The Department of Physics has cutting-edge research groups in a variety of fields. Our particle physics experimentalists participate in international collaborations for experiments at the CERN, Brookhaven, Fermilab, IHEP (Beijing), and Jefferson Lab. Condensed matter research in the department ranges from studies of nanocrystals and semiconductors to biological physics and wetting phenomena. Our faculty spearhead research with neutrons at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LAB, and at synchrotron x-ray facilities such as Argonne's Advanced Photon Source. Our astrophysics group concentrates on issues in cosmology using data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and the Viper telescope which observes cosmic background radiation at the South Pole. We have strong theoretical groups in high energy and medium energy particle physics, astrophysics, quantum theory, statistical mechanics, condensed matter and biological physics. Both theoretical and experimental efforts are supported by outstanding computational facilities, including the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center.