Gary S. Collins

Present Position
Professor of Physics
Member, Materials Science and Engineering Program

Education
Bachelor of Arts, Physics, Rutgers College
Doctor of Philosophy, Physics, Rutgers University

Research Interests
Application of hyperfine interaction methods to study the local structure and properties of solids, in particular using a radioactive probe method, perturbed angular correlation of gamma rays (PAC):

• Point defects and defect interactions
• Lattice location of dilute solutes in compounds
• Diffusion studied by measuring jump frequencies of radioactive probe atoms

Our work in the latter two areas has been pioneering.  Our group is the principal one in the US currently using PAC to study solids. More information and downloads of publications can be found at http://defects.physics.wsu.edu.  This work has been funded at WSU by seven single-investigator grants from the National Science Foundation (Metals Program). 

Related Courses Taught
Solid-State Physics; Thermal and Statistical Physics; ad hoc seminars in solid-state spectroscopies and in defects in solids.

Recent Publications
Change of diffusion mechanism with lattice parameter in the series of lanthanide indides having L12 structure, Gary S. Collins, Xia Jiang, John P. Bevington, Farida Selim and Matthew O. Zacate, Physical Review Letters 102, 155901 (2009).

Site preferences of indium impurity atoms in intermetallics having Al3Ti or Al3Zr crystal structures, John P. Bevington, Farida Selim and Gary S. Collins Hyperfine Interactions 177, numbers 1-3, June 2008.     
DOI: 10.1007/s10751-008-9615-y.

Diffusion of 111Cd probes in Ga7Pt3 studied via nuclear quadrupole relaxation, Farida Selim, John P. Bevington and Gary S. Collins, Hyperfine Interactions 178, numbers 1-3, July 2008.  DOI: 10.1007/s10751-008-9663-3.

Nonstoichiometry in line compounds, Gary S. Collins, Journal of Materials Science 42, 1915-1919 (2007), http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10853-006-0055-2).

PAC probes as diffusion tracers in solids, Gary S. Collins, AurÈlie Favrot, Li Kang, Egbert Rein Nieuwenhuis, Denys Solodovnikov, Jipeng Wang and Matthew O. Zacate, Hyperfine Interactions (2005).

Diffusion in Intermetallic Compounds Studied Using Nuclear Quadrupole Relaxation, G.S. Collins, A. Favrot, L. Kang, D. Solodovnikov and M.O. Zacate, Defect and Diffusion Forum 237-240, 195-200 (2005).

Atom Movement in In3La studied via Nuclear Quadrupole Relaxation, Matthew O. Zacate, Aurélie Favrot and Gary S. Collins, Physical Review Letters 92, 225901 (2004); and Erratum, Physical Review Letters 93, 49903 (2004).

Composition-driven changes in lattice sites occupied by indium solutes in Ni2Al3 phases, Matthew O. Zacate and Gary S. Collins, Physical Review B70, 24202 (2004).

Temperature- and Composition-Driven Changes in Site Occupation of Indium Solutes in Gd1+3xAl2-3x, Matthew O. Zacate and Gary S. Collins, Physical Review B69, 174202 (2004).