Skip Navigation

Physics & Astronomy

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at UNL houses many state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities. Among these include the Extreme Light Laboratory, which houses Diocles, one of the most powerful lasers in the world, the on-campus Student Observatory and Behlen Observatory in Mead, NE, where students can study astrophysical phenomena such as quasars and pulsating stars.

Graduate and Undergraduate students are involved in research and projects like the study of nanoscale magnetic materials important in future technological development. They also perform experiments to "stop" light and do research on matter waves and unusual behavior of chiral molecules. Some students even study the fundamental constituents of matter that make up our universe at some of the world's highest-energy particle accelerator laboratories.

In the Department of Physics and Astronomy, there are countless exciting possibilities to explore.


NEWS:
  • The Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics will be hosted at UNL this year! The conference will run from Oct. 30 - Nov. 1, 2009. For more information, please click on the logo above.


  • Dr. Herman Batelaan's research has made the cover of the September 2009 edition of Physics Today! You can read the full article Here.

  • The latest Conference Series of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific marks the 8th Pacific Rim Conference on Stellar Astrophysics as a special tribute to Kam-Ching Leung.

  • Two of our graduate students appear in the 2009 Spring Edition of the McNair program's newsletter! Tony Kelly II received the Graduate Student Appreciation Award for his continued service to the organization. Malcolm Tassi offered advice on the intensity of graduate school as a panel member addressing the McNair Senior Scholars.

  • Follow the construction of our new Physics Building! Click here for a live webcam! (must have Java installed) Blueprints and preliminary sketches of the new Physics Building can be found here.