Student Research Highlighted in the Press
Student research and the crossroads of atomic, nuclear, and asteroid sciences
The interdisciplinary journal EPJ+ has highlighted the work of two Arizona physics students: Evan LaForge, who graduates with B.Sc. degree in December 2023, and Will Price, who expects to obtain his Ph.D. in academic year 2024/25. They studied the microscopic atomic structure and properties of superheavy elements using the relativistic Thomas-Fermi model of the atom. This research suggests that the element with Z=164 would have a density between 36.0 and 68.4 g/cm3, a value three times greater than found on Earth but observed among objects in the asteroid belt. Both LaForge and Price were awarded the prestigious Galileo Circle Scholarship by the College of Science at The University of Arizona.
For more details see the publication
Eur. Phys. J. Plus (2023) 138: 812
and highlight blogs:
https://www.epj.org/epjplus-news/2682-epjplus-highlight-beyond-the-periodic-table-superheavy-elements-and-ultradense-asteroids