Andrew James Steinmetz, Ph.D.
Employment
Position |
Department |
Institution |
Dates |
Global Professor |
Department of Physics |
The University of Arizona |
Nov. 2023 – Present |
Global Professor |
Arizona College of Technology |
Hebei University of Technology |
Feb. 2024 – Present |
Adjunct Faculty |
Physics & Astronomy Department |
Pima Community College |
June 2020 – Dec. 2023 |
Education
Degree |
Field |
Institution |
Dates |
Ph.D. |
Physics |
The University of Arizona |
2023 |
B.S. |
Physics |
The University of Arizona |
2014 |
B.S. |
Chemical Engineering |
The University of Arizona |
2014 |
Research Interests
- Relativistic Spin Dynamics: Exploring non-minimal (and nonlinear) electromagnetism (EM) in quantum mechanics utilizing the Klein-Gordon-Pauli (KGP) equation, or classically via modifying the covariant Thomas-Bargman-Michel-Telegdi (TMBT) torque equation.
- Neutrino Physics: EM mixing of neutrino flavor through transition magnetic dipole moments as a possible probe of the hierarchy problem. Exploring possible EM-induced neutrino mass splitting.
- Cosmic Magnetization: Magnetized spin-polarized thermal plasmas during the electron-positron and quark-gluon-plasma (QGP) epochs as a possible origin of primordial magnetic fields (PMF).
Dissertation
- Title: Modern Topics in Relativistic Spin Dynamics and Magnetism
- Committee: Prof. Johann Rafelski (Chair), Prof. Shufang Su (Member), Prof. John Rutherfoord (Member), Prof. Stefan Meinel (Member), Prof. Sean Fleming (Member)
- HDL: http://hdl.handle.net/10150/670301 Presentation: 10.13140/RG.2.2.24323.27689
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
- Steinmetz, A., Rafelski, J. “Short note on spin magnetization in QGP.” Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. (2025). 10.1140/epjs/s11734-025-01625-9
- Birrell, J., Formanek, M., Steinmetz, A., Yang, C. T., Rafelski, J. “Fermi-Dirac Integrals in Degenerate Regimes: Novel Asymptotic Expansion.” Int. J. Theor. Phys. 63, 163 (2024). 10.1007/s10773-024-05695-8
- Rafelski, J., Steinmetz, A., Yang, C. T. “Dynamic fermion flavor mixing through transition dipole moments.” IJMPA 38.31 (2023): 2350163. 10.1142/S0217751X23501634
- Steinmetz, A., Yang, C. T., Rafelski, J. “Matter-antimatter origin of cosmic magnetism.” Phys. Rev. D 108 (2023): 123522. 10.1103/PhysRevD.108.123522
- Formanek, M., Steinmetz, A., Rafelski, J. “Motion of classical charged particles with magnetic moment in external plane-wave electromagnetic fields.” Phys. Rev. A 103.5 (2021): 052218. 10.1103/PhysRevA.103.052218
- Formanek, M., Steinmetz, A., Rafelski, J. “Radiation reaction friction: Resistive material medium.” Phys. Rev. D 102.5 (2020): 056015. 10.1103/PhysRevD.102.056015
- Formanek, M., Steinmetz, A., Rafelski, J. “Classical neutral point particle in linearly polarized EM plane wave field.” Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 61.8 (2019): 084006. 10.1088/1361-6587/ab242e
- Steinmetz, A., Formanek, M., Rafelski, J. “Magnetic dipole moment in relativistic quantum mechanics.” Eur. Phys. J. A 55, 40 (2019). 10.1140/epja/i2019-12715-5
- Formanek, M., Evans, S., Rafelski, J., Steinmetz, A., Yang, C. T. “Strong fields and neutral particle magnetic moment dynamics.” Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 60.7 (2018). 10.1088/1361-6587/aac06a
- Rafelski, J., Formanek, M., Steinmetz, A. “Relativistic dynamics of point magnetic moment.” Eur. Phys. J. C 78 (2018): 1-12. 10.1140/epjc/s10052-017-5493-2
Book Chapters & Review Articles
- Rafelski, J., Birrell, J., Grayson, C., Steinmetz, A., Yang, C. T. “Quarks to cosmos: particles and plasma in cosmological evolution.” Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. (in press, 2025). 10.48550/arXiv.2409.19031
- Rafelski, J., Steinmetz, A., Yang, C. T. “Dynamic Flavor Mixing Through Transition Moments.” Harald Fritzsch Memorial Volume, pp. 269-284 (2024). 10.1142/9789811292279_0015
- Rafelski, J., Birrell, J., Steinmetz, A., Yang, C.T. “A Short Survey of Matter-Antimatter Evolution in the Primordial Universe.” Universe 9.7 (2023): 309. 10.3390/universe9070309
Works in Progress
- Steinmetz, A., Evans, S., Formanek, M., Grayson, C., Labun, L., Price, W., Rafelski, J. “Strong fields in classical and quantum physics.” (in preparation, 2025).
- Steinmetz, A., Rafelski, J. “Magnetized primordial heavy-quark plasma.” (in preparation, 2025).
- Steinmetz, A., Yang, C. T., Rafelski, J. “Electromagnetic field forcing of dynamic CP-violation in lepton sector.” (in preparation, 2025).
- Evans, S., Steinmetz, A. “Anomalous magnetic moment in the QCD vacuum.” (in preparation, 2025).
Public Outreach
- Steinmetz, A. (2024, November 7). Proving that SU(2) is compact (and other group theory bits). https://ajsteinmetz.github.io/mathematics/2024/11/07/su2-compactness.html
- Steinmetz, A. (2024, October 17). Einstein’s mass-energy and kinetic energy. https://ajsteinmetz.github.io/physics/2024/10/17/kinetic-energy-coefficient.html
- Steinmetz, A. (2024, October 16). Can we ever detect the graviton? https://ajsteinmetz.github.io/physics/2024/10/16/graviton-detector.html
Conference Presentations & Departmental Talks
- Title: Primordial Cosmic Magnetism. Event: SMT 30th Anniversary Steward Observatory Symposium. The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. September 22, 2023. 10.13140/RG.2.2.19213.24806
- Title: Magnetism in the Cosmic Plasma Epoch. Event: ELI-Beamlines Strong Fields Frontiers. The Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, Prague, Czech Republic. June 13, 2023. 10.13140/RG.2.2.32635.02087
- Title: Magnetism in the Cosmic Plasma Epoch. Event: Margaret Island Symposium on Particles and Plasmas. HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary. June 8, 2023. 10.13140/RG.2.2.29279.57762
- Title: Relativistic Two-Body Quantum Mechanics. Event: Physics Department Grad Talk. The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona. March, 2017.
Teaching Experience (as Instructor-of-Record)*
Course # |
Course Title |
Delivery Method |
# of Sections |
# of Students |
Institution |
Semester |
PHYS 371 |
Quantum Theory |
In-person |
1 |
75 |
UA/ACT |
Spring 2025 |
PHYS 381 |
Methods in Exp. Physics I |
In-person |
2 |
67 |
UA/ACT |
Spring 2025 |
PHYS 321 |
Theoretical Mechanics |
In-person |
2 |
139 |
UA/ACT |
Fall 2024 |
PHYS 382 |
Methods in Exp. Physics II** |
In-person |
2 |
46 |
UA/ACT |
Fall 2024 |
ENGR 498A |
Senior Design/Capstone** |
In-person |
1 |
43 |
UA/ACT |
Fall 2024 |
PHYS 240 |
Intro. Electricity & Magnetism |
In-person |
3 |
203 |
UA/ACT |
Spring 2024 |
PHYS 381 |
Methods in Exp. Physics I** |
In-person |
2 |
50 |
UA/ACT |
Spring 2024 |
* Recent student course evaluations available upon request.
** First time offered at this institution. Designed, developed, and delivered curriculum.
- Adjunct Courses at PCC (Physics & Astronomy Dept., as Instructor-of-Record): Intro. Physics I/II (2020, 2021, 2023), The Solar System (2020–2023), Intro. Electricity \& Magnetism (2022)
- TA Courses at UA (Dept. of Physics, Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry): Intro. to Scientific Computing (2017), Intro. Electricity \& Magnetism (2017), Methods in Exp. Physics I/II (2018, 2019), Intro. Mechanics I/II Lab (2020), Intro. Physics I/II Lab (2020), General Chemistry I(Honors)/II Lab (2019, 2021–2023)
- Key: UA (The University of Arizona), ACT (Arizona College of Technology, Hebei University of Technology), PCC (Pima Community College)
Academic Service
- Organizer, Undergraduate Journal Club, Hebei University of Technology, (2025).
- Member, Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Faculty Search Committee, (2024, 2025).
- Reviewer for Physical Review D, Physical Review Research, Modern Physics Letters A, International Journal of Modern Physics A, MDPI Universe, and ICPMS 2025.
Press
- World Scientific Publishing. (2025, January 9). World Scientific Publishing on LinkedIn: The International Journal of Modern Physics A (IJMPA) celebrates 40 Years… LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/world-scientific-publishing_the-international-journal-of-modern-physics-activity-7282999555967610880-SJ78
- Kong, X. (2024, March 20) Professor Andrew Steinmetz of the University of Arizona Visited the Physics Demonstration and Exploration Laboratory. Physics Experiments at HEBUT, Hebei University of Technology.
- The University of Arizona, Department of Physics. (2024, January 26). Announcing Department of Physics new Faculty Member Prof. Andrew Steinmetz. UA Science Physics. https://w3.physics.arizona.edu/news/announcing-department-physics-new-faculty-member-prof-andrew-steinmetz
- The University of Arizona, Department of Physics. (2023, July 25). International Symposium on “Particles and Plasmas” and “Strong Fields.” UA Science Physics. https://w3.physics.arizona.edu/news/international-symposium-particles-and-plasmas-and-strong-fields
- Springer. (2018, January 29). Relativity matters: Two opposing views of the magnetic force reconciled. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2018-01-relativity-opposing-views-magnetic.html (also published in: EPJ C Highlight, Springer Press, ScienceDaily, EuroPhysicsNews, EurekAlert!, Science Newsline, Sky Nightly, Space Daily)
Other Links and Websites