Agnieszka Sorensen

Assistant Professor of Physics

About

Education and training

  • PhD, Physics, University of California Los Angeles, 2021

Research 

My research centers on bulk properties of dense strongly interacting matter, often summarized in the form of its equation of state (EOS) or phase diagram. These thermodynamic properties can yield key insights into the elementary mechanisms governing nuclear matter which, while in principle described by quantum chromodynamics (QCD), are most often inaccessible to direct QCD calculations. 

Determining the QCD EOS in extreme environments—such as supernova explosions, neutron stars and their mergers, and, in laboratories on Earth, relativistic collisions of heavy nuclei— can help answer the following broad questions: 

  • Does QCD matter undergo a first-order phase transition at finite baryon density? 
  • How does the isospin dependence of the EOS (i.e., the nuclear symmetry energy) evolve with density and temperature? 
  • How do the dominant nuclear matter degrees of freedom and their properties change as the thermodynamic variables are varied? 

I aim to answer these questions using collisions of heavy nuclei at relativistic speeds, which I model theoretically within semiclassical transport simulations. This research also benefits from close collaboration with complementary efforts, e.g., neutron star studies or ab initio calculations. 

How students can contribute as part of my research team 

Members of my group primarily work with transport model simulations. These computational frameworks are continuously developed to enable better interpretation of observables measured in upcoming FRIB and other heavy-ion collision experiments worldwide. Projects in my group include modeling key aspects of heavy-ion collision physics for simulations, introducing new modules to existing numerical frameworks, and confronting the numerical models with experimental data. 

As an advisor, my goal is to provide each student with ample support and numerous opportunities to grow within their chosen area, including through collaborations with other faculty at FRIB and elsewhere. Members of my group are also encouraged and supported in proposing independent lines of study. I help the students not only gain expertise in their thesis subject, but also develop the broad knowledge base, skills, and confidence necessary to engage with the larger nuclear theory community. 

Scientific publications