Accelerator Laboratory
Tarleton’s 1.0 MV tandem accelerator is one of only six at undergraduate institutions in the US and the only one not at a private school or a military academy. This state-of-the-art facility provides research opportunities in both basic research and in the application of accelerator technique for the analysis and modification of materials including Rutherford backscattering and Particle Induced X-Ray Emission.
- Ion Beam Analysis
- Research includes the study of gun barrel erosion, delamination of gun barrels, development of novel electronic and magnetic materials including high-temperature diffusion barriers, wide bandgap semiconductors, and spintronics. Other applications include the analysis of air and water pollution samples.
- Ion-atom Collisions
- Study of fundamental interactions between ions and atoms including x-ray production mechanisms both as a basic study of quantum mechanics and for applications including astrophysics and engineering.
Observatory
Tarleton has the largest telescope at any undergraduate only physics program. The telescope is not only the largest telescope in the Texas A&M System, but larger than those used by Texas Tech, U of H, UTA, and other Ph.D. astronomy programs. Present research is center on studying the light curves and life cycles of binary stars.
Microscopy Facility
Tarleton’s microscopy facility includes a state-of-the-art scanning electron microscope with a 3.5 nm resolution. The facility supports research on electronics and other materials.
Laser Facility
The facility includes a laser table with a variety of lasers and optical sources and research-grade optics for holography and interferometry experiments