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

  1. Steinmetz, A., Rafelski, J. “Short note on spin magnetization in QGP.” Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. (2025). 10.1140/epjs/s11734-025-01625-9
  2. 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
  3. Rafelski, J., Steinmetz, A., Yang, C. T. “Dynamic fermion flavor mixing through transition dipole moments.” IJMPA 38.31 (2023): 2350163. 10.1142/S0217751X23501634
  4. Steinmetz, A., Yang, C. T., Rafelski, J. “Matter-antimatter origin of cosmic magnetism.” Phys. Rev. D 108 (2023): 123522. 10.1103/PhysRevD.108.123522
  5. 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
  6. Formanek, M., Steinmetz, A., Rafelski, J. “Radiation reaction friction: Resistive material medium.” Phys. Rev. D 102.5 (2020): 056015. 10.1103/PhysRevD.102.056015
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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

  1. Steinmetz, A., Evans, S., Formanek, M., Grayson, C., Labun, L., Price, W., Rafelski, J. “Strong fields in classical and quantum physics.” (in preparation, 2025).
  2. Steinmetz, A., Rafelski, J. “Magnetized primordial heavy-quark plasma.” (in preparation, 2025).
  3. Steinmetz, A., Yang, C. T., Rafelski, J. “Electromagnetic field forcing of dynamic CP-violation in lepton sector.” (in preparation, 2025).
  4. Evans, S., Steinmetz, A. “Anomalous magnetic moment in the QCD vacuum.” (in preparation, 2025).

Public Outreach

  1. 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
  2. Steinmetz, A. (2024, October 17). Einstein’s mass-energy and kinetic energy. https://ajsteinmetz.github.io/physics/2024/10/17/kinetic-energy-coefficient.html
  3. 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

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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

  1. 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
  2. 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.
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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)