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Physics and Astronomy |
Head: P. Blunden
General Office: 301 Allen Building
Telephone: 474 9817
Fax: 474 7622
Email: physics@physics.umanitoba.ca
Website: www.physics.umanitoba.ca/
Academic Staff
Program Information
The department offers opportunities for graduate study in several experimental and theoretical fields of contemporary interest, leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.
Fields of Research
Astronomy and Astrophysics: The Formation, Evolution, and Structure of Galaxies; The Late Stages of Stellar Evolution (Neutron Stars, Magnetars, Black Holes); Supernova Remnants and our Milky Way Galaxy; Advanced Genetic Algorithms for Astrophysical Data Modeling (Magnetic Fields in Molecular Clouds; Moons, Oceans, and Magnetic Fields).
Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics: Study of atomic and molecular interactions in dense fluids by laser light scattering and far infrared absorption; atomic collision dynamics studied using electron energy-loss spectroscopy, laser excitation techniques and time-correlated particle detection.
Condensed Matter Physics: Magnetic properties of materials, including their dependence on crystal structure and morphology; surface magnetism of fine particles or thin films; crystalline transformations of amorphous magnetic materials; phase transitions and critical phenomena in ferromagnetics, spin-glasses and site- disordered systems; high Tc superconductors; acoustic phonon localization in disordered materials; structural phase transitions; nanomagnetism, biological applications of magnetic nanoparticles, nanoparticle magnetism, magnetism in think film systems.
Mass Spectrometry: Precise atomic mass determinations of stable and unstable nuclides; time-of-flight mass spectrometry of large molecules (particularly biomolecules) and molecular clusters.
Physics of Nanoscale Systems: Electronic and Optical Properties of Low-dimensional Electron Systems and Nanostructures; Electron Dynamics in a DNA molecule, Spin Transport in a Quantum Dot, Electronic States in a Quantum Dot/Quantum Ring.
Subatomic Physics: Properties of nuclei far from stability (decay energies, atomic masses, nuclear structure); nucleon-nucleon systems (spin observables, particle production); tests of symmetry principles (charge symmetry, parity); strange quark structure of the proton; Laser and Ion Trapping.
Theoretical Physics: Low temperature excitations in ordered crystalline magnets; investigations of reduced dimensionality on the magnetic and electronic properties of solids; the effects of disorder on the physical properties of solids as studied using renormalization group methods, fractal geometry and random matrix theory; phase transitions and critical phenomena; theory and computer simulation of defect processes in crystalline materials; relativistic dynamics of composite system; Kaluza-Klein theory and string dynamics; evolution problems in quantum, classical and semi-classical mechanics using the rigorous methods of mathematical physics; few-body scattering theory; electromagnetic interactions in both few-body systems and complex nuclei; relativistic approaches to the nuclear many-body problem.
Medical Physics: Through adjunct appointments, graduate studies are also carried out at CancerCare Manitoba and at the National Research Council Institute for Biodiagnostics. Dosimetry of therapeutic electron beams of energies up to 32 MeV; quantification of cerebral blood flow and metabolism using X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT); precision radiotherapy; radiation dosimetry and quality control for diagnostic X-rays and Nuclear Medicine; hyperthermia; biomedical Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Research Facilities
As an integral part of the research programs outlined above, a variety of major research facilities exist within the Department of Physics and Astronomy. These include an HP RX5670 ITANIUM2 quad CPU computer server with 96 Gb RAM, HP Smart Array 5304 controller, 28x146 Gb U320 disk subsystem, Group members access the server through a high speed, switched network, we also have a HP ZX200 ITANIUM2 development server with a 9Gb RAM, and several PCs for code development and testing. As well, the department has a JEOL 100CX-II transmission electron microscope and an ISI-100B scanning electron microscope with EDAX energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, a high resolution mass spectrometer, two time-of-flight mass spectrometers for large ions and biomolecules with masses up to approximately 10,000 u, a S.H.E. dilution refrigerator for the production of millikelvin temperatures, a Philips X-ray diffraction and fluorescence unit, a Nicolet 7900 Fourier transform infrared spectrometer equipped for operation in the far-infrared, a Jarrell-Ash double monochromator optical spectrometer for Raman experiments, a Quantum Design PPMS 6000 magnetometer/susceptometer and a custom-designed SQUID-based magnetometer, and a local network of computers connected to the university’s central computer facilities. A good machine shop and electronics shop are located in the Physics Department. Both liquid nitrogen and helium are produced locally for low temperature research.
Research facilities at various national and international laboratories, including Argonne National Laboratory (Chicago), TRIUMF (Vancouver), Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos, N.M.), the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Laboratory (Newport News, VA), and the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (Heidelberg, Germany) are extensively used by members of the subatomic physics research group.
Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics makes use of data obtained with various telescopes including NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope, and with the International Galactic Plane Survey.
Research in medical physics is carried out at CancerCare Manitoba and at the National Research Council of Canada Institute for Biodiagnostics.
M.Sc. in Physics
Admission
Admission requirements are those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. To enter the Master’s program directly, a student must have an Honours B.Sc. degree in Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics and Physics, or Engineering Physics from the University of Manitoba or the equivalent. Students without the degree entrance requirements will have their undergraduate program evaluated and may be required to complete a pre-Master’s program of selected University of Manitoba undergraduate courses.
Application Deadlines
The Department of Physics and Astronomy allows students to begin their program on either 1 September, 1 January, 1 May, or 1 July. For admission for each of these start dates, Canadian/U.S. students should send their applications with complete supporting documentation to the Department of Physics and Astronomy no less than three and a half (3.5) months before the intended start date. Non-Canadian students should send their applications with complete supporting documentation to the Department of Physics and Astronomy to arrive no later than six and a half (6.5) months before the intended start date.
Program Requirements
Minimum program requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies are found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. The Department of Physics and Astronomy has certain supplementary regulations. Information about these regulations as well as a description of research programs in Physics is available at: www.physics.umanitoba.ca.
A Master’s degree in physics normally consists of both coursework and a thesis. For students in the medical physics M.Sc. program, the course load is increased and the thesis requirement is replaced by a practicum.
The Master’s program with thesis consists of two or three courses from the 700/7000 series offered by the department or from another department offering courses suitable for the candidate’s program. In special cases, courses may be drawn from the 400 series as listed. The program of study extends through a minimum period of twelve months. Frequently two summers of research work plus one winter of research and coursework are required to complete the program. In addition to coursework, these students must submit a thesis and defend it orally.
The M.Sc. program in medical physics is a two-year (18-month, course work, 6-month, practicum) program which requires 36 credits. A practicum in an approved laboratory and the submission of a research report is also required. On completion of the coursework and practicum, the student will be required to pass a comprehensive oral examination.
Second language reading requirement: none
Expected time to graduate: 2 years
Ph.D. in Physics
Admission
In addition to the admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar, the normal procedure to be a candidate for a Ph.D. degree is to complete an M.Sc. degree first. However, students with an honours degree from the University of Manitoba or equivalent may be accepted directly into the PhD program.
Application Deadlines
The Department of Physics and Astronomy allows students to begin their program on either 1 September, 1 January, 1 May, or 1 July. For admission for each of these start dates, Canadian/U.S. students should send their applications with complete supporting documentation to the Department of Physics and Astronomy no less than three and a half (3.5) months before the intended start date. Non-Canadian students should send their applications with complete supporting documentation to the Department of Physics and Astronomy to arrive no later than six and a half (6.5) months before the intended start date.
Program Requirements
Minimum program requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies are found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. The Department of Physics and Astronomy has certain supplementary regulations. Information about these regulations as well as a description of Research Programs in Physics is available on the web:
www.physics.umanitoba.ca.
International students entering the Ph.D. program are strongly encouraged to write and obtain minimum grade of 650 on the GRE physics subject examination prior to applying for the Ph.D. program.
The main program of studies is selected from one of the major fields of research listed above, and is supplemented by an ancillary program which takes into account the student's interests and breadth of experience.
Ancillary subjects must be chosen from a field of physics distinct from the major area of study or from other departments (e.g., Mathematics) offering suitable courses. In consultation with the student, a program of study is decided by a committee with the student’s advisor as chair.
Students must pass a candidacy exam and submit a thesis which describes their research work and which will be examined according to the general regulations.
Second language requirement: none
Expected time to graduation: 4 years
