Welcome to Physics
We’ve put together some interesting resources and recordings for you to access prior to joining us in September and we hope you’ll find time to enjoy some of these over the Summer. We look forward to welcoming you here soon!
Royal Holloway is a major centre for Physics research-led teaching and our research portfolio has continued to expand since its origins in the late 1800’s. The department has world-leading expertise ranging from the study of supercooled liquids used by quantum computers to colliding particles close to the speed of light to learn about the fundamental properties of matter. In addition, over the last few years, four new lecturers have been appointed to work on astronomy and astrophysics, study supernovae, the collisions of black holes and the cosmological properties of the universe. You will be part of this research when you join the department as a member of our vibrant international community.
Physics opportunities for you
What our students say
'It's been my second home'
"The department went the extra mile to make us feel welcome"
Physics students at their graduation talk about their experiences of the department and studying at Royal Holloway.
Watch here
"We all have our Eureka moments!"
Hear what our students say about their teaching and learning experiences in the Department of Physics
Watch here
Useful links and resources
If you find yourself with some time on your hands, there are opportunities to recap on subjects you’ll find useful and to test your knowledge at the following link
o Maths made easy and Physics revision: link here
Useful links
Some good resources related to physics can be found at the links below:
- STFC particle physics: link here
- CERN resources for students: link here
- IoP I am a student: link here
Find out about our fieldwork opportunities and links with CERN
New Developments
We're excited to be currently renovating our astrodome with a new 17-inch telescope thanks to £150k funding from the University of London's Perren fund for astronomy. Available for use by staff and students, the astrodome is on the roof of our Physics building right at the heart of our Egham 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.
More about Royal Holloway Astronomy
The Royal Holloway Astronomy group specialises in the study of black holes and ultra-compact neutron stars using gravitational waves. We study some of the most captivating astronomical objects: black holes, where gravity is so strong not even light can escape, and neutron stars composed of superdense nuclear matter supported only by quantum degeneracy pressure. When black holes and neutron stars collide, they produce ripples in spacetime called gravitational waves. In 2015, the 4km long LIGO laser interferometers made the first-ever detection of gravitational waves from colliding black holes. Since then, we have seen nearly 100 collisions, enabling a new way to study the Universe: gravitational-wave astronomy.
Royal Holloway is a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and has links to the LISA Consortium and the Cosmic Explorer Collaboration, which are building the instruments of the future.
Discover more
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 these:
Stay in touch with us
You can keep up to date on our departmental Newsfeed and you'll find latest activity and updates from our Physics community on our LinkedIn page
Check out the webpage for Physoc here - a central part of your experience as a physics student at Royal Holloway. Also follow Physoc on LinkedIn and Instagram!
You're welcome to email physics-admissions@rhul.ac.uk with any specific questions
Be prepared
Find out more about preparing for university life on the general pages of our Applicant Activity Hub
If you're joining us via an integrated foundation year, you may also find this page useful:
An introduction to the link between teaching inspired by research
Professor Veronique Boisvert
Veronique Boisvert talks about how cutting edge research in Particle Physics underpins her teaching at Royal Holloway, University of London, creating an inspiring learning community for our students
