Support the
Department of Physics and Astronomy

The Department of Physics and Astronomy at UNL currently serves 60 graduate students and 60 undergraduate students who are majoring in Physics and/or Astronomy. Undergraduate and graduate students are studying and researching in four primary disciplines within the department: Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Plasma Physics; Astronomy & Astrophysics; Condensed Matter and Materials Physics – Nanotechnology; and High

Energy Physics. In addition to providing exceptional educational opportunities, the Department of Physics and Astronomy houses many state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities. Among these include the Extreme Light Laboratory, which houses Diocles, one of the most powerful lasers in the world, the on-campus Student Observatory and Behlen Observatory in Mead, NE, where students can study astrophysical phenomena such as quasars and pulsating stars. Through the combination of state-of-the-art facilities and some of the best educational programming at the University, the future of the Physics Department looks very promising.