Overview

The High Energy Density Institute at the University of Rochester is an interdisciplinary program that bridges multiple disciplines and works closely with the:

• Department of Mechanical Engineering
• Department of Physics and Astronomy
• Laboratory for Laser Energetics
• Center for Matter at Atomic Pressures
• Planetary Science

The institute is dedicated to the study of fundamental and applied High-Energy-Density science, including undergraduate and graduate coursework and experimental and theoretical research.

What is HEDP?

High-energy-density physics (HEDP) is the study of matter at conditions so extreme that ordinarily incompressible materials, such as water or even steel, are compressed. For most materials, this occurs at energy density in excess of 1e11 J/m^3, or the equivalent of 1 million atmospheres (100 GPa) of pressure, at which point these incompressible materials are compressed by about a factor of 2x.

HED conditions are common in the universe, including at the interior of planets such as our earth (core pressure 350 GPa) or Jupiter (core 8000 GPa), stellar interiors, and the atmospheres and the vicinity of compact objects such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes.

HEDP still not extreme enough? Check out the exciting research performed at the relativistic heavy ion collider.

Institute Administration

Gilbert 'Rip' Collins, PhD
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy

307 Hopeman Hall
(585) 275-0255
g.w.collins@rochester.edu

Cindy Gary
Assistant Dean for Grants and Contracts
Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

306 Lattimore Hall
(585) 273-5173
cindy.gary@rochester.edu