Physics Research Areas
The Biophysics group in our department is represented by Dr. Natalia Guevara, Dr. Juan Guevara, Dr. Andreas Hanke and Dr. Ahmed Touhami. They are involved in several projects related to interaction of DNA with carbon nanotubes, dynamics and spectroscopy of a single DNA molecule. Future research will include studies on the conformational dynamics of single DNA molecules and DNA protein complexes.
Atomic, Molecular, & Optical Physics: adaptive control of laser beam; adaptive optics, phasefront sensing; laser frequency stabilization; optical tweezers and wrenches; optical readout of AFM; photonic crystals
The computer cluster at UTRGV allows researchers to solve complex physical problems that require enormous computational resources. From the analysis of data collected by LIGO, to modeling electromagnetic wave propagation through photonic crystals, computational physics is an essential part of research at UTRGV.
The research in Educational Physics includes the developing electronic media and interactive tools to enhance the delivery and effectiveness of lectures, curriculum content, homework, and labs. It also involves K-12 physical science teacher to develop and conduct outreach programs for local school districts.
UTRGV is very active in astronomy and astrophysics research. As members of the LVC collaboration we are involved in the analysis of data from the two LIGO, the Virgo and the German-British GEO600 detectors. Astrophysics research at UTRGV also involves modeling populations of compact object binaries in the Galaxy and its environs in order to determine how gravitational wave observations can shed light on models of stellar evolution and Galactic structure. This research is relevant to gravitational wave observations using LISA, LIGO/Virgo, and the Pulsar Timing Array. The Arecibo Remote Command and Control Center (ARCC) brings access to the world’s largest radio telescope, the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, to researchers at UTRGV, and makes UTRGV the world leader in using pulsar timing to detect gravitational waves.