By Vinca Lu Why is there something rather than nothing? Why does the universe contain more matter than antimatter? Does the key to answering these questions lie in ultra-cold molecules? On October 7, the Amherst Physics and Astronomy Department hosted Professor Ben Augenbraun from the Williams College Chemistry department to deliver a colloquium talk titled…
This past summer, Piper Lentz analyzed data of dwarf stars to advance investigations into the possibilities of life beyond our universe. A senior Astronomy and Physics double major at Amherst College, she has spent the past three years working under Professor Bardalez Gagliuffi in the Binary Worlds Lab. When Piper joined the summer after her…
Cover image credit: ESO/L. Calçada Two thousand years ago, Aristotle posited that the Sun and the planets of our Solar System are immaculate, divine bodies — a belief that stood its ground even into the 17th century. But Galileo, alongside other astronomers of his time, pointed his telescope at the heavens and uncovered a messier…
By Fernanda Morais This semester, the Physics and Astronomy Department welcomed Visiting Assistant Professor Sean Foster, who is currently teaching Electromagnetic Theory I and Introductory Mechanics. He received his Ph.D. from Boston University in 2023, working on the Muon g-2 experiment, and did a postdoctorate at the University of Kentucky, working on both Muon g-2…
It’s the first Friday afternoon of the fall semester at Amherst College, and the Science Center lobby is buzzing with activity. Students and faculty alike are meandering on multiple floors of the Science Center between over 140 colorful posters, driven by a thirst for learning that links the curious minds on campus. The presenters are…
By Liam Warren and Garrett Cleveland Cover image credit: Aaron Bull/Getty Images On September 23, the Physics and Astronomy Department hosted Dr. Asja Rajda for her talk titled, “Transport properties of 2D corals and other ways physics can help us understand biology.” Radja holds bachelor’s degrees in physics and biochemistry from the University of Texas,…
Cover image by Mohammad Rahmani on Unsplash In an increasingly digital world, every software we use, website we visit, and piece of technology we purchase is founded on computer programs. Consumers of technology hardly bat an eye when an application performs correctly; however, if something goes wrong, companies risk their satisfaction rates, profit generation, and…
Peter Klisiwecz ’25 was a physics major at Amherst who graduated last month. For his senior thesis with Professor Nick Holschuh in the geology department, he developed a method to infer glacial crystal orientation fabric from decades of existing radio data taken at different times and directions, instead of having to conduct another survey. Peter…
Lillia Hammond graduated from Amherst last month with a double major in physics and art history, and she is studying toward a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering through Dartmouth College’s five-year Engineering Exchange Program. For her senior thesis, she worked with Dartmouth professor Kristina Lynch on the GNEISS mission, a nationwide collaboration that aims to…
By Belaine Mamo At 4pm on Tuesday March 4th, the Physics and Astronomy Department welcomed Professor of Chemistry Claudia Avalos where she spoke about her research at New York University in a presentation entitled “Spin Exchange Interactions and Spin Polarization in Pentacene-Radical Dyads” for their weekly colloquium. After completing her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at…