Likun Zhang
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy; Senior Scientist I at the National Center for Physical Acoustics
Dr. Likun Zhang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Mississippi. He is also a Senior Scientist I with the Jamie Whitten National Center for Physics Acoustics at UM.
Research Interests
My research interests are centered on physical fluid dynamics and acoustics, focusing on how physical phenomena interact with the environment and how these interactions can be harnessed for practical applications in oceans, climate, space, and biotechnologies. My work is categorized into three main areas:
- Ocean physics — Investigating surface/internal wave dynamics, underwater acoustics, and the application of data science to enhance our understanding of ocean mixing, climate processes, and underwater acoustics applications.
- Fluid physics — Examining fluid dynamics and transport phenomena at small scales, emphasizing fluid containment and control strategies on the earth and in microgravity conditions.
- Acoustofluidics physics — Developing theories and applications of sound waves for the transport and manipulation of fluids or suspended particles without physical contact, with particular interest in cell manipulations, bioprinting techniques, and tissue engineering.
Our research group has a well-established background in theoretical analyses and modeling, and also conduct numerical simulations, laboratory experiments, and data analysis. This multidisciplinary approach involves fluid dynamics, acoustics, physics, oceanography, engineering design and manufacturing, and data science. We collaborate with oceanographers, geophysicists, engineers, computer scientists, and others, providing a rich environment for students with diverse backgrounds and interests. We welcome motivated students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting scholars to join our group, which is based in the National Center for Physical Acoustics building on campus. Feel free to contact us or visit us in person.
Our current research spans a variety of topics, including wave dynamics in oceans for climate modeling, fluid behavior in microgravity for space processing, underwater acoustics for environmental monitoring, and acoustic methods for non-contact manipulation in biotechnology development. Our work is widely supported by external agencies, including NOAA, the Gulf Research Program, NASA, NSF, and ONR.
For a detailed view of our contributions, please check our publications on Google Scholar.
Biography
Dr. Likun Zhang earned his B.S. in Acoustics from Nanjing University in 2003. He then earned his M.S. in Physics/Acoustics from Washington State Univeristy and Nanjing University, followed by the Ph.D. in Physics from Washington State University in 2012.
Dr. Zhang served as a Postdoctoral Fellow (2012-15) and Research Associate (2015-16) from the University of Texas at Austin. He joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi in 2016.
He holds memberships in American Physical Society (APS), Acoustical Society of America (ASA), and American Geophysical Union (AGU). He is the Associate and Coordinating Editor in Physical Acoustics for The Journal of Acoustical Society of America and Associate Editor for Ultrasonics.
Courses Taught
- Phys 211 Physics for Science & Engineering
- Phys 212 Physics for Science and Engineering II
- Phys 308 Mathematical Physics
- Phys 605 Advanced Acoustics
- Phys 637 Fluid Dynamics
- Phys 651 Mathematical Methods of Physics I
- Phys 652 Mathematical Methods of Physics II
- Phys 709 Advanced Mechanics I
- Phys 710 Advanced Mechanics II
Education
Ph.D. Physics, Washington State University (2012)
Recognitions
- Invited international speaker, University of Lille, France, 2023
- R. Bruce Lindsay Award, Acoustical Society of America, 2021
- Keynote speaker, Acoustofluidics meeting, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France, 2018
- Frederick V. Hunt Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Acoustical Society of America, 2013-14
- Outstanding Teaching Assistant of the Year, American Association of Physics, 2009