DEPARTMENT Chairperson: Prof Robbie Lindsay Faculty: 11 academic staff members, three research chairs and four extraordinary professors National chairs held: SARChI Research Chair in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Prof Roy Maartens; UWC Research Chair in Astrophysics, Prof Romeel Davé; and the UWC Research Chair in Nuclear Physics, Prof Smarajit Triambak Honours: Four student prizes at the South Africa Institute of Physics conference, 2013 Rated researchers: Prof Christopher Arendse, Prof Dirk Knoesen, Prof Chris Koen, Prof Robert Lindsay, Prof Roy Maartens, Prof Nico Orce, and Prof Moise Tchoula Tchokonte Research streams: 1. Physics: includes the Materials Science and Solid State group, the Applied Nuclear Physics group, and the Physics Education group 2. Electron Microscope Unit, with research groups on nanoscience, advanced materials, biological studies, medicinal compounds and health, geology and metallurgy, and zeolites)
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3. Astrophysics group, conducting research in observational and theoretical astronomy and cosmology, including galaxy evolution, pulsation modes in dwarf stars, multi-wavelength survey science, large-scale clustering statistics from radio surveys, dark energy and modified gravity, and astro-statistics Honours students: 14 Master’s students: 25 PhD students: 20 Postdoctoral fellows: 10
Christopher Arendse
Christopher Arendse is a Professor in the Department of Physics and a member of the Solid State Physics Group and the Nano-Energy Research Group here. Arendse, a Y2 National Research Foundation-rated researcher, specialises in numerous subsets of physics, including solid state physics, nano-physics and –technology, and photo-physics. He also works in the development of nano-crystalline silicon thin films, inorganic and organic photovoltaics, and solar-cell device characterisation and stability. He is currently collaborating with researchers both locally (including researchers at the National Metrology Institute of South Africa and at the Department of Science and Technology/Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s National Centre for Nanostructured Materials) and internationally (Missouri University, USA, and Groningen University, the Netherlands) on projects that investigate the application of nano-structured materials in energy devices such as photovoltaics. In his work, Arendse focuses on the synthesis and characterisation of silicon-alloyed nano-structures, organic photovoltaics and nano-metrology. Crucial to the development of such devices is the understanding of the structure-property-relationship of the constituent nano-structured material and its eventual impact on the electrical properties and stability of the devices. Arendse has published several papers in international accredited peerreviewed journals, his most recent papers covering topics on the physics of flat nanostructures, coatings for solar thermal applications, and the mechanics of certain thin-film layers. He currently supervises 10 master’s and three doctoral students.