At many universities, research opportunities can be limited for undergraduate students. But at UNM, faculty and administrators place a significant emphasis on making research accessible for undergrads. Many times, these hands-on projects can really make the difference in stimulating love for a particular subject.
Generally, you should at least complete Physics 330 before starting research, although there are exceptions. In the field of physics, there is much background work required to prepare you for research, and you get this via your freshman and sophomore physics and math courses. A good time to start searching for a research advisor is in the spring of sophomore year.
Research opportunities can also be found with scientists with physics backgrounds working outside the Physics Department, for example at Los Alamos National Laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. Ask your faculty advisor about Undergraduate Research. They can help identify people doing research in the field of your interest.
To get an idea of some of the research projects that our undergraduate students have done at PandA, you can browse our list of Senior Theses. Many other research projects are going on, and several of our students have been awarded research grants from the Rayburn Reaching Up Fund, see the table below.
Recent and Ongoing Undergraduate Research Projects
| Student |
Project Title |
Professor |
Date |
Award Received |
| Michael Bess |
Atmospheric Composition of 55 Cancri e |
Dragomir |
2022 |
|
| Andrew Gibson |
Research on the Migdal Project |
Loomba |
2022 |
|
| Stephanie Hansen |
Measuring Line-of-Sight Velocities to Evolved Stars in the Milky Way Disk and Bulge Region |
Pihlström |
2022 |
|
| Jordan Hernandez |
Development of Silicon Tracking Detectors for Particle Tracking Experiments |
Seidel |
2022 |
|
| Simon Matin |
Characterizing the Increasing Impact of Radio Frequency Interference on Cosmic Microwave Background Surveys |
Barron |
2022 |
|
| Jesus Aguilar |
Compact Symmetric Objects and the Evolution of Active Galaxies |
Taylor |
2021 |
|
| Graham Byrd |
Improving the Signal Strength of Axially Swept Lightsheet Microscopy |
Chakraborty |
2021 |
|
| Will Crockett |
Modeling and Analysis of Soil Hydrology in New Mexico |
Roy |
2021 |
|
| Andrew Gibson |
Research on the Migdal project |
Loomba |
2021 |
|
| Stephanie Hansen |
Measuring Line-of-Sight Velocities to Evolved Stars in the Milky Way Disk and Bulge Region |
Pihlström |
2021 |
|
| Tristan Larkin |
Detection of the Migdal Effect |
Loomba |
2021 |
|
| Simon Martin |
Determining the Prevalence of Radio Interference and its effects on CMB Observations |
Barron |
2021 |
|
| Paige Zamora |
Compact Symmetric Objects and the Evolution of Active Galaxies |
Taylor |
2021 |
|
| Robert Beattie Rosberg |
Moire Deflectometry on Z-Pinch Plasmas Generated By UNM's LTD |
Portillo |
2020 |
|
| Nicolas Litza |
Testing Magnetic Field Sensitivity with cold superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) |
Barron |
2020 |
|
| Adam Yanez |
Charge Collection in Irradiated 3D Silicon Sensors |
Seidel |
2020 |
|
| Julie Campos |
Resources for Quantum Optimal Control |
Deutsch |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Ivey Davis |
Kinetic Decoupling of Dark Matter |
Allahverdi |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Ryan Gibbons |
A Silicon Photomultiplier Array for a Liquid Argon Veto System |
Gold |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Cameron Lamar |
Radon Emanation Measurements for Neutrino-less Double Beta Experiments |
Loomba |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Nicholas Litza |
POLARBEAR Data Quality Analysis Project |
Barron |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Asher May |
Lattice Resonances of Arrays with Regular Defects |
Manjavacas |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Eric Putney |
Saturated Flavor Development in a Dense Two-Dimensional Neutrino Gas |
Duan |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Kyle Ritchie |
Decay of Coherent Scalar Field Oscillations: Two Approaches |
Allahverdi |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Susan Sapkota |
Data Analysis to Improve the Directional Signature for Dark Matter Searches |
Loomba |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Amy Soudachanh |
Stable External Cavity Narrow Linewidth Laser for Laser Cooling and Trapping |
Becerra |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Brady Spears |
Inversion of Muon Flux for Resolving Subsurface Densities |
Roy |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Adam Yanez |
Development of Detectors for Particle Physics Research |
Seidel |
2019 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Patrick Brown |
Non-standard Thermal Histories and Temperature of the Universe |
Allahverdi |
2018 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Julie Campos |
Measurement of Intrinsic Charge Amplification in New Detectors for Particle Physics Applications |
Seidel
Hoeferkamp |
2018 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Cayman Rogers |
Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and Liquid Argon Shielding |
Fields |
2018 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Daniel Russell |
Code for Image Processing of CCD Images Utilized in Dark Matter Reearch |
Loomba |
2018 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Kylar Greene |
Determining Distances to Mira Variable Stars |
Pihlström |
2018 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Patrick Latimer |
Water Fountain Protoplanetary Nebulae: Six Epochs of VLBA Data |
Pihlström |
2018 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Lauren Zundel |
Radiative Heat Transfer Between Graphene Nanodisks |
Manjavacas |
2018 |
Rayburn Research award |
| John Keeney |
Anderson Localication in a Completely Random Medium |
Mafi |
2018 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Patrick Latimer |
'Water Fountain' Masers in Proto-Planetary Nebulae |
Pihlström |
2018 |
Hulsman Award |
| Aryeh Sapon |
Development of a metasurface lens |
Acosta |
2018 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Desirae Orr |
Using gravity to monitor active volcanes |
Roy |
2017 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Brady Spears |
Computer Modeling of Density Structures in the Valles Caldera, Jemez Volcano, NM |
Roy |
2017 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Ivan Rajen |
A method to measure real-time charged particle beam fluence beyond 1e16 1-MeV-neutron-equivalent/cm^2 using 3D Si diodes |
Seidel/Hoeferkamp |
2017 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Cody Bassett |
Research in quantum optics |
Mafi |
2017 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Zachary Castillo |
Viability of integrating Op-Amps for event detection in TPCs |
Loomba |
2016 |
Dept. funding |
| Jeremy Metzner |
Characterization of metal deposited by laser ablation |
Schwoebel |
2016 |
Dept. funding |
| Robert Reyna |
Application of diodes to measure charged particle beam characteristics |
Seidel |
2016 |
College funding |
| Christian Roberts |
Two channel fluorescence correlation with evanescent illumination |
J. Thomas |
2016 |
College funding |
| Austin Vaitkus |
Effects of CS_2 and SF_6 on diffusion rates of low-energy recoil tracks in TPCs |
Loomba |
2016 |
Dept. funding |
| David Hatley |
Creation of tapered optical fibers |
Mafi |
2015 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Brad Philipbar |
R&D leading towards the deep underground neutrino experiment |
Gold |
2015 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Alex Mills |
Scintillation in liquid argon |
Gold |
2015 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Bryan Rubio |
Construction of a femtosecond laser |
Mafi |
2015 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Nelly Allon |
Development of a method for measuring charged particle beam fluence beyond 1e16 1-MeV-neutron-equivalent/cm^2 |
Seidel/Hoeferkamp |
2015 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Veronica Dike |
Detecting pulsar polarization below 100 MHz at the LWA |
Taylor |
2015 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Alex Johnson |
Heat advection by melt percolation in the upper mantle |
Roy |
2015 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Ottino |
Neutron single-spin asymmetry at PHENIX |
Fields |
2015 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Cameron Trapp |
Monte Carlo simulations of physical systems |
Cahill |
2014 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Brad Philipbar |
Meandering rivulets experimental analysis |
Vorobieff |
2014 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Tristan Garwood |
Electronic structure modeling of III-V superlattices with hybrid DFT |
Krishna |
2014 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Aidan Grummer |
Building parts to aid in a dark-matter detection experiment |
Loomba |
2014 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Nicholas Rajen |
Modular wiring bus for a 3K research cryostat |
Boyd |
2014 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Josh Plank |
Measuring electron temperature in a helicon-antenna induced plasma |
Gilmore |
2014 |
Rayburn Research award |
| Alex Padilla |
Condensed matter research |
Dunlap |
2014 |
Rayburn Research award |