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PHY Facilities and Centers
The PHY Division supports the following facilities and centers:
Physics Frontiers Centers (PFCs)
This program has been established to foster major advances at the intellectual frontiers of physics by providing needed resources, e.g., combinations of talents, skills, disciplines, and/or specialized infrastructure, not usually available to individual investigators or small groups. The program supports university-based centers and institutes where the collective efforts of a larger group of individuals can enable transformational advances in the most promising research areas. Activities supported through the program are in all sub-fields of physics within the purview of the Division of Physics: atomic, molecular, optical, plasma, elementary particle, nuclear, astro-, gravitational, and biological physics. Interdisciplinary projects at the interface between these physics areas and other physics sub-fields and disciplines, e.g. biology, quantum information science, mathematical physics, and condensed matter physics, and emerging areas of physics are also included.
The Division currently supports the following Physics Frontiers Centers:
FOCUS: Frontiers in Optical Coherent and Ultrafast Science at the University of Michigan. Laser-based studies of coherent manipulation of molecular motion and the control of quantum mechanics in ultracold atoms and ions; the production, control, and utilization of extremely short light pulses; and the physics of ultrahigh intensity laser fields.
Center for Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago. Four broad areas of research devoted to the understanding of the deepest problems of the interface between cosmology and particle physics.
Center for the Study of the Origin and Structure of Matter at Hampton University. Conducts research into the nature of matter through development of detectors, software, and simulations for nuclear and particle physics, and through a program of experimentation, education, and outreach.
Center for Theoretical Biological Physics at the University of California at San Diego. Encompasses a broad spectrum of research and training activities at the interface between physics and the biological sciences.
Center for Magnetic Self-Organization in Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas at the University of Wisconsin. Unites plasma physicists with plasma astrophysicists to understand magnetic self-organization in astrophysical and laboratory plasmas with a view to identifying and unraveling puzzles in plasma physics that are important in both regimes.
Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics at the University of Notre Dame. Fosters both theoretical and experimental research that supports the connection between nuclear physics and astrophysics.
Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Studies are primarily focused on theoretical condensed matter, elementary particle physics, astrophysics, and biological physics. Jointly sponsored with the Divisions of Materials Research, Astronomical Sciences, and Mathematical Sciences.
JILA at the University of Colorado. Fosters experimental and theoretical atomic, molecular and optical physics research. Sponsored jointly with NIST.
Center for Ultracold Atoms (CUA) brings together a community of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. Conducts theoretical and experimental research on ultracold atoms, quantum condensed gases, and atom optics. Jointly sponsored by the Divisions of Materials Research and Physics.
Other Facilities and Centers
The Division of Physics supports a number of experimental facilities, centers and theoretical institutes. These include:
Facilities:
Science & Technology Center:
Theoretical Institutes:
Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers:
Facilities:
The Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR)
Experimental high energy physics using colliding electron-positron beams. In addition, the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), supported by the Division of Materials Research and the Directorate for Biological Sciences, performs experimental research in many aspects of materials science and biology using the synchrotron light produced by CESR.
The National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State University. Experimental nuclear physics studies using medium-energy heavy ions, especially radioactive beams, to investigate nuclear structure far off the stability line, and nuclear matter at extreme temperature and densities. There is also emphasis on development of superconducting accelerator technology.
The Laser Interferometer Gravity Wave Observatory (LIGO)
Direct detection of gravitational radiation to test the predictions of general relativity, subsequently using these observations as a probe of dark matter, black holes, neutron stars, and other exotic phenomena in the universe that are not seen via the electromagnetic spectrum. Construction of the two LIGO detectors at sites in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana is complete. The accompanying R&D program of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) is focused on AdvLIGO with substantially upgraded capability.
LArge
Plasma Device (LAPD) at the University of
California at Los Angeles. Co-funded by the NSF and the Department
of Energy (DOE), this Basic Plasma Science Facility is the
only general user facility for fundamentamental plasma physics
in the world. A large plasma column, coupled with extensive
diagnostics, offers users the possibility to investigate fundamental
plasma phenomena in unprecedented detail.
Science & Technology Center:
Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology (CBST) at the University of California at Davis. The center brings together scientists, industry, educators and the community to research and develop applications for biophotonics -- the science of using light to understand the inner workings of cells and tissues in living organisms.
Theoretical Institutes:
The Institute for Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics (ITAMP) at the Harvard/Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Theoretical studies of atomic, molecular and optical physics via long-term visitor's programs, postdoctoral fellowships, and graduate education.
The Aspen Center for Physics
Summer study institute focusing mainly on elementary particle physics and astrophysics. Jointly sponsored with the Division of Astronomical Sciences.
The Santa Fe Institute (SFI)
Collaborative theoretical studies of a broad range of multidisciplinary complex systems through long-term and short-term visitor programs, postdoctoral fellowships, graduate and undergraduate research internships, and a summer school. Jointly sponsored with the Directorates for Biological Sciences, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, and Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.
The e-Print Archive
An on-line electronic archive of preprints in theoretical and experimental physics, as well as many other disciplines.
Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers:
Science of Nanoscale Systems and Their Device Applications A collaboration among Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California at Santa Barbara, and the Museum of Science Boston, this center combines "top down" and "bottom up" approaches to construct novel electronic and magnetic devices with nanoscale sizes and understand their behavior, including quantum phenomena.
Center for Probing the Nanoscale A collaboration between Stanford University and IBM Corporation, this center focuses on the development of novel probes that dramatically improve our capability to observe, manipulate, and control nanoscale objects and phenomena and the application of these probes to answer fundamental questions in science.
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