Jorge Leite Noronha, Jr

Jorge Leite Noronha, Jr
Jorge Leite Noronha, Jr
Associate Professor
(217) 244-3541
437B Loomis Laboratory

Education

  • Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics (summa cum laude), Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, 2007.
  • M.Sc. in Theoretical Physics, Brazilian Center for Physics Research, Brazil, 2004.
  • B.Sc. in Physics (cum laude), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2003.

Biography

Professor Jorge Noronha received his bachelors degree in Physics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil, in 2003. After completing his M.Sc. in 2004 at the Brazilian Center for Physical Research (CBPF), he went on to obtain his Ph.D. in Physics from the Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, in 2007. His Ph.D. thesis helped determine the properties of the ultradense matter present in the core of neutron stars in the presence of strong magnetic fields. Jorge was a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University in New York from 2008-2011 where he focused on the applications of string theory techniques (holographic correspondence) to investigate the dynamical properties of the quark-gluon plasma formed in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. From 2011-2019 Jorge was a faculty member at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, where he developed novel techniques to describe out-of-equilibrium phenomena in relativistic systems under extreme conditions. Jorge joined the Physics Department at UIUC in August 2019.

Academic Positions

  • Associate Director, Illinois Center for Advanced Studies of the Universe (ICASU), 2020 - present.
  • Associate Professor of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Nuclear Theory, 2019-present.
  • Associate Professor of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Nuclear Theory, 2017-2019.
  • Assistant Professor of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Nuclear Theory, 2011-2016.
  • Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Columbia University, NY, USA, Nuclear Theory, 2008-2011.

Research Statement

My research establishes connections between string theory, relativistic fluid dynamics, and kinetic theory to tackle outstanding problems in high energy nuclear theory that are beyond the reach of current first principles techniques. A prime example of this is the fluid-like behavior displayed by the quark-gluon plasma, an exotic phase of quantum chromodynamics that existed microseconds after the Big Bang in which quarks and gluons were not confined inside protons and neutrons. Tiny specks of this early Universe matter are now being copiously produced in heavy ion collision experiments, which have provided overwhelming evidence that the quark-gluon plasma flows like a nearly frictionless strongly coupled liquid over distance scales not much larger than the size of a proton. This makes the quark-gluon plasma formed in colliders the hottest, smallest, densest, most perfect fluid known to humanity. How such fluid dynamical behavior emerges from the fundamental interactions between quarks and gluons in quantum chromodynamics is one of the open problems that I want to shed light on through my research. I'm also interested in the novel properties displayed by viscous fluids and relativistic plasmas in general relativity and their applications in neutron star mergers and cosmology.

Research Interests

  • Holographic duality and its applications in the quark-gluon plasma formed in heavy-ion collisions.
  • Relativistic fluid dynamics and kinetic theory under strong electromagnetic and gravitational fields.
  • Quantum chromodynamics at finite temperature and density and applications in heavy-ion collisions and neutron star mergers.

Selected Articles in Journals

Honors

  • Affiliated Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (2015)
  • Gernot and Frank Carin Prize (2008)

Teaching Honors

  • Best Undergraduate Teacher (Professor Homenageado do Curso de Bacharelado) at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. (2015)

Recent Courses Taught

  • PHYS 101 - College Physics: Mech & Heat
  • PHYS 504 - Statistical Physics
  • PHYS 580 - Quantum Mechanics I

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