Research Programs
We have active research programs in many areas — including condensed matter physics, article-beam physics and particle accelerators technology and high-energy physics — nearly all of which involve our students. The department is home to the Northern Illinois Center for Accelerator and Detector Development (NICADD), which provides research and development opportunities nationally and internationally as well as graduate fellowships.
Research Projects
Undergraduate Opportunities
We provide a number of research opportunities for undergraduate students. Students can take PHYS 459 for credit, join one of the departmental research groups (often as a paid intern) or participate in special programs for undergraduates at Argonne and Fermilab.
PHYS 498 and 499H
All graduating seniors must take either PHYS 498 (Senior Seminar) or PHYS 499H (Senior Project). PHYS 499H is a 3-hour course for honors students in which students select a research area of interest and work with a faculty member during the semester, culminating in a presentation. PHYS 498 is a one-hour course; students also do a brief presentation on a physics topic of their choosing at the end of the semester.
Independent Research Projects
PHYS 459 allows students to conduct independent research projects. Projects may either be directly related to a faculty member's own research, or of the student's own choosing. Students interested in this course need the prior approval of a faculty member to sponsor them. The student and the professor decide on a research topic and work out an appropriate set of goals. Students cannot count both PHYS 459 and PHYS 499H towards the minimum number of hours required for the physics major.
Faculty Research Programs
Students can also become involved with faculty research programs. Faculty regularly have funds available to employ students. Interested students should ask the department chair about available opportunities. Students may also apply to work with faculty through 麻豆精品's , , , or programs. There are also internships that are usually awarded to students also involved with one of the 麻豆精品 undergraduate research programs.
Special Programs at Argonne and Fermilab
Over the past twenty years, the high energy physics group has employed more than 80 undergraduates. The students have worked on building charged particle detectors, designing and testing electronics and analyzing data collected from various Fermilab experiments. Due to 麻豆精品's close proximity to , such work can be done both part-time during the academic year and full-time during the summer. Students should also directly apply for .
Students also have the opportunity to apply for a science and engineering research semester at the nearby , where they will participate in ongoing research projects with Argonne scientific staff members or 麻豆精品 faculty with joint appointments at Argonne.
