Research Opportunities

Fundamental questions about the Universe, galaxies, stars, and planets are explored. Research topics include stellar astrophysics, planetary science, gamma-ray astronomy, Galactic and extragalactic astronomy. The Department provides access to optical telescopes in Arizona, Chile, and the Canary islands, as well as locally at the Mt. Cuba Observatory. Research at Delaware also makes use of existing world-class facilities such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and will exploit future instruments including the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope.

Faculty: Federica Bianco, Gregory Dobler, Sarah Dodson-Robinson, John Gizis, Jamie Holder, James MacDonald, Stanley Owocki, Veronique Petit​

We aim to understand atoms, molecules, light, and biological systems and to develop novel experimental and computational techniques. Research topics include light and matter interactions under extreme conditions, precise atomic and molecular calculations, chemical physics, ultrafast spectroscopy and computational biophysics.

Faculty: Matthew DeCamp, Lars Gundlach, Alexei Kananenka, Mark Ku, Edward Lyman, John Morgan, Marianna Safronova, Krzysztof Szalewicz, Barry Walker​

Fundamental properties of materials and their potential applications in technologies are investigated experimentally and theoretically. Research topics include quantum phenomena and technology, low-dimensional materials, nanoscience and nanostructures, spin-based electronics (spintronics) and complex electronic and magnetic materials. We take advantage of the state-of-the-art University of Delaware Nanofabrication Facilities and participate in an NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC).

Faculty: Chitraleema Chakraborty, Siu-Tat Chui, George Hadjipanayis, Yi Ji, Benjamin Jungfleisch, Mark Ku, Branislav Nikolic, Edmund Nowak, Ismat Shah, Karl Unruh, John Xiao​​

Particle physics is concerned with the elementary particles and their interactions as well as the underlying structure of the Universe. Research topics include unified theories, cosmology, dark matter and dark energy. Particle astrophysics concerns elementary particles of astrophysical origin, and involves the study of cosmic rays, astrophysical neutrinos and gamma-rays. Delaware research groups play leading roles in the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica, the VERITAS and CTA gamma-ray observatories, and in the PUEO NASA balloon mission.

Faculty: Spencer Axani, John Clem, Paul Evenson, Jamie Holder​, Frank Schroeder, David Seckel, Qaisar Shafi​

Research topics include solar physics, heliospheric physics, plasma physics, magnetic reconnection, solar energetic particles, cosmic rays, high-energy-density laboratory astrophysics, and fusion. Our faculty and students serve on the science teams for multiple NASA missions: Parker Solar Probe, Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission, PUNCH, Wind, IMAP, and HelioSwarm. Collaborative opportunities with DOE National Labs (LLNL, SNL, LANL, LLE, and PPPL) are available. We operate a global neutron monitor network that measures cosmic rays entering the atmosphere and serve as principal investigators in the AESOPLite NASA balloon mission.

Faculty: Arijit Bose, John Clem, Paul Evenson, Bennett Maruca, William Matthaeus, Michael Shay​​