Faculty Position in Theoretical Plasma Physics

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Published: Wednesday, September 11 2019 02:45

The University of Maryland Department of Physics invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the level of Assistant Professor in theoretical plasma physics. A more senior level position may be considered for exceptional candidates. 

The Department has a broad research effort in plasma physics, including nonlinear dynamics, magnetic confinement fusion theory, plasma astrophysics, heliospheric plasma physics, and intense laser-plasma/laser particle-beam interactions. Our on-campus ties to astronomy, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, computer science, and quantum and applied physics complement our ties to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, both located nearby. The successful candidate will be a leader from any area(s) of theoretical plasma physics. The preferred starting date for the position is August of 2020.

Minimum requirements: A Ph.D. in physics or a physics-related discipline.  Good teaching, particularly in settings with diverse groups, is a high priority of the Department, and a potential for teaching excellence is necessary. Candidates should have a demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, have good communication skills, and have the potential for leadership within the research community. The University of Maryland and Department of Physics are committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community. Candidates who have experience working with a diverse range of faculty, staff, and students, and who can contribute to the climate of inclusivity are encouraged to identify their experience in these areas.

Only applications submitted through the UMD online site will be considered: https://ejobs.umd.edu/postings/73354

Required are (1) a cover letter, (2) a CV, (3) a statement of research interests and plans, (4) a statement of teaching philosophy and (5) the names and email addresses of four reference writers. For best consideration, applications should be received by December 1, 2019.

The University of Maryland, College Park, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, creed, marital status, political affiliation, personal appearance, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment, in all aspects of employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

University of Maryland Launches Quantum Technology Center

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Published: Thursday, August 22 2019 10:34

Davoudi, Manucharyan Receive DOE Early Career Research Funding

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Published: Thursday, August 01 2019 14:42

Zohreh Davoudi and Vladimir Manucharyan are among the 73 scientists selected by the Department of Energy for Early Career funding. Davoudi’s proposal, Analog and Digital Quantum Simulations of Strongly Interacting Theories for Applications in Nuclear Physics was chosen by the Office of Nuclear Physics. Manucharyan’s proposal, Realization of a Quantum Slide Rule for 1+1 Dimensional Quantum Field Theories Using Josephson Superconducting Circuits was selected for funding by the Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research.

Davoudi and Manucharyan will each receive $750,000 over five years. The list of awardees and their abstracts can be seen here.

Alicia Kollár Joins UMD Physics

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Published: Wednesday, July 31 2019 09:42

Alicia Kollár

Alicia Kollár joins the Department of Physics on August 1, 2019 as the Chesapeake Assistant Professor of Physics.

Kollár holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Princeton University, and earned her doctorate in applied physics at Stanford University in 2016, working on the design and construction of a multimode cavity-BEC apparatus to study superradiant self-organization. She was a National Defense Science and Engineering Fellow at Stanford, and after graduating continued for one year as a postdoctoral scholar. She then accepted a Princeton Materials Science Postdoctoral Fellowship to work on quantum simulation of solid-state physics using circuit QED lattices; that research was recently featured in Physics World.

At UMD, Kollár will be a Fellow of the Joint Quantum Institute and the newly-formed Quantum Technology Center, a collaborative effort between the A. James Clark School of Engineering and the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences to establish UMD as the nation’s leading center for academic quantum technology research and education.

Mirrors on the Moon

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Published: Wednesday, July 17 2019 07:42

Along with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, University of Maryland scientists left a lasting mark on the moon when Apollo 11 landed there 50 years ago this week, one that is still imprinting on the world of physics.

That’s because a piece of equipment the astronauts left behind—a small panel of 100 mirrors designed by UMD physicists Doug Currie and the late Carroll Alley and a national team—remains in use for experiments. It may soon get an upgrade, too, thanks to NASA’s new project to send astronauts back to the moon by 2024 and, eventually, to Mars.

Called the lunar laser ranging array, it works in tandem with two others placed by the Apollo 14 and 15 missions in 1971, and provides a target for lasers beamed from telescopes on Earth. The bounce-back from those pulses enables precise measurements of distance that in the past five decades have led to discoveries ranging from the moon’s liquid core to confirming that Earth’s continents are still (slowly) moving.

In fact, the arrays are responsible for “really the only verification” of some aspects of Einstein’s general theory of relativity, said Currie, now a professor emeritus at UMD.

“Science has come out of it remarkably,” he said.

There’s plenty more to learn, as Currie has been working with the National Laboratories of Frascati, Italy, and commercial space company Moon Express to get a new generation of arrays onto the moon. NASA announced earlier this month that the arrays will be one of 12 experiments placed on future payload missions as part of the Artemis lunar program and in partnership with private space companies.