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Doctoral Studies in Astronomy, Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Physics

Physical Sciences Ph.D.

Program Overview

Initiated in the Fall 2004 semester, the innovative Physical Sciences (PSCI) offered by the College of Sciences provides students with many opportunities to perform research with a primarily experimental or theoretical focus in the fields of astronomy, biophysical (biochemistry and biophysics), chemistry, and physics. The new degree SIMULTANEOUSLY ALLOWS STUDY EITHER IN THESE INDIVIDUAL AREAS AS WELL AS PURSUIT OF A MORE INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM.  IN THE LATTER CASE, THE PREMISE IS that much of the most exciting research in the physical sciences is now interdisciplinary - in the broadest sense of that word - and that students can therefore best be trained to become successful research scientists in an interdisciplinary program. This premise is rapidly becoming accepted in the academic marketplace, as evidenced by the increasing number of opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary scientific research teams at corporations, laboratories, and universities around the nation.

The need for scientists trained to do interdisciplinary research is strong both in the government as well as in private industry. This reflects the fact that many of the exciting questions in basic science are increasingly interdisciplinary, requiring an unprecedented level of cross-disciplinary knowledge in order to make significant progress. Important, real-world examples include studies of the formation, transport, and climatological effect of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere; investigation of the nonlinear dynamical behavior of neurological systems; analysis of the possible role of tachyons in astrophysics and cosmology; and studies of the astrochemistry of star-forming regions. Significant progress in these and many other areas of interest in modern science will be severely hampered unless a new generation of scientists is trained to possess the broad set of research skills required to tackle problems containing essential elements from a number of diverse fields.

Some examples of interdisciplinary research topics that students might pursue are listed below:

• Astrochemistry of star-forming regions
• Astrobiology
• Physical state and variability of the Martian atmosphere
• Chemical evolution of galaxies
• Theory and applications of quantum computation
• Double-resonance in nuclear quadrupole resonance
• Polarization transfer from laser-polarized xenon--129
• Dynamic electrochemistry and sensors
• Biochemistry
• Solid state inorganic Chemistry
• Synthetic organic Chemistry
• Environmental Chemistry
• Surface Chemistry
  

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General questions and requests for additional information should be directed to Dr. John Schreifels, the program director, or Dr. Paul So, the deputy director.