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WITH ABOUT 80 PHYSICS MAJORS, New Mexico Tech has one of the strongest undergraduate physics programs in the country. The Physics Department has both short and long-term missions for our students at NMT. In the short-term, we prepare students for work on their next milestones: for service courses this means preparation for future undergraduate education, for undergraduate majors this means graduate study or employment, and for graduate students this means independent learning, teaching and research. Longer term, the Physics department prepares all students for careers in workplaces with continually changing needs and technologies.

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We have about 30 graduate students doing research in atmospheric physics and astrophysics. We’re located in the beautiful Rio Grande Valley, surrounded by desert mesas, rugged mountains, and snow-covered peaks. In addition to the many opportunities for outdoor activities, our students discover a variety of challenges in the classrooms, laboratories, and research projects available to physics majors. Browse our web site to learn more about our academic programs and faculty, as well as ongoing research projects at NMT. And please feel free to contact us for more information.

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Astrophysics Research

Astrophysics research at NMT encompasses different areas of planetary, stellar and galactic astronomy. The 2.4-meter-optical telescope at New Mexico Tech’s Magdalena Ridge Observatory (MRO) has been operational since 2008. An optical interferometer (MROI) has been recently funded by AFRL, is under continued construction, and had first light on the first telescope in late 2017. The Jansky Extended Very Large Array (EVLA) and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) radio telescopes, operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), are headquartered on campus and offer unique opportunities for research in radio astronomy.

Atmospheric Research at New Mexico Tech Physics

Atmospheric Physics Research

Atmospheric Physics applies the tools of physics (thermodynamics, electromagnetism, fluid mechanics) to Earth’s atmosphere and atmospheric phenomena. Atmospheric physicists at Tech study convection and fluid flows in general, both on earth and in the atmosphere of other planets. Several Tech faculty are involved in thunderstorm research and the intersection of electricity and meteorology. Others study the middle and upper atmosphere, including ozone and space weather.

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Research Intensive Academic Program

The New Mexico Tech Physics Department provides extensive opportunities for undergraduates to get involved in faculty research. We are also unusual in offering undergraduate concentrations in Atmospheric Physics and Astrophysics as well as the general Physics Degree. New Mexico Tech has one of the few Atmospheric Physics Graduate Programs in the United States. Of course we also have a strong Astrophysics Graduate Program, which greatly benefits from the presence of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory on campus.