UT Physics and Astronomy is where fascination meets function. We explore the deep questions of the universe and provide the scientific foundation for discovery that yields the technologies in your pocket, and those of tomorrow.

Our department is driven by an engaged faculty pursuing the fundamental research required for solving real-world problems. Our physicists helped put Tennessee on the periodic table. They tame the complexity of quantum materials with artificial intelligence. They study explosive stellar events and search for new physics beyond the Standard Model. They describe the properties of nuclei and neutrons and test the limits of superconductivity with novel materials. They merge physics and biology at the cellular level with lab-on-a-chip devices. And at every step, they are training the next generation of physicists, both in the classroom and in their research groups.