DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY Professor Bob Warwick

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY Professor Bob Warwick Head of Department

Origins • 1921, Founding of the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland College in buildings of an old lunatic asylum • 1924, Departments of Physics and Chemistry established • 1927, Renamed University College, Leicester • 1946, First Chair in Physics (Prof E A Stewardson) • 1957, University of Leicester granted its Royal Charter and degree awarding status Department of Physics and Astronomy

Department of Physics and Astronomy

A Successful University • Six Faculties: Arts & Humanities, Biological Science & Medicine, Education, Law, Science, Social Science. • 7300 Undergraduates • 1200 Postgraduates, Research; 9700 Postgraduates, Taught • 650 Academic Staff, 670 Academic-related, 1700 Other staff • Turnover of £ 150 million per year Department of Physics and Astronomy

A Top Rated Teaching & Research Department • Top Grade 5 in the last three Research Assessment Exercises (1992, 1996, 2001). • Excellent rating in the Teaching Quality Assessment 1999 • The Queen’s Anniversary Prize 1994. • Our research earnings per staff member are among the highest in the UK. • Vibrant and innovative teaching programme Department of Physics and Astronomy

Numbers of Students and Academic Staff Students Professors 9 (12) Readers 4 75 (12) Senior Lecturers 5 3 rd Year 61 (14) Lecturers 4 th Year 28 (8) Postgrads 41 (13) 283 (59) Fd Yr 13 (0) 1 st Year 65 2 nd Year Total Department of Physics and Astronomy Total 8 26

Innovation in Physics Teaching 1973 Physics with Astrophysics 1988 “Physics at Work” Initiative 1990 Physics with Space Science and Technology 2000 Teaching Developments eg “Business Skills” 2002 National Award for “Problem-based Learning” 2003 Physics with e-Science 2004 i-Science 2005 Physics with Planetary Science Department of Physics and Astronomy

Teaching Programme Science Foundation Year Programme BSc/MPhys Degree Courses in: • Physics with Astrophysics • Physics with Space Science & Technology • Experimental Physics • Physics with e-Science Ph. D and MPhil by Research Department of Physics and Astronomy

Two Routes to a Physics Degree at the University of Leicester • Pure and Applied Physics Route • Astronomy and Space Science Route Department of Physics and Astronomy

Pure & Applied Physics Route Radio Systems Nanotechnology Cosmology Elementary Particles Experimental Methods Radiation & Matter Plasma Physics Fractals & Chaos Advanced Materials core physics & maths Computer Simulation e-Physics Quantum Optics Biophysics Solid State Devices Medical Physics Management Physics, Experimental Physics, Physics with e-Science Department of Physics and Astronomy

Astronomy & Space Science Route Life in the Universe Active Galaxies Extra-Solar Planets Relativity & Black Holes Star Formation Supernovae Cosmology High Energy Astrophysics Rocket Propulsion core physics & maths Planetary Exploration Digital Image Processing Space Plasmas Space Flight Dynamics Solar Physics Human Space Flight Space Systems Design Physics with Astrophysics, Physics with Space Science & Technology Department of Physics and Astronomy

DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCH • Condensed Matter Physics • Radio & Space Plasma Physics Building • Theoretical Astrophysics • X-Ray & Observational Astronomy • Space Projects and Instrumentation Space Research Centre • Earth Observation Science • UK Astrophysical Fluids Facility • Astrogrid Department of Physics and Astronomy National Facilities

Nanotechnology Nanoclusters have enhanced magnetism The group has produced the most LUMPS Mk 3 magnetic material on earth, breaking a record that has been held for 70 years STM image of individual (2 -3 nm) Fe nanoclusters on Si The nanoclusters can be used as building blocks for advanced materials

The Radio and Space Plasma Physics Group’s new SPEAR (Space Plasma Exploration by Active Radar) facility on Spitzbergen as of Sept 2003. Department of Physics and Astronomy