Undergraduate Research

There are many opportunities for undergraduate students to get involved in cutting-edge research. Below you will find brief descriptions of projects that you could work on. If you are interested in a particular project, you may contact the faculty member who is listed at the end of the paragraph.

For a list of previous undergraduate research projects, see here.

NUCLEAR PHYSICS

• EXPERIMENT: We have recently developed ultra-sensitive radiation detectors that are currently being used to measure of weak nuclear fusion reactions of astrophysical importance. We would like to explore the possibility of using these detectors for different purposes, such as high-sensitivity radio-environmental studies. A student could, for example, measure low-level radioactivity in soil, water, food, or anything else that comes to mind. While working on this project, students will acquire a skills in radiation detector operation, electronic signal processing, data acquisition techniques and the theory of nuclear activity and decays. Contact: C. Iliadis.

• EXPERIMENT: The basement of Phillips Hall houses an ion implanter. The device is used for preparing rare samples for nuclear physics experiments that cannot easily be fabricated by other means. We are looking for an undergraduate student who can help maintaining and especially improving this device. The student will learn about high-voltage and vacuum systems, ion beam transport and collection chambers. Typically, the student would implant various isotopes in special substrates at given energies and determine afterwards the concentration of implanted ions. Contact: C. Iliadis/A. Champagne.

• EXPERIMENT: Typically in experiments at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, specific equipment or apparatus must be designed, fabricated, and tested before routine nuclear physics experiments can begin. It is often possible that undergraduates become involved at several stages of this process, with a chance that substantial computational and mechanical skills be developed. For example, simulations of data collected with experimental systems must first be run to decide how best configure them, mechanical designs of new hardware needed must be turned into drawings for our instrument shop using computer-aided-design software, new vacuum or scattering chamber systems fabricated there must be assembled and tested, and new electronic systems purchased must be interfaced to central data collection computers using LabView control software. Contact: T. Clegg/H. Karwowski.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on research in nuclear physics and nuclear astrophysics, please go to the nuclear physics research website. For more information on research in particle astrophysics, see the particle astrophyics research website.

CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS/MATERIALS SCIENCE

• EXPERIMENT: New technologies for optical communications and renewable energy require new materials with appropriate optical properties. The McNeil research group uses a variety of optical spectroscopies to understand the relationship between materials structure and optical properties. The materials under study include organic semiconductors, wide-bandgap semiconductors, carbon nanotubes, and organic/inorganic hybrid materials. The fundamental materials physics projects are relevant to the development of new LEDs, displays, and solar cells. A student in the group is able to learn about optics and lasers, semiconductors and device technology, cryogenics, vacuum technology, and a variety of other general experimental skills. Collaboration with other groups both within UNC and at other institutions (including NTU in Singapore) is an important part of the research. Contact: L. McNeil.

• THEORY: In the past four years, the scientific community all over the world has been facinated with the new material, called graphene, which is a single layer of carbon atoms. On the fundamental side, this interest stems from a highly unusual (relativistic-like) behavior of electrons in this material and a concomitant host of phenomena which, in the past, would only be discussed in the context of a relativistic field theory. Also, on the applied side, there is a strong possibility that graphene will become a key material in the post-silicon electronics. However, in order for this to happen a number of both, technical and fundamental, issues regarding the transport properties of graphene needs to be resolved. A student participating in this project would be working on such topics as the effects of various inhomogeneous electric and magnetic fields on quasi-relativistic two-dimensional charge carriers. A practical knowledge of elementary quantum mechanics and good computational skills will be required. Contact: D.V. Khveshchenko.

HIGH-ENERGY AND COSMOLOGY

• PARTICLE THEORY: Although there is a standard model in particle phenomenology which works well up to 100 GeV energies, it leaves open questions for higher energies of TeV and above which can be addressed by building models which are motivated by addressing incompleteness in the standard model and which make predictions to be tested at the LHC. An undergraduate might, for example, study a specific model and attempt to compare its predictions with relevant existing data and especially with results realistically accessible to LHC. Contact: P. Frampton

• COSMOLOGY: Since 96% of the energy in the Universe is "dark", either dark matter or dark energy, there are very interesting research projects involving how to understand the entropy of dark matter or the equation of state of dark energy. Usually this will entail study of existing and anticipated observational data and how they may constrain these two quantities and hence theoretical modeling thereof. Contact: P. Frampton

ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

• OBSERVATION & MODELING: Galaxies evolve via a mixture of star formation, violent merging, energy from supermassive black holes, and infall of cosmic gas from the larger filamentary structures in which galaxies cluster. We are working to understand these processes using multi-wavelength (UV-IR) imaging, spectroscopy at radio and optical wavelengths, and computer modeling. Students have the opportunity to observe with the SOAR Telescope in Chile via UNC's Remote Observing Center. Projects are designed to match students' individual interests and backgrounds. A strong academic record is required. Contact: S. Kannappan.

BIOPHYSICS

RECOGNIZING RETINOPATHIES IN 3d OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY IMAGES: A student is sought with a strong programming background (Matlab or C preferred) to develop an automated algorithm to recognize cysts and measure their volume in 3D optical coherence tomography images of human retinas. The student should be available to devote 8 or more hours per week on this project, starting immediately and through the spring semester. Applicants should send their resume to Dr. Oldenburg at aold@physics.unc.edu and be prepared to answer a take-home problem to determine their readiness for the project. Contact: A. Oldenberg

For a list of previous undergraduate research projects, see here.

NON-PHYSICS OPPORTUNITIES