Physics and Astronomy
Dr. Lorin Swint Matthews
- Department Chair
- Professor
- Associate Director of CASPER
Education
- Ph.D. - Physics, Baylor University - 1998
- B.S. - Physics, Baylor University - 1994
Biography
Dr. Matthews grew up in Paris, Texas, and earned her B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Baylor University. From 1998-2000 she was employed as an engineer at Raytheon Aircraft Integrations Systems, where her main project was vibroacoustics analysis for NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). In 2000 she returned to Baylor as a lecturer in the Physics Department and Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Senior Research Scientist with CASPER, and is now a Professor of Physics and Associate Director of CASPER. She is a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
Research Interests
Dr. Matthews’ research, both theoretical and experimental, is focused on dusty plasma— tiny bits of rock and ice, 100 times smaller than the width of the human hair — interacting with plasma, the glowing, ionized gas that makes up more than 99% of our visible universe. She focuses on the charging and dynamics of dust in astrophysical and laboratory plasma environments, which has applications ranging from the formation of planets to fusion energy. Dr. Matthews uses numerical studies to model how this dust clumps together, forming cosmic “dust bunnies” that may eventually become planets, or how these small particles can assemble themselves into intricate structures like dust crystals or helical strings.
Theoretical and Experimental Space Physics/CASPER
Theoretical and Experimental Investigations of Complex Plasma, including
- Charging and dynamics of dust in ion flow
- Self Organization and Stability of Dust Structures
- Dust in protoplanetary disks
- Dust charging and transport in lunar environments
- Dust strings and electrorheological fluids
Courses Taught
PHY 1408 - Physics for Natural and Behavior Sciences I
PHY 1409 - Physics for Natural and Behavior Sciences II
PHY 1420 - General Physics I
PHY 1430 - General Physics II
PHY 2360 - Mathematical and Computational Physics
PHY 3320 - Intermediate Classical Mechanics
PHY 3350 - Topics in Astronomy
PHY 4350 - Introduction to Stellar Structure and Evolution
PHY 5320 - Classical Mechanics
PHY 5352 - Plasma Physics
Honors Students
Joshua Holden, B.S., 2024, Thesis: Testing Fine-grained Rim Formation Theories with Numerical Simulations.
Rahul Banka, B.S., 2023, Thesis: Studying Complex Plasmas Through Computational Modeling. F. Ray Wilson Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis Award
Abbie Terrell, B.S., 2023, Thesis: Complex Plasmas: A Computational Investigation of Self-Organizing Systems
Jeremy Smallwood B.S., 2015, Thesis: Photophoresis: A Potential Sorting Mechanism in Protoplanetary Disks
Will Barnes, B.S., 2013, Thesis: Astrophysical Applications of Dusty Plasma Physics
Brandon Doyle, B.S., 2012, Thesis: Experimental Methodology of Dust Aggregates
Eileen Fernandez, B.S., 2009, Thesis: Circumplanetary Dust: The Martian System and Saturn’s F Ring
Graduate Students
Diana Jimenez-Marti
Benny Rodriguez-Saenz
Alexandria Mendoza, Ph.D, 2024
Dissertation: Plasma Puzzle: How Temporal and Spatial Variations Shape Self-Structuring. US Patent and Trademark Office
Katrina Vermillion, Ph.D, 2022
Dissertation: Modeling the Influence of Ion Wakes on the Self-Organization of Dust in Complex Plasma. Research Associate, Applied Research Laboratories, University of Texas at Austin
Sharmin Ashrafi, Ph.D., 2020
Dissertation: Investigations of the Plasma Conditions in the Sheath Using Dust Grains as Probes
Sina Rostami, M.A., 2020
Chuchu Xiang, Ph.D., 2019, Dissertation: Modeling dust coagulation and chondrule dust rim growth in a protoplanetary disk. Post-doctoral research assistant, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Katie Uppfalt, M.S., 2018, Thesis: Environmental Applications of Plasma Physics: Aerosolized Nanoparticle Decontamination using an Inductively Heated Plasma Device
Eva Kostadinova, Ph.D., 2017, (Co-Advisor) Dissertation: Spectral Approach to Transport Problems in Two-Dimensional Disordered Lattices: Physical Interpretation and Applications
Raziyeh Yousefi, Ph.D., 2015, Dissertation: An Investigation of Electrostatic Properties of Dust Grains in a Complex Plasma. Co-Founder at Compu-Flair, R&D Data Scientist at Castle Biosciences
Jonathan Perry, M.S., 2012, Thesis: Effect of Microphysical Interactions on Aggregate Morphologies
Qianyu (Theresa) Ma, Ph.D., 2011, Dissertation: Charging of Aggregate Grains in Astrophysical Environments
Post-Doctorate Research Fellows
Dr. Judith van Huijstee (2024-present)
Dr. Katrina Vermillion (2022-2024), Research Associate, Applied Research Laboratories, University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Jeremy Smallwood (2021-2022), Dodge Family Prize Fellowship in Astrophysics, University of Oklahoma
Dr. Chuchu Xiang (2020-2023), Post-doctoral research assistant, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Dr. Victor Land (2008-2012), Management Support Team, Qusoft, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Grants Funded
DOE Charging and Transport of Dust in the Presence of Magnetic Fields, (September 2023 - February 2027), $644,999
NSF Collaborative Research: Study of anisotropic dust interactions in the PK-4 experiment, (July 2023 - June 2026), $453,090
NASA Emerging Worlds (Co-PI) Experimental and numerical study of formation of chondrule dust rims, (January 2021 - December 2023), $587,914
NSF (Co-PI) Accretion and early structure of chondrule dust rims, (September 2020 - August 2023),$588,651
DOE/NSF Dust and Ions: Self Organization and Stability, (September 2020 - August 2023), $454,302
JPL (Co-PI) Dust Charging and Transport in Simulated Lunar Swirl Environments, (January 2020 - December 2020), $30,000
NSF (Co-PI): Onset of Turbulence in Dusty Plasma Liquids (August 2019- July 2022), $257,840.
NSF/DOE: Dynamics of strongly coupled complex plasma systems with directed ion flow (August 2017 - July 2020), $230,000.
NSF/NASA (Co-PI): PK-4: Self-ordering of interacting complex plasma particles in microgravity (June 2017 - May 2021), $540,000.
NSF/DOE: Collaborative Research: Fundamental Charging Processes of Dust in Complex Plasmas (September 2014- August 2017), $345,000.
NSF CAREER: Charging and Coagulation of Dust Grains In Astrophysical and Laboratory Environments (June 2009- May 2015), $436,658.
Recent Publications
N-body Simulation of Spinning Particle Pairs in a Complex Plasma Crystal, Z. Watson, S. Garcia-Rodriguez, J. Martinez-Ortiz, K. Vermillion, C. Carmichael, P. Adamson, L. Matthews, T. Hyde, and B. Wyatt, Fundamentals of Plasma Physics, 13, 100082, March, 2025. DOI 10.1016/j.fpp.2024.100082
Ion density waves driving the formation of filamentary dust structures, A. Mendoza, D. Jimenez Marti, L. S. Matthews, B. Rodriguez Saenz, P. Hartmann, E. Kostadinova, M. Rosenberg and T. W. Hyde, Physics of Plasmas, 32, 023705, February, 2025. DOI 10.1063/5.0241139
Rotating particle pair produces hot complex plasma crystals, C. Carmichael, J. Martinez-Ortiz, P. Adamson, L. S. Matthews and T. W. Hyde, Phys Rev E, 110(2), 025205, August, 2024. DOI 10.1103/PhysRevE.110.025205
Interacting Dust Grains in Complex Plasmas: Ion wake formation and electric potential, K. Vermillion, R. Banka, A. Mendoza, B. Wyatt, L. S. Matthews, and T. W. Hyde, Physics of Plasmas, 31, 073,731, July, 2024. DOI 10.1063/5.0203902 Cover Illustration
Physics and applications of dusty plasmas: The perspectives 2023, J. Beckers, J. Berndt, D. Block, et al., Featured Article in Physics of Plasmas, 30, 120601, December. 2023. DOI: 10.1063/5.0168088
Mechanical modification of chondrule fine-grained rims by dusty nebular shocks
A. Carballido, L. S. Matthews. R. D. Hanna, and T.W. Hyde, Planetary Science Journal, 4, 113, June 2023. DOI: 10.3847/PSJ/acd758
Modeling chondrule dust rim growth with ellipsoidal monomers
C. Xiang, L. S. Matthews, A. Carballido, and T. W. Hyde, Astrophysical Journal, 950,11, June 2023. DOI 10.3847/1538-4357/acc6c9
Evolution of Ion Wake Characteristics with Experimental Conditions
R. Banka, K. Vermillion, L. S. Matthews, T. W. Hyde, and L. Couedel, Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, 65, 044006, March, 2023. DOI: 10.1088/1361-6587/acbe62
Influence of temporal variations in plasma conditions on the electric potential near self-organized dust chains
K. Vermillion, D. Sanford, L.S. Matthews, P. Hartmann, M. Rosenberg, , E. G. Kostadinova, J. Carmona-Reyes, T. W. Hyde, , A. M. Lipaev, A. D. Usachev, A. V. Zobnin, O. Petrov, M. H. Thoma, M. Y. Pustylnik, H. M. Thomas, and A. Okchinin, Physics of Plasmas, 29, 023701, 2022. DOI: 10.1063/5.0075261, arXiv:2111.00374
Effect of ionization waves on dust chain formation in a DC discharge
L.S. Matthews, K. Vermillion, P. Hartmann, M. Rosenberg, S. Rostami, E. G. Kostadinova, T. W. Hyde, M. Y. Pustylnik, A. M. Lipaev, A. D. Usachev, A. V. Zobnin, M. H. Thoma, O. Petrov, H. M. Thomas, and O. V. Novitskiy, Journal of Plasma Physics, 87(6), 905870618, 2021. DOI: 10.1017/S0022377821001215, arXiv:2107.10367
Fractional Laplacian Spectral Approach to Turbulence in a Dusty Plasma Monolayer
E. Kostadinova, R. Banka, J. Padgett, C. Liaw, L. Matthews, and T. Hyde, Physics of Plasmas, 28,073705, 2021. DOI: 10.1063/5.0047649, arXiv:2102.09344
A machine learning-based Bayesian optimization solution to nonlinear responses in dusty plasmas
Z. Ding, L. S. Matthews and T. W. Hyde, Machine Learning Science and Technology, 2,035017,2021. doi.org/10.1088/2632-2153/abe7b7, arXiv:2010.12132
The initial structure of chondrule dust rims II: charged grains
C. Xiang, A. Carballido, L. S. Matthews, and T. W. Hyde, Icarus, 354, 114053, Jan 2021. doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2020.114053, arXiv:1911.00981
Ionization waves in the PK-4 direct current neon discharge
P. Hartmann, M. Rosenberg, Z. Juhasz, L. Matthews, D. Sanford, K. Vermillion, J. Reyes, T. Hyde, Plasma Sources Science and Technology, 29(11), 115014, November 2020. DOI: 10.1088/1361-6595/abb955
Dust as probes: determining confinement and interaction forces
K. S. Ashrafi, R. Yousefi, M. Chen, L.S. Matthews, and T.W. Hyde, Physical Review E, 102, 043210, October 2020. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.102.043210, arXiv: 2002.08251
Detailed model of the growth of fluffy dust aggregates in a protoplanetary disk: Effects of nebular conditions
C. Xiang,, A. Carballido, L. S. Matthews, and T. W. Hyde, Astrophysical Journal, 897(2), 182, July 2020. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ab96c2, arXiv:1911.04589
Anomalous Diffusion in One-Dimensional Disordered Systems: A Discrete Fractional Laplacian Method (Part I) J. Padgett, E. Kostadinova, C. Liaw, K. Busse, L. Matthews, and T. Hyde, Journal of Physics A, 53, 135205, April 3 2020. DOI: 10.1088/1751-8121/ab7499 arXiv:1907.10824
Dust charging in dynamic ion wakes
L.S. Matthews, D.L. Sanford, E. Kostadinova, K.S. Ashrafi, E. Guay, and T.W. Hyde, Physics of Plasmas, 27, 023703, February 2020. DOI: 10.1063/1.5124246. Scilight DOI: 10.1063/10.0000789
Nonlinear mode coupling and internal resonance observed in a dusty plasma
Z. Ding, K. Qiao, N. Ernst, J. Kong, L. S. Matthews, and T. W. Hyde, New Journal of Physics, 21, 103051, October 2019. DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/ab4d95
A complete publication list can be found on BearDocs
