Texas Tech University

Thomas Gibson, Ph.D

Associate Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy

Email: Thomas.Gibson@ttu.edu

Phone: (806) 834-1561

Office: 27 Science Building

Ph. D. Physics, University of Oklahoma (1982)

B. S. Physics, Cameron University (1977)

Thomas Gibson

Web Links

Research Interests

Much of my current work centers on the development and use of modern computational techniques, especially highly concurrent methods. In the late spring of 2000 my group constructed the department's original 16-node Beowulf cluster (named Gamera) for under $15,000 to support our research. A newer and more powerful 16-node cluster (Gamera Mark V) with quad-core processors went online in February of 2008. These systems have been used to study positron-molecule collisions as well as Monte Carlo simulations of surface flashover for high-voltage applications and models of lipids in cell membranes.

Selected Publications

  • Paper: J. Franz , F. A. Gianturco, K. L. Baluja, J. Tennyson, R. Carey, R. Montuoro, R. R. Lucchese, T. Stoecklin, P. Nichols, T. L. Gibson,  "Correlation-Polarization Effects In Electron/Positron Scattering  From Acetylene: A Comparison Of Computational Models,"  Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B 266, 425-434 (2008).
  • Paper: J.T.Krile, A.A. Neuber, H.G. Krompholz, and T.L. Gibson,  "Monte Carlo Simulation of High Power Microwave Window Breakdown at Atmospheric Conditions,"  Applied Physics Letters 89, 201501 (2006).
  • Paper: F.A. Gianturco, P. Nichols, T.L. Gibson, and R.R. Lucchese, "Metastable Trapping of Low-Energy Positrons by Cubane: A Computational Experiment," Phys. Rev. A 72, 032724 (2005).
  • Paper: F.A. Gianturco, T.L. Gibson, P. Nichols, R.R. Lucchese, and T. Nishimura, "Modeling Dynamical Correlation Forces in Low-Energy Positron Scattering From Polyatomic Gasses: A Comparison For CH4 ," Radiat. Phys. Chem. 68, 673-680 (2003).
  • Book Chapter: R.R. Lucchese, F.A. Gianturco, P. Nichols, and T.L. Gibson, "A Test Calculation on SF6 of Model Potentials for Correlation and Polarization Effects in Positron Scattering From Molecules," pages 475-492 in New Directions in Antimatter Chemistry and Physics, edited by Clifford M. Surko and Franco A. Gianturco, (Kluwer Scientific, 2001).