title graphic - seattle skyline  
Michael Strickland
 Department of Physics
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, PA 17325
USA

mstrickl {at} gettysburg.edu
Office: Masters 208
Phone: +1.717.337.6022
Fax: +1.717.337.6027 		Me
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Curriculum Vitae

Research Statement

 Research Interests

Nuclear and High Energy Theory
  • Heavy ion collisions/quark-gluon plasma (QGP)
  • Finite temperature/density quantum field theory (QFT)
  • Diagrammatic resummation methods for non-abelian gauge theories
  • Non-equilibrium field theory/QFT
  • Numerical solution of QCD Boltzmann-Vlasov equations; non-linear dynamics; plasma turbulence
  • Non-perturbative QFT
Astrophysics
  • QCD equation of state at high-temperatures
  • QCD equation of state at low-temperatures and high densities
  • Thermalization and reheating of the universe
Atomic Physics
  • Bose-Einstein condensation
  • Critical behavior of low-temperature atomic gases
General/Mathematical
  • Functional renormalization group methods
  • Optimization of renormalization group flow

Education
  • 1988 - High School, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, NC
  • 1992 - BS Physics, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
  • 1994 - MS Physics, Duke Univ., Durham, NC
  • 1997 - PhD Physics, Duke Univ., Durham, NC ; Disseration topic Dynamical mass generation and confinement at finite-temperature

Places I've worked
2008-Present
Assistant Professor, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA

2008-Present
Adjunct Fellow, FIAS, Frankurt am Main, Germany

2005-2008
Junior Fellow, FIAS and Institute for Theoretical Physics, Frankurt am Main, Germany

2004-2005
Research Scientist, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
2002-2004
Lise Meitner Fellow, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Vienna Technical University, Vienna, Austria
2001-2002
Visiting Assistant Professor, Nuclear Theory Group, Duke Univ., Durham, NC
1999-2001
Postdoc, Nuclear Theory Group, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA
1997-1999
Postdoc, Nuclear Theory Group, Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH
 
The Search for the Quark-Gluon Plasma

My primary interest is the physics of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). These plasmas are predicted by quantum chromodynamics (QCD) to be created during ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions (RHIC, LHC). My job as a theorist is to help experimentalists determine basic properties of the quark-gluon plasma based on typical high-energy particle collision observables such as electromagnetic and hadronic spectra.

Studying the quark-gluon plasma using heavy-ion collisions helps physicists understand times between approximately 10-12 and 10-5 seconds after the Big Bang; a time period in which the entire universe was a super-hot plasma of quarks, gluons, and other fundamental particles.

In the picture above I show the phase diagram for nuclear matter. On the vertical axis is the temperature and on the horizontal axis is the density of the matter. The RHIC and LHC heavy ion experiments probe the area of high temperature (~1012 Kelvins) and low baryon density.

Below I show a visualization of the space-time development of color correlations in a non-Abelian plasma subject to the chromo-Weibel instability. [Click on the image for more information.]


Finally, I show a visualization of a CPIC (Colored-Particle-in-Cell) simulation of a high-energy dijet traversing a thermalized gluon plasma. Color indicates high field energy densities which have been induced by the dijet's passage and the small arrows indicate the chromo-Poynting vector which shows the direction of chromofield energy flow. [Click on the picture for a larger version.]


Publications
  1. J.O. Andersen, M. Strickland, and N. Su, Gluon Thermodynamics at Intermediate Coupling, PDF, Abstract, (2009).
  2. M. Strickland, N. Su, and J.O. Andersen, QED Thermodynamics at Intermediate Coupling, PDF, Abstract, (2009).
  3. M. Martinez and M. Strickland, Matching pre-equilibrium dynamics and viscous hydrodynamics, PDF, Abstract, (2009).
  4. M. Martinez and M. Strickland, Constraining the onset of viscous hydrodynamics, PDF, Abstract, (2009).
  5. J.O. Andersen, M. Strickland, and N. Su, Three-loop HTL Free Energy for QED, Phys. Rev. D 80, 085015, PDF, Abstract, (2009).
  6. M. Strickland and D. Yager-Elorriaga, A Parallel Algorithm for Solving the 3d Schrodinger Equation, PDF, Abstract, (2009).
  7. A. Dumitru, Y. Guo, and M. Strickland, The imaginary part of the static gluon propagator in an anisotropic (viscous) QCD plasma, Phys. Rev. D 79, 114003, PDF, Abstract, (2009).
  8. M. Martinez and M. Strickland, Constraining relativistic viscous hydrodynamical evolution, Phys. Rev. C 79, 044903, PDF, Abstract, (2009).
  9. A. Dumitru, Y. Guo, A. Mocsy and M. Strickland, Quarkonium states in an anisotropic QCD plasma, Phys. Rev. D 79, 054019, PDF, Abstract, (2009).
  10. B. Schenke, M. Strickland, A. Dumitru, Y. Nara, and C. Greiner, Transverse momentum diffusion and jet energy loss in non-Abelian plasmas, Phys. Rev. C 79, 034903, PDF, Abstract, (2009).
  11. M. Martinez and M. Strickland, Suppression of forward dilepton production from an anisotropic quark-gluon plasma, Eur. Phys. J. C 61: 905-913, PDF, Abstract, (2009).
  12. M. Martinez and M. Strickland, Pre-equilibrium dilepton production from an anisotropic quark-gluon plasma, Phys. Rev. C 78, 034917, PDF, Abstract, (2008).
  13. A. Dumitru, Y. Nara, B. Schenke, and M. Strickland, QGP collective effects and jet transport, J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 35 104109, PDF, Abstract, (2008).
  14. M. Martinez and M. Strickland, Dilepton production as a measure of QGP thermalization time, J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 35 104162 PDF, Abstract, (2008).
  15. A. Rebhan, M. Strickland, and M. Attems, Instabilities of an anisotropically expanding non-Abelian plasma: 1D+3V discretized hard-loop simulations, Phys. Rev. D 78, 045023, PDF, Abstract, (2008).
  16. A. Dumitru, Y. Guo, and M. Strickland, The heavy-quark potential in an anisotropic plasma, Phys. Lett. B 662, 37-42, PDF, Abstract, (2008).
  17. A. Dumitru, Y. Nara, B. Schenke, and M. Strickland, Jet broadening in unstable non-Abelian plasmas, Phys. Rev. C 78, 024909, PDF, Abstract, (2007).
  18. M. Martinez and M. Strickland, Measuring QGP thermalization time with dileptons, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 102301, PDF, Abstract, (2008).
  19. B. Schenke and M. Strickland, Photon production from an anisotropic quark-gluon plasma, Phys. Rev. D76, 025023, PDF, Abstract (2007).
  20. A. Dumitru, Y. Nara, and M. Strickland, Ultraviolet avalanche in anisotropic non-Abelian plasmas, Phys. Rev. D 75, 025016, PDF, Abstract, (2007).
  21. M. Strickland, Thermalization and the chromo-Weibel instability, J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 34 S429-S435 PDF, Abstract, Invited plenary talk given at the 19th International Conference on Ultrarelativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions: Quark Matter 2006 (QM 2006), Shanghai, China, 14-20 Nov (2006).
  22. M. Strickland, The chromo-Weibel instability, Braz. J. Phys. 37, 762, PDF, Abstract, Proceedings contribution for an invited talk at the International Symposium on Multiparticle Dynamics, Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sept 2-8 2006, (2006).
  23. M. Strickland, Thermalization and plasma instabilities, Nucl. Phys. A785, 50, Proceedings contribution for an invited talk at International Conference on Strong & Electroweak Matter 2006, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, May 2006, PDF, Abstract (2006).
  24. B. Schenke and M. Strickland, Fermionic Collective Modes of an Anisotropic Quark-Gluon Plasma, Phys. Rev. D74, 065004, PDF, Abstract (2006).
  25. B. Schenke, M. Strickland, C. Greiner, and M.H. Thoma, A model of the effect of collisions on QCD plasma instabilities, Phys. Rev. D73, 125004, PDF, Abstract (2006).
  26. M. Strickland, Visualizing Color Plasma Instabilities, Eur. Phys. J. A29, 59-63, PDF, Abstract (2006).
  27. M. Strickland, Hard-Loop Dynamics of Non-Abelian Plasma Instabilities, Nucl. Phys. A774 779-782 Contribution to Proceedings of Quark Matter 2005, Budapest, Hungary Aug 4-9, PDF, Abstract (2006).
  28. A. Rebhan, P. Romatschke and M. Strickland, Quark-Gluon-Plasma Instabilities in Discretized Hard-Loop Approximation, Journal of High Energy Physics 09, 041, PDF, Abstract (2005).
  29. A. Rebhan, P. Romatschke and M. Strickland, Hard-Loop Dynamics of Non-Abelian Plasma Instabilities, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 102303, PDF, Abstract (2005).
  30. P. Romatschke and M. Strickland, Progress in Anisotropic Plasma Physics, Proceedings of Strong and Electroweak Matter 2004, Helsinki, Finland, World Scientific Publishing Co, ISBN 981-256-135-8, Singapore 2005, PDF, Abstract (2004).
  31. P. Romatschke and M. Strickland, Collisional Energy Loss of a Heavy Quark in an Anisotropic Quark-Gluon Plasma, Phys. Rev. D71, 125008, PDF, Abstract (2005).
  32. P. Romatschke and M. Strickland, Collective Modes of an Anisotropic Quark-Gluon Plasma II, Phys.Rev. D70, 116006, PDF, Abstract (2004).
  33. J.O. Andersen and M. Strickland, Three-loop Phi-derivable Approximation in QED, Phys.Rev. D71, 025011, PDF, Abstract (2004).
  34. J.O. Andersen and M. Strickland, Resummation in Hot Field Theories (Review), Annals of Physics 317/2, 281, PDF, Abstract, (2005).
  35. St. Mrowczynski, A. Rebhan, and M. Strickland, Hard-Loop Effective Action for Anisotropic Plasmas, PDF, Abstract, Phys. Rev. D 70, 024004 (2004).
  36. P. Romatschke and M. Strickland, Energy Loss of a Heavy Fermion in an Anisotropic QED Plasma, PDF, Abstract, Phys. Rev. D 69, 065005 (2004).
  37. P. Romatschke and M. Strickland, Collective Modes of an Anisotropic Quark-Gluon Plasma, PDF, Abstract, Phys. Rev. D 68, 036004 (2003).
  38. J.O. Andersen, E. Petitgirard, and M. Strickland, Two-loop HTL Thermodynamics with Quarks, PDF, Abstract, Phys. Rev. D 70, 024004 (2003).
  39. J.O. Andersen and M. Strickland, The Equation of State for Dense QCD and Quark Stars, PDF, Abstract, Phys. Rev. D, 105001 (2002).
  40. J.O. Andersen, E. Braaten, E. Petitgirard, and M. Strickland, HTL Perturbation Theory to Two Loops, PDF, Abstract, Phys. Rev. D 66, 085016 (2002).
  41. M. Strickland, Reorganizing Finite Temperature Field Theory Part I. Scalar Field Theory, PDF, Abstract, International Journal of Modern Physics A, Vol. 16, Suppl. 1C,1277-1280, 2001.
  42. J.O. Andersen and M. Strickland, Mass Expansions of Screened Perturbation Theory, PDF, Abstract, May 2001, Phys. Rev. D 64, 105012, (2001).
  43. S.B. Liao, C.Y. Li, and M. Strickland, Self-consistent renormalization group flow, PDF, Abstract, Oct 2000.
  44. J.O. Andersen, E. Braaten, and M. Strickland, Screened Perturbation Theory to Three Loops, PDF, Abstract, Phys. Rev. D 63, 105008 (2001).
  45. J.O. Andersen, E. Braaten, and M. Strickland, Massive basketball diagram for a thermal scalar field theory, PDF, Abstract, Phys. Rev. D 62, 45004 (2000).
  46. J.O. Andersen, E. Braaten, and M. Strickland, Hard-Thermal-Loop Resummation of the Free Energy of a Hot Quark-Gluon Gas, PDF, Abstract, Phys. Rev. D 61, 74016 (2000).
  47. S.B. Liao, J. Polonyi, and M. Strickland, Optimization of Renormalization Group Flow, PDF, Abstract, May 1999, Nuclear Physics B, 567, 3, 493-514, (2000).
  48. J.O. Andersen, E. Braaten, and M. Strickland, Hard Thermal Loop Resummation of the Thermodynamics of a Hot Gluon Gas. PDF, Abstract, Phys. Rev. D 61, 14017 (2000).
  49. J.O. Andersen, E. Braaten and M. Strickland, Hard Thermal Loop Resummation of the Free Energy of a Hot Gluon Gas. PDF, Abstract, Phys Rev Lett 83, 2139 (1999).
  50. J.O. Andersen and M. Strickland, Application of Renormalization Group Techniques to a Homogeneous Bose Gas at Finite Temperature. PDF, Abstract, Phys Rev A60, 1442 (1999).
  51. M. Strickland, Non-Perturbative QED and QCD at Finite Temperature, Talk given at Fourth Workshop on Quantum Chromodynamics, 1-6 June 1998, The American University of Paris, Paris, France. PDF, Abstract.
  52. J.O. Andersen and M. Strickland, Critical Behaviour of a Homogeneous Bose Gas at Finite Temperature, Presented at 5th International Workshop on Thermal Field Theories and Their Applications, Regensburg, Germany, 10-14 Aug 1998. PDF, Abstract (1998).
  53. S.B. Liao and M. Strickland, Consistency of blocking transformations in the finite-temperature renormalization group, PDF, Abstract, Nuclear Physics B (532)3 (1998) pp. 753-782.
  54. M. Strickland, Dynamical Mass Generation and Confinement at Finite Temperature, PhD Dissertation, Duke University (1997). Postscript, Abstract.
  55. S.B. Liao and M. Strickland, Dimensional Crossover and Effective Exponents, Nucl. Phys. B. 497, 611 (1997). PDF, Abstract
  56. M. Strickland, Deuteron photodisintegration above pion threshold, HUGS@CEBAF Proceedings, (1995). Introduction
  57. M. Pichowsky, M. Strickland, and M. Kennedy, Two-body bound states & the Bethe-Salpeter equation, HUGS@CEBAF Proceedings, (1995). Postscript, Abstract
  58. S.B. Liao and M. Strickland, Renormalization group approach to field theory at finite temperature, Phys Rev D52, 3653 (1995). PDF, Abstract
  59. M. Strickland, Thermal photons and dileptons from non-equilibrium quark-gluon plasma, Phys. Lett. B331, 245 (1994). Postscript, Abstract