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Physics Department

Collins Science Center
Willamette University
900 State Street
Salem, Oregon 97301

503-370-6077 voice

503-370-6773 fax

tmorgan@willamette.edu

Rick Watkins
Professor; Chair
Collins Science Center 310
503-370-6373
rwatkins@willamette.edu

Rick Watkins

Education

B.A., Cornell University (1984)
Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara (1989)

Professional Interests

Dr. Watkins' research interests include Astrophysics, Cosmology, Particle Physics, and Sonoluminescence. His current project focuses on Sonoluminescence, a phenomenon where a small bubble bombarded by sound waves can be made to emit light. By studying the spectrum of the light emitted by bubbles containing different mixtures of noble gases, it is hoped that the as yet unexplained mechanism of light production can be better understood. Dr. Watkins is also continuing his ongoing work analyzing the large-scale flows of galaxies in the Universe.