SURF Mentoring
Potential projects/topics: high-energy density physics and nuclear photonics. with specific applications to nuclear energy, fusion and laboratory astrophysics. Research involves using ultra-intense lasers at off-site facilities to create intense sources of gamma-rays, positrons and neutrons. Tasks suitable for entry-level students include data analysis and computer modeling.
Potential skills gained: In additon to learning advanced physics topics, studnets will develop useful skills in image processing using ImageJ, computer simulations using high-performance supercomputers.
Required qualifications: knowledge of Matlab or Python or Mathematica is desirable. Prior experience in UNIX or LINEX is useful but not required.
Direct mentor: Faculty/P.I., other senior undergraduates
Research Areas
He currently holds the Andrew Hays Buchanan Professorship of Astrophysics at Rice University. Dr. Liang is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and a member of the Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Societies. He has served the American Physical Society in various capacities, including chairing the Topical Group in Plasma Astrophysics (2003-2004). He is the author or coauthor of over three hundred publications in refereed journals, conference proceedings and monographs, in plasma physics, astrophysics, cosmology and applied physics, plus several scores of LLNL programmatic reports. His current research interests include relativistic plasma physics, laser-plasma interactions, high energy density physics, and high-energy astrophysics. He has co-organized a dozen international conferences on astrophysics and cosmology, including the biannual conference on High Energy Density Laboratory Astrophysics (HEDLA), which had its fifth meeting in March 2006 on Rice campus. He was a pioneer of high energy density physics, and contributed to several major reports on HEDP, including the NAS report on High Energy Density Physics chaired by Ron Davidson, and the SAUUL report chaired by Todd Ditmire.
