The GW Astrophysics Group strives to excel in high-energy astrophysics research and to advance astronomy and astrophysics education. The group consists of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students, all with activities that are at the forefront in the investigation of the Universe. We are motivated by intellectual curiosity and by the realization that knowledge forms a foundation for understanding and the ability to create a deeper conceptualization of the world along with the tools for making a better life.

The focus of our current research is to apply our expertise in nuclear and particle physics as well as astrophysics to the exotic processes occurring near extremely dense and compact objects, such as white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. Some of these processes, such as stellar collapse, stellar mergers, and matter falling into black holes, are impossible to duplicate on Earth. They make powerful distant sources of light, neutrinos, and gravity waves. A study of the full spectrum of radiation from the dynamics around neutron stars, cataclysmic variables, gamma-ray bursts, and close binaries promises to reveal the physics of these systems. X-ray and gamma-ray observation require satellite data while much of the optical and radio detections are ground based. Each part of the spectrum reveals complementary information. We learn about matter and fields under unusual conditions, and even some things about the structure and evolution of our universe.