Department of Physics and Astronomy

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) has named Prof. Brad Barlow a 2026 Shapley Visiting Lecturer. Barlow is one of 21 astronomers chosen nationwide for this prestigious public engagement program, which has connected professional astronomers with communities across the United States … Read more The post Brad Barlow Selected for AAS Shapley Lectureship appeared first on Department of Physics an…

College of Arts and Sciences

On July 2nd, 2025 we witnessed something extraordinary: the longest gamma-ray burst that humans have seen, called GRB 250702B. Gamma-ray bursts are among the most powerful explosions in the universe – so energetic they can outshine entire galaxies for brief … Read more The post Observing the fading afterglow of the longest gamma-ray burst appeared first on Department of Physics and Astronomy .

The KATRIN experiment has searched with unprecedented precision for signs of a fourth type of neutrino, that could reveal new physics beyond the Standard Model. No signal was found, tightening the constraints on one of the most debated puzzles in … Read more The post Latest Katrin Result Disfavors Sterile Neutrinos appeared first on Department of Physics and Astronomy .

The familiar Seven Sisters of the Pleiades has thousands of long-lost siblings, according to new research led by UNC graduate student Andrew Boyle of the Young Worlds Lab. Using data from NASA’s TESS mission and the European Space Agency’s Gaia … Read more The post UNC Student Finds the Pleiades is part of a much larger stellar complex appeared first on Department of Physics and Astronomy .

Two new projects funded by NSF and DOE will facilitate UNC’s quantum magnonic research along two extreme scales, from large communication networks to small atomic level systems: one 0.5M grant from DoE’s QIS program will allow the UNC Zhang group … Read more The post Doubling down on Quantum Magnonics appeared first on Department of Physics and Astronomy .

T Corona Borealis (T CrB), also known as the Blaze Star, is a recurrent nova with documented outbursts in 1866 and 1946, as well as possible earlier outbursts in 1217 and 1787. The system compromises a massive white dwarf and … Read more The post Article led by UNC undergraduate Emma Wallace published in the Astrophysical Journal appeared first on Department of Physics and Astronomy .

Professor Duane Deardorff will be heading to Japan at Tohoku University in October 2025. Learn more about his award by reading the press release. The post Deardorff Receives Fulbright Specialist Program Award appeared first on Department of Physics and Astronomy .

We are proud to announce a significant publication by Prof. Laura Mersini-Houghton, a member of the CoSMS Institute and professor of theoretical physics and cosmology at UNC Chapel Hill. Her latest solo-author paper, published in Nature Scientific Reports, presents a compelling … Read more The post Mersini-Houghton’s Paper Published in Nature Scientific Reports appeared first on Department of Phy…

Several UNC students have been awarded NC Space Grants to fund their astrophysics research projects during the 2025-2026 academic year. Undergraduate Awards: https://ncspacegrant.ncsu.edu/2025/07/02/nc-space-grant-congratulates-2025-2026-undergraduate-research-scholars/ 1. Leah Boff will work with Prof. Andrew Mann to identify and validate young exoplanets. 2. Gabriel … Read more The post Congrat…

The post Breathing in 4D: Optical technique maps airway wall elasticity during bronchoscopy appeared first on Department of Physics and Astronomy .