Rensselaer’s physics faculty members perform research in astrophysics, computational physics, condensed matter physics, optics, nuclear and particle physics, as well as physics education. The Physics department also hosts 10 to 20 visitors and other short-term faculty at any one time. Many collaborate with faculty members in other Rensselaer departments or with scientists at industrial and government research laboratories around the world. Undergraduates play a very important role in this program.