Brian Woodahl, Ph.D.

Senior Lecturer

Physics

Office:
LD 156S
Phone:
(317) 278-9244
Email:
bwoodahl@iupui.edu
Website:
http://woodahl.physics.iupui.edu/story

Research

Elementary laboratory tests of Newton’s second law of motion for masses undergoing small oscillations or accelerations. Computational mathematics using Mathematica. Modified Newtonian mechanics (MOND) applied to laboratory systems. Classical general relativity: closed-timelike-curves (CTCs), and causality violations of Einstein’s field equations. Quantum field theory: higher-order self-energy of neutron star arising from neutrino exchange, Fermi’s golden rule for decay processes near threshold, neutrino masses, many-body theory, time-dependent perturbation theory, finite temperature field theory for chiral interactions, non-perturbative vacuum energy of weak field, higher-order Feynman diagrams, vacuum polarization of weak field, neutrino-exchange forces. Condensed matter physics: energy of neutrino condensate, chiral potentials and neutrino trapping.

Education

  • 1999 Ph.D. Theoretical Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
  • 1993 M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.
  • 1987 Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.

Awards

  • 2008 Our paper, “Laboratory Test of Newton’s Second Law for Small Accelerations”, Gundlach, et al, Phys. Rev. Lett., 98, 150801, 2007, was cited by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) as one of the “Top Ten Physics Contributions for 2007”.
  • 2008 IUPUI Trustees’ Teaching Award, School of Science, Fall Convocation.