of the universe and the frontiers of our knowledge of the [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2018-02-08T08:11:37+00:00 February 8th, 2018|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Faculty News, Physics|Comments Off

12 Dedman College professors receive 2018-19 Sam Taylor Fellowships

SMU Forum Originally Posted: December 15, 2017 Twenty-five SMU faculty members have received 2018-19 Sam Taylor Fellowships from the Sam Taylor Fellowship Fund of the Division of Higher Education, United Methodist General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. The Fellowships, funded by income from a portion of Taylor’s estate, award up to $2,000 for full-time faculty members at United Methodist-related colleges and universities in Texas. Any full-time faculty member is eligible to apply for the Fellowships, which support research, “advancing the intellectual, social or religious life of Texas and the nation.” Applications are evaluated on the significance of the project, clarity of the proposal, professional development of the applicant, value of the project to the community or nation and the project’s sensitivity to value questions [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2017-12-18T10:03:21+00:00 December 18th, 2017|Anthropology, Chemistry, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Faculty News, History, Physics, Psychology, Statistical Science, World Languages and Literatures|Comments Off

Dedman College faculty books for your holiday gift-giving list

SMU News Originally Posted: December 11, 2017 Complete your holiday gift list with books published in 2017 by Dedman College faculty. Some selections are available at the SMU bookstore. Most are available via online booksellers unless otherwise noted. READ THE FULL LIST Books by Dedman College faculty Manjhi Moves a Mountain (Creston Books), by Nancy Churnin, shows how everyone can make a difference if their heart is big enough. When young Dashrath Manjhi realizes the mountain separates his poor village from a nearby village with schools, markets and a hospital, he sees a solution no one else can imagine. With only his hammer, chisel, grit and determination, Manjhi spends 20 years carving a path through the mountain. Rachel Ball-Phillips, SMU’s adjunct lecturer of South Asian [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2017-12-12T08:15:36+00:00 December 13th, 2017|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Embrey Human Rights Events, Faculty News, History, Physics|Comments Off

SMU Physics Ph.D. Pens Op-ED in Dallas Morning News

Dallas Morning News Originally Posted: November 23, 2017 This month, the House voted in favor of HR 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In an attempt to simplify the tax code, many deductions were eliminated in favor of a higher standard deduction for all Americans. One such repeal was Section 117(d)(5). Why is this so impactful, and why has its repeal caused such an uproar from those in higher education? To understand this question, you must first understand the complicated ways that universities compensate their graduate students. I'm a Ph.D. student at SMU studying particle physics, and at SMU and other major research institutions in the United States, students from all over the globe compete for a handful of positions in one of our [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2017-11-27T07:54:19+00:00 November 27th, 2017|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Graduate News, Physics|Comments Off

Dark Matter Rock Hunt TODAY 9am-4pm on SMU Campus

October 31 from 9am-4pm on the SMU Campus: The Department of Physics has hidden "Dark Matter Rocks" all across the SMU campus. If you discover one of the dark matter rocks, bring it to Fondren Science Building 102 (the Physics Main Office) and get a special prize. All SMU students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome to join in the search. In the spirit of science being a pursuit open to all, we are excited to welcome all members of the SMU family to become dark matter hunters for a day. Explore your campus in the search for dark matter rocks, just as physicists are exploring the cosmos in the hunt for the nature of dark matter itself.

By Katherine Nickles| 2017-10-31T00:36:30+00:00 October 31st, 2017|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Events, Physics, Undergraduate News|Comments Off

The Department of Physics is hosting a Dark Matter Day celebration- events open to the public.

“In the spirit of science being a pursuit open to all, we are excited to welcome all members of the SMU family to become dark matter hunters for a day.” — SMU physicist Jodi Cooley Read More Dark Matter Day events at SMU: Sunday, Oct. 29, 4 p.m., McCord Auditorium — Maruša Bradač, Associate Professor at the University of California at Davis, will give a public lecture on dark matter. A reception will follow the lecture from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Dallas Hall Rotunda with beverages and light snacks. This event is free and open to the public, and is designed to be open to the widest possible audience. Monday, Oct. 30, 4 p.m., Fondren Science Building, Room 158 — SMU Associate Professor Jodi Cooley will [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2017-10-25T11:11:57+00:00 October 25th, 2017|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Faculty News, Physics|Comments Off

SMU Dark Matter Day celebration culminates in a dark matter rock hunt on Halloween

SMU Research Originally Posted: October 23, 2017 "In the spirit of science being a pursuit open to all, we are excited to welcome all members of the SMU family to become dark matter hunters for a day.” — SMU physicist Jodi Cooley This Halloween, people around the world will be celebrating the mysterious cosmic substance that permeates our universe: dark matter. At SMU, the Department of Physics in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences is hosting a Dark Matter Day celebration, and students, faculty, staff and DFW residents are invited to join in the educational fun with events open to the public. To kick off the festivities, two speaking events by scientists in the field of dark matter will familiarize participants with the elusive particles [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2017-10-23T18:40:12+00:00 October 23rd, 2017|Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Events, Physics|Comments Off

Flashback: SMU alum won Nobel Prize

Dallas Morning News Originally Posted: October 8, 2017 Editor's note: Take a look back at The Dallas Morning News archives. In October 1980, Dallas-raised James Cronin became the first SMU graduate to win a Nobel Prize. Although Cronin's prize-winning physics work was done while working at Long Island, N.Y.'s Brookhaven National Laboratory, he credited his Dallas education for inspiring him to pursue a life of scientific study. Teachers at Highland Park High School remembered him fondly. SMU's Dr. Harold Jeskey recalled that his colleague, physics department chairman Frank C. McDonald, made it clear that "one of his great, great prides was Jimmy Cronin." The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences noted that while Cronin's work was "without direct practical applications," it held "great importance for the understanding of elementary matter [...]

By Katherine Nickles| 2017-10-10T17:52:08+00:00 October 10th, 2017|Chemistry, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Dedman College Research, Faculty News, Physics|Comments Off