The Department of Physics and Astronomy

The Department of Physics and Astronomy has 42 full-time academic staff (including 20 Professors), supported by over 120 research, technical and clerical staff.

We also host around 250 undergraduate students, following either BSc (3 year) or MPhys (4 year) degree courses, and over 70 postgraduate students registered for a higher degree.

Our undergraduate physics degrees are available in five 'flavours': physics, physics with astrophysics, physics with space science and technology, physics with planetary science, and physics with nanotechnology. The 2011 National Student Survey showed 93% of students were satisfied with their course.

The main Physics building accommodates several research groups - Radio and Space Plasma Physics (RSPP), X-ray and Observational Astronomy (XROA), Condensed Matter Physics (CMP) and Theoretical Astrophysics (AG) - as well as centres for supercomputing, microscopy, Gamma and X-ray astronomy, radar sounding, and the Swift UK Data Centre.

Our purpose built Space Research Centre houses the Space Projects and Instrumentation (SPI) group and provides laboratories, clean rooms and other facilities for instrumentation research, Earth Observation Science (EOS) and the Bio-imaging Unit.

The department is home to the University's ALICE 2048 core supercomputer and is a member of the UK's DiRAC (DiStributed Research utilising Advanced Computing) consortium. DiRAC is the integrated supercomputing facility for theoretical modelling and HPC-based research in particle physics, astronomy and cosmology.

The mechanical workshop in the department provides technical support to staff and students.

We also run the University of Leicester Observatory in Manor Road, Oadby. With a 20 inch telescope it is one of the UK's largest and most advanced astronomical teaching facilities.

The department has close involvement with the National Space Centre also located in Leicester.