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Dr. Matt Caplan

Assistant Professor
Physics
Office
Moulton Hall - MLT 312A
  • About
  • Awards & Honors

Biography

Dr. Caplan joined ISU in the fall of 2019. He earned his PhD from Indiana University in 2017. Prior to joining ISU, Dr. Caplan was a CITA National Fellow at the McGill Space Institute. His research uses large scale computer simulations to study the interiors of neutron stars.

Current Courses

390.019Computational Research In Physics

299.019Independent Honor Study

499.001Independent Research in Physics

220.001Mechanics I

220.002Mechanics I

205.001Origin Of The Universe

290.019Research In Physics

362.001Astrophysics

462.001Astrophysics

390.019Computational Research In Physics

299.019Independent Honor Study

499.001Independent Research in Physics

287.019Independent Study

318.001Methods Of Computational Science

490.001Research Development in Physics

290.019Research In Physics

Research Interests & Areas

Stars freeze. At the end of their lives stars cool and contract forming white dwarfs and neutron stars. In these extremely dense environments nuclei can be packed so closely that they freeze solid, forming materials many trillions of times denser than anything on earth. Dr. Caplan uses large scale computer simulations to study these 'astromaterials' and calculate their physical properties to interpret astronomical observations of dead stars.

Cottrell Scholar Award

Research Corporation For Science Advancement
2023

KITP Scholar

Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics
2022

University Distinguished Dissertation Award

Indiana University
2018

Dissertation Award in Nuclear Physics

American Physical Society
2017