Aurel Bulgac

Aurel Bulgac is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Washington, part of the College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on quantum many-body nuclear physics, nuclear theory, and superfluid systems. He specializes in time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) and its applications to nuclear fission, vortex dynamics in superfluids, and cold atomic gases.

• Affiliations: Nuclear Theory Group, Department of Physics, University of Washington

Research Interests: Exploring the dynamics of strongly interacting fermionic systems, including nuclear fission processes, vortex behavior in superfluids, and quantum turbulence. His work combines advanced computational methods like quantum Monte Carlo and high-performance computing to model complex phenomena such as neutron star crust dynamics and unitary Fermi gases.

Key Contributions: Developed frameworks for real-time simulations of nuclear fission, quantized vortices, and superfluid turbulence. His research bridges nuclear physics, condensed matter, and quantum many-body theory, with applications to neutron stars and cold atoms.

• Scientific Awards: Fellow of the American Physical Society, APS Outstanding Referee

Grants & Advising: Leads projects supported by initiatives like the UNEDF collaboration, focusing on computational nuclear physics. Advises students on topics spanning nuclear dynamics and quantum simulations. Active in developing numerical tools like the LISE and W-SLDA packages for simulating fermionic systems.

Labs/Teams: Member of the Nuclear Theory Group at UW, collaborating internationally on projects involving fission dynamics, vortex physics, and computational methods.