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Physics and Astronomy Shock and High Pressure Physics

Dr. Yogendra Gupta is the Director of the Institute for Shock Physics, a multidisciplinary research organization with an emphasis on shock wave and high pressure research on materials. State-of-the-art computational and experimental facilities are used to investigate phenomena over a significant range of length and time scales.

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NASA Spacegarden

Dr. Phil Marston performs research in physical acousitcs and optics. One topic is the radiation pressure of high-amplitude sound and its applications to bubble and droplet dynamics and to the dynamics of of fluids in low gravity. The image at right was taken 9 April, 2003, by cosmonaut Nikolas Budarin aboard the ISS in near-zero gravity conditions. It shows an air bubble inside a water droplet on a plant in the “space garden.”

Dr. Matt McCluskey investigates semiconductors under large pressures. His group uses infrared spectroscopy combined with diamond-anvil cells to probe defects in semiconductors, and studies the optical changes of semiconductors under shock compression.

Confocal Ice

Faculty