Physics and Astronomy

Padalino Receives American Physical Society Award

rime — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 20:06:41 +0000

Padalino Receives American Physical Society Award rime Wed, 10/16/2024 - 16:06

Geneseo Adds Astrophysics Major

rime — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 14:08:56 +0000

Geneseo Adds Astrophysics Major rime Mon, 09/16/2024 - 10:08

Astrophysics

barkan — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 19:45:57 +0000

Astrophysics barkan Tue, 08/06/2024 - 15:45

Sample Courses

Astrophysical Techniques
Extragalactic Astrophysics
Stars and Galaxies
Stellar Astrophysics
The Solar System

Popular Electives

Atomic and Nuclear Physics
Classical Mechanics
Electricity and Magnetism
Gravity Optics
Quantum Mechanics
Statistical Thermodynamics

Research and Teaching Fields

Astronomy and astrophysics
Computational sciences
Data analytics
Instrumentation
Optics
Physics

Astrophysics

Why study astrophysics at Geneseo?

The astrophysics major is perfect for students who are passionate about space and want a quantitative, hands-on learning experience. The program prepares students for a variety of careers that require strong problem-solving, data analysis, image processing, and analytic skills. It is specifically designed for students thinking about careers in astronomy and space sciences or related fields.

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Program Options

BS in Astrophysics

Additional Options

Program Highlights

The only astrophysics program in the SUNY system.
A complete education in physics with options to pursue different career paths, including physics, astrophysics, optics, data analytics, and other related quantitative fields.
Specialized upper-division lecture courses in stellar and extragalactic astrophysics.
Senior capstone project-oriented course that allows students to engage with professional astronomical data.
Opportunities to collaborate with faculty on publishable research projects.
Field experiences that include visits to Kitt Peak National Observatory and NASA-funded summer research opportunities involving analysis of images from the Hubble Space Telescope, computational simulations of gravitational waves generated by black hole collisions, ground-based photometric and spectroscopic studies of open star clusters.

Recent Employers

Corning, Inc.
IDEX Health and Science
L3Harris
Lockheed Martin
Rochester Precision Optics
University of Rochester Lab for Laser Energetics

Recent Grad Schools

Indiana University
Penn State
Rochester Institute of Technology
University of Rochester

Contact Info

Savitri Iyer, Professor and Department Chair
iyer@geneseo.edu
ISC 234A
585-245-5540

Physics Department

Physics Faculty

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Astronomy

barkan — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 15:38:55 +0000

Astronomy barkan Thu, 07/25/2024 - 11:38

Program Highlights

Geneseo has one of the largest physics departments at a primarily undergraduate institution in the nation.
The program prepares students for a wide range of careers in science and technology-related fields.

Astronomy

Why study astronomy at Geneseo?

This minor exposes students to the basic principles of astronomy. It includes an observational component in which students will learn to use telescopes to view celestial bodies.

Program Options

Minor in Astronomy

Additional Options

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Sample Courses

Analytical Physics I and II
General Physics I and II
Observational Astronomy
Principles of Astronomy
Stars and Galaxies
The Solar System

Contact Info

Savi Iyer, Professor and Chair in Physics and Astronomy
iyer@geneseo.edu
ISC 234A
585-245-5540

Physics Dept

Physics Faculty

Request More Info

Applied Physics

barkan — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 15:35:23 +0000

Applied Physics barkan Thu, 07/25/2024 - 11:35

Sample Courses

Analytical Physics I–IV
Applied Mechanics
Calculus I–III
Chemistry I–II
Classical Mechanics
Differential Equations
Digital Electronics
Electric Circuit Analysis
Fluid Mechanics
General Biology
Historical Geology
Instrumentation and Interfacing
Mathematical Methods in Physics
Physical Geology
Programming in Physics
Quantum Mechanics

Applied Physics

Why study applied physics at Geneseo?

Students in the applied physics program will learn to use scientific instrumentation to make measurements; analyze and make conclusions based on scientific data; design experiments to solve scientific questions; and communicate scientific results in writing and orally. The major prepares students for graduate studies, physics education, or technical careers.

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Program Options

Additional Options

Program Highlights

Geneseo offers one of the largest physics programs in the nation among colleges and universities that do not offer a PhD in physics, which means that applied physics majors at Geneseo join a large and thriving department focused solely on undergraduates.
Geneseo ranked #2 out of more than 500 schools nationwide in the number of physics bachelor’s degrees produced at an undergraduate-only physics department (American Institute of Physics report, September 2022).

Example Careers

Acoustic Engineer
Computer Scientist
High School Physics Teacher
Meteorologist
Science journalist
Technical Writer

Contact Info

Savitri Iyer, Professor and Chair in Physics
iyer@geneseo.edu
ISC 234A
585-245-5540

PHYSICS Dept

PHYSICS Faculty

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Physics Major to Conduct Research in Germany

rime — Mon, 06 May 2024 14:17:51 +0000

Physics Major to Conduct Research in Germany rime Mon, 05/06/2024 - 10:17

Physics Dept at �� Earns Honors for Teacher Grads

patenaude — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 18:15:17 +0000

Physics Dept at �� Earns Honors for Teacher Grads patenaude Thu, 04/11/2024 - 14:15

Engineering 3+2

barkan — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 16:25:18 +0000

Engineering 3+2 barkan Fri, 03/29/2024 - 12:25

Sample Courses

Analytical Physics I and II
Applied Mechanics
Calculus I and II
Electric Circuit Analysis
Inorganic Chemistry
Mathematical Methods in Physics
Modern Analytical Chemistry
Organic Chemistry I and II
Physical Chemistry I and II
Programming in Physics
Quantum Mechanics

Popular Electives

Classical Mechanics
Differential Equations
Digital Electronics
Fluid Mechanics
Instrumentation and Interfacing
Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism
Principles of Biochemistry
Statistical Thermodynamics

Alumni Spotlight

Sarah Reeves Naioti ’17

Major: Chemical Engineering 3+2

Career: Sarah is strategic sourcing manager at the commercial aircraft group Moog. "I was able to achieve two degrees in minimal time/cost. This still is brought up whenever I am interviewing for new positions and is a wow factor to many employers. I was also able to negotiate my starting rate right out of college a little higher than the initial offer because of my additional background in chemistry."

Engineering 3+2

Why study engineering at Geneseo?

Cooperative engineering allows students to combine studies in liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation in engineering. Students spend three years at Geneseo majoring in either chemistry or physics, then transfer to a partnering engineering school for a final two years of study, earning degrees from both institutions.

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Cooperative programs offer a number of advantages. Most engineering schools have large classes and focus primarily on their graduate students. At Geneseo, the largest technical classes have about 70 students, and professors focus solely on undergraduates, both for coursework and for opportunities to participate in faculty-sponsored research—a rarity for undergraduates at larger institutions.

Program Options

Program Highlights

Explore a number of liberal arts and science programs while maintaining the option to continue engineering studies.
Take up to three years to decide whether to pursue engineering.
Extend some forms of financial aid from four to five years.
Graduate with two degrees in five years.
Gain a decisive advantage in the employment market over candidates with a single degree.

Example Careers

Aerospace engineer
Analytical chemist
Biotechnologist
Chemical engineer
Civil engineer
Computer engineer
Electrical engineer
Environmental engineer
Materials scientist
Mechanical engineer
Nuclear engineer
Petroleum engineer
Pharmaceutical manufacturer

Formal Partner Schools

Case Western Reserve
Clarkson University
Columbia University

Historically, if a school offers an engineering degree, then that school can be considered for Geneseo’s 3+2 program in engineering.

Contact Info

Kazushike Yokoyama, Professor of Chemistry and 3+2 Chemical Engineering Program Director
yokoyama@geneseo.edu
ISC 326F
585-245-5320

Edward Pogozelski, Associate Professor and 3+2 Physics Engineering Program Director
pogo@geneseo.edu
ISC 228D
585-245-5287

Request More Info

�� Announces New School of Arts and Sciences and Interim Dean

khowell — Thu, 15 Feb 2024 12:57:31 +0000

�� Announces New School of Arts and Sciences and Interim Dean khowell Thu, 02/15/2024 - 07:57

New self-force method via elliptic partial differential equations for Kerr inspiral models

patenaude — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 17:34:55 +0000

New self-force method via elliptic partial differential equations for Kerr inspiral models

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

patenaude Fri, 02/09/2024 - 12:34

Associate professor of physics Thomas Osburn (Image provided)

Thomas Osburn

Summary:

The researchers developed a new computational method to predict the behavior of astrophysics systems involving a compact celestial body orbiting a supermassive black hole.

Abstract:

The reseachers present a new method designed to avoid numerical challenges that have impeded calculation of the Lorenz gauge self-force acting on a compact object inspiraling into a Kerr black hole. This type of calculation is valuable in creating waveform templates for extreme mass-ratio inspirals, which are an important source of gravitational waves for the upcoming Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission. Prior hyperbolic partial differential equation (PDE) formulations encountered numerical instabilities involving unchecked growth in time; our new method is based on elliptic PDEs, which do not exhibit instabilities of that kind. For proof of concept, we calculate the self-force acting on a scalar charge in a circular orbit around a Kerr black hole. The researchers anticipate this method will subsequently facilitate calculation of first-order Lorenz gauge Kerr metric perturbations and self-force, which could serve as a foundation for second-order Kerr self-force investigations.

Primary research questions:

1. What pattern will the gravitational wave signal (that can be detected by astronomical equipment) follow?
2. How will the motion of the smaller body be influenced by radiation reaction forces?
3. How can knowledge of first order gravitational perturbations be used as a foundation to calculate higher order gravitational perturbations?

What the research builds on:

Prior work used computational models to describe the dynamics of the system by evolving forward in time. This time-domain approach encountered numerical instabilities where the simulated gravitational perturbations artificially grew without bound as time increased.

What the research adds to the field:

This work enters the frequency domain, which leads to a different type of differential equation. The researchers were the first use that type of differential equation to solve the mathematical equations governing gravitational fields for this type of system. Having a viable strategy to describe the gravitational perturbations induced by these astronomical bodies will lead to more accurate theoretical predictions for the gravitational wave signals pattern.

Novel methodology:

The main theme is introducing a new method that leads to a different type of differential equation governing the system's behavior. Prior methods involved computational simulations in the time domain, but they encountered time instabilities. This work proposed and applied a method that entered the frequency domain. This frequency domain approach led to a different type of differential equation that avoided the time instability.

Implications for future research:

Future research can use this method to improve the accuracy of predicted gravitational wave signals emitted when a celestial body orbits a supermassive black hole.

Policy implications:

These research findings could affect NASA's ability to support an upcoming space mission, the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, which could affect NASA funding (very indirectly).

Funding:

This work was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant no. 2309020

Nami Nishimura '21

Thomas Osburn and Nami Nishimura. "New self-force method via elliptic partial differential equations for Kerr inspiral models." Physical Review D 106, 044056.

American Physical Society (2022)

Physics and Astronomy

Padalino Receives American Physical Society Award

Geneseo Adds Astrophysics Major

Astrophysics

Sample Courses

Popular Electives

Research and Teaching Fields

Astrophysics

Program Options

Additional Options

Program Highlights

Recent Employers

Recent Grad Schools

Contact Info

Astronomy

Program Highlights

Astronomy

Program Options

Additional Options

Sample Courses

Contact Info

Applied Physics

Sample Courses

Applied Physics

Program Options

Additional Options

Program Highlights

Example Careers

Contact Info

Physics Major to Conduct Research in Germany

Physics Dept at ������ Earns Honors for Teacher Grads

Engineering 3+2

Sample Courses

Popular Electives

Alumni Spotlight

Engineering 3+2

Program Options

Program Highlights

Example Careers

Formal Partner Schools

Contact Info

������ Announces New School of Arts and Sciences and Interim Dean

New self-force method via elliptic partial differential equations for Kerr inspiral models

Summary:

Abstract:

Primary research questions:

What the research builds on:

What the research adds to the field:

Novel methodology:

Implications for future research:

Policy implications:

Funding:

Physics Dept at �� Earns Honors for Teacher Grads

�� Announces New School of Arts and Sciences and Interim Dean