Newsletter 2014-15

NEWSLETTER 2014-15

Special Features Listening to the Universe Advanced LIGO could provide breakthrough discovery

LaCNS $4.9M Grant Advanced LIGO, the upgrade to the LIGO detectors that will provide Nuclear Physics an increase by a factor of 1,000 in the number of gravitational wave Big Data candidates, was officially dedicated on July 31, 2015. LIGO, together Medical Physics with its sister interferometers VIRGO and GEO in Europe and the Magnetocaloric Research planned KAGRA facility in Japan and LIGO-India, will look for the Inside this Issue predicted signals from compact binary inspirals and mergers in neutron star and black hole systems, together with the stochastic

Chair’s Corner 2 signal from the Big Bang and unanticipated bursts of gravitational Awards 3 waves from distant cosmic events. Cooperative arrangements have Events 3-5 been made with observers at wavelengths from radio to gamma rays

Student Activities 5 LIGO-Livingston to look for counterparts. Both the Livingston and Hanford detectors Outreach 6-7 have achieved lock, and the first science run with Advanced LIGO is scheduled to begin in Research News 8-11 September. See www.ligo.caltech.edu/LA for more information about LIGO and its Livingston Lab. Accolades 12-15 Student Profiles 17 Alumni News 18 Summer REUs on Campus Support your Alma Mater 19 For the fifth summer, the department has hosted two Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs -- one in physics and a second, in cooperation with the Louisiana Alliance for Simulation-Guided Materials Applications For more info visit: (LaSIGMA) program and CCT, in computational materials. www.phys.lsu.edu The 2015 physics program brought 15 students to campus Or contact Mimi LaValle to work with faculty in astrophysics, particle and nuclear External Relations Manager 2015 P&A REU Participants and LSU Faculty physics, condensed matter, atomic physics, quantum [email protected] computing, and medical physics. Forty additional students 225-578-2261 in the computational materials program learned to use follow us on social media some of the nation’s largest supercomputers, participated in the setup and management of large-scale simulations, and took part in the analysis and visualization of simulation results. For more info visit: http://bit.ly/1Lvdpr0 LA-SiGMA & CCTREU Participants and LSU Faculty Chair’s Corner michael cherry, department of physics & Astronomy Awards and Graduates Despite the State’s difficult financial outlook, year worked as Learning Assistants running recitations for our first 2014-15 Graduates Department of Physics & the Department continues to move forward. year Physics courses. Summer 2014 Graduates: Astronomy Awards We hired a new tenure-track assistant As examples of the new and continuing projects in the department: M.S.: Margaret Hernandez, Melissa Lamberto, Bart Morris, and Benjamin Rusk Undergraduate Research Award Ph.D.: Brajesh Gupt, Keibei Jiang, Rebecca Ringuette, and Amir Shadkam Matt Curtis professor (Joyoni Dey in Medical Physics) John DiTusa received a $4.9M DOE award to establish a Louisiana Austin Baldwin Fall 2014 Graduates and a new instructor (Dalgis Mesa) in August Consortium for Neutron Scattering (LaCNS). Greg Guzik has been Department Service Award B.S.: Collin Hawkins and Nutsinee Kijbunchoo 2014. Scott Marley joined the Department named the new statewide director of NASA EPSCoR and LaSPACE, Mark Ditusa M.S.: David Byrd, Derek Freund, and Manish Gupta Amy LeBleu as an assistant professor in Nuclear Physics which will receive $4.4M in new funds over the next 3 years. Ken Ph.D.: Ryan DeRosa, Joseph Prestigiacomo, and Bhaskar Roy Bardhan Ashley Disbrow in August 2015, Rui Zhang started as an assistant professor in Schafer and Mette Gaarde are leading a $2M/yr NSF Ultrafast Alison Dreyfuss Spring 2015 Graduates Medical Physics, and Nayeli Zuniga-Hansen as a new instructor. Science program involving LSU, Ohio State, and Univ. of Virginia, and Outstanding Teaching Assistant B.S. Nicholas Chason, Jonathan Curole, Haggai Davis, Adrian Galan, Mark Morreale, Terra Hardwick John Wefel has retired but will continue working on his CALET Space are part of a $12.5M 5-year DOD Multi-University Research Institute Jason Mueller, Thu Phan, Cadron Pickett, Evan Rabeaux, Kenneth Suterland, and Jieun Yoo Station experiment and LaSPACE. Bobby Beaird has left us to take award for fast laser physics. Phil Sprunger is Co-PI of a $20M 5-year Cedric Williams Joseph Steiner an instructor position at Rice, and Brandon Lohmann has left his DOE award for a Consortium for Innovation in Manufacturing and M.S.: Anthony Mazza, Edward Montiel, Noah Morris, and Alok Shankar Callaway Award Zach Edwards position as undergraduate lab supervisor to move to Kansas State; Materials. John Wefel is the U.S. spokesperson for the Japan-U.S.- Ph.D.: Anamaria Effler and Chinedu Ekuma we will miss them both and wish them good luck. As of August 2015, Italy CALET project to measure the spectrum of high energy cosmic Summer 2015 Graduates the number of tenure-track and tenured faculty will be 47, with 2 ray electrons, nuclei, and gamma rays. CALET was launched to the B.S.: Mark Morreale research faculty and 7 instructors. We are approved to conduct two International Space Station in August 2015, and plans to collect data M.S.: Hatim Chafi, Christopher Johnson, Nicholas Petersen, Haoyu Qi, Ryan Schurr and new searches in 2015-16 for faculty in theoretical Astrophysics and for 5 years. Runyon Woods Subatomic Physics. The department’s public outreach program continues to be active: Ph.D.: Christopher Granier, Kaushik Seshadreesan, and Mengxi Wu Sponsored research expenditures from state, federal, and private The Student Physics Society makes presentations at local schools LSU College of Science Choppin Honors Convocation sources amount to approximately $8.5M annually, up from $7.9M last and had a major presence at the LSU Space Day event that we put Robert Beaird, Will McElgin, Dubvra Rupnik – College Teaching Award year and well above the total of $5.8M six years ago. Highlights of the on last year together with the College of Engineering, NASA, and Catherine Deibel College of Science Research Award faculty’s and students’ research can be found on the Department’s Lockheed Martin. The Highland Road Park Observatory operated Mark Wilde LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award website at www.phys.lsu.edu. Twelve students received bachelor’s by the Baton Rouge park district (BREC) and LSU remains popular Mette Gaarde LSU Alumni Association Faculty Excellence Award Allison Dreyfuss and Ashley Disbrow-Hood degrees in Physics in 2014-15. According to the department’s with the public. Nanodays organized by department faculty has now Jonathan Curole Keen-Morris Award Jason Mueller Outstanding Senior Award records, the number of undergraduate majors as of Summer 2015 is become an annual event. The Masters in Natural Science program 116. 19 new PhD students and 4 Medical and Health Physics Masters has provided science and pedagogy training to local physics and students joined the Department in Spring - Fall 2014. In Fall 2015, chemistry teachers, the Louisiana Space Consortium (LaSPACE) Cosmic Ray Research 15 new PhD students and three MS students are expected to join provides programs and funding for students and faculty across the Supporting the pipeline from students to scientists the department. Twelve students received PhDs and 11 received MS state, and the Saturday Science lecture series brings high school ”Cosmic Ray Research: Supporting the the early experiments on elemental and leadership of LaSPACE, and the summer degrees during 2014-15. students and their teachers to campus every month. Pipeline from Students to Scientists”, isotopic composition through the JACEE schools in Erice. More detail can be found in As you can see inside and on our department website, our students, We have included news about alumni in this newsletter. Please send a symposium in honor of John Wefel, and ATIC high energy experiments and the most recent LaSPACE newsletter at faculty, and alumni are winning departmental, College, University, us your news and we will gladly include it in the next edition. If you was held at LSU in August 2014. Over the upcoming CALET experiment to be http://laspace.lsu.edu/Documents/newsletter/ and national awards. We continue to produce noteworthy research are here in Baton Rouge, let us know and we will be delighted to 100 colleagues, collaborators, students, flown on the Space Station. There were LaSPACE-Newsletter-Fall2014.pdf in all the areas in which we are involved – and we are working hard show you around Nicholson Hall – and if you would be interested in and friends gathered for two days to talk talks describing his commitment to STEM Below: Attendees of 2014 symposium in to involve our students in that research activity starting in their first meeting with our undergraduate and graduate students as part of our about John’s cosmic ray experiments from education and student mentoring, his honor of Dr. John Wefel year. Approximately 75 undergraduates are on the payroll working “What I Did with my Physics Degree” series, please let me know. (We with research groups, and another 45 undergraduate students this even promise to feed you pizza with the students!) Crawfish Boil The annual Department crawfish boil, held on the Friday of finals week, featured 500 pounds of crawfish, 50 pounds of potatoes and 250 pieces of corn. More than 150 people socialized outside of Nicholson Hall for the event. To view a photo gallery of the event, visit www.phys.lsu.edu and click on the photo gallery link.

2 (l-to-r) Dana Browne, Joyoni Dey, and Doug Granger enjoy the weather and festivities. 3 Landolt Standards & 21st Century Photometry Physics Block Party conference honoring career of Arlo Landolt OSA Annual welcome for new students to LSU described on the occasion of his being years since 1958: possibly an all-time record Student This year’s Physics & Astronomy honored at the National Optical Astronomy for any astronomer! Nor has formal retirement Block Party featured a scavenger hunt, observatory for his 55 years of observing slowed him down; over half of these nights Chapter Othello and ping pong tournaments, The Optical Society of America (OSA) at Kitt Peak and other telescopes (http:// have been in the last 15 years.” The meeting minimum acceleration duels, Jacob’s has announced the formation of the www.noao.edu/news/2014/pr1405.php), at LSU in May featured 12 talks, a panel Ladder, pizza, and LN2 ice cream. LSU OSA Student Chapter. This newest “His most quoted paper, published in discussion “From Standardized Photometry For a list of winners, visit: addition joins more than 325 OSA 1992, has been cited in the professional to Astrophysics,” and posters, and brought www.phys.lsu.edu and click on Student Chapter organizations in more astronomical literature over 3,800 together friends and colleagues from Arlo’s than 55 countries around the world. graduate programs. times—an average of 172 times per long and exceptional career. OSA is the leading professional society year. For comparison, the for scientists, engineers, students, and Original Physics Limerick: number of times a typical business leaders working in optics. There once was a neutral neutrino, The Landolt Standards & 21st Century astronomical paper is “The LSU OSA student chapter will offer who dreamt that he could be a C.E.O. Undergrad student Nutsinee Kijbunchoo “duels” with cited is in the single digits Photometry Meeting was held at LSU in May more opportunities to students in the He went off to college graduate student Kundan Kadam at the 2014 Block Party. 2015 in honor of Arlo Landolt’s distinguished per year, and rarely, if at all, field of optics and optics related area,” to get some knowledge, career and his service to the astronomical after 20 years. To compile the said Chenglong You, graduate student, but no one would hire him, though. community. Landolt, Ball Family Professor necessary data for the standard LSU Physics & Astronomy. For more -By Ali Dreyfuss Emeritus, is known for his extensive and stars, Arlo Landolt has spent at information, contact Chenglong You at carefully calibrated lists of photometric least 1,500 nights observing at [email protected] standard stars – “Landolt Standards.” As different telescopes over the

Attendees to the 2015 Arlo Fest on the LSU Campus

20th Mardi Gras Conference High Harmonic Spectroscopy Workshop LSU Society of Physics Students In March, LSU was host to a conference on attosecond laser physics jointly LSU’s Society of Physics Students chapter Earth Day in downtown Baton Rouge, and radiation, and stargazing. Hosted by La-SiGMA and the Materials Science organized by Mette Gaarde and Ken Schafer from the Department of Physics was particularly active this year. The chapter at Astronomy Day events at the Highland SPS also enjoyed social events: Members Group at LSU’s Center for Computation & Technology, & Astronomy and Kenneth Lopata from the Department of Chemistry and attended STEM Nights at Scotlandville Observatory. The Van de Graff generator attended the fall laser tag event, and the scientists from academia and research labs, the Center for Computation & Technology. Researchers from Italy, Germany, Magnet and Crestworth Elementary, where was a favorite among children and parents holiday/end of finals party. In the spring postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students France, the United Kingdom, and U.S. attended the kick-off meeting for the volunteers demonstrated various laws of alike. Other demos illustrated angular semester, several members were able to go working in the wide domain of materials science “Time-Resolved High Harmonic Spectroscopy: A Coherently Enhanced Probe physics. The club performed demos at momentum and inertia, eddy currents, on a camping trip to the Clear Springs area convened at LSU in February 2015 to promote the of Charge Migration,” collaboration involving LSU, The Ohio State University, of the Homochitto National Forest during exchange of ideas, experiences, and research results, and the University of Virginia, funded by the Department of Energy. The which the group was able to stargaze and and discuss current challenges. Topics included collaboration is an integrated effort that combines theory (LSU) and experiment enjoy nature. For the first time in several numerically exact descriptions of disordered and (OSU, UVA) from the very beginning. years, the chapter was also able to take interacting electron systems, complex spin and orbital High harmonic spectroscopy is a new technique that offers the highest possible members on a Spring Break Trip. Thanks to states of correlated materials, strongly correlated temporal resolution for the study of charge migration in molecules – perhaps help from the department, the chapter was superconductors, including strong correlations in down to the attosecond time scale. It is made possible through the interactions able to tour the Kennedy Space Center at density functional theory, spin models, etc. of laser-field driven electrons with their parent molecular ion. The extreme Cape Canaveral! The group also visited and This conference was sponsored by the Partnership ultraviolet photons generated in these electron collisions are the experimental toured the Orlando Science Center, went to for International Research and Education (PIRE) observables that can encode information on an evolving molecule. This modality Disney, and thoroughly enjoyed their time on funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. The is site specific: recombination is likely very sensitive to electron correlation and the beach. goal of this project is to develop a new international hole dynamics. The collaboration hopes to explore whether the coherence of If you would like more information on SPS – research and graduate education program leveraging the extreme ultraviolet generation process, both in terms of repeated wave LSU, feel free to contact the president Amy cyberinfrastructure investment to study complex packet sampling of the molecule and macroscopic propagation effects, can be Lebleu at [email protected] or the phenomena in correlated materials. exploited to enhance the measurement sensitivity. Public Relations officer Jory Ball at 4 LSU SPS tours the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral [email protected]. 5 What I Did with My Saturday Science MARS Truck Transports Science Among the many exciting topics Highland Road Park Observatory Physics Degree covered at the monthly Saturday The Mobile Astronomy Resource System MARS vehicle can travel to sites such as parks, The Highland Road Park Observatory has remained a popular public destination on Friday and Science events: (MARS), operated by the Louisiana Space Grant shopping malls, and schools around the state to A 2012 PhD alumnus, and six Saturday nights in Baton Rouge. You will often find an LSU professor or graduate student operating Consortium (LaSPACE) in partnership with the support public outreach events. “Quantum information, industry speakers visited the the telescope on a public night. Public lectures from LSU Physics & Astronomy covered a diverse LSU Cain Center, the Highland Road Park On Sunday, April 19, 2015, the MARS truck was entanglement and all that jazz” LSU campus to share their by Mark Wilde array of topics including: “NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory” and “Into the Neutron Star” (Rob Observatory (HRPO), and the LSU Department stationed at the Old Governor’s Mansion in the career experiences. Hynes), “Comets” (Greg Stacy), “LIGO: The Fantastic Search” (Amber Stuver), “The Rosetta of Physics & Astronomy, is a light commercial designated children’s area for Louisiana Earth “The evolutionary history of small mammals on tropical islands” by Mission—Rendezvous with a Duck” (Kundun Kadam) together with annual favorites “The Star of box truck containing computer controlled Day. LaSPACE staff and faculty, LSU LaACES Alex Brandt, Rackspace- “How Jacob Esselstyn Bethlehem” and “Dating the Crucifixion” (Brad Schaefer). telescopes, a digital portable planetarium, and students, and LSU Society of Physics Students I learned to stop worrying and On April 25, the observatory was the “Neutrino oscillations” by Martin (SPS) staffed three major visitor live in business.” Tzanoov local host for over four hundred visitors to Sean Hall, Carver Scientific- stations, which featured solar International Astronomy Day. People were telescopes, scientific near- “Some surprising thoughts and “The nervous system” by Karen Maruska educated and entertained by a variety of realizations from a would-be space ballooning experiments exhibits and demonstrations through the scientist about employment in “Novel nanomaterials for conducted by students, and day from our Society of Physics Students, the ‘Real World’.” advanced energy” by Ying Wang demonstrations by the SPS the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society, the Peter Reis, 2012 LSU PhD, Come visit campus on the third students, including a Geiger Baton Rouge Amateur Radio Club, and the PosiTech Corporation - “Using Saturday of the month to share Counter Demo, Van de Graaff Physics and Computation in in the wonder of science. Visit radio-controlled planes of the Red Stick Generator, Angular Momentum www.phys.lsu.edu for a schedule Industry.” Flying Club, as well as other groups, the / Rotational Inertia Chair Demo, of Saturday Science events. observatory staff, and volunteers. Families enjoy International Astronomy Day at HRPO Spectrograph, Faraday’s Law Shell visited campus with four of Induction Demo, and a Tube representatives: Race Demo. It is estimated Benjamin Anger, Senior NanoDays - Small Science Wields Big Ideas other equipment and materials to provide an at least 1,500 visitors of all ages came by the Associate Researcher/ Nanoscale structures, such as a single liquid and solid properties astronomy/space science learning experience MARS Truck. Innovation, Research & Dev. strand of DNA, have been central to • A solar viewing to audiences at remote sites. A MARS truck For more information or to book the MARS truck - “Basic & Applied Magnetic numerous discoveries including advanced program typically includes telescope sky for an event, contact Bethany Broekhoven, Resonance Research in a viewing, a digital planetarium show, and science LaSPACE Education Coordinator at Research Lab” applications in energy, information storage “NanoDays demonstrates the power of tiny activities and demonstrations, staffed by LSU [email protected]. Madhu Kohli, Geophysics and medicine. Because of its promising things,” said Juana Moreno, associate faculty, LaSPACE staff, and LSU students. The Discipline Lead/ Upstream future, organizations across the country professor of both the Center for Americas Deepwater - “Physics: celebrate NanoDays, a nationwide festival Computation & Technology and the Key to a ‘Solid State’ Career” of programs about nanoscale science and Department of Physics & Astronomy a. Elizabeth Tanis and Alec engineering. “This year, about 100 people visited the Yang, Petrophysicists, shared exhibits and many graduate students were landolt ASTRONOMICAL observatory their progression in the oil and For the sixth consecutive year, LSU hosted on hand to share science and discovery gas industry and explained how Once a month, on the Saturday (or sometimes • Total lunar eclipse, the Moon ‘turned to NanoDays at the Highland Road Park with the children and their families.” their background in physics Sunday) nearest the First Quarter Moon, with blood’ Observatory. The family-friendly event provided an easy transition into a “rain date” on the next day (Sunday), the • Gibbous Moon passes close by Neptune featured several hands-on activities for NanoDays sponsors included the their new roles. general public is invited to observe the sky. • Venus, Jupiter, and Quarter Moon guests of all ages. Department of Physics & Astronomy, the Aspiring scientists experiment with nano structures Admission is free. • Moon on a half-shell NanoDays activities included: Center for Computation & Technology, For more information or to Built in the late 1930s, the Landolt Observatory • Orion • How a Scanning Probe Microscope helps the Department of Chemistry, the Society participate in the series, please scientists explore the nanoworld of Physics Students, and the Louisiana featured many spectacular viewings this past • Asteroid whipping close by Earth contact Mimi LaValle: • Using nanomaterials to make stain-free Alliance for Simulation-Guided Materials year, including: • Total lunar eclipse in the dawn [email protected] • Tight Mars/Saturn/Crescent conjunction For more info visit: www.phys.lsu.edu and click clothes Applications. • Mars meets Antares on LAO Public Observing Night. • Playing with liquid crystals and magnets • Making an Oobleck, a liquid with both

6 7 $4.9M Research Grant from Dept. of Energy Nuclear Physics Fundamental Rate-Loss Tradeoff for Tomas Dytrych, Kristina Launey, and Jerry LSU Materials term impact on everything from the amount of time, length, and energy scales. LaCNS Optical Quantum Key Distribution Draayer’s article “Symmetry-Adapted No-Core Science and of memory available in your computer and researchers will use the equipment and facilities Shell Model” in the McGraw-Hill Yearbook of MArk Wilde’s Research appears in nature communications Engineering the speed at which it can be accessed, the and collaborate with the scientific staff at Oak Science & Technology describes their model for faculty in the efficiency of power transmission lines and the Ridge National Lab in Tennessee, where they Since 1984, various optical quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols have been proposed ab initio computations of properties and structure departments cost and efficiency of devices that convert will run their experiments. and examined. In all of them, the rate of secret key generation decays exponentially of atomic nuclei, including exotic open-shell of Physics & sunlight to electricity, as well as the discovery of The LaCNS research team includes with distance. A natural and fundamental question is then whether there are yet-to-be isotopes that are the focus of current and next- Astronomy, new materials with unexpected properties. All experimentalists who have expertise in a discovered optical QKD protocols (without quantum repeaters) that could circumvent this generation rare isotope experimental facilities. Chemistry, of these aspects need fundamental discoveries wide variety of characterization techniques, rate-distance tradeoff. A paper by Masahiro Takeoka, Saikat Guha, and Mark M. Wilde, The model was implemented in the form of a and Chemical to make advances toward new and better spin dynamics, materials synthesis and in Nature Communications, provides a major step towards answering this question. Here massively parallel computer code that scales Engineering devices,” said John DiTusa, LaCNS principal characterization, neutron scattering and they show that the secret key agreement capacity of a lossy and noisy optical channel well for hundreds of thousands of processors are leading a multimillion-dollar statewide investigator and LSU physics professor. modeling. assisted by unlimited two-way public classical communication is limited by an upper and possibly beyond, making it possible to carry collaborative research initiative that will expand The grant will fund the research for faculty, “We bring together a diverse group of university bound that is solely a function of the channel loss, regardless of how much optical power out numerical modeling of medium-mass nuclei the fundamental understanding of advanced graduate and undergraduate students at all faculty who work in concert from the synthesis the protocol may use. Their result has major implications for understanding the secret using chiral nucleon-nucleon interactions with materials. The Louisiana Consortium for four Louisiana universities. At LSU, it will fund of new materials to the characterization and key agreement capacity of optical channels—a long-standing open problem in optical unprecedented predictive capabilities. Neutron Scattering, or LaCNS, was granted 10 faculty, eight graduate students, six post- understanding of them to the simulation of their quantum information theory—and strongly suggests a real need for quantum repeaters to $4.9 million of funding for three years from the doctoral researchers, and one visiting faculty properties using computational methods. We perform QKD at high rates over long distances. For more info visit: http://bit.ly/1cWDJxB U.S. Department of Energy’s Experimental member. have all of that expertise under one roof working Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or “Part of our mission is to excite and train the together,” DiTusa said. EPSCoR, program through the Louisiana Board next generation of scientists who will be experts LaCNS hosted its first workshop, “Neutron Physicist Discovers Material Set to Change Cooling Industry Refrigeration and air conditioning may generation of magnetic cooling technologies, magnetostructural transition occurs near of Regents in August 2014. The consortium in both the science and neutron scattering Scattering in Soft Matter,” in December 2014 become more efficient and environmentally which are simpler in design, quieter and room temperature is what makes it a strong includes faculty and graduate students from techniques,” DiTusa said. at LSU, attended by 40 faculty, postdocs, and friendly thanks to the patent-pending work more environmentally friendly than current candidate for magnetocaloric cooling Tulane University, University of New Orleans, Neutron scattering is one of the few techniques graduate students. A second “Neutron Scattering of LSU physicists. The team of researchers conventional compressed-gas systems. devices of the future.” Louisiana Tech, and LSU. available that can probe the structure and Workshop” was held at Tulane in June 2015. led by Shane Stadler has discovered a The idea is to use a magnetic field to order Stadler’s team’s technological discovery is “This research promises to have a long- dynamics of materials over a broad range For more information, visit: breakthrough magnetocaloric material that the material at ambient temperature, which a promising alternative for refrigeration and www.phys.lsu.edu/lacns may change the energy industry, including raises its temperature above ambient. The air conditioning that can reduce the use of air conditioning and food refrigeration. excess heat is removed through a thermal harmful gas fluorocarbons. Physicists propose new classification of “The world refrigeration market is expected medium, such as water or air, bringing the “We are excited about the potential to increase by about $7-8 billion by 2018,” material back to ambient temperature. applications that are available for Dr. charge density waves Stadler said. Therefore, his breakthrough The magnetic field is then removed, the Stadler’s technology,” said Andrew Maas, Ward Plummer and Jiandi Zhang, in collaboration with their what is now known as a “Kohn Anomaly,” a simultaneous softening has a significant potential economic impact material becomes magnetically disordered Assistant Vice President for Research colleagues from the Institute of Physics, Beijing, China, have of coherent lattice vibrations, for example, phonon softening. This as well as an impact on the energy industry and its temperature drops below ambient and Technology Transfer and Director published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of simple textbook and environment. temperature leading to a cooling effect. This of the renamed Office of Innovation and Sciences (Vol. 112, pg. 2367) titled “Classification of Charge Density picture of the origin of Stadler’s research focuses on the next “solid state” cooling process is significantly Technology Commercialization. “The Waves based on their Nature.” This work is a result of a collaboration CDWs does not seem more energy efficient than the Department of Energy, General Electric, funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. to be correct in most if conventional, compressed and other companies around the world have Charge Density Waves, or CDWs, are observed in many solids, not all materials. gas systems currently on the been working with magnetocaloric materials especially in low-dimensional systems. The existence of CDWs was Therefore, Plummer market today. for some time. Dr. Stadler’s solution first predicted in the 1930s by Sir Rudolf Peierls, who suggestedf that and Zhang propose “We’ve studied these systems addresses many of the issues that these big they would exist in an ideal one-dimensional (1-D) chain of atoms, a new classification for a long time, and were players have encountered.” lowering the energy of the system and driving a reconstruction of of CDWs based upon fortunate to discover a system Currently, a local group of entrepreneurs the lattice. The 1940 paper by Frisch and Peierls described how one their nature. For more in which a magnetic transition have expressed interest in this advanced could construct an atomic bomb from a small amount of uranium-235. info visit: coincided in temperature technology. After further testing, they will In 1959, Walter Kohn, who received the Nobel Prize in 1998, pointed http://bit.ly/1FBe9Is with a structural transition,” look into developing commercialization out that the origin of a CDW in the Peierls picture would result in Stadler said. “That this opportunities utilizing it for the heating and From front to back: Tapas Samanta (Postdoc). Daniel Lepkowski (Undergrad), 8 Ahmad Us Saleheen (Grad student), Emily Kramer (Undergrad) cooling industry. 9 Medical Physicists Study Radiation Necrosis Big Data in Astrophysics, LIGO & Medical Physics Radiation therapy is, of course, frequently so Halloran can test different radiation “Big Data,” involving the ability to acquire, appointment,” said Newhauser. “Some of the enormous multiplexing capabilities allowing prescribed to attack cancers and can have treatment measurements without harming process, transport, access, and analyze large world’s leading institutions already have this them to address many scientific projects extremely positive outcomes. In addition to the actual patient. William Donahue quantities of information quickly and efficiently, capability. We’re only a few years away from simultaneously. attacking the tumor cells, though, radiation created a prototype database for necrosis and “High Performance Computing” are areas it ourselves.” Using information to diagnose The LSST is a large (8.4m diameter), also damages healthy cells, and the injury cases for his master’s thesis, and is highlighted in the Louisiana Office of Economic and develop treatment options is known as wide-field, optical, and infrared survey due to the radiation can also produce life- now extending the work for his PhD Development list of state priorities and the LSU bioinformatics, and it’s an up-and-coming field telescope designed to cover more than half threatening outcomes. Radiation necrosis is thesis. Lydia Wilson published a proof- Research and Development Office Strategic of study that stands to revolutionize the way the sky about 1,000 times over a planned difficult to diagnose and can go undetected on of-concept study with Newhauser in Plan. LSU’s traditional activities in this area we look at healthcare options. “We’re not there operational period of 10 years. It will operate CT scans. Although the cause of this often- Phys. of Medicine and Biology on a novel have been focused on computationally yet in terms of applying all this information to in a continuous survey mode, simultaneously deadly side effect is understudied and grossly dose model for radiation cancer therapy. intensive problems, such as large numerical the average cancer patient,” said Newhauser. addressing science questions across the underfunded, a $75,000 gift from the Bella Experimental portions of the work were simulations, that are characterized by requiring “But we have the clues, and we know the whole of astronomy and astrophysics, from Bowman Foundation to the LSU Medical Physics performed at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer a large number of calculations carried out in pathways.” the nature of dark energy to the search for program is supporting research to understand Center. The long-term goal of the study is parallel across many processors. Big Data In the area of gravitational physics, potentially hazardous asteroids. A 3,200 the factors that contribute to radiation injuries to to enable clinicians to improve outcomes problems differ in involving huge volumes Advanced LIGO is due to begin its initial megapixel camera will generate 30 terabytes the brain from proton radiotherapy and develop for patients with good prospects for of data, often distributed across multiple Science run late in 2015. As described in per night and a 10-year dataset exceeding diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to reduce long-term survival, especially to reduce locations, large memory capacities, and high LIGO’s recent Data Management Plan, the 100 petabytes.Photo Caption The Appears LSST Here project will the severity of radiation necrosis and ultimately treatment-related side effects. network bandwidths. They typically involve raw LIGO data are combined with auxiliary challenge database architecture, with an eliminate occurrences of the rare side effect. “We’re simultaneously pushing the different hardware and software architectures measurements and environmental monitors, anticipated source table with 3 trillion rows,

Graduate student Chris Schneider works with frontier of knowledge in several different Prof. Wayne Newhauser (center) with graduate stu- to address the distinct technical challenges. calibrated, checked for quality control, and/ and a merged object table with 20 billion

Wayne Newhauser on testing, developing, areas”, said Newhauser, Director of the Medical dents (l-to-r) , William Donahue, Lydia Wilson Jagetic, Big Data is a rapidly developing area, both or cleaned to build a time series representing unique astronomical objects. Maximizing

and refining the radiation dose calculation Physics program operated jointly by LSU and Andrew Halloran, and Chris Schnieder nationally and at LSU, with direct applications the gravitational wave strain signal. Expected the scientific yield of this project will require algorithms — looking at how much radiation Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “We have very to LSU’s astrophysics and medical physics data rates for Advanced LIGO are about 10 extensive automated processing, and analysis treatment is administered by the machine — in bright young minds who are making a difference research efforts. megabyte/s per interferometer, corresponding of the data products using sophisticated both X-ray radiation therapy and proton radiation through the research they perform as part of One of the many challenges in developing to a total rate of about 1 petabyte/year. machine-learning applications. For example, therapy. Andy Halloran is applying 3-D printing their graduate training.” Enhanced Electron treatment regimens for cancer patients is that Approximately 99 percent of the LIGO it is anticipated that the LSST will discover technology to the research by printing what Additional information about the department’s Coherence in Atomically cancer is not a single disease. It’s hundreds, data will consist of detector and environment at least 100,000 new transient objects every Newhauser calls “plastic phantom” replicas necrosis research and the Bella Bowman Thin Nb3SiTe6 joined together by a common aspect – monitoring information. Selecting out and night. These will require automated neural net Philip Adams and Tijiang Liu have of patients. These phantoms reproduce the Foundation support can be found in the LSU uncontrollable cell growth. “Traditionally, properly analyzing the gravitational wave classification in order to generate worldwide published a paper in Nature Physics anatomical structure of the patient’s disease, Reveille article at http://bit.ly/1EnuUqE. cancer treatment options are based off strain channel will present a major computing alerts on the most interesting objects within titled “Enhanced Electron Coherence of large-scale clinical trials,” said Wayne challenge. Teraflops of computing power will 60 seconds. WFIRST will also operate in a in Atomically Thin Nb SiTe .” The paper Publications 3 6 Newhauser, Dr. Charles M. Smith Professor of be required to analyze the data at the rate it similar survey mode, generating large volume, • Daniel Sheehy, Stephen Kudla, and Dominique Gautreau have published a paper in Phys. Rev. A explores how the vibrations of atoms in Medical Physics and Chief of Physics at Mary is acquired, and the searches for gravitational shared-use datasets. The next generation of titled “Pairing correlations in a trapped one-dimensional Fermi gas.” This work analyzes theoretically a material change when that material Bird Perkins Cancer Center. “So basically, wave sources will be limited by the ability astronomers who will exploit the LSST and the properties of a gas of atoms close to absolute zero and confined to a cigar-shaped optical is made very thin. It turns out that you’re basing treatment on averages. Modern to manage the data and the computational WFIRST cannot just be astronomers, they trapping potential. Studying systems like this helps us learn more about the collective behavior of electrons move easily through several- medicine is moving more toward personalized power available. must be accomplished data scientists as quantum mechanical systems. atom-thick Nb3SiTe6 because atomic medicine, which requires Big Data in order to In observational astronomy, the New well who can devise new search techniques • Jonathan Dowling, graduate student Jonathan Olson, undergraduate Evan Rabeaux, and vibrations are confined by the thickness process and analyze your DNA and genetics.” Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and and algorithms in this new era of data-driven colleagues have published a paper in Phys. Rev. Lett. titled “Linear Optical Quantum Metrology of the material. The work supports the Translated, the ability to handle large, detailed Astrophysics Decadal Survey commissioned discovery. The department has discussed with Single Photons: Exploiting Spontaneously Generated Entanglement to Beat the Shot-Noise predicted suppression of electron- images and test results and quickly analyze by the National Research Council has hiring a group of three faculty who will work Limit.” They show that a very simple scheme, using just single photons, is able to perform quantum phonon interactions due to quantum the resulting data set can potentially provide recommended, as its two highest priorities for on Big Data Astronomy, and who we would measurement with a degree of precision impossible using classical light, ushering in a new era for confinement in two-dimensional low-risk, high-return individual treatment new facilities, the Wide-Field Infrared Survey anticipate would also be active in CCT and quantum measurement. materials and suggests that electronic plans based on a patient’s specific genetic Telescope (WFIRST) as a space mission, and will collaborate with other Big Data groups at • Geoff Clayton and colleagues on the Heritage Herschel Key Project surveyed the Magellanic devices could be fabricated from makeup. “With the right kind of capabilities, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) LSU. A Big Data Astronomy group has been Clouds with the Herschel Space Telescope and modeled their global properties in two papers in the these two-dimensional materials with we will be able to use imaging studies to build on the ground. Both involve performing proposed as a major fund-raising priority for Astrophysical Journal: “Dust Properties and Insights into the Origin of the Sub mm Excess Emission” superior electrical properties to those a genomic profile at even a basic physician’s astrophysics on a staggering scale with the department. 10 and “Variations of the Apparent Gas-to-Dust Ratio with Surface Density and Across ISM Phases.” of current technologies. 11 Jiandi Zhang has been named a Fellow of the Jim Matthews and his Auger group published Singh Awarded LSU Rainmaker American Physical Society “for his significant LSU Distinguished Research Master As a top-tier research institution, LSU research faculty are proven leaders in their fields. The two papers in Phys. Rev. D on the question contributions to elucidating the correlation On April 15, the LSU Council on Research presented the Distinguished Research of the composition of the very highest LSU Office of Research & Economic Development, with the support of Campus Federal Credit between bulk and surface static and dynamic Master award to individuals elected for their research and scholarship as well as their energy cosmic rays: “Depth of Maximum Union, takes the opportunity each year to acknowledge a few of the outstanding faculty with properties of complex materials.” Zhang’s main career achievements. of Air-Shower Profiles at the Pierre Auger the Rainmaker Awards for Research and Creative Activity. research interest explores novel properties of Jorge Pullin, the Horace Hearne Chair in Theoretical Physics in the LSU Department Observatory: Measurements at Energies Parampreet Singh, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, was complex materials such as transition metal oxides of Physics & Astronomy as well as the co-director of the Horace Hearne Institute above 1017.8 eV” and “Depths of Maximum named a Rainmaker in the category of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Mid- by the effects of broken symmetry, reduced for Theoretical Physics, was named as the 2014 Distinguished Research Master of of Air-Shower Profiles at the Pierre Auger Career Scholar. dimensionality, and spatial confinement, and by Engineering, Science, or Technology. Observatory: Composition Implications”. “Professor Singh’s work on the fundamental physics of the Big Bang and the structure of space controlling lattice strain and chemical composition. Pullin’s research addresses the interface between gravity and quantum theory, Matthews also published a chapter “Cosmic and time attracts international attention to LSU and Louisiana,” said Mike Cherry, professor specifically in the area of loop quantum gravity. His research has involved probing Rays” in the latest edition of Review of and chair, LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy. “It excites students and attracts them Rob Hynes, graduate students Chris Britt and how space-time inside black holes is affected by quantum theory. He now also focuses Particle Physics. to science and technology fields that are important for Louisiana’s economic development, Chris Johnson, undergraduate Austin Baldwin, on the foundations of quantum mechanics. and it provides state-of-the-art training for students that is then applicable to a wide variety of and their collaborators published a comprehensive According to Michael Cherry, Roy P. Daniels Professor and chair of the Department careers. LSU is fortunate to be able to attract scholars with the status and reputation of Dr. survey of optically variable counterparts to X-ray Kip Matthews has been named president- of Physics and Astronomy, “Professor Pullin’s work on the connections between Singh.” sources as part of the extensive multiwavelength elect of the Southwest chapter of the American quantum mechanics and relativity has received international attention. He and his Singh investigates the origins of the universe and the way properties of space and time Galactic Bulge Survey aiming to detect new X-ray Association of Physicists in Medicine. group have involved students, who have received state-of-the-art training in applying emerged during its birth, ideas based in Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. binaries and to determine the nature of the faint The AAPM supports the medical physicist their numerical and computational approaches to fundamental physics. This award Faculty members chosen as Rainmakers are those who balance their responsibilities – which X-ray sources in our Galaxy: “Variability of Optical community with a focus on advancing patient recognizes Prof. Pullin’s deep contributions to the physics of black holes and loop extend far beyond the classroom – with external expectations such as securing funding for Counterparts in the Chandra Galactic Bulge care through education, improving safety and quantum theory.” Survey” in Astrophys. J. Suppl. efficacy of radiation oncology and medical their research and establishing the impact of their findings to the scholarly community and imaging procedures through research, and society as a whole. They garner both national and international recognition for their innovative the maintenance of professional standards. research and creative scholarship while also competing for external funding at the highest Schaefer Co-Recipient of Breakthrough Prize for levels and attracting and mentoring exceptional graduate students. Discovery of Dark Energy Plummer Named Member of American Gaarde Elected It was previously thought that the expansion Both awards recognize his collaboration team’s research from the WIYN telescope Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow of Optical of the Universe was slowing. However, LSU with 50 other researchers on this discovery. located at Kitt Peak in Arizona. Professor of Physics & Astronomy Bradley “Dr. Schaefer’s contributions to this effort The discovery created a new field of study The American Academy of Arts and Sciences Economic Development Kalliat T. Valsaraj. “He Society of Schaefer, a member of the Supernova have been monumental to our understanding into the nature of Dark Energy. Their announced the election of 204 new members, is truly one of the world’s leading physicists, so Cosmology Project research team, of the Universe,” said Cynthia Peterson, groundbreaking finding also offers some including LSU Professor of Physics & his recognition by the Academy comes as no America Mette Gaarde has been elected contributed to the breakthrough discovery dean of the LSU College of Science. “I am scientific predictions of how the universe Astronomy Ward Plummer. The American surprise to us.” a 2014 Fellow of OSA based on that the expansion of the Universe is actually extremely proud of his work and the prestige will end: a consequence of this acceleration Academy of Arts and Sciences was founded He is author of more than 380 refereed papers her “significant contributions to the accelerating. Schaefer and his colleagues it brings to the Department of Physics & is that the Universe will continue expanding by Benjamin Franklin and is one of the oldest and is counted among the 1,000 Most Cited advancement of optics and photonics.” are recipients of the 2015 Breakthrough Astronomy and LSU’s research enterprise.” forever, becoming colder and emptier as scientific societies. Physicists, a list compiled by the Institute “This year’s class of OSA Fellows has Prize in Fundamental Physics for their Schaefer and the Supernova Cosmology time goes on. Plummer, who is also Special Assistant to the for Scientific Information based on papers offered prodigious service to OSA and part in advancing our understanding of the Project research team share the Lead investigator of the Supernova Vice Chancellor of Research and Economic published between 1981 and 1997. He has the global optics community,” said Universe. Their discovery of the previously Breakthrough Prize with the High-Z Cosmology Project Saul Perlmutter and Development and Director of the Institute for advised or co-advised more than 50 graduate OSA President Philip Bucksbaum. unknown form of energy embedded in the Supernova Search Team, which arrived High-Z Supernova Search Team leaders Advanced Materials, is widely considered one students, hosted more than 30 postdoctoral “The Optical Society is honored to fabric of space called Dark Energy and its at the same finding. In January 1999, Brian Schmidt of the Australian National of the world’s leading physicists. A member fellows, and assisted many young scientists in offer recognition for their outstanding role in the accelerated expansion of the both research teams came to the same University, and Adam Riess of Johns of the National Academy of Sciences, which advancing their careers. contributions and leadership in the Universe won a Nobel Prize in Physics in result: an accelerating expansion of the Hopkins University accepted the new was founded by Abraham Lincoln, Plummer Plummer was a driving force behind the optics and photonics profession.” 2011 for the project lead, Saul Perlmutter of Universe due to 70 percent of its mass award on behalf of all of the researchers. has served on many national and international creation of a “dual degree” program in U.C. Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley Lab. energy being Dark Energy. To determine The Supernova Cosmology Project and committees both to review existing scientific materials science between LSU and institutes “I feel honored and lucky to have been part the distance between galaxies and how fast the High-Z Supernova Search Team programs and to identify future directions for and universities in China. In 2010, he was of the Supernova Cosmology Project team they are retreating, the scientists observed also received the 2007 Gruber Prize for science and technology. appointed to a visiting Professorship for that discovered Dark Energy, setting up fun Supernova 1A explosions, which burn at Cosmology, a $1 million award. “LSU is proud to count Ward Plummer among Senior International Scientists by the Chinese discoveries and mysteries about the origin a known brightness. Schaefer measured its faculty,” said Vice Chancellor of Research & Academy of Sciences. 12 and fate of our Universe,” Schaefer said. the brightness of all the supernovas for his 13 Zganjar Inducted into LSU College of Science Physicist’s Work to Calculate Reaction Rates of Stellar Explosions Garners DOE Early Career Research Grant Hall of Distinction LSU experimental nuclear physicist Her DoE project “Determining Astrophysical including the National Superconducting Catherine Deibel was one of 44 scientists Reaction Rates for Classical Novae Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State selected from across the nation to receive and X-ray Bursts via Indirect Methods,” University and the Superconducting Linear funding from the Department of Energy, relies on state-of-the-art techniques for Accelerator at Florida State University. Her or DOE, Office of Science Early Career nuclear spectroscopy using both stable laboratory at LSU is devoted to detector and Research Program. Deibel is the first at LSU and radioactive ion beams to calculate the equipment construction and development to receive this highly competitive grant. reaction rates of classical novae and Type for her and her students’ experiments. Deibel’s work is at the boundary between I X-ray bursts, the most common stellar “Catherine is one of our most promising nuclear physics and astrophysics - nuclear explosions in the Galaxy. Using these data, researchers in physics & astronomy. Her astrophysics. She and her students study important reaction rates will be calculated work will help us to better understand the how the elements in the Periodic Table accurately for the first time, eliminating key inner workings of our galaxy and will greatly are synthesized in the interiors of stars uncertainties in understanding classical add to the outstanding research taking and especially in violent stellar explosions novae and X-ray bursts. place at LSU,” said Cynthia Peterson, LSU like novae and X-ray bursts. Radioactive Deibel’s experimental program is primarily College of Science dean and Seola Arnaud

Ed and Jo Zganjar celebrate with their children and grandchildren at the 2015 College of nuclei are created in these thermonuclear housed at Argonne National Laboratory, and Richard Vernon Edwards Jr. Professor. Science Hall of Distinction. 2015 Hall of Distinction Honorees with Dean Cynthia Peterson (center) explosions in processes in which protons, where she is studying reactions important Under DOE’s Early Career Research include (l-to-r back row) Meredith Blackwell, LSU System Boyd Professor Emerita in Biological Sciences; Edward Zganjar, Professor Emeritus in The LSU College of Science inducted four exceptional individuals into the alpha particles and heavier nuclei fuse in X-ray bursts using radioactive ion beams. Program, Deibel is slated to receive at Physics & Astronomy. (l-to-r front row) John O’Neill, former director of least $150,000 per year to cover graduate the LSU Museum of Natural Science; and representing Arnold Bouma, Hall of Distinction on March 20, 2015, among them Edward Zganjar. Zganjar, together under extreme conditions of She also uses a variety of other facilities Professor Emeritus in Geology & Geophysics, Mrs. Arnold Bouma. LSU Professor Emeritus in Physics & Astronomy, former DeMarcus D. Smith temperature and density. throughout the U.S. and abroad for her work, student and postdoctoral salaries and Endowed Alumni Professor and prominent experimental nuclear physicist, research expenses for five years. Gabriela González earned his Bachelor of Science in physics and mathematics from St. John’s LIGO Spokesperson University followed by a master’s and Ph.D. in nuclear physics from Vanderbilt Gabriela González University. He is known in the nuclear physics community for systematic has been re-elected Publications continued analysis of complex nuclear spectroscopic data, for designing and building spokesperson of • Martin Tzanov, Thomas Kutter, and their presence of gravity. In the absence state-of-the-art nuclear spectroscopic instrumentation, and for his contribution the LIGO Scientific T2K collaborators published two papers of electric and magnetic charges, the to the establishment of a university consortium and laboratory within the Collaboration for an in Phys. Rev. Lett. on the observation of Maxwell equations for electromagnetism Holifield nuclear facility at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. unprecedented third electron neutrino appearance in a muon are completely symmetric (dual) under the Zganjar served as chair of the LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy term. “The world neutrino beam and on the most precise interchange of the electric and magnetic from 1982-1985 and associate vice chancellor for research and economic will be watching the measurement so far of muon neutrino fields. However, in nature we observe only development from 1990-1994. He has published over 142 journal articles, Advanced LIGO disappearance: “Observation of Electron electric charges, and not magnetic ones. 220 published conference contributions, and maintained continuous external detectors begin to Neutrino Appearance in a Muon Neutrino Therefore, the symmetry is broken, and it funding throughout his career. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society take data later this Beam” and “Precise Measurement of the is a mystery what is the underlying reason. (APS), and a recipient of the Southeastern Section of the American Physical year, joined next year Neutrino Mixing Parameter θ23 from Muon This paper shows quantum mechanically by Virgo and in the future by other detectors in an Society’s Francis G. Slack Award for excellence in service to physics in the Neutrino Disappearance in an Off-Axis that, even if no electric and magnetic international network,” said González. “The LSC Southeast. Beam.” charges are present, the electric-magnetic is preparing for analyzing data from gravitational Established in 2004, the LSU College of Science Hall of Distinction celebrates • Ivan Agullo’s paper in Phys. Rev. duality is broken if gravity is present. This wave detectors thoroughly and promptly to individuals who make significant contributions to science, business, academia, D, “Electric-Magnetic Duality and is a new quantum anomaly which may advance astrophysics, expecting significant results or government, as well as to their community. 2015 honorees were Meredith Renormalization in Curved Spacetimes” have far-reaching consequences. in a few years.” Blackwell, LSU System Boyd Professor Emerita in Biological Sciences; John shows that a fundamental symmetry González was also appointed chair of the committee O’Neill, former director of the LSU Museum of Natural Science; Arnold Bouma, of electromagnetism is violated in the that will select the winner of the prestigious Einstein Professor Emeritus in Geology & Geophysics; and Zganjar. To view a photo Prize of the American Physical Society. gallery, visit: www.phys.lsu.edu

14 15 From a Physics Degree to a Nuclear-Powered Vessel NASA Awards $2.5M for Space-related Research SUMMER SCHOLAR LaSPACE, the office which manages Louisiana’s NASA Space Grant based at the lead institution, LSU, which invests an additional $225,000. says that this was the most difficult period of Ogden Honors College and LSU and NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, LaSPACE programs fund projects primarily for students in higher their academic careers,” said Payne. Physics & Astronomy junior Irene or EPSCoR programs, has been awarded three significant multi-year education and university-based, NASA-related research, with some As a nuclear officer, Payne hopes to hop aboard Vargas-Salazar spent her summer awards from NASA to support space-related research development secondary support for K-12 teacher development and public outreach. a submarine or surface warship as the officer in break conducting astronomy research and higher education programs in Louisiana. The principal investigator LaSPACE supports faculty and student research in such areas as charge of the nuclear propulsion division, which at Texas A&M in College Station, for Space Grant and NASA EPSCoR is T. Gregory Guzik, LaSPACE astrophysics, nanotechnology, aerodynamics, rocket propulsion, and powers the ship. “[Nuclear science] is the study Texas. Vargas-Salazar worked at director and LSU professor of physics and astronomy. Financial and thermodynamic power generation. LaSPACE also supports senior of nuclei and how they have so much potential Texas A&M through the National Science Foundation’s Research management support is provided by the Sponsored Programs Office of design projects, a statewide scientific student ballooning program, and to release energy,” Payne said. “Too many Experience for Undergraduates the Louisiana Board of Regents. Over the next three years, Louisiana internships at NASA facilities. Programs for the new three-year cycle people have the wrong idea about nuclear Physics major Nigel Payne hopes the (REU) Program, which funds research will receive $2.5 million from NASA, plus a crucial investment of about opened in June for participating affiliates. power. There’s a negative connotation because combination of skills learned from a physics positions for U.S. undergrads. $1.9 million from the Board of Regents Support Fund. The LaSPACE team, with support from the Board of Regents, also of the bombs [the U.S.] dropped on Japan and degree and Tiger Band will be key to a position as Vargas-Salazar spent the summer “These three awards demonstrate that NASA recognizes the importance manages Louisiana’s participation in NASA EPSCoR. NASA EPSCoR the accident in Fukushima. But when you could a U.S. Navy officer. Payne began the application studying photometry imaging from the of Louisiana’s aerospace R&D and workforce development,” Guzik administers two major competitions to eligible jurisdictions: The use that energy to power cities, I think looking Hubble Telescope. “What I’m working process for the Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion said. “The robust and continued investments from the Board of Regents EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Development, or EPSCoR RID, into nuclear power as an energy source is the on right now is improving the signal- Officer Candidate Program in November 2014. proves Louisiana’s commitment to growing STEM-based research and program which focuses on broad infrastructure investment across the way to go.” to-noise ratio of two fields of view,” Recently accepted, he will have the rest of his industry.” state, especially for new and emerging faculty researchers and the When he’s not working on academic Salazar said. undergraduate program financed by the Navy, The National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program Training annual EPSCoR Research Cooperative Agreement Notice, or EPSCoR assignments, Payne is a section leader for the “What this means is that I’m working and he will become a nuclear submarine officer on sets of images of two different Grant, first awarded to Louisiana back in 1991, has been renewed for Research. Louisiana’s proposals to these NASA EPSCoR programs trumpet section of Tiger Band and the Bengal after graduating in May 2016. galaxy clusters taken by the Hubble a three-year cycle. The Space Grant award brings in about $1.4 million have been selected for funding. Brass Band. Along with the trumpet, Payne “I decided to be a physics major with aspirations Space Telescope, and I’m cleaning from NASA plus a $750,000 state match from the the Board of Regents “Reviewers on the selection committee consistently give us high marks plays the piano and composes arrangements of someday going to graduate school for nuclear and aligning them to produce a clean Support Fund for programs at 29 affiliated member institutions. The for evidence of support at the state-level. The one to one cash matches the Bengal Brass Band plays during basketball engineering,” Payne said. “Before I heard about image that we can do science with.” statewide LaSPACE program is administered by a team of professionals from the Board of Regents make us highly competitive,” Guzik said. games. this program, I was going to try to apply for As a Physics major with a “I don’t know where I would be if it weren’t for my concentration in Astronomy, this graduate school in my last couple of years at involvement with the band,” Payne said. “[Tiger research position was exactly what Student News and Updates LSU with my physics degree. With this program, Alison Dreyfuss, a native of Keene, New Simón Lorenzo was selected Kaushik Seshadreesan Band] requires a lot of time, and it can be rough she had been looking for. I’ll be getting nuclear training from the Navy – Hampshire, who is pursuing her doctorate for the National Institute of was selected to receive sometimes to manage it all, but you just have to “This opportunity fits in really well with home of the world’s most advanced nuclear my career plans,” Vargas-Salazar the LSU Graduate School in physics with a focus on nuclear structure, Standards and Technology’s man up and do your homework on the road. For technology.” said. “I’ve known about REUs since Dissertation Year Fellowship received an honorable mention as a National Gaithersburg (NIST) Summer me, it’s all worth it because music and physics For a program applicant to be selected, they my freshman year, so I just went for fall 2014/spring 2015. Science Foundation Graduate Fellow this year. Undergraduate Research play such huge roles in my life.” must undergo a rigorous screening process, to the NSF website and found this Kaushik is a graduate The rigorous NSF GRFP application includes Fellowship (SURF) program Payne first joined Tiger Band during his freshman according to the Navy’s website. Then, he or she particular REU among others focusing student in the Quantum submission of a research proposal. Since 1952, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. year and became section leader his junior year. is selected to travel to Washington, D.C., for a on astronomy.” Science and Technology NSF has provided fellowships to individuals Lorenzo worked in the Physical Payne said he believes the leadership skills he’s personal interview. The first part of the interview One thing Vargas-Salazar has gained selected early in their graduate careers based Measurements Lab. He is Group jointly advised by learned as a section leader gave him a leg up this summer? A broader view of her process examines the applicant’s knowledge of Jonathan Dowling, Hwang on their demonstrated potential for notable currently a sophomore pursuing an honors physics in the NUPOC application process, because as career options. “I want a career doing calculus, physics and other technical courses. Lee, and Mark Wilde. achievement in science and engineering. degree with a minor in math. a navy officer, his primary job would be to lead research in astronomy, but I haven’t Once the applicant passes the test, he or she divisions of hundreds of sailors. decided on a specific area of focus,” meets with Admiral John M. Richardson, the LSU Mourns the Loss of Two Graduate Students Payne said he hopes to either work in the Navy Vargas-Salazar said. “This summer, current director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion I’ve gotten a wider perspective on The LSU community is mourning the loss of Anton Joe, 25, and Ishita student, were both pursuing their doctorate degrees. Anton was until he retires or manage his own nuclear Program, for a final test. Richardson chooses what other types of research can be Maity, 28, both graduate students in the Department of Physics & a student working with Professor Parampreet Singh in the area power plant design company once his nuclear the prospective officers personally. done in astronomy. I feel that this, Astronomy, who unexpectedly passed away Sunday, April 26 in of theoretical gravity, and Ishita was a student of Professor Juhan science education is finished. After retiring, his “Once I graduate from the 12-week-long Officer plus my Honors College experience— Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Frank in theoretical astrophysics. long-term plan is to return to school for a piano Candidate School (OCS) in Newport, R.I., I will especially the thesis that I have to “We are deeply saddened to learn of the unfortunate and tragic They will both recieve posthumous degrees at the Fall 2015 performance degree. officially be a naval officer. From there, I will write!—will help me to make a clear accident involving Anton and Ishita,” said Michael Cherry, chair, LSU Commencement. Adapted from an article in the LSU Reveille, by choice about what and where I want attend Naval Nuclear Power School (NNPS) for Department of Physics & Astronomy. “We would like to extend our LSU graduate students have created the following websites in Jose Bastitdas http://www.lsureveille.com/daily/ to research in the future.” 24 weeks. This will be where I learn the “Navy’s condolences to Anton and Ishita’s family, friends, and colleagues. remembrance of Anton and Ishita. Please visit: tiger-band-leader-hopes-to-gain-nuclear-science- Article excerpted from LSU’s Ogden way” of doing calculus, thermodynamics, nuclear Our thoughts and sympathies are with them during this time.” http://ishita-maity.forevermissed.com/ experience-in/article_13a85096-ada6-11e4-a7b4- Honors College summer scholar reactor systems, etc. Everyone I’ve talked to feature. 16Anton, a third-year graduate student, and Ishita, a second-year http://anton-joe.forevermissed.com/ 5bdce314f41d.html 17 Where are they now? Alumni News Support your Alma Mater and Future Students Dr. Leanne Truehart, B.S. 1990, looking up & Finding our cosmic address Private support has always been important How can you help? You can also donate online at having served as Mental Health Ashley Pagnotta, Ph.D. 2012 and the Kathryn W. in providing the margin of excellence for our You can make your tax-deductible gift to the • www.lsufoundation.org Director and Deputy Coroner in Davis Postdoctoral Fellow in the departments of students and faculty. In today’s challenging LSU Department of Physics & Astronomy, • Click the link “give now.” St. Tammany, Louisiana, and Astrophysics and Education, and Irene Pease, economic times, LSU relies even more on by check. Please write the check to the • Select “Choose a Fund.” Chief Medical Officer for the Post CEO of Friendly Neighborhood Astronomer, at our alumni and friends who make a vital “LSU Foundation,” complete the form on • Click on “Science” Trauma Institute of Louisiana, now the American Museum of Natural History met serves as Clinical Director for the investment in the future. Donations to the this page, and note “LSU Department of • Please note “Department of Physics with Staten Island writer Todd Simmons before Behavioral Health Court of the Department of Physics & Astronomy will be Physics & Astronomy.” Send the form with & Astronomy” in the comment 22nd Judicial District of Louisiana. the museum’s Astronomy Live! presentation of used to enhance our teaching program and your contribution to: section “Our Cosmic Address.” To read the full article, facilitate scientific discoveries that shape the Michael Cherry, Chair A portion of all gifts is used to defray the

Roger McNeil, former Department visit: bit.ly/1IaQ37n Ashley Pagnotta, 2012 Ph.D. Alumna future. Department of Physics & Astronomy costs of administering the funds. All gifts are of Physics & Astronomy Chair, is With your support, we can continue to make Louisiana State University tax-deductible, as prescribed by law. now Dean of Science at Morehead Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up a profound and lasting contribution to our 202 Nicholson Hall - Tower Drive State University. to date on the latest news and events! students, our community, and the world. Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4001

The Department of Physics & Astronomy participates in several honorary and memorial funds and endowments, which benefit the educational What are you doing with your physics degree? process through the support of quality students, distinguished faculty, We want to hear from YOU! Send updates to [email protected] or let us know if you would like to come to campus to give and educational/research facilities. a “What I Did with My Physics Degree” talk to current undergraduate and graduate students. To support these funds, please note the name in the comments section on your check or in the online comments: • Departmental Development Fund Alumnus Comeaux Delivers LSU Commencement Address • Joseph Callaway Memorial Fellowship Fund Physics alumnus and mars rover flight director returns to campus • Ganesar Chanmugam Memorial Fellowship Fund • Max Goodrich Distinguished Lectureship Series in Physics Comeaux gave himself two goals Mars and provided lessons learned from • Horace C. Hearne, Jr. Institute for Theoretical Physics for his commencement address: the experience. do a favor to the students and • Kenneth R. Hogstrom Superior Graduate Student Scholarship Fund be memorable, and share some His lessons included: • R. Greg Hussey Undergraduate Scholarship for Excellence in (l-to-r) Dr. Mette Gaarde, Mengxi Wu, and Dr. Kenneth Shaefer celebrate Summer 2015 Commencement in the lessons learned from going to • Sometimes you have to turn a problem Physics Quad, outside of Nicholson Hall on the LSU campus. Mars that the class of 2014 might upside-down to find a solution • Telescope Endowment Fund find useful in their careers. • Sometimes you have to stress the For the first goal, he asked the small stuff class to Google “Five Best NASA • Sometimes the simplest solution is the ¨ $5,000 ¨ $2,000 ¨ $1,000 ¨ $500 ¨ $200 ¨ Other: Scientists Ever.” The result best solution no matter how clumsy or Please make your check payable to: “LSU Foundation” note “Physics & Astronomy” on the memo line. shows an article that features a unsophisticated it looks ¨ I wish to give my pledge in ______installments of $ ______on a ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ photo of “Jubilant Celebration • Sometimes you have to challenge Mail check, with this form to: LSU Foundation monthly quarterly semi-annual annual basis. Guy,” who is Comeaux himself even your most basic assumptions 3838 West Lakeshore Drive My first payment is enclosed. LSU alumnus Keith Comeaux, B.S. celebrating Curiosity’s landing. • Sometimes you should follow your Baton Rouge, LA 70808 To make your gift by credit card, please complete this section. 1989, who served as flight director for ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ “Every time you see that blue-shirted blur curiosity even if it leads you away from CREDIT CARD: MasterCard VISA American Express Discover the Curiosity Rover’s landing on Mars in on a documentary, a commercial, a news your ultimate goal 2012, delivered the keynote address, and NAME reel, or a spoof on NASA, you should now • Sometimes you have to bench your CARD NUMBER 657 students received degrees during be able to recall that that guy was your starting quarterback and put your ADDRESS LSU’s 284th commencement ceremony on EXPIRATION DATE commencement speaker,” Comeaux joked. second string in to save the day August 8, 2014. “While my colleagues and others may not • Sometimes you do have to reinvent CITY STATE ZIP “I’ve had the good fortune to experience NAME ON CARD understand, let it be known that jubilant the wheel this rich tradition as a student on four celebration is not an unusual sight on a • It takes a village to make the impossible PHONE different occasions,” Comeaux said. “It’s BILLING ADDRESS, IF DIFFERENT Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.” possible a true honor to share this experience with EMAIL Comeaux shared background stories on the • Shoot for the stars but always follow SIGNATURE DATE you today.” different aspects of the Curiosity mission to your curiosity 18 If you prefer to give online, please visit www.lsufoundation.org select “Science” and note “Physics & Astronomy.” 19 College of Science Non-Profit Org. Department of Physics U.S. Postage & Astronomy PAID Louisiana State University Permit No. 733 202 Nicholson Hall Baton Rouge, LA Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Alumni Return to Campus for STEM Connect

In February 2015, LSU’s Office of Strategic Initiatives hosted an inaugural symposium to connect the LSU community with alumni in the science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines, or STEM. The LSU STEM Alumni Connect showcased LSU alumni who are pursuing doctorates and post-doctoral training at various universities across the country.

This unique forum allowed the opportunity for the Department to invite back three of our alumni: • Robert Cross, 2012 physics • Hannah Gardiner, 2014 nuclear physics • Christopher Peeler, 2010 medical physics (l-to-r) A.P. Rau, Robert Cross, Hannah Gardiner, Christopher Peeler, and 20Department Chair Mike Cherry.