Tufts University

TUFTS UNIVERSITY

Department of Physics and Astronomy


Programs of Study
The Department of Physics and Astronomy offers programs of study leading to both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees for students interested in pursuing a wide variety of careers, including both teaching and research. Because there is a combined faculty of 22, many ar eas of physics and astronomy are available for study, and close faculty-student contact permits a deeper and more complete involvement in studies and research.

Candidates for the master's degree must complete eight graduate-level courses with grades of B- or better in their approved program; submission of a thesis is optional. While two semesters of residence are required, there are no language or examination re quirements. The option of including research courses is also available. Each candidate is aided and advised by his or her own special committee of faculty members. Entering students should be familiar with intermediate-level physics and with mathematics t hrough the level of calculus.

Ph.D. candidates need not fulfill a specific number of graduate courses but must demonstrate their proficiency in fundamental physics, quantum mechanics, their doctoral field, and a suitable fourth field. This may be done through course work or examinatio ns. A preliminary oral examination is required on a subject determined by the candidate's committee, and, upon its successful completion, the committee will advise the student on further research work. Three academic years of study are required, at least one of which must be in residence; a dissertation and dissertation examination will conclude the Ph.D. program.

The areas of research in the department include elementary particle physics and condensed-matter physics; theoretical and experimental studies are conducted in both areas. Research in radio astronomy, medical physics, theoretical molecular biophysics, and general relativity and cosmology is also undertaken by department members.

Research Facilities
Experimental work is carried out at Tufts as well as at national institutions such as the Arecibo Laboratory (National Astronomy and Ionospheric Center), Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, F rancis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory, National Radio Astronomy Observatory (VLA, Socorro, New Mexico), and Soudan II Underground Laboratory.

Financial Aid
Both teaching and research assistantships are available, as are tuition scholarships. Stipends are intended to provide financial support adequate for basic living costs in the area. Summer research and teaching appointments are available to qualified stud ents.

Cost of Study
Tuition for the 1995-96 academic year is $20,960. Teaching and research assistants are charged only half this amount, which is usually covered by a tuition scholarship. For part-time students, the tuition is $2620 per course.

Correspondence and Information
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts 02155
Link to Graduate School Information


THE FACULTY AND THEIR RESEARCH
David L. Weaver, Chairman; Ph.D., Iowa State, 1963. Molecular biophysics.
Peggy Cebe, Ph.D., Cornell, 1984. Experimental solid-state physics.
Allen E. Everett, Ph.D., Harvard, 1960. Theoretical particle physics, cosmology.
Lawrence H. Ford, Ph.D., Princeton, 1974. General relativity and cosmology, quantum field theory.
Gary R. Goldstein, Ph.D., Chicago, 1968. Theoretical particle physics.
Robert P. Guertin, Ph.D., Rochester, 1968. Experimental solid-state physics.
Leon Gunther, Ph.D., MIT, 1964. Theoretical solid-state physics.
Tomas Kafka, Ph.D., SUNY at Stony Brook, 1974. Experimental particle physics.
Kenneth R. Lang, Ph.D., Stanford, 1969. Astrophysics, radio astronomy.
W. Anthony Mann, Ph.D., Massachusetts, 1970. Experimental particle physics.
Kathryn A. McCarthy, Emerita; Ph.D., Harvard, 1957. Experimental solid-state physics.
Richard H. Milburn, Ph.D., Harvard, 1954. Experimental particle physics.
George S. Mumford, Ph.D., Virginia, 1954. Astronomy, astrophysics.
Austin Napier, Ph.D., MIT, 1978. Experimental particle physics.
William P. Oliver, Ph.D., Berkeley, 1969. Experimental particle physics.
J. Schneps, Ph.D., Wisconsin-Madison, 1956. Experimental particle physics.
Yaacov Shapira, Ph.D., MIT, 1964. Experimental solid-state physics.
Krzysztof Sliwa, Ph.D., Jagiellonian (Krakow), 1980. Experimental particle physics.
Roger G. Tobin, Ph.D., Berkeley, 1985. Experimental solid-state physics.
Alexander Vilenkin, Ph.D., SUNY at Buffalo, 1977. General relativity and cosmology, quantum field theory.
William Waller, Ph.D. Observational Astrophysics
Robert F. Willson, Ph.D., Tufts, 1980. Radio astronomy, astrophysics.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Theoretical
Molecular Biophysics. Dynamics of large biological molecules, models of protein folding and unfolding. (Weaver)
Condensed Matter. Macroscopic quantum tunneling, phase transitions, magnetism, superconductivity, Mössbauer effect. (Gunther)
High Energy. Quarks and quantum chromodynamics, electroweak theory, high-energy phenomenology. (Goldstein)
Cosmology and General Relativity. Physical processes in the very early universe, cosmic strings, cosmological phase transitions, quantum gravity, quantum field theory in curved space-time. (Everett, Ford, Vilenkin, 1 research associate, 2 visiting scholars)

Experimental
Astronomy. Radio interferometry of the sun, X-ray and gamma ray studies of the sun, radio observations of active stars. (Lang, Mumford, Willson)Interstellar processes in the Milky Way and other galaxies, (Waller)
Condensed Matter. Magnetic properties of solids; high-temperature superconductors; low-temperature thermal, acoustical, and optical properties of materials; low-temperature thermometry. (Cebe, Guertin, McCarthy, Shapira, Tobin) High Energy. Search for nucleon decay, muon astronomy, and atmospheric neutrinos; search for the top quark and Higgs particles; charm spectroscopy; neutrino oscillations. (Kafka, Milburn, Mann, Napier, Oliver, Schneps, Sliwa)

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