Cosmology and astrophysics:

I am investigating a number of problems in modern cosmology, particularly those connected to dark matter, dark energy and the holographic conjecture. I am also interested in how these issues relate to the various large-number coincidences of modern cosmology. Several of my recent publications explore a proposed scaling law among fundamental constants that may explain the amount of dark energy observed in the Universe.

I also have developed a javascript cosmology calculator that calculates a variety of cosmic parameters for the past, present or future. My cosmology calculator does not work on Internet Explorer, which, unfortunately, does not handle standard javaScript.

• S. Funkhouser, Scaling law for the cosmological constant from quantum cosmology with seven extras dimensions, to appear in International Journal of Theoretical Physics (accepted Jan2007), physics/0610052
• S. Funkhouser, The Large Number Coincidence, the Cosmic Coincidence and the Critical Acceleration, Proc. Roy. Soc. A 462, 2076 (2006), physics/0502049
• CDMS Collaboration, Limits on spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon interactions from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search, Phys. Rev. D 73, 011102(R)(2006), astro-ph/0509269
• S. Funkhouser, Testing MOND with VIRGOHI21, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 364, 237 (2005), astro-ph/0503104
• CDMS Collaboration, Exclusion Limits on the WIMP-Nucleon Cross-Section from the First Run of the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search in the Soudan Underground Lab, Phys. Rev. D72 (2005) 052009
• B. Morgan, N.J.C. Spooner, M.S. Funkhouser, D.H.H. Hoffmann, J. Jacoby, D.P. Snowden-Ifft, K. Zioutas, Searches for solar Kaluza-Klein axions with gas TPCs, Astroparticle Physics, Vol.23, No.3, pages 287-302, (2005).

Atomic physics:

My research in atomic physics is an outgrowth of my dissertation work in the field of heavy ion inertial fusion with the Accelerator and Fusion Research Division of Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the Department of Nuclear Engineering at UCBerkeley. The objective of my research was to develop a semi-empirical model of the effective charge of a beam of ions penetrating a dense plasma target. However, in the course of investigating the associated atomic theory I discovered a simple logarithmic formula that models very well the average orbital velocity of any electron in any atom or ion. I continue to investigate the implications of my new logarithmic atomic model and I am working to develop a reliable empirical formula that models effective charge of a beam penetrating a dense plasma.

• S. Funkhouser, A deeper significance to the Betz effective charge formula, Physics Letters A, 299 No.4 pp.377-382, 8July2002
• S. Funkhouser, A universal ionic valence velocity scaling, Phys Rev A Dec2001, 64 No.6 pp064502/1-4
• D. Mueller et al., Multiple electron stripping of 3.4MeV/amu Kr+7 and Xe+11 in nitrogen, Physics of Plasmas May, 2001, 8 No.5, pp. 1753-6