Department of theoretical physics and astrophysics of Masaryk University

The department of theoretical physics and astrophysics of Masaryk University, as a part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences focuses on research in fields of theoretical physics, astrophysics and physics education. It is divided in the Astrophysics division, Division of Theoretical Physics and Division of Physics Education. Its director is currently Michal Lenc.
Astrophysics Division
The division offers educational program Applied Physics - astrophysics, a complete coarse about basics of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology for all students with interest in physics and specialized talks on:
*Hot stars
*Variable stars
*Practical methods of astrophysics
*Physics of stellar atmospheres
*Physics of cold stars
Research in the department is mainly focused on physics of hot stars and stellar systems with hot components. The department carries out astronomical observations on observatory Mount Boo of the Masaryk University in Brno, which is equipped with a 60 cm reflector and CCD camera.
Scientific activity is also concentrated on:
*The structure and evolution of stars
*The mass transfer in close binary stars
*Problems of stellar photometry and spectroscopy
The division carries out research in cooperation with the Astronomical institute of Czech academy of sciences and the Astronomical institute of Slovak academy of sciences.
Division of Theoretical Physics
Scientific activity is concentrated on several groups of problems:
* Quantum field theory, string theory and quantum theory of gravitation.
* Classical theory of gravitation:
** field equations and exact solutions of Einstein and Einstein-Maxwell equations using symmetries
** computer algebra for GRT
** conservation laws
* Classical and quantum dynamics of charged particle beams. Coherence of fermionic beams.
* The interaction of radiation with solids:
** dynamical theory of diffraction
** dielectrics with spatial dispersion
** excitonic polaritons.
* Mathematical modeling of processes in solids
** electrical and thermal fields in layered structures
** deflection spectroscopy
** nonlinear problems
The department carries out the research in cooperation with Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics, Uppsala University, Jagellonian University in Kraków and Seoul National University .
Division of Physics Education
The department is in charge of a popular scientific coarse named as Interesting Physics. In 2007, the department received a financial support from the Ministry of Education of Czech Republic for innovation of the course. Roughly 100 students take the coarse each year. The coarse involves experiments on different phases of a drop falling into a cup of coffee, turbulence in air visualized using smoke, vortex rings in air and water or cooking a sausage with a solar cooker.

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