| Subject | Date Asked |
| speed of light | 2/9/2012 |
| Q: Some of the kids in my calculus class that are also in physics asked the whole class a seemingly ... A: You're invoking impossibility, traveling at the speed of light when you have mass and that would ... | |
| deep-space exploration | 12/7/2011 |
| Q: I wonder why they continue to launch deep space missions from the earth's surface when the vehicle ... A: You should be concerned about energy expenditures, they're the primary consideration in spaceflight. ... | |
| deep-space exploration | 12/6/2011 |
| Q: I wonder why they continue to launch deep space missions from the earth's surface when the vehicle ... A: You still have to get the materials up to orbit to build the vehicle out of. That takes more energy ... | |
| orbital bodies | 12/4/2011 |
| Q: Steve, I hope you can help me get a grasp on something rather basic. I know that bodies with ... A: You'll be at higher speed if you do it instantaneously you'll enter an elliptical orbit which will ... | |
| black holes | 11/28/2011 |
| Q: i was wondering if it was possible to see into a black hole.lets say we had the worlds most powerful ... A: No, it's not possible. Wireless cameras broacast via light (radio waves are light) and light can't ... | |
| microgravity | 11/26/2011 |
| Q: Sir,what do you mean by microgravity please explain? & sir what type of experiments can be performed ... A: I didn't coin the term, so it's kind of improper to ask me what *I* mean by it. Experiments in ... | |
| matter/dark matter ratio | 11/23/2011 |
| Q: I am just wondering; do we know whether the ratio between matter and dark matter is constant? Does ... A: I'll say it this way: 1) People in physics are ABSOLUTELY obsessed with dark matter and come up ... | |
| Polar Lights | 9/30/2011 |
| Q: I'm not sure if you're the right person to ask, but I didn't see anyone who seemed like a definite ... A: I somehow answered this and it never got posted. In a nutshell, there are no specific frequency ... | |
| waves | 9/6/2011 |
| Q: sir please tell me the difference and similarities between radio signals(waves) and light waves A: Radio waves are a form of electromagnetic waves, just like light waves. By light waves, I'll assume ... | |
| Alien spacecraft | 5/17/2011 |
| Q: Can astrophysics explain the possibility of their existence utilizing cold plasma, electromagnetism ... A: "Astro"physics is just a subspecializition of physics. Physics Today (the professional magazine we ... | |
| average mass per particle | 4/12/2011 |
| Q: This is a follow up question - when calculating the Jeans mass to determine when a cloud will ... A: I don't answer homework question, and this isn't a follow-up to any question I've been asked before, ... | |
| density terminology | 4/11/2011 |
| Q: In re "The possibility of recollapse of the universe..." I was doing okay until undefined p's and ... A: If you look at the units the author of the answer to your original question gave you, the answers ... | |
| density terminology | 4/11/2011 |
| Q: In re "The possibility of recollapse of the universe..." I was doing okay until undefined p's and ... A: No, your question is absolutely too short and without detail to mean anything at all. What do the ... | |
| Beloved In Christ | 2/19/2011 |
| Q: Beloved In Christ, Greetings in name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am a new Christian convert, ... A: I wanted to answer this one to ask how stupid you think I am. I mean, you sought out an expert in ... | |
| Quark-Gluon Plasma | 1/31/2011 |
| Q: If the Big Bang initially resulted initially in a quark-gluon plasma, when and how did electrons ... A: I'm more of a low-energy nuclear astrophysics guy, I mean that your answer is in the subfields of ... | |
| Gravity wave experiment | 12/13/2010 |
| Q: I am the inventor of the Solar plasma meter pat# 6,234,013 a mechanical radiation detector. If you ... A: I'm not carrying out an experiment for you, especially one so utterly ridiculous. There's no ... | |
| Illuminance in outer space | 12/7/2010 |
| Q: How much light is there available in great distance from any star, outside any galaxy? If I would be ... A: You see more than stars when you look up, or you'd only see a thin band of stars in the Milky Way. ... | |
| Energy Released by Stars | 11/29/2010 |
| Q: Is there a way to find energy released by stars such as Alpha Centuari and Proxima Centuari? Or a ... A: You assume that all the energy created in a star by fusion is radiated, the star is in equilibrium. ... | |
| The Speed of a Gamma-ray Burst | 11/20/2010 |
| Q: My question is concerning the nature of a Gamma Ray Burst and the speed at which it moves relative ... A: No, actually, the difference in the speed of light based on frequency has strict limits placed on it ... | |
| Big bang | 11/5/2010 |
| Q: I am having trouble understanding the big bang. How was it the beginning of time? If their was no ... A: You really need a whole brief course on cosmology, hopefully with a lot of physics to back it up. ... | |
| The big bang | 9/18/2010 |
| Q: Was visible light produced by the big bang or was the universe dark until stars were formed? A: Light is produced all the time. Visible light was indeed produced by the big bang, along with ... | |
| dark energy, rate of expansion | 9/5/2010 |
| Q: I was reading a New Scientist article ... A: OK, this isn't directly my field of expertise, but I'll give you my quick opinion (you should ask a ... | |
| Just a physics question | 8/29/2010 |
| Q: Sorry my question isn't isn't related to anything nuclear. Just sending this message because physics ... A: No, time is a dimension. Causality is the concept that cause precedes effect. Since the big bang ... | |
| Shape of the Universe | 8/26/2010 |
| Q: I am not sure if my question, is in your area of speciality, but I wanted to know what the shape of ... A: The shape of the universe is unknown and may have no conventional meaning according to some ... | |
| Light | 8/3/2010 |
| Q: Why light bend when it goes from one medium to another medium? What is meant by spin of particle A: Light changes direction because the parts of the wave which reach the medium first slow down. If ... | |
| Proper symbol for Entropy? | 7/29/2010 |
| Q: .. I was wondering what the proper symbol for entropy would be regarding the tendency of the ... A: There's no such thing as a "proper" symbol in physics. There's just a chosen symbol. If you were ... | |
| Physics | 7/25/2010 |
| Q: Steve, Hello, i have a few questions regarding Physics. I am looking for something to begin ... A: Pay for physicists varies radically. I know one who left physics to make money on Wall Street and ... | |
| confused | 7/24/2010 |
| Q: That’s a good explanation. Coming from England i’m not used to seeing rockets unless they’re on the ... A: Rockets quickly execute a turning maneuver in order to thrust parallel to the ground instead of ... | |
| confused | 7/24/2010 |
| Q: Many thanks for considering the Berwyn event in your thoughts to my last questions: ... A: The conspiracy theories of earthquake weapons are, of course, ridiculous on the grounds of energy ... | |
| Confused... | 7/18/2010 |
| Q: Its been a while since my last question but you might remember me, i’m the person who said he saw ... A: It's entirely possible for Earthquakes to produce odd lights in the sky and very odd effects. At ... | |
| light speed | 7/10/2010 |
| Q: I love physics and the science that goes along with it especially when it comes to outer space. ... A: Firstnothing would happen, light basically governs time. Study relativity, the question is far more ... | |
| Laser Nuclear fusion | 7/9/2010 |
| Q: I am quite intrigued at this concept. Could you fill me in about the theory and machine behind laser ... A: While that is waaaay beyond the scope of this forum for a detailed reply, there is a whole gold mine ... | |
| is time can stand on its own? | 7/9/2010 |
| Q: Matter needs space, but space does not need matter. Space needs Time, but time does not need space. ... A: Update from well over a century ago at the university I attended for my undergraduate education: ... | |
| gas follow up question | 6/12/2010 |
| Q: Steven; All matter has mass density.The mass (0.071 g/l) of Hydrogen however is to small (light)to ... A: Wow, you're back! Fantastic! I had a talk with scientists at Air Liquide (it has an e at the end ... | |
| gas follow up question | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: Steven; All matter has mass density.The mass (0.071 g/l) of Hydrogen however is to small (light)to ... A: No, if you measure the Earth's atmosphere in a mass spectrometer it does not contain 00.0000% ... | |
| gas follow up question | 5/25/2010 |
| Q: Astronomers teach gravity has an effect over gas, is it true? We were taught gas is a substance ... A: I notice that you never said who taught you what you believe, or where. Having gone to Case and ... | |
| gas | 5/24/2010 |
| Q: Astronomers teach gravity has an effect over gas, is it true? We were taught gas is a substance ... A: That's...all ridiculous. Entirely, gravity is completely the reason why our atmosphere is held in, ... | |
| 2012 | 5/2/2010 |
| Q: Will we be doomed in 2012? Please provide a thorough explanation and back up all of your statements ... A: I almost put this under "explain to questioner why you can't answer this question," but I have an ... | |
| "confused?" | 4/23/2010 |
| Q: Many thanks for attempting my last question, I can well appreciate that you may have struggled ... A: The Earth's magnetic field, even during a geomagnetic storm, isn't strongly fluctuating enough to ... | |
| "Confused?" | 3/27/2010 |
| Q: I'm confused! Many years ago I saw some very interesting objects that I’m convinced were plasma. ... A: I had trouble digging an actual question out until the end, it appears you're most concerned with ... | |
| Doppler shift vs. expansion | 3/27/2010 |
| Q: The best way I can think to ask my question is to start with a thought experiment. Imagine you are ... A: Let me stop you at the word "recording." You're traveling through time, not space, yes? Then ... | |
| Origin of elements heavier than iron | 2/22/2010 |
| Q: I'm a high school student working on a video about the origin of the elements that cannot be created ... A: The heavier elements than iron have a maximum binding energy per nucleon (a nucleon is a general ... | |
| Origin of elements heavier than iron | 2/21/2010 |
| Q: I'm a high school student working on a video about the origin of the elements that cannot be created ... A: These processes may lower the *average* binding energy per nucleon, but the *total* binding energy ... | |
| gravitational force nature | 2/17/2010 |
| Q: 2 particles attract each other.Why?The general theory of relativity says "the curve of space-time is ... A: It's not easily understood, that's the problem. You can understand it as curvature of spacetime ... | |
| collision | 1/15/2010 |
| Q: My question is about a collosion of a (high energy) proton with a standing Li nucleus (7/3). Then 2 ... A: Conserve energy and momentum in two dimensions, accounting for the energy it takes to break up the ... | |
| LIMIT OF SPACE | 12/5/2009 |
| Q: If the universe is expanding, what is the limit(or definition) of that quantity(space or anything ... A: That is currently one of the unknowns in science, the limit to which space can expand. However, ... | |
| Electragnetic fields | 10/23/2009 |
| Q: I was wondering whether the electragnetic fields around people and animals have been proven to emit ... A: You mean electromagnetic. Electromagnetic fields around people are 1) extremely weak and 2) ... | |
| Tokamak | 10/21/2009 |
| Q: I am deeply interested in nuclear fusion. I have read, that in Tokamak systems the D-T plasma fuel ... A: Tokamak systems are huge. The sheer level of x-rays you're talking about would require ridiculously ... | |
| Science Fair | 10/6/2009 |
| Q: Im sorry to admit this - even to myself - but that science fair project you gave me before was just ... A: Well it's going to have to be drastically simplified at this point, because my other project was ... | |
| eddington limit | 9/5/2009 |
| Q: here is my question. If you can help me I will really appreciate... I am confuse about how can I ... A: This really sounds like your astrophysics homework, so I'm going to only give you my opinion on how ... | |
| Gravity, escape velocity | 7/21/2009 |
| Q: Sir, I'm just an old guy (69) browsing and came across your answer to this question regarding ... A: Due to people who would rate a question badly just because they didn't want the truth or who would ... | |
| Gravity, escape velocity | 7/21/2009 |
| Q: Sir, I'm just an old guy (69) browsing and came across your answer to this question regarding ... A: A jet does indeed have the massive specific impulse one needs to reach orbit, with a couple of big ... | |
| solar flares | 7/19/2009 |
| Q: I have seen images of solar flares sending ripples across the surface of the sun (sunquakes). Is ... A: Well, there are certainly waves inside the Sun, but you don't get ejection in there because there's ... | |
| Einstein | 7/19/2009 |
| Q: Did Albert Einstein graduate from elementary school (or the equivalent)? Did he graduate from high ... A: Yes, he earned all his degrees and his life is accurately chronicled in his wikipedia entry: ... | |
| The supposed "Alignment" of 2012 | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: I read an article stating that the alignment of the earth, moon and sun on the 2012 solstice and the ... A: Alignment of arbitrary orbit planes? We actually came closer to "alignment" in 1998 than we will in ... | |
| Big Bang | 6/16/2009 |
| Q: Steve, My (amateur) understanding is that the theory of "inflation" was developed to explain the ... A: But there's non-uniformity that we observe with WMAP and so on. We need inflation to explain baryon ... | |
| measure of movement in space | 6/10/2009 |
| Q: I watch a lot of nasa channel and I was wondering this....Speed of orbiting craft are giving quite a ... A: No, we travel through space relative to the Sun and center of the Galaxy at much higher velocities ... | |
| dark matter | 6/9/2009 |
| Q: Steve, Will the new model, which doubles existing estimates for the size of super massive black ... A: No, actually. We knew galaxies had massive centers, it's the increase in speed of rotation ... | |
| Cat's Eye Nebula | 5/22/2009 |
| Q: I recently saw an amazing photo of the Cat's Eye Nebula and read that it is considered to be one of ... A: First, keep in mind that I'm not an astronomer. The physics of what's going on inside is part of my ... | |
| Optics | 5/19/2009 |
| Q: 1-Why is light bent by a gravitational field?And how? 2-What is the theoretical backing behind the ... A: Light isn't actually bent, light travels in a straight line. It's space that's bent, meaning a ... | |
| Atom formation | 5/13/2009 |
| Q: I was browsing through the WMAP website and found this time line of our universe. ... A: Well, you have a small misunderstanding. The "Dark Ages" didn't mean that the universe was empty of ... | |
| Nanotechnology | 5/9/2009 |
| Q: What do you think/know about nanotechnology? what does it mean to you? Also, What is your ... A: The specific things you're asking about aren't really nanotechnology that a physicist would know ... | |
| The first second of the big bang | 5/6/2009 |
| Q: I watched a documentary recently which explained the reason why we see background radiation ... A: Be careful with the word "fact." It's misleading, and generally misused when dealing with physics ... | |
| Nanotechnology | 5/5/2009 |
| Q: What do you think/know about nanotechnology? what does it mean to you? Also, What is your ... A: I know a good bit about nanotechnology, it's an incredibly general term. It usually refers to ... | |
| astrophysics | 4/29/2009 |
| Q: I have a question about projectile motion in outer space. Since space is virtually a perfect ... A: Yes, because of the orbital motion, they would radiate away ridiculously tiny amounts of energy. ... | |
| astrophysics | 4/29/2009 |
| Q: I have a question about projectile motion in outer space. Since space is virtually a perfect ... A: No, once you set it and its gravitational field in motion you're done accelerating the object and ... | |
| A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION | 4/28/2009 |
| Q: Q 1: How the universe would like from the point of view of a photon? Q 2: Special theory of ... A: 1) It's moving at the speed of light, so the universe would be totally static as it would appear ... | |
| Energy in physics | 4/23/2009 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could clarify something for me. I know that in physics energy means the ... A: The problem here is that you've latched onto a somewhat simplistic definition of energy. Energy is ... | |
| relativity | 4/19/2009 |
| Q: Steve, As I understand, brane theory includes an explanation for the big bang and "time" before. If ... A: A cesium clock measures time by the oscillation of quantum states of a cesium atom interacting with ... | |
| relativity | 4/17/2009 |
| Q: Steve, As I understand, brane theory includes an explanation for the big bang and "time" before. If ... A: There are many theories which are currently untestable which will lead us to surprises in science. ... | |
| special relativity | 4/16/2009 |
| Q: I have a few questions on special relativity. Are you able to answer questions regarding this topic? ... A: This question could use some rephrasing. Outside his "time frame?" What does that mean? It's not ... | |
| Relativity | 4/2/2009 |
| Q: Respected sir I am Mukul of class 11, please explain in as short as possible How does general ... A: Relativity says that the presence of matter warps the geometry of space itself. That destroys ... | |
| work | 3/19/2009 |
| Q: why when we calculated the work we multiplied force * distance not F/D i.e division what is the ... A: It's just the definition of work. It's actually a specific definition for a constant force in a ... | |
| Solar System Model | 3/18/2009 |
| Q: I'm interested in creating a mathematical model of the solar system via a computer program. But I'd ... A: I don't mean to rain on your parade here, but I'm not the bearer of good news for this hobby of ... | |
| about the relation between plannets and stars | 3/10/2009 |
| Q: sir..why mostly all the plannets in solar system revolve eleptically around the sun but not ... A: To move in a perfectly circular orbit a planet would have to form with exactly the right velocity ... | |
| How are neutrinos detectected if they are ghost? | 3/9/2009 |
| Q: I recently watched a supernova documentary and it was stated that during the collapse of stars to ... A: On average, yes, they do. But the sheer number is staggering (trillions pass through your body each ... | |
| Big band and Space-time | 2/18/2009 |
| Q: I've just read the question asked about the Big bang and it being the same in all directions. ... A: No, the Earth is not the center of the universe. Since the Big Bang defines all of space, it will ... | |
| looking 14 billion years towards the big bang | 2/10/2009 |
| Q: I've been interested in the universe and the way it works since i was a boy (now 37!). There is ... A: The big bang did happen in every direction you look. All the matter you see was inside it, no ... | |
| (Extremely) Theoretical Physics | 12/19/2008 |
| Q: I'm not sure if you'll be able to answer this, if not could you please point me to someone that ... A: It's not extremely theoretical. Like the photon, the graviton would be its own antiparticle, ... | |
| Regarding Iron | 12/2/2008 |
| Q: I read that Iron is an extra-terrestial element. Is that true? Are there other elements in earth ... A: A very few of the lightest elements were created during the big bang, but all of the heavier ones ... | |
| Infinity | 12/1/2008 |
| Q: All my life I have read or heard that space/time is infinite. Since I can't fathom the idea, I just ... A: This is an unanswered question in science, depending greatly on the curvature of spacetime itself ... | |
| Relativity | 11/23/2008 |
| Q: How does Einstein's theory of relativity apply in space? A: You'll need to be more specific. How does it not apply in space? Relativity applies to the ... | |
| light | 11/21/2008 |
| Q: sir plz tell me that which gasses are filled in flourescent tube light.also give the energy level ... A: It's generally mercury. Look below for a table, as far as a diagram you'll have to find a proper ... | |
| please help me | 10/28/2008 |
| Q: Mr. nelson, Can you please give me the answer to this question if I got it wrong and could you ... A: Perhaps the question is poorly posed. Did they mean arc ACB instead of ABC? If it asked arc ACB I ... | |
| Hawking's Concession | 9/26/2008 |
| Q: As a layman, Stephen Hawking's concession regarding the black hole information loss problem was ... A: Alternate universes are purely speculative. There's no experimental evidence to support them and ... | |
| MS | 9/25/2008 |
| Q: Sir, I have done my B-tech in mining eng. and i have a great interest in astrophysics.I would like ... A: Astrophysics is an easy subject to read a lot of popular literature about but a very, very difficult ... | |
| Logical Answer | 9/4/2008 |
| Q: While doing a physics problem dealing with the centripetal acceleration of a pulsar, I calculated ... A: Well, the minimum pulsar radius is about 10 km (circumference about 31 km) and the maximum pulse ... | |
| photon energy of a blackbody spectrum | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: The approximate mean photon energy of a blackbody spectrum which is emitted by an object at a ... A: There are two different things here. The average energy of a blackbody photon is 2.7 kT where T is ... | |
| speed of light | 7/31/2008 |
| Q: I was wondering, did Einstein say NOTHING could go faster than the speed of light (particles etc. ... A: Neither. Relativity determines that nothing with mass can accelerate to the speed of light because ... | |
| magnetic poles | 7/16/2008 |
| Q: How can you find out which is the north-seeking and the south-seeking pole of a magnet? I know that ... A: Yes and no. In that you don't need an external magnetic field to move the magnet, you can use the ... | |
| termo | 7/10/2008 |
| Q: The differance in the temperature of the metales leads to the differance in electerical charge. can ... A: Yes we can, and some devices and spacecraft are powered this way already. However, the efficiency ... | |
| White holes -- my favorite astronomical object | 7/3/2008 |
| Q: What about white holes makes their existence impossible? A white hole is the opposite of a black ... A: White holes are a mathematical solution to Einstein's field equations involving no matter, hence ... | |
| White holes -- my favorite astronomical object | 7/2/2008 |
| Q: What about white holes makes their existence impossible? A white hole is the opposite of a black ... A: It's nice to give it a name that sounds opposite, and ask why it can't exist, but you have to come ... | |
| egg drop w/ restrictions | 6/20/2008 |
| Q: I am a high school librarian taking a design course at a local college. Our final assignment is to ... A: Energy must be dissipatedBy crumbling toothpicks. It doesn't matter how smashed your design looks ... | |
| Gravity, escape velocity | 6/5/2008 |
| Q: Steve! I promise my question won't be as esoteric as "quantum gravity", haha. I've been reading a ... A: When I said it would fall and burn up, I didn't assume you meant an impossible rocket that could ... | |
| Gravity, escape velocity | 6/4/2008 |
| Q: Steve! I promise my question won't be as esoteric as "quantum gravity", haha. I've been reading a ... A: You don't seem to have calculated the scale of the distance you're talking about. Use this handy ... | |
| "escape velocity" | 6/3/2008 |
| Q: Steve! I promise my question won't be as esoteric as "quantum gravity", haha. I've been reading a ... A: If you design an F-16 to fly without the need for oxygen, it would be a rocket. Technically, you ... | |
| Gravity | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: What is the smallest scale at which the force of gravity has been measured or detected, in terms of ... A: That is basically what I mean, yes. Also, the lack of observation of the graviton is indeed one ... | |
| Gravity | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: What is the smallest scale at which the force of gravity has been measured or detected, in terms of ... A: Wow...the scope of the questions.... The smallest scale at which the force of gravity has been ... | |
| the sun | 4/17/2008 |
| Q: A fireman friend asked me this question yesterday and it has been driving me mad, so hopefully you ... A: The sun doesn't burn oxygen like a flame to create energy with a chemical reaction like an ... | |
| time dilation at relitvistic speeds (badly spelt) | 2/9/2008 |
| Q: i had an argument with my physics teacher when doing a level physics in the 90's i failed and gave ... A: Basically, as you accelerate to high speeds you change your inertial reference frame and thereby ... | |
| galactic movement | 2/9/2008 |
| Q: just a silly question from a man whose interested.. if the universe is expanding and the galaxies ... A: Galaxies are still subject to local gravitation within their cluster and do move in different ... | |
| jupiter's mass | 2/7/2008 |
| Q: My question is considering Jupiter size and though it's distance from the sun it has been shown that ... A: Not likely, compared to the massive forces inside the Sun and the effect of its own magnetic fields ... | |
| Star supernova | 1/28/2008 |
| Q: A star that suddenly explodes is called a supernova. Looking at the events of supernovas in the past ... A: It's possible, supernovae that we see from very far away are transmitting light billions of years ... | |
| Possible Earth re-entry | 1/18/2008 |
| Q: Would it be possible to slowly lower a very long cable down to earth from the Thermosphere? Would it ... A: Short answer: you're talking about a space elevator, which is technically possible, but the ... | |
| atomics particles | 1/16/2008 |
| Q: What are the diffrences of a neutron and an antineutron ? A: And anti-neutron is made of anti-quarks instead of quarks. It has an opposite magnetic moment. ... | |
| Vacuum in Space | 1/4/2008 |
| Q: What is the extent of the vacuum in space, to what degree has it generally been measured? I ... A: The vacuum of space varies greatly. It goes down to about 4 particles per cubic meter in ... | |
| Planet X | 12/30/2007 |
| Q: I read where NASA discovered Planet X in Dec. 1983 with the IRAS telescope. The story was published ... A: This is too easy: No cover-up. Why? I know you can figure this out for yourself, but for ... | |
| Comet Holmes | 12/20/2007 |
| Q: It seems that many are questioning the brightening of Comet Holmes. I find it hard to figure how the ... A: According to astronomer estimates, it only lost about 1% of its mass: ... | |
Top Expert on this page
Fusion, solar flares, cosmic rays, radiation in space, and stellar physics questions. Generally, nuclear-related astrophysics, but I can usually point you in the right direction if it's not nuclear-related or if it's nuclear but not astrophysics.
Currently a physics professor at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Doctoral dissertation was on a reaction in CNO-cycle fusion, worked in gamma-ray astronomy in the space science division of the naval research laboratory in the high-energy space environment branch.
Organizations
Physics professor at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.
Education/Credentials
Ph.D. in physics, research was on nuclear fusion reactions important in stellar fusion.

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