The Department of Physical Sciences is home to several degree programs: Bachelor of Science in Astronomy & Astrophysics, Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics; Bachelor of Science in Space Physics; Master of Science in Engineering Physics; and Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Physics.
The programs offer a unique balance of engineering and physics curriculum, so students can focus on the scientific challenges and planning associated with mission design and space exploration, along with engineering fundamentals.
These programs prepare students to make positive scientific and technological contributions to our increasingly complex society. This highly research-oriented department has one of the oldest and largest Engineering Physics programs in the nation. Students are involved in all the research, which includes grants funded by NASA, the National Security Agency (NSA), and other agencies.
Submissions from 2011
Incoherent Scatter Radar Estimation of F Region Ionospheric Composition During Frictional Heating Events, M. Zettergren, J. L. Semeter, C. Heinselman, and M. Diaz
The Chromospheric Activity, Age, Metallicity, and Space Motions of 36 Wide Binaries, J. K. Zhao, T. D. Oswalt, M. Rudkin, G. Zhao, and Y. Q. Chen
The Chromospheric Activity, Age, Metallicty and Space Motions of 36 Wide Binaries, J. K. Zhao, Terry D. Oswalt, M. Rudkin, G. Zhao, and Y. Q. Chen
Fragile Binary Candidates in the SDSS DR8 Spectroscopic Archive, J. K. Zhao, Terry D. Oswalt, and G. Zhao
Submissions from 2010
A Comprehensive Rocket and Radar Study of Midlatitude Spread F, G.D. Earle, P. Bhaneja, P.A. Roddy, C.M. Swenson, A. Barjatya, R. L. Bishop, and et. al
Atmospheric Airglow Fluctuations due to a Tsunami‐driven Gravity Wave Disturbance, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D., G. Schubert, and R. L. Walterscheid
A Detailed Model Atmosphere Analysis of Cool White Dwarfs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Mukremin Kilic, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Visitors from the Halo: 11 Gyr Old White Dwarfs in the Solar Neighborhood, Mukremin Kilic, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Book Review: Stars Above, Earth Below: A Guide to Astronomy in the National Parks, T. D. Oswalt
Stability of Fully Nonlinear Stokes Waves on Deep Water: Part 1. Perturbation Theory, Shahrdad Sajjadi and David L. Ross
OH and OI Airglow Layer Modulation by Ducted Short-Period Gravity Waves: Effects of Trapping Altitude, Jonathan B. Snively, Victor P. Pasko, and Michael J. Taylor
Pulsational Mapping of Calcium Across the Surface of a White Dwarf, Susan E. Thompson, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Submissions from 2009
Invited Article: Data Analysis of the Floating Potential Measurement Unit Aboard the International Space Station, Aroh Barjatya, Charles M. Swenson, Donald C. Thompson, and Kenneth H. Wright
Multisite Photometry of the Pulsating Herbig Ae Star v346 Ori, S. Bernabei, Terry D. Oswalt, V. Ripepi, A. Ruoppo, and Et al.
Inverting Color–Magnitude Diagrams to Access Precise Star Cluster Parameters: A New White Dwarf Age for the Hyades, Steven DeGennaro, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Propagation of Tsunami-Driven Gravity Waves into the Thermosphere and Ionosphere, Michael P. Hickey, G. Schubert, and R. L. Walterscheid
Photometric Calibrations for 21st Century Science, Stephen M. Kent, Terry D. Oswalt, Mary Elizabeth Kaiser, and Et al.
A Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Survey of Cool White Dwarfs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Mukremin Kilic, Piotr M. Kowalski, and Ted von Hippel
Spitzer Observations of the Oldest White Dwarfs in the Solar Neighborhood, Mukremin Kilic, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Book Review: Clocks in the Sky: The Story of Pulsars, T. D. Oswalt
Book Review: Electronic Imaging in Astronomy: Detectors and Instrumentation 2nd ed., T. D. Oswalt
Book Review: Escaping the Bonds of Earth: The Fifties and the Sixties, T. D. Oswalt
Book Review: Finding the Big Bang, T. D. Oswalt
Book Review: Humans in Outer Space-Interdisciplinary Odysseys, Studies in Space Policy, 1, T. D. Oswalt
The Dust Cloud Around the White Dwarf G 29-38. II. Spectrum from 5 to 40 μm and Mid-Infrared Photometric Variability, William T. Reach, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Analysis and Modeling of Ducted and Evanescent Gravity Waves Observed in the Hawaiian Airglow, D. B. Simkhada, J. B. Snively, M. J. Taylor, and S. J. Franke
The White Dwarfs Within 20 Parsecs of the Sun: Kinematics and Statistics, Edward M. Sion, J. B. Holberg, Terry D. Oswalt, George P. McCook, and Richard Wasatonic
Statistical Analysis of Stellar Evolution, David A. van Dyk, Ted von Hippel, Steven DeGenarro, Nathan Stein, and William Jefferys
Gravity Wave Ducting in the Upper Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere Duct System, R. L. Walterscheid and Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Submissions from 2008
Tomographic Imaging of Airglow from Airborne Spectroscopic Measurements, D. Scott Anderson; Gary Swenson,; Farzad Kamalabadi; and Alan Liu
Was a Long-Lived, High Velocity Gas Jet Produced by the Comet Tempel 1 Deep Impact Event: Evidence from High Spectral Resolution [OI] 630 nm Interference Spectra, J. B. Corliss, F. L. Roesler, E. J. Mierkiewicz, R. J. Oliversen, and W. M. Harris
White Dwarf Luminosity and Mass Functions from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Spectra, Steven DeGennaro, Ted von Hippel, D. E. Winget, S. O. Kepler, Atsuko Nitta, Detlev Koester, and Leandro Althaus
A New Look at the Local White Dwarf Population, J. B. Holberg, E. M. Sion, Terry D. Oswalt, G. P. McCook, S. Foran, and John P. Subasavage
The First Mid-Infrared Spectra of Cool White Dwarfs, Mukremin Kilic, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Constraining the Surface Inhomogeneity and Settling Times of Metals on Accreting White Dwarfs, Michael H. Montgomery, S.E. Thompson, and Ted von Hippel
Geocoronal Hydrogen Observations Spanning Three Solar Minima, S. M. Nossal, E. J. Mierkiewicz, F. L. Roesler, L. M. Haffner, R. J. Reynolds, and R. C. Woodward
Book Review: Guide to Observing Deep-Sky Objects: A Complete Global Resource for Astronomers, T. D. Oswalt
Book Review: The Road to Galaxy Formation 2nd Ed, T. D. Oswalt
Book Review: The Telescope: Its History, Technology, and Future, T. D. Oswalt
Book Review: Tourists in Space: A Practical Guide, T. D. Oswalt
Book Review: Your Cosmic Context: An Introduction to Modern Cosmology, T. D. Oswalt
Excitation of Ducted Gravity Waves in the Lower Thermosphere by Tropospheric Sources, Jonathan B. Snively and Victor P. Pasko
Electron Density and Electron Neutral Collision Frequency in the Ionosphere Using Plasma Impedance Probe Measurement, E. Spencer, S. Patra, T. Andriyas, C. Swenson, J. Ward, and A. Barjatya
Submissions from 2007
The Resolved Stellar Populations of a Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy in the Virgo Cluster, Patrick R. Durell, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Seasonal Variations of the Vertical Fluxes of Heat and Horizontal Momentum in the Mesopause Region at Starfire Optical Range, New Mexico, Chester S. Gardner and Alan Z. Liu
Characteristics of Short-Period Wavelike Features Near 87 km Altitude from Airglow and Lidar Observations Over Maui, J. H. Hecht, A. Z. Liu, R. L. Walterscheid, S. J. Franke, R. J. Rudy, M. J. Taylor, and P. -D. Pautet
New Techniques to Determine Ages of Open Clusters Using White Dwarfs, E. J. Jeffery, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Wide-Field Survey of Globular Clusters in m31. I. a Catalog of New Clusters, Sang Chul Kim, Myung Gyoon Lee, Doug Geisler, Ata Sarajedini, Hong Soo Park, Ho Seong Hwang, William E. Harris, Juan C. Seguel, and Ted von Hippel
Investigation of a “Wall” Wave Event, Feng Li, Gary R. Swenson, Alan Z. Liu, Michael Taylor, and Yucheng Zhao
A Spitzer White Dwarf Infrared Survey, F. Mullally, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
On the Variability of Mesospheric OH Emission Profiles, Romina Nikoukar, Gary R. Swenson, Alan Z. Liu, and Farzad Kamalabadi
Book Review: Moore on Mercury: The Planet and the Missions, T. D. Oswalt
Derivation and Application of a Conserved Orbital Energy for the Inverted Pendulum Bipedal Walking Model, Jerry E. Pratt and Sergey V. Drakunov
The First Detection of Diffuse Interstellar [OII] Emission and Confirmation That Variations in [NII]/Hα Trace Variations in Temperature, R. J. Reynolds, E. J. Mierkiewicz, F. L. Roesler, J. M. Harlander, and K. P. Jaehnig
Measurements of Mesospheric Sodium Abundance above the Hawaiian Islands, Lewis C. Roberts, Jr.; L. William Bradford; Christopher R. Neyman; and Alan Z. Liu
Doppler Ducting of Short-Period Gravity Waves by Midaltitude Tidal Wind Structure, Jonathan B. Snively, Victor P. Pasko, Michael J. Taylor, and Wayne K. Hocking
Optical Absorption, Depolarization, and Scatter of Epitaxial Single-Crystal Chemical-Vapor-Deposited Diamond at 1.064 μm, Giorgio Turri, Ying Chen, and Michael Bass
Optical Properties of Epitaxial Single-Crystal Chemical-Vapor-Deposited Diamond, Giorgio Turri, Ying Chen, Michael Bass, David Orchard, and James E. Butler
LP133-373 A New Chromospherically Active Eclipsing dMe Binary with a Distant, Cool White Dwarf Companion, T. R. Vaccaro, T. D. Oswalt, M. Rudkin, Adela Kawka, Stephane Vennes, and Et al.
LP 133-373: A New Chromospherically Active Eclipsing dMe Binary with a Distant, Cool White Dwarf Companion, T. R. Vaccaro, M. Rudkin, A. Kawka, S. Vennes, Terry D. Oswalt, and et al.
O(1S), OH, and O2(b) Airglow Layer Perturbations due to AGWs and their Implied Effects on the Atmosphere, Fabio Vargas, Gary Swenson, Alan Liu, and Delano Gobbi
The New Class of Dusty Daz White Dwarfs, Ted von Hippel and et al.
Discovery of Photospheric Calcium Line-Strength Variations in the Dazd White Dwarf G29-38, Ted von Hippel and Susan E. Thompson
The Metallicity Distribution of Intracluster Stars in Virgo, Benjamin F. Willaims, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Virgo’s Intracluster Globular Clusters as Seen by the Advanced Camera for Surveys, Benjamin F. Williams, Robin Ciardullo, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Numerical Modeling of a Gravity Wave Packet Ducted by the Thermal Structure of the Atmosphere, Yonghui Yu and Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Simulated Ducting of High-frequency Atmospheric Gravity Waves in the Presence of Background Winds, Yonghui Yu and Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Time-resolved Ducting of Atmospheric Acoustic-gravity Waves by Analysis of the Vertical Energy Flux, Yonghui Yu and Michael P. Hickey Ph.D.
Optical Estimation of Auroral Ion Upflow: Theory, M. Zettergren, J. L. Semeter, P. L. Blelly, and M. Diaz
Submissions from 2006
Observations of Triboelectric Charging Effects on Langmuir-Type Probes in Dusty Plasma, Aroh Barjatya and Charles M. Swenson
The White Dwarf Luminosity Function from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Imaging Data, Hugh C. Harris, Jeffrey A. Munn, Mukremin Kilic, James W. Liebert, Kurtis A. Williams, Ted von Hippel, Stephen E. Levine, David G. Monet, Daniel J. Eisenstein, S. J. Kleinman, T. S. Metcalfe, Atsuko Nikka, D. E. Winget, J. Brinkmann, Masataka Fukugita, G. R. Knapp, Robert H. Lupton, J. Allyn Smith, and Donald P. Schneider
Rocket and Radar Investigation of Background Electrodynamics and Bottom-Type Scattering Layers at the Onset of Equatorial Spread F, D. L. Hysell, M. F. Larsen, C. M. Swenson, A. Barjatya, T. F. Wheeler, T. W. Bullett, and et. al.
LP 400-22, A Very Low Mass and High-Velocity White Dwarf, Adela Kawka, Stephane Vennes, Terry D. Oswalt, J. Allyn Smith, and Nicole M. Silvestri
Cool White Dwarfs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Mukremin Kilic, Jeffrey A. Munn, Hugh C. Harris, James W. Liebert, Ted von Hippel, Kurtis A. Williams, Travis S. Metcalfe, D. E. Winget, and Stephen E. Levine
Debris Disks Around White Dwarfs: The Daz Connection, Mukremin Kilic, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
The Mystery Deepens: Spitzer Observations of Cool White Dwarfs, Mukremin Kilic, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Radial Velocity Observations of the Extended Lunar Sodium Tail, E. J. Mierkiewicz, M. Line, F. L. Roesler, and R. J. Oliversen
Detection of Diffuse Interstellar [O II] Emission from the Milky Way Using Spatial Heterodyne Spectroscopy, E. J. Mierkiewicz, R. J. Reynolds, F. L. Roesler, J. M. Harlander, and K. P. Jaehnig
Spitzer White Dwarf Planet Limits, F. Mullally, Ted von Hippel, and D. E. Winget
Origin of the Turbulent Spectra in the High-Altitude Cusp: Cluster Spacecraft Observations, K. Nykyri, B. Grison, P. J. Cargill, B. Lavraud, E. Lucek, I. Dandouras, A. Balogh, N. Cornilleau-Wehrlin, and H. Reme
Cluster Observations of Reconnection Due to the Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability at the Dawnside Magnetospheric Flank, K. Nykyri, A. Otto, B. Lavraud, C. Mouikis, L. M. Kistler, A. Balogh, and H. Rème
Book Review: Evolution of Stars and Stellar Populations, T. D. Oswalt
Book Review: Fred Hoyle's Universe, T. D. Oswalt
Book Review: The Amateur Astronomer's Introduction to the Celestial Sphere, T. D. Oswalt
Inverting Color-Magnitude Diagrams to Access Precise Star Cluster Parameters: A Bayesian Approach, Ted von Hippel and et al.
Submissions from 2005
Coordinated Cluster/Double Star Observations of Dayside Reconnection Signatures, M. W. Dunlop, M. G. G. T. Taylor, J. A. Davies, C. J. Owen, F. Pitout, A. N. Fazakerley, K. Nykyri, and et al.
Comparison of Meteor Radar and Na Doppler Lidar Measurements of Winds in the Mesopause Region above Maui, Hawaii, S. J. Franke, X. Chu, A. Z. Liu, and W. K. Hocking
Maui Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (Maui MALT) Observations of the Evolution of Kelvin-Helmholtz Billows Formed Near 86 km Altitude, J. H. Hecht, Alan Z. Liu, R. L. Walterscheid, and R. J. Rudy
A Full-wave Investigation of the Use of a ‘‘Cancellation Factor’’ in Gravity Wave–OH Airglow Interaction Studies, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D. and Yonghui Yu
Onset Conditions for Equatorial Spread F Determined During Equis II, D. L. Hysell, M. F. Larsen, C. M. Swenson, Aroh Barjatya, T. F. Wheeler, M. F. Sarango, and et.al
Measuring the Evolution of the Most Stable Optical Clock G 117-B15A, S. O. Kepler, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Excess Infrared Radiation from the Massive Daz White Dwarf GD 362: A Debris Disk?, Mukremin Kilic, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Faint Blue Objects in the Hubble Deep Field–South Revealed: White Dwarfs, Subdwarfs, and Quasars, Mukremin Kilic, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Deep Photometry of the Globular Cluster M5: Distance Estimates from White Dwarf and Main-Sequence Stars, Andrew C. Layden, Ted von Hippel, and et al.
Where Are the Magnetic White Dwarfs with Detached, Nondegenerate Companions?, James W. Liebert, Dayal T. Wickramsinghe, Gary D. Schmidt, Nicole M. Silvestri, T. D. Oswalt, and et al.
Characteristics of Instabilities in the Mesopause Region over Maui, Hawaii, Feng Li, Alan Z. Liu, and Gary R. Swenson
Observations of Gravity Wave Breakdown into Ripples Associated with Dynamical Instabilities, Feng Li, Alan Z. Liu, Gary R. Swenson, James H. Hecht, and Walter A. Robinson
Vertical Heat and Constituent Transport in the Mesopause Region by Dissipating Gravity Waves at Maui, Hawaii (20.7ºN), and Starfire Optical Range, New Mexico (35ºN), Alan Z. Liu and Chester S. Gardner
Book Review: Observing Variable Stars, Novae, and Supernovae, T. D. Oswalt
Book Review: Stargazer: The Life and Times of the Telescope, T. D. Oswalt
