She created the first three-dimensional diffusion model that
reproduces the strong enhancement of outer belt electrons during a
geomagnetic storm. The model is the first of its kind to incorporate
real-time information on the physical processes and thus accurately
model the radiation belt enhancement. In addition, Tu has developed the
first model to account for radiation belt dropouts and newly discovered
loss processes due to anomalous geometrics of Earth’s magnetic fields.
Understanding these electrons and processes are crucial in reducing the
hazardous radiative environment within which spacecrafts and
communication satellites currently operate.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Studying topics as varied as space science to sustainability, four West Virginia University researchers have been named Faculty Early Career Development Program award winners by the National Science Foundation.
The conference is an initiative of APS which works to encourage and promote women and gender minorities to enter and continue their interests in the world of physics and astronomy. The three-day conference (January 19-21, 2024) encourages undergraduate women to continue in physics by providing them with the opportunity to experience a professional conference, information about graduate school and professions in physics, and access to other women in physics of all ages with whom they can share experiences, advice, and ideas.
Mark Koepke, Robert C. Byrd Professor of Physics in the WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy, was chosen as chair-elect of the American Physical Society's subdivision, the Gaseous Electronics Conference.
For Lorimer and McLaughlin, working at Arecibo set off a sequence of events including marriage, children, joining West Virginia University, an out-of-this-world scientific discovery and, now, a prestigious award described as the “Nobel Prize of the East.”
Finding and creating new materials with unique properties,
like superconductors and novel magnets, requires new methods and tools, but Lian Li, Robert L.
Carroll Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the WVU Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, said
the trial and error method employed by scientists takes too long to keep up
with technology in the quantum age.
Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system, from the structure and function of neurons to the behavior of the animal. Essentially, it offers a scientific window into how the brain works. Neuroscientists are working to better understand how neurons in the nervous system fire and how that relates to their function within the complex networks in the brain and nervous system.
More than two dozen researchers with ties to the West Virginia University Department of Physics and Astronomy have helped unearth evidence of ripples in space time that have never been observed before.
Subhasish Mandal, assistant professor in condensed matter physics, recently earned the funding from the DoD’s Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research with the long-term goal of enhancing quantum devices to operate at favorable temperature conditions. Currently, devices can run only in very cold conditions.
The Shaw Prize is an international award to honor individuals who have recently achieved distinguished and significant advances in the fields of Astronomy, Life Sciences and Medicine, and Mathematical Sciences. Awardees are those who have made outstanding contributions in academic and scientific research or applications, or who in other domains have achieved excellence. The award is dedicated to furthering societal progress, enhancing quality of life, and enriching humanity's spiritual civilization.
