JOHN BELZ

Professor

Physics & Astronomy

  • Professor
    Physics & Astronomy

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Professor Belz’s interests span the scales from elementary particles to black holes. He studied weak interaction processes at accelerator labs and cosmic radiation at observatories in Utah’s western desert. A current project is based on the serendipitous discovery that cosmic ray detectors can shed light on gamma ray production in lightning. Recently he developed an interest in applying computational techniques to the study of gravitational collapse and the foundations of general relativity.

GRANTS

  • EXTERNAL GRANT OR CONTRACT
    The Microphysics of Lightning: Observing the Optical Emission from Downward Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes
    National Science Foundation1 Aug 2026 - 31 Jul 2025
    People funded by this grant:
    • Collaboration TA
    National Science Foundation
  • EXTERNAL GRANT OR CONTRACT
    PRECISION TESTS OF EINSTEIN'S EQUATIONS WITH AXISYMMETRIC NUMERICAL RELATIVITY
    NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION3 May 2024 - 31 Jul 2027
    NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
  • EXTERNAL GRANT OR CONTRACT
    Investigation of Downward Gamma Ray Showers from Natural Lightning
    National Science Foundation7 Jan 2019 - 31 Dec 2022
    National Science Foundation
  • EXTERNAL GRANT OR CONTRACT
    Investigating the Correlation between Lightning and High-Energy Particles in the Earth's Atmosphere
    NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION6 Jan 2016 - 31 Dec 2019
    NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
  • EXTERNAL GRANT OR CONTRACT
    A Radar Observatory for the Universe's Most Energetic Particles
    W. M. Keck Foundation7 Jan 2012 - 31 Dec 2017
    W. M. Keck Foundation
  • EXTERNAL GRANT OR CONTRACT
    COSMIC RAY RADAR
    NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION9 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2015
    NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
  • EXTERNAL GRANT OR CONTRACT
    DETECTING COSMIC RAYS BY RADAR
    NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION4 Jan 2010 - 31 Dec 2013
    NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
  • EXTERNAL GRANT OR CONTRACT
    HIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAYS
    NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION6 Jan 2006 - 31 Dec 2007
    NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION