The North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) Physics Frontiers Center (PFC) has been awarded the prestigious Bruno Rossi Prize from the American Astronomical Society (AAS), as announced at 245th annual AAS conference last week in National Harbor, MD. The NANOGrav Collaboration shares the 2025 prize with their PFC co-directors, Drs. Maura McLaughlin (West Virginia University) and Xavier Siemens (Oregon State University).
The West Virginia University Department of Physics and Astronomy offers $1500 scholarships
to new students who have been directly admitted to the Eberly College of Arts and
Sciences as an undergraduate physics major.
The Physics and Astronomy Colloquium Series returns for Spring '25 with an incredible
lineup of esteemed guests. A pre-colloquium reception is hosted at 2:00pm in White
Hall 111.
Details about each colloquium, including abstracts and biographies, will be published to the WVU Calendar
as information becomes available. A general listing of colloquium dates is also available there to add all events to your calendar as a placeholder.
Connecting community to accessible science is the pillar of outreach. Our exceptional
graduate students are leading an array of impactful educational community outreach
opportunities to connect communities to physics.
“Regan is also redefining our knowledge of plasma physics at Mars. She has
conducted expert analysis of spacecraft observations from Mars Express and
the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission, and classified
over 4400 magnetic boundaries ... In particular, Regan has newly discovered
that the boundary dips towards the surface over areas of Mars’ crustal magnetic
fields, due to plasma confinement in these regions.”
Research Assistant Professor Christopher Fowler is a planetary science researcher in the West Virginia University Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Center for KINETIC Plasma Physics. Fowler analyzes in-situ plasma measurements obtained by spacecraft, including the NASA Mars MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission, where he works on the instrumentation team.
As a graduate student in the WVU Department of Physics and Astronomy, Barbhuiya performed
groundbreaking research that will have an impact on the study of superheated gases
called plasmas that arise in the regions of space near Earth and in the atmosphere
of the Sun.
One of the most significant opportunities afforded to young scientists as an undergraduate student is the experience of hands-on research and creative exploration.
The GREENBURST research team, which has been operating for the past five years,
has just received funding to extend its quest to search for transient radio sources
using the Green Bank Telescope in Green Bank, West Virginia. With support from
a three-year $580,000 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the team
aims to discover and study fast radio bursts (FRBs) and ultra-long period pulsars.
Summer 2024 was a whirlwind of activity for the Department of Physics and Astronomy!
Our community of students, staff, and faculty embarked on domestic and international
journeys to expand their knowledge, conduct groundbreaking research, and share
their discoveries. Additionally, we hosted various camps and programs on campus
and at partner sites. Here’s a glimpse at a few highlights from our exciting
summer!
