Research at UNB Currently, research within the University of New Brunswick Physics Department is being conducted in three major areas: Atomic and Molecular Laser Spectroscopy Research
in atomic and molecular physics has been actively pursued
at UNB for nearly fifty years. Our work spans a wide spectrum
of activities, including extremely high-precision calculation
of atomic properties and structure (Dr. Z.-C. Yan), theoretical/computational
quantum mechanics of molecules undergoing large-amplitude
motion (Dr. S. C. Ross), and experimental spectroscopy on
a wide variety of molecules using many novel techniques.
We have considerable expertise in electronic spectroscopy
on metal-bearing radicals (Dr. A. Adam and Dr. C. Linton)
and on carbon-based radicals of atmospheric and astrophysical
interest (Dr. D. Tokaryk), and in microwave and infrared
studies on larger molecules of atmospheric, environmental,
and biological relevance, with particular interest in their
torsional and large-amplitude motions (Dr. L.-H. Xu, Dr.
R. Lees). The spectroscopic laboratories at UNB are very
well equipped with a wide variety of lasers from the infrared
to the ultraviolet, a Fourier transform spectrometer, and
a number of unique sources suitable for creating the molecules
of interest. The activities of the group are truly international
as we have ongoing collaborations with colleagues in Europe,
the USA, and Asia, as well as in Canada. Several of our
members are among the first to conduct spectroscopy experiments
on the new Canadian Light Source, a synchrotron based at
the University of Saskatchewan. The atomic and molecular
scientists at UNB are members of a new research centre (one
of the largest of its kind in North America): the Centre
for Laser, Atomic, and Molecular Sciences (CLAMS), which
involves twelve scientists in both Chemistry and Physics.
Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI) is probably the most flexible and
powerful diagnostic imaging technique available to clinical
medicine. MRI in material science promises to observe and
quantify structure and dynamics non-invasively. The UNB
MRI Centre has invented a family of new MRI methods which
permit the visualization of structures not only in vivo,
but in a large range of materials including concrete, polymers,
composites, foods and microporous solids. The successful
application of our new MRI techniques, with allied hardware
and software innovations, has opened entirely new vistas
in material science research. The UNB MRI Centre is the
only material science MRI laboratory in Canada and the only
university based laboratory of its type in North America.
As the birthplace of the SPRITE MRI technique we are, by
definition, one of the leading laboratories world-wide in
many aspects of material science MRI. Our ideas and techniques
are now being adopted by numerous academic and industrial
research laboratories.
Atmospheric and Space Physics Atmospheric
and Space Physics involves the investigation of phenomena
occuring in the atmospheres and plasmas associated with
the Earth, Sun and solar system. Active research is taking
place in two areas. Dr. Abdelhaq Hamza is involved in developing
fundamental insights into the behaviour of plasmas similar
to those which occur in the Earth's near space environment
and ionosphere, and providing interpretations of observations
of this region. Dr. William Ward is involved in the observation,
interpretation and modeling of phenomena in the Earth's
middle atmosphere and the development of instrumentation
to observe dynamical signatures and transport in planetary
atmospheres.
Research into our near-space environment has grown in importance partially because of our increased dependence on satellites which orbit the Earth in this region and partially because we have become aware of how dependent life on this planet is on conditions in this region of space. Understanding the Earth/Sun system has become a major objective of the international scientific community (see for instance the SCOSTEP program Climate And Weather of the Sun Earth System and the International Living With a Star Program). The work of Drs. Hamza and Ward include national and international collaborations which contribute to the activities described in these programs. |