Introduction

Dany Yaacoub, a visionary second-year master’s student from the physics department, has achieved an extraordinary milestone by having his research paper accepted for publication in *Physical Review Letters*, the foremost journal in the field of physics. What makes this accomplishment even more astonishing is that the research originated from a class project during the spring semester of 2024.

Research Focus

Yaacoub's paper delves deep into the complexities of plasma physics, presenting innovative simulations along with a novel model designed to calculate the mobility of nuclei within plasmas. "Plasmas represent an ionized state of matter, filled with positively charged nuclei and free electrons," Yaacoub explains. "In fact, plasma constitutes the majority of ordinary matter in the universe, both by mass and volume."

Ranging from the vast expanses of the interstellar medium to the colossal bodies of stars, plasma dominates the cosmic landscape. "Contrary to popular belief, solids, liquids, and gases are actually exceptions in the grand scheme of things," he adds.

Project Origins

Yaacoub’s research journey commenced in his PHY 462 class on Astrophysics, where he had the chance to pick a final project. Capitalizing on this opportunity, he aimed to direct his computational research toward crystallized plasmas as part of his master’s thesis.

"Many people assume that plasmas only arise at high temperatures, similar to gases, but there are far more varieties of plasma," he explains. "Under intense pressure, plasmas can actually crystallize, forming solids. This phenomenon can be observed in the dense remnants of stars, like white dwarfs and neutron stars."

Coulomb Crystals and Research Significance

These unique structures, known as 'Coulomb crystals,' have significantly less research devoted to them, leaving many aspects—especially the diffusion of particles within these structures—relatively unexplored until now. Thanks to advancements in supercomputing at Iowa State University, Yaacoub's research made significant progress.

"Running these simulations over several days generates sufficient data needed for theoretical modeling," states Dr. Matt Caplan, an associate professor of physics and Yaacoub’s research advisor. He further emphasizes that such simulations were simply unattainable in the past due to limited computing power and resources.

"Today, we can extract vast amounts of data—terabytes upon terabytes—with modern supercomputers," Caplan notes. "The challenge now is making sense of this data to forge new scientific pathways, a task that demands the skill of a talented researcher like Dany."

Collaboration and Impact

Yaacoub’s groundbreaking work is backed by the Simons Collaboration on Extreme Electrodynamics of Compact Sources (SCEECS), an esteemed group of theoretical physicists investigating phenomena related to black holes and neutron stars. His results are set to influence scientific research across the United States, Canada, and Israel.

"The intense gravitational pressure of a neutron star compresses its plasma to densities that are trillions of times greater than any matter found on Earth, effectively solidifying the nuclei," explains Caplan, who also collaborates with SCEECS. "Yaacoub has revealed that the diffusion process in these environments is fundamentally 'universal'—independent of the specific temperature, density, or composition of the plasma. This knowledge not only shows how swiftly these materials can flow but also reveals their responses to external stresses, ultimately shedding light on phenomena like starquakes."

A Journey at Iowa State University

Yaacoub’s journey at Iowa State University began when he became the first master’s student to enter the physics department’s newly established program, right after completing his bachelor’s degree in physics in spring 2023. To further his research with Dr. Caplan, he opted to remain at ISU as a non-degree seeking graduate student until the program's official launch in March 2024, after which he became the inaugural graduate student in the physics program.

"It's been a calculated risk to engage in research before the master’s program was officially established," Yaacoub reflects with a confident smile. "But as theoretical physicists, we excel at navigating complex calculations."

Conclusion

This breakthrough by Dany Yaacoub not only highlights his academic prowess but also paves the way for future explorations in the fascinating world of plasma physics. Keep an eye on this rising star, as he is poised to revolutionize our understanding of this fundamental state of matter!