The Physical Acoustics Summer School (PASS) brings together graduate students and senior lecturers from around the world for an intensive five-day program on fundamental and cutting-edge topics in physical acoustics. PASS 2018 will be held June 3–8 on the Oxford campus. Student applications are due February 14th. The student cost of $200 includes lecture materials, food, and lodging.

More information and an application form can be found here. Questions can be addressed to Josh Gladden, PASS Director (jgladden@olemiss.edu).

Dr Likun Zhang, an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, is part of a team (including Drs Zhiqu Lu and Lei Cao, also at the University of Mississippi) that is using acoustics techniques to identify leaks in undersea oil pipelines. The trio of scientists received a $591,000 grant from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to assist in their research.

Dr Emanuele Berti, an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been granted the The University of Mississippi College of Liberal Arts Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement Award for 2017.

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2017 was divided, one half awarded to Rainer Weiss, the other half jointly to Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne “for decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves”.

On Aug. 21, Monday, a total solar eclipse swiped through the U.S., a once-in-a-lifetime event. It was best viewed in a narrow band that crosses Nashville, TN.

Note: Never look into the eclipsed Sun without a proper solar filter, it is dangerous!!

It was seen in Oxford, MS, as a partial solar eclipse, which is still a rare occurrence. While not a total eclipse the Sun was over 90% covered so it was still be quite impressive. The Department of Physics and Astronomy organized a viewing 12:00 noon – 3:00 PM. We set up telescopes and a solar projection device in the Quad between Lewis Hall, the Library and the back of the Lyceum. The maximum coverage, in Oxford, of the Sun was at 1:24 PM.

See these links for our Photos of the eclipse and a Movie.