Department of Physics & Atmospheric Science

Faculty of Science

Subatomic Physics

Scientists working in the realm of subatomic physics study particles - specifically, subatomic particles such as electrons, protons, and neutrons - and how they exist and interact. By doing so, they are seeking the answers questions about our universe, leading to a better understanding the nature of matter.

  • What are nutrinos, and do they hold the key to our understanding of matter and anti-matter?
  • Do we fully understand the origin of mass?
  • What is dark matter, and how does it control the structure of the universe?

Research labs

David Hornidge (Adjunct)

Dr. David Hornidge's research is in the area of medium-energy experimental subatomic physics. His main goal is to obtain information on the strong nuclear forces through studying hadron structure. To do this, experiments are carried out at low- and intermediate-energy nuclear physics laboratories in various locations.

Rituparna Kanungo (Adjunct)

Nuclei make up 99% of our body weight are the core of all matter around us and the driving fuel for the stars. I find it fascinating to explore the properties of these tiny (~10-15 m) objects that have led to the creation of our lives. How, why and where did oxygen and carbon - that are necessary for our lives - be created in nature? It turns out that most of the nuclear species that we find on our earth today were created in the core of exploding stars, like the supernova. In this creation process are involved nuclei that have very usual properties than what we find on our earth. My research involves re-creating these species in our laboratories and inducing further reactions with them. Accelerated beams of such species are called radioactive ion beams (RIB).

Personal website: http://www.ap.smu.ca/~rkanungo/rkanungo.html

Adam Sarty (Adjunct)

Dr. Adam Sarty investigates the electromagnetic properties of the nucleon and light nuclei using the techniques of coincidence electron scattering. He also conducts research on education, including evaluating selected teaching methodologies for first-year physics classes and studying of the effectiveness of using wireless responders (clickers) in university classrooms.