Professor List for informal advising

Freshmen and Sophomore students, please refer to the list below if you don't know who to ask about what in physics.

Thomas Appelquist Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics Particle Theory My wife Marion and I like to spend time in the Colorado mountains, and in London and Los Angeles where our children live.
Keith Baker Professor of Physics Research interests are in experimental particle physics, especially at the interface with cosmology and astrophysics. Current activities include research at the energy frontier in the ATLAS collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and at the precision frontier using lasers and microwave sources, both on campus and at the Jefferson Lab's Free Electron Laser. I used to enjoy piano, basketball, and parties . . . lots of parties.
Charles Baltay Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics and Astronomy I am an experimentalist concentrating on fundamental issues, be that in particle physics, astrophysics, or cosmology. Lately I have been working on learning about the nature of Dark Energy, the mysterious component that makes up three quarters of our universe, yet we know essentially nothing about it. We do this both from telescopes in the Andes in Chile, and from a space mission we are proposing. Skiing and sailing is what I do to get away from it all...
Helen Caines Assistant Professor of Physics I work at RHIC (the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider) on Long Island and "across the pond" at the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) in Geneva, studying what happens when Au and Pb ions are collided at 99.99% the speed of light. Outside of the laboratory I'm just your average New England "Resident Alien". Personal Web Page
Hui Cao Professor of Applied Physics & Physics My research aims to understand and control quantum optical processes in nanostructures, with potential applications to nanophotonic devices. My latest adventure is bio-mimetics, i.e. to learn from nature how to design better photonic devices. The research activities in my group range from nanofabtrication, material characterization, optical measurement with high spatial, spectral and temporal resolution, and numerical simulation. My research group's web page is at http://caolab.eng.yale.edu. I enjoy traveling, hiking and swimming.
Richard F. Casten D. A. Bromley Professor of Physics I work primarily in experimental nuclear structure physics, although my research also involves theoretical studies. The main focus is on understanding how complex nuclei, with hundreds of protons and neutrons scurrying around trillions of orbits per second, can display such remarkable simplicities, regularities and symmetries. My future interests will exploit the revolutionary new facility FRIB which gives access for the first time to many exotic nuclei whose study will hopefully lead to a comprehensive theory of this fascinating many-body system that comprises over 99.9% of the hadronic matter in the universe. Other interests include hiking, travel and languages with my wife, Jo Ann, as well as tennis, platform tennis, and baseball.
Sarah Demers Assistant Professor of Physics The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN will open up a new energy frontier for the field of Particle Physics. I am a member of ATLAS, one of the large, multi-national LHC Collaborations. My research focuses on finding new physics to fill in the gaps of our current understanding of elementary particles and the forces between them with a particular focus on tau leptons as probes. I enjoy spending time with Jonah, my toddler son, and Steve, my husband. We look at dinosaur bones in the Peabody, explore the local parks and sample New Haven restaurants. I also like to run, read and row on Lake Geneva.
David DeMille Professor of Physics My research group uses diatomic molecules as tools to address a variety of interesting questions. These range from exploring how the universe came to be made of matter rather than antimatter, to measuring properties of exotic particles, to finding a way to build a large-scale quantum computer, and understanding how chemical reactions can occur at near absolute zero. All this takes place on campus, in the basement of Sloane Physics Lab, with small teams of 2-3 students working on any given project. Our experiments use lasers….many, many lasers….to manipulate and measure the molecules. I enjoy spending time with my wife Mellissa and our three young sons. I am a Red Sox and Patriots fan. I play guitar with enthusiasm but little skill. I hope to pass this enjoyment on to my kids, who already know all the words to several Ramones songs. Personal Web Page
Richard Easther Associate Professor of Physics My research focuses on the evolution of the universe immediately after (and perhaps before) the big bang, testing models of this era with astrophysical data, and what this all tells us about physics at very high energies. I live in New Haven, and buy my pizza at Modern if I do not make it myself. I like to travel (often to New Zealand, where I grew up), and play with my two boys: an unusually large fraction of the mechanics problems I set for Physics 180 was based on the physics of playground equipment. Personal Web Page
Thierry Emonet Assistant Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology & Physics My PhD is in astrophysics and magnetohydrodynamics. More recently my interest has shifted to the study of biological sensory systems. In our lab we use a mixture of approaches from physics and biology to discover how /E. coli/ bacteria and flies sense chemicals and how Tcells make decisions. My research groups web page is at http://emonet.bilogy.yale.edu Other interests: piano, sculpture, rock climbing
Tobias Golling Assistant Professor of Physics I work in the field of experimental particle physics on the ATLAS experiment at CERN where the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will start colliding protons at the end of 2009 at an unprecedented center of mass energy of 14 TeV. The LHC will help to answer some of the deepest mysteries of science, it is our telescope on to the early universe, where we recreate conditions a billionth of a second after the Big Bang. Never heard of ATLAS? Check out http://www.atlas.ch/ or "Angels and Demons" - the DVD contains a special on ATLAS. My research interest focuses on establishing heavy quark final states (bottom and top quarks) to explore the new physics that is expected to hide behind the current energy frontier, and to provide answers to longstanding puzzles such as the origin of mass, the nature of dark matter or the observed asymmetry between matter and antimatter. I am a passionate surfer, I enjoy traveling, cooking (and eating!) with my wife Alona, and I take pleasure in the usual: reading, music, movies,... and swimming (to stay in shape for the next surf session).
Jack Harris Associate Professor of Physics My group studies the manifestations of quantum mechanics in improbable settings: the motion of millimeter-sized object, and the flow of electrons through isolated rings of metal. I like sea kayaking, playing guitar, and speaking Norwegian. My favorite pizza is Sally's.
Sohrab Ismail-Beigi Associate Professor of Applied Physics & Physics Important things first: Modern is better than Sally's (apologies to Jack Harris). With that out of the way, I'm a condensed matter theorist who uses high performance parallel computing to attack problems in materials physics. This ranges from the basic science problem of understanding why a material has the properties it has (conducting or insulating, malleable or brittle, transparent or fluorescent or not, etc.) to the more applied question of how to engineer a new material to have particular desired properties. A good deal of my research work focuses on nanostructures where novel physics and chemistry can emerge. My research group's web page is at http://volga.eng.yale.edu I love cooking. Recently, I've gotten interested in making deserts --- a black hole in my repertoire. Since cooking is an experimental science, I decided it was prudent to start at level zero: I am trying to perfect blueberry and banana-walnut muffins (my toddler daughter helps with the mixing and my wife is the food critic). Results have been encouraging, but more experiments are needed...
Steve Lamoreaux Professor of Physics Research interests: Experimental tests of fundamental physical laws using atomic and condensed matter systems; experimental study of fluctuation phenomena including the Casimir force Other professional interests: Cryptography; applications of physics to environmental issues; physics education Hobbies and personal interests: Running and boxing; restoration of vintage electronics; amateur radio; gardening
Daniel McKinsey Associate Professor of Physics My research centers on the search for the fundamental nature of dark matter, using ultra-sensitive instruments that we place inside radiation shielding in a deep underground location. We also work on neutrino detection, imaging fluid flow in liquid helium, and general development of detectors using liquefied noble gases. Overall, my experimental program touches on aspects of particle physics, astrophysics, nuclear physics, atomic physics, and low temperature physics. I enjoy basketball, hiking, travel, and spending time with my wife Eva and toddler son Orion. My pizza vote: Modern!
Simon Mochrie Professor of Physics I carry out research in biological physics and soft condensed matter physics. In Sloane, we have an optical tweezers set up which allows for the manipulation and study of an individual DNA molecule and its interactions with proteins. To do this, Our goal is to create and test physics-based models of biologically-relevant phenomena. Outside of lab, I like to hike, bicycle, and, at the moment, tell anyone who will listen about the pain and joys of hiking the Pennine Way -- a 268 mile hike along the "backbone of England" -- with my wife, daughter and son in 15 days in August 2009.
Daisuke Nagai Assistant Professor of Physics I am a cosmologist and astrophysicist interested in understanding the origin and structure formation of the Universe. Our current research focuses on computational modeling of structure formation of the Universe and their application for understanding the fundamental physics and the dynamics of the cosmos. In our group, we develop novel algorithms and use large supercomputers to solve problems in cosmology and astrophysics. I enjoy surfing in summer and snowboard in winter. I also like playing tennis and baseball.
Jill North Assistant Professor in Philosophy & Physics My primary appointment is in the philosophy department. I specialize in the philosophy of physics---foundational issues about physics. Physics gives us mathematically formulated theories that work extremely well. But what do these theories say about the world? I am particularly interested in the direction of time, probability, and the nature of space (both physical space and statespace) in classical, relativistic, and quantum physics. Personal Web Page
Corey O'Hern Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Physics Theoretical Soft and Biological Physics I use theory and computer simulations to understand jamming and glass transitions in soft matter systems such as granular materials, foams, colloids, and polymers. My interests in biological physics include protein folding and aggregation, DNA packaging, and the packing and mechanical properties of cells and tissues. I am an avid soccer player, father of twins Eli & Elizabeth, and my wife Jennifer and I (who I met in 7th grade) love taking trips to beaches during the summer months including the Outer Banks and Captiva. Personal Web Page
Nikhil Padmanabhan Assistant Professor of Physics My research is at the interface of theoretical and observational cosmology. My current interests are in explaining "dark energy" - the accelerated expansion of the Universe. I am a member of a new astronomical survey to better measure this expansion rate that just started taking data (and has been keeping me busy!). I'm also involved in designing the next generation of such experiments, including a satellite mission. I enjoy hiking and backpacking, whenever I can get away.
Daniel Prober Professor of Applied Physics & Physics The research in our lab develops understanding of advanced light detectors, for future NASA and space applications, and the electrical behavior or superconducting nanostructures. This relates to the coherence of the phase of the wavefunction. Undergraduates who have worked in our lab have gone in many research and career directions; a number are university faculty members of Physics departments. Teaching interests include seminars on topics relating science, technology and society. My personal interests are family, including a new grandson, and service to the New Haven Public schools, doing 'Mr. Science' demonstrations. Personal Web Page
Liz Rhoades Assistant Professor in MB&B My research is in experimental molecular biophysics and currently we are focused on the self-assembly of a group of intrinsically disordered proteins that are involved in disease. We primarily use single molecule fluorescence and related imaging and spectroscopy approaches. I really enjoy Amtrak. Personal Webpage
Jack Sandweiss Donner Professor of Physics My research is in two areas. One is the search for new particles (in particular "strangelets") and other new phenomena with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a major detector which will be launched on the shuttle (for placement on the space station) in the summer of 2010. The other is the study of the properties of the new state of nuclear matter produced in the high energy heavy ion collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. My non science interests are reading, music (appreciator not performer), and time with my family. My favorite exercise is swimming. My current times are 2.3 times slower than Michael Phelps but I am striving for 2.0 times Phelps!
R. Shankar John Randolph Huffman Professor of Physics My academic interests have varied with time: Electrical engineering (undergraduate), particle physics (PhD, postodoc and early years at Yale ) and condensed matter theory, since 1986. I am especially fond of field theory methods and the renormalization group. I love my time in the class room. Of late I have been teaching undergraduates at the introductory and upper levels. I also spend some lecturing to the nonexperts: high school kids, Yale community, and the general public. I spend my spare time reading novels and watching Seinfeld reruns. I am also trying perfect a way to do my taxes without using imaginary numbers. Personal Website
Paul L. Tipton Professor of Physics My research is in experimental elementary particle physics. I am part of the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, at CERN in Geneva Switzerland, and the CDF experiment at Fermilab, outside of Chicago. I am looking for signatures of new interactions or new objects, like for example, a fundamental particle that would explain the astronomical evidence for dark matter. When not working I enjoy running, cooking and being pummeled by my two children. Personal webpage
Meg Urry Israel Munson Professor of Physics & Astonomy; Director, Yale Center for Astronomy & Astrophysics; Chair, Physics Department I study the co-evolution of galaxies and the supermassive black holes at their centers (known as Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) when they are actively accreting), using observatories on the ground and in space. I like to read, travel and do stuff with my kids, Amelia and Sophia. Personal webpage
Xiao-Jing Wang Professor of Neurobiology, Physics, and Psychology Theory and computational modeling of the brain circuits underlying cognitive processes such as decision-making (lab website: http://wanglab.med.yale.edu/). This is a highly cross-disciplinary field, which is currently being fostered at Yale with the help of the Swartz Initiative in Theoretical Neurobiology (http://swartz-initiative.med.yale.edu/). I enjoy traveling & hiking with my family, and reading french comic books.
Volker Werner Assistant Professor of Physics I am using Yale's heavy ion accelerator at WNSL to study the structure of atomic nuclei, infer the interactions between the nucleons, and more generally to study a many-body quantum system that often forms simple patterns from complicated microscropic structures. I like playing piano, kayaking, and spending time with friends and family (even though large part of them live across the atlantic...). Personal Webpage
John Wettlaufer Alan M. Bateman Professor of Geophysics & Physics My background is in statistical physics and has evolved over the years into a hybrid between condensed matter theory and experiment, materials physics, and applied mathematics with applications focusing on environmental, geophysical and technological problems. I am interested in macroscopic nature of turbulence and the microscopic nature of melting and many things between I teach courses in classical statistical thermodynamics, environmental physics, theory of viscous flow, partial differential equations and have been involved with Perspectives in Science for some years now. I am an alpinist, ice and rock climber and mountain biker. Personal Webpage