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Our students often say their enthusiasm to study Physics stems from a wanting to learn about the Higgs particle, dark matter, nanotechnology or just a wide-ranging curiosity about how things really work. Whatever your reasons, our Physics department aims to inform and excite you in the study of Physics, the most fundamental of the sciences. 

On our three-year Astrophysics BSc, you’ll come to understand new concepts and paradigms, developing the deep conceptual framework that will allow an advanced understanding and appreciation of nature. You’ll develop core Physics concepts, including classical physics, quantum phenomena, optics as well as mathematical and experimental skills.

The emphasis will shift then to astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology, and in later years you’ll cover topics such as Stellar Astrophysics and General Relativity & Cosmology.

We’re a research-intensive department based at our Surrey campus – well away from the light pollution of the big city, which allows our telescopes to provide the best observational astronomy in the University of London. Our teaching is informed by the most up-to-date research. We teach Physics in an accessible and rigorous style through small group tutorials, problem solving classes, lectures, laboratory and computing assignments, teamwork, and one-to-one teaching in our laboratories, so you’ll always have a close-knit support system around you.

The department is research-intensive, and our teaching is informed by the most up-to-date research. We have world-class research laboratories devoted to the search for Dark Matter, building next generation particle accelerators and enabling discoveries in nanophysics, quantum devices, ultralow temperatures, superconductors, new materials and other frontiers. Students study in our research laboratories in their final year. 
 

The research of our astronomy group spans a wide range of topics: stellar astrophysics; supernovae; radio pulsars; gravitational-wave astronomy, and cosmology. This research leverages state-of-the-art observational facilities such as the:

• James Webb Space Telescope (JWST),
• Hubble Space Telescope,
• LIGO gravitational-wave detectors,
• Euclid satellite.

From September 2024 we have a new research direction on neutron stars, exploiting the Square Kilometre Array. We have a focus on the application of advanced Artificial Intelligence methods to astrophysical research. As a result, we collaborate with experts in Computer Science and in the wider economy where our cutting-edge techniques can have a broader impact.

The Particle Astrophysics group works on Dark Matter detection. We lead the Quantum Enhanced Superfluid Technologies for Dark Matter and Cosmology project which exploits superfluid 3He as a unique detector of Dark Matter and as a laboratory simulation of phase transitions in the early Universe.