I am currently doing research on two fronts.
(1) I share a Department of Energy grant with Paul Farnsworth in the Chemistry Department to study the flow of neutral gas and plasma through an Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometer system. Dr. Farnsworth and his students are measuring the properties of this flow with laser-induced fluorescence, and my students and I are writing a direct-simulation monte-carlo/particle-in-cell code to try to understand the measurements. Students who work on this project will learn to write and run large-scale simulations as well as some fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and plasma physics. I already have two undergraduates working on this project and could use a graduate student.
(2) I am also working on the physics of non-neutral plasmas, including the plasmas used in the quest to make and study anti-hydrogen. I work with Dr. Grant Mason on these problems which involve some theory as well as the writing and running of large-scale simulations. Students working on this project would learn about the physics of plasmas, as well as how to code in Fortran and Matlab.