Research
The Department of Physics at the Université de Montréal offers an ideal environment for graduate studies.
First in Canada
The Department of Physics is in the centre of a vibrant city, known for its cultural and intellectual activities, the quality of life of its residents, and its leading position in the various areas of advanced technology (e.g. telecommunications, aerospace and biotechnologies, etc.). As such, it offers an ideal environment for the pursuit of graduate studies.
Our department is at the head of the list of physics departments in Canada regarding funding, and the research activities of our professors are at the centre of the most important and timely scientific and technological endeavours. Our professors are known internationally for their work, published in the most prestigious journals, and they are supported annually by almost $6 million in grants, not counting the money for equipment.
Research Subjects
The research in the Department of Physics is focused on the main subjects of modern physics:
Astronomy and astrophysics | plasma physics | condensed matter physics | particule physics | numerical physics | biophysics | medical physics
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy, the oldest of the sciences, today enjoys one of
the most fascinating periods in its long history, thanks to
major developments in the fabrication of telescopes, both on
earth and in space, covering the electromagnetic spectrum
from radio waves to gamma rays. In addition, modern
astrophysics is an area central to important developments in
numerical modeling.
Living day by day the astronomical revolution, the researchers in the group of astronomy and astrophysics are interested in a vast array of subjects, including the development of the latest astronomical instrumentation (under the auspices of the Laboratory of experimental astrophysics), solar physics, stellar astrophysics, as well as galactic and extragalactic astronomy. The researchers in the group have access to the Mont Mégantic Observatory and are regularly involved in observations which are among the most important in international astronomy. Many research projects use techniques of observation and of data acquisition, as well as of theoretical analysis and modeling.
Plasma Physics
A boiling mixture of charged particles, plasmas can be
considered the fourth state of matter, a state still poorly
understood due to the often extreme physical conditions
involved in the creation of a plasma, obtained from the
transfer of energy from a gas, liquid, or solid. Often
associated with nuclear fusion, plasmas are of far wider
interest. Apart from the understanding of fundamental
physics which their study can provide, laboratory plasmas are
extraordinary tools for many industrial procedures.
With diverse funding coming from sources from both government and industry, the group of plasma physics is involved in research activities in the conception, modeling, and applications in the source of plasmas. Actual projects include nanometric engraving of ferroelectric materials, the spectroscopy of plasmas produced by lasers, the sterilization of medical instruments by plasma, and the destruction of gas by the greenhouse effect. These experimental activities also involve the development of models, which are indispensable to the interpretation of the experimental results, and which permit the optimization of sources for a given application.
Condensed Matter Physics
Condensed matter physics is a subject of growing interest
which analyzes familiar matter, and which endeavors to
explain the complexity and the many phenomena which arise
when atoms combine in a compact manner. Of great fundamental
importance, it is the physics of much modern technology —
think only of microelectronics, which has completely changed
our lives. Today, another revolution is underway, that of
nanoscience and nanotechnology, which raise a great number of
fundamental questions which interest condensed matter
physicists.
Using a large range of methods and approaches, including experimental, theoretical, and numerical, the researchers in the group of condensed matter physics attack many problems: the study of nonlinear and disordered systems, the modeling and fabrication of the latest materials, the growing and characterization of multilayer metals, super networks and heterostructures, ionic implantation, nanocalorimetric measures, etc.
Particle Physics
The aim of particle physics is to understand the structure of matter, as well as the creation of matter in the first instants of the universe. Paradoxically, solutions to the problems of the very small require equipment which is very big, and which is used by large groups of international researchers. Particle physics also involves teamwork, on complex projects which endeavor to verify and complete the standard model.
Researchers in the Group of particle physics work on both experimental and theoretical problems, and are well integrated in large international collaborations, such as those at CERN (the OPAL and ATLAS experiments), at Stanford (the BaBar experiment), at TRIUMF, and at Sudbury (in SNOlab). The many projects of the group include the modeling of observations (phenomenology), the study of theoretical subjects such as solitons and field theory, and the PICASSO experiment, which was conceived and developed in the department, and which aims to detect dark matter in the universe, making a direct link with the major cosmological problems which exist today.
Numerical Physics
Having played a key role in the discovery and explanation of
many phenomena, numerical physics now takes its place beside
the traditional experimental and theoretical approaches
towards the understanding of the laws of Nature. Physicists
have developed the majority of the numerical tools used today
in science and engineering, which have been involved in the
development and use of simulation algorithms, data analysis,
and the treatment of images. No area of physics can escape
this approach. It is often a "virtual laboratory'' which
allows one to predict properties of new nanostructural
materials, the formation and evolution of stars, and the
falling of debris and avalanches. It can also be used in
theories which are difficult to solve exactly, help to study
complex systems, model the solar cycle, analyze wavelet
signals, etc.
Many researchers in the Department of Physics are active in
numerical physics, both in developing new algorithms and in
applications to various methods. Some are members of the the
Québec network of high-performance calculations (Réseau
québécois de calcul de haute performance — RQCHP), which
has powerful supercomputers at the cutting edge of computer
technology.
Biophysics
Modern biophysics is situated at the interface of biology and
physics, where one is interested in the fundamental concepts
responsible for the complex phenomena at the origin of life.
This branch of physics has received remarkable interest over
the last few years, following the exceptional development of
the genome and of biology in general. We now have solid
experimental data which allow us to build quantitative
theories such as those one finds in other areas of physics.
The activities of the biophysicists of the Department of Physics are made in the context of the Membrane Transport Research Group (Groupe de recherche en transport membranaire — GRTM), a multidisciplinary collection of physicists, chemists, biochemists, and physiologists. The main aim of the GRTM research is to understand the functioning of the proteins which permit the selective and controlled passage of ions and molecules through cellular membranes. Using fine techniques of physics and genetic engineering, it is possible to "manipulate'' the membrane proteins in order to understand their methods of operation.
Medical Physics
Physicists participating in the development of medical
science are at the origin of many major developments in the
subject, such as the discovery of X-rays in the latest
scanners. Medical physics is an area where scientific
research often leads to a direct contribution to the good of
society.
In association with the researchers of CHUM (Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal), the Department of Physics offers a Master's in medical physics. The actual program concentrates on two main themes: medical imagery and radiotherapy. This involves theoretical courses and a stage of practical research. There are scholarships specifically aimed at this area of research and at stimulating jobs in the health sector. These are two excellent reasons to choose this program!
For more information, visit the group's web site.
For comments or information: : physique@umontreal.ca
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18-fév-09
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