Physics Page

Physics and Research

"The solution to the mystery is always inferior to the mystery itself." -- Jorge Juis Borges

Daniel A. Brue Graduate Student and Research Assistant B.S. in Physics - 2002 M.S. Physics - 2005 Advisor: Dr. Gregory Parker	My research interests are focused in Atomic and Molecular physics, and more specifically, in molecular collision theory. I have worked with Dr. Greg Parker since my senior year at the university of Oklahoma. As an undergraduate, my capstone research was on calculating potential energy curves for diatomic molecules and analyzing the results. The calculation of potential energy curves and surfaces is very important for molecular collision theory, as the potential energy determines much of the dynamics of how atoms and molecules interact with each other. My Specialist Exam served as my Master's Thesis and as the General Exam for the Ph.D. here at OU. Every department has a different name for it, I guess. The topic of my specialist exam was the Quantum Geometric Phase. Geometric Phases are mathematical anomalies that arise in situations in which something is moving on a curved surface. A popular example is that of the Foucault Pendulum, which travels on the surface of a sphere (the earth). The rotation of the earth causes the pendulum to move in a circle around the earth's axis. After a day, the pendulum returns to its starting point, but it does not swing in the same direction as it did 24 hours before. This change in direction is a geometric phase. In quantum systems, this geometric phase can arise in situations in which atoms or molecules are "traveling" on potential energy surfaces. The result is that the overall phase of the electronic wavefunctions can change due to features of the potential energy surface. PDF versions of my paper and presentation on this subject is available on the left of this page.
Specialist Exam, Quantum Geometric Phases:Paper Slides
Current Research: The next step is my doctoral research which will be on Three-Body Recombination (TBR) at Ultra Cold Temperatures. Three body recombination means that if we have three atoms, say A, B, and C, and they collide, then two of them get stuck together to form a diatomic molecule (say, AB) and the third (C) flys off with more energy than what it originally had. This problems is interesting for studies of trap loss. By using lasers and electromagnetic fields, experimentalists can trap atoms and molecules. But this only works if the atoms and molecules have very low energy. In TBR, it is possible that the lone atom after the collision (atom C) has enough energy to leave the trap, which is not what experimentalists want.

These plots show the conical intersection in the lowest two spin-aligned A' potential energy surfaces for Li3. The left plot shows the conical intersection in the C2v plane. The point of intersection displayed here is the lowest point on the seam (right plot). The plot on the right is the C-infinity-v plane, where the atoms are collinear everywhere. This plane contains the seam of conical intersections.

The Tyger

Tyger, Tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes!
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger, Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

-- William Blake