What happens when titanium and molybdenum are mixed together? How does adding a little bit of yttrium affect a chunk of magnesium? What happens when we "cook" aluminum? These are the kinds of questions my students answer...but not by doing real experiments but by doing "virtual" experiments---simulations on the computer. Students can be involved in a variety of ways. In the past, all dedicated students have ended up with at least one peer-reviewed paper. (See my website msg.byu.edu/pubs.php for examples.)

Skills and Experience Required

Students must be be motivated to learn and must dependably balance research time with other studies, family responsibilities, etc. Funding is available for all students who so demonstrate.

Few of my successful students in the past had prior knowledge in solid state physics or had abilities such as programming and using Linux/Unix. Such things are nice but exerting the effort to learn is sufficient.

Contact Details

If you have questions or are interested in pursuing this research project, contact Gus Hart for more information.