Undergraduate Research Opportunities

You will have ample opportunity to participate in research. This telescope, called Viper and built by CMU undergraduates, is now operating at the South Pole. It has observed minute variations in the cosmic microwave background radiation intensity that help to constrain models of the early Universe.

You will be able to participate in any of the research areas in the Department including:
Astrophysics
Biological Physics
Computational Physics
Condensed Matter Physics
Medium Energy Physics
Particle Physics
Quantum Theory

Research may be done for credit or pay throughout the academic year and summer, including summer research experiences off campus. Examples of recent undergraduate research projects:

Casimir Force: Measuring Vacuum Fluctuations
Deposition of Hydrophobic Materials from Drying Drops
Detector Development for High Energy Physics
Gravitational Fields of Topological Defects
Monte Carlo Simulations of Quasicrystals and Ferrofluids
Preparation, Characterization, and Properties of Buckyballs and Nanocrystals
RF Surface Impedance Studies of Type-I Superconductors
Silicon Vertex Detector Resolution Studies
Thermal Lensing
X-ray Scattering Experiments
Pulse Design in NMR Quantum Computing

Our undergraduates have attended meetings, given papers, and co-authored journal articles and patents. Recent examples include:

D.L. Reid, A.E. Russo, R.V. Carro, M.A. Stephens, A.R. LePage, T.C. Spalding, E.L. Peterson, S. Seal, “Nanoscale Additives Tailor Energetic Materials,” NANO LETTERS, V7, 7 p. 2157-61 (7/2007).

B.R. Trees, Y.H. Helal, J.S. Schiffrin, B.M. Siller, “Suppression of Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling in a Large Josephson Junction Coupled to a Resonator,” PHYSICAL REVIEW B V76, 22 Art 224513 (12/2007).

M. Debatin, M. Kroner, J. Mikosch, S. Trippel, N. Morrison, M. Reetz-Lamour, P. Woias, R. Wester, M. Weidemuller, “Planar Multipole Ion Trap,” PHYSICAL REVIEW A V77, 3 Art 033422 (3/2008).

A.I. Greenwood, J.J. Pan, T.T. Mills, J.F. Nagle, R.M. Epand, S. Tristram-Nagle, “CRAC Motif Peptide of the HIV-1 gp41 Protein Thins SOPC Membranes and Interacts with Cholesterol,” BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTABIOMEMBRANES  V1778, 4 p.1120-30 (4/2008).

Our students participate in summer research programs all across the country. Recent examples include programs at:
Fermilab in Chicago
University of Indiana
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania

Research in Physics has more detailed information about research in the Physics Department.
Undergraduate Research in MCS has more detailed information about research in the Mellon College of Science. You can subscribe to the Physics electronic b-board: academic.physics.announce to find up-to-date information about REU's (Research Experience for Undergrads) including summer research.