The Department of Physics at
Durham University
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...
, located in
Durham, England
Durham ( , locally ) is a cathedral city and civil parish in the county of County Durham, Durham, England. It is the county town and contains the headquarters of Durham County Council, the unitary authority which governs the district of Count ...
, is responsible for both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching as well as scientific research in physics and astronomy.
The department hosts the largest particle theory group in the United Kingdom.
It is also noted for its research in astronomy and astrophysics, including one of the largest groups in Europe studying
galaxy evolution.
Based on the
Mountjoy site south of the
River Wear, the department is home to two research institutes: th
Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenologyand the
Institute for Computational Cosmology.
In the 2023 and 2024 editions of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' university league tables, the department was ranked second for physics in the United Kingdom.
Research
Research is organised into five main groups: Advanced Instrumentation, Astronomy and Astrophysics,
Atomic and
Molecular Physics,
Condensed Matter Physics
Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter, especially the solid and liquid State of matter, phases, that arise from electromagnetic forces between atoms and elec ...
, and
Elementary Particle Theory.
The Department of Physics hosts several major research centres, including the
Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC), the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy (CEA), and the Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI), which together form the Durham Astronomy Research Cluster. These centres specialise respectively in theoretical cosmology, observational astronomy, and astronomical instrumentation.
Other bodies include the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology (IPPP), which connects theoretical models with particle physics experiments; the Centre for Materials Physics; the Centre for Particle Theory, a collaboration with the Department of Mathematical Sciences; and the Durham X-Ray Centre (XRDuR), which provides advanced X-ray analysis facilities. The department also operates the GJ Russell Microscopy Facility for high-resolution electron microscopy.
The department is also a partner in the Joint Quantum Centre (JQC), founded in 2012 with
Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick university and a mem ...
. Its Quantum Light and Matter (QLM) group investigates the quantum properties of atoms, molecules, and solids, with applications in
quantum technology.
In 2020, Professor Charles Adams, founding director of the JQC, received the
Holweck Medal and Prize for contributions to light–matter interactions with potential applications in
quantum computing
A quantum computer is a computer that exploits quantum mechanical phenomena. On small scales, physical matter exhibits properties of wave-particle duality, both particles and waves, and quantum computing takes advantage of this behavior using s ...
.
Assessment
The 2014
Research Excellence Framework considered 96% of research carried out within the department to be either 'internationally excellent quality' or 'world leading', while the remaining 4% was listed as 'internationally recognised' by the framework – a method for assessing quality of research at British universities.
Undergraduate study
Each year the department admits approximately 170 undergraduates for courses in Physics, Physics and Astronomy, and Theoretical Physics.
Course structures are designed to offer flexibility, with both three-year BSc and four-year
MPhys degrees available.
The BSc is suggested for prospective undergraduates interested in physics as preparation for another career, while the MPhys is recommended for those looking for a research-related career.
Awards are offered by the department on an annual basis for outstanding academic performance, including the D A Wright Prize (for the best marks achieved by final honours candidates), and the J A Chalmers Prize (for the strongest research project by final honours candidates). Past recipients of the J A Chalmers Prize include
Lincoln Wallen and
Richard Massey.
Admissions
Entry requirements are high. As of 2019, a typical
A-level offer demands grades of A*A*A, to includes Physics and Mathematics, and a typical offer for the
IB Diploma is 38, to include 776 in higher level subjects.
Graduate study
Taught postgraduate programmes include the MSc in Particles, Strings, and Cosmology and MSc in Scientific Computing and Data Analysis.
The department also offers a
MSc by Research in Physics (MScR) as preparation for further postgraduate study towards a PhD in physics.
Admissions
Applicants to these courses are required to have a
good first or 2:1 UK honours degree (or the international equivalent) in Physics, Mathematics, or a related subject, with those interested in the MSc in Scientific Computing and Data Analysis also expected to possess 'profound programming knowledge' in both
Python and
C.
For entry to the PhD applicants are required to have achieved a first class honours degree, or at least a 2:1
integrated master's degree or a master's degree in an appropriate subject.
Astronomy
Astronomy within the department dates back to 1975.
The scope of activity has grown substantially since then and it is now one of the largest astronomy groups in Europe.
The Ogden Centre for Fundamental Physics building, designed by
Studio Daniel Libeskind, opened in November 2016.
Reputation
In recent years the department has been singled out for the quality of its astronomical research. In 2008, Durham placed first in Europe and fourth in the world for research into astronomy and astrophysics over the decade 1998 to 2008, according to the ''
Times Higher Education
''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The THES''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education.
Ownership
TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
''.
The
Clarivate Analytics
Clarivate Plc is a British-American publicly traded analytics company that operates a collection of subscription-based services, in the areas of bibliometrics and scientometrics; business and market intelligence, and competitive profiling ...
Highly Cited Researchers 2018 list placed Durham researchers first in the UK and second in Europe.
David Alexander and Carlos Frenk were highlighted for their research, as were Adrian Jenkins and Tom Theuns.
In 2020 Frenk was made one of the
Clarivate Citation Laureates in Physics (whose honourees are recognised for research judged to be '
of Nobel class') for his highly cited work on the evolution of the universe.
Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy
The Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy (CEA) was established in 2015 to consolidate and expand Durham's research in
extragalactic astronomy
Extragalactic astronomy is the branch of astronomy concerned with objects outside the Milky Way galaxy. In other words, it is the study of all astronomical objects which are not covered by galactic astronomy.
The closest objects in extragalactic ...
. It succeeded the earlier Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology Group.
The CEA conducts observational and theoretical research into a range of topics within extragalactic astrophysics, including
galaxy formation and evolution, large-scale
astronomical survey
An astronomical survey is a general celestial cartography, map or astrophotography, image of a region of the sky (or of the whole sky) that lacks a specific observational target. Alternatively, an astronomical survey may comprise a set of image ...
s,
active galactic nuclei (AGN),
galaxy clusters, and the
intergalactic medium.
The founding director of the CEA was Professor
Ian Smail, with Professor David Alexander serving as director as of 2018.
Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics
The Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics is a professorship or chair in the Department of Physics at
Durham University
Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament (UK), Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by r ...
. The chair is named after Sir
Peter Ogden. The chair was established in 2001, following a benefaction from Sir Peter.
''List of Ogden Professors''
* Professor
Carlos Frenk 2001–present
Staff
The current head of department is
Paula Chadwick who succeeded
Nigel Glover, a specialist in particle physics, who succeeded Simon Morris in 2017.
As of 2021, the department reports a staff of 37 professors, 12
readers, 11 senior lecturers, 18 lecturers, 'about 100 post-doctoral researchers and fellows', and 150 PhD students.
Emeritus
''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus".
In some c ...
staff include, among others,
Martyn Chamberlain,
R. Keith Ellis,
F. Richard Stephenson, and
Brian Keith Tanner.
File:Richard Ellis-49 copy.jpg, Richard Ellis, Professor (1985–1993)
File:R Keith ELLIS Portrait (cropped).jpg, R. Keith Ellis, Director of Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology (2015–2019)
File:Carlos Frenk at NAM 2012 1.jpg, Carlos Frenk, Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics
File:Gordon love durham university.jpg, Gordon D. Love, Director of Education (Physics) (2012–2015)
File:Brian K Tanner.JPG, Brian Keith Tanner, Emeritus Professor of Physics
File:SirArnoldWolfendale.jpg, Arnold Wolfendale, Professor (1965–1992)
Alumni
File:Ben moore kosmos2 (cropped).jpg, Ben Moore, PhD 1991
File:Professor Ian Chapman.jpg, Ian Chapman, MSci 2004
File:Elspeth Garman016cr.jpg, Elspeth Garman, BSc 1976
File:John Barrow - fixed colors.jpg, John D. Barrow, BSc 1974
File:Michele Simmons Royal Society.jpg, Michelle Simmons, BSc 1988
File:Jonathan Edwards olympics 2000.jpg, Jonathan Edwards, BSc 1987
File:Elizabethtasker.jpg, Elizabeth J. Tasker, MSci 2002
File:Ed Kalman (cropped).jpg, Ed Kalman, BSc 2004
File:Drummer Joe Crabtree in concert.jpg, Joe Crabtree, BSc 2000
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durham University Department of Physics
Astronomy institutes and departments
Durham University
University departments in England
Physics departments in the United Kingdom
ar:مدرسة صحة جامعة دورهام