Project Grant 2409354

This $575,000 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports a collaborative research effort between the University of Nevada, Reno and Oxford University in the United Kingdom. The project aims to study the properties of materials under extreme conditions, such as those found in planetary cores or high-energy industrial processes, by imaging the propagation of sound waves through the materials to determine key characteristics like viscosity and diffusion. The research will combine experimental measurements with computational and theoretical methods, including density functional theory, Bohm molecular dynamics, and machine learning techniques, to develop a comprehensive understanding of strongly coupled plasmas and their applications in astrophysics and materials science. This collaborative project will provide research experience for undergraduate students and produce benchmark-quality data and theoretical frameworks to enhance the scientific community's knowledge of these complex physical systems.