About Faculty

Origins

The Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science (FPACS) is one of the fifteen Faculties of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow. The origins of the Faculty are dated back to 1919, when the Mining Academy was founded, within which the Chair of Physics was erected. It has undergone several organizational transformations until in 1991 the AGH Senate has decided to form the Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Techniques. In 2004 the name was changed to Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, accordingly to the changes in the fields of scientific and educational activity.

Teaching

Faculty offers several degree programmes leading to B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D degrees. The undergraduate programmes cover a seven semester basic bacalaureate programme. They are followed by three semester graduate programmes, leading to the M.Sc. degree in the following specialisations
in Medical Physics:

• Medical Physics and Dosimetry,

Technical Physics:

• Computer Physics,
• Solid State Physics,
• Nuclear Physics,
• Environmental Physics,

and Applied Computer Science:

• Computer Techniques in Science and Technology.

Faculty also welcomes students holding B.Sc. degrees from other educational institutions to join our day-time graduate studies programme in Technical Physics, leading to M.Sc. degree in the following specialisations: Computer Physics, Environmental Physics, Nuclear Physics and Solid State Physics.

Faculty members teach both general physics courses and selected braches of physics for students of twelve Faculties of the AGH-UST. The teaching covers both reading lectures as well as organizing physics problems exercise classes, group tutorials and laboratory work. Faculty's teaching assignments for students of other faculties include both undergraduate and graduate levels. Some of lectures are offered in English.

Faculty hosts a four year programme of Ph.D. Studies in Physics in the fields related to the research interests of Faculty members i.e. technical nuclear physics, condensed matter physics, high energy physics, nuclear electronics, environmental physics.

Faculty also offers a three semester Post-diploma Study for Teachers. The studies are held during weekend sessions and the are mainly intended for primary and secondary school teachers, who want to gain additional qualifications in: physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science, natural sciences and technical education.

Scientific research

Scientific activity of the Faculty comprises both basic and applied research in nuclear physics, solid state physics and physics of the environment. The most important research activities of the Faculty are:

• solid state electronics
• design of and data-processing from elementary particle experiments
• light elements isotope-ratios in environmental research
• studies of the variability of the Earth’s atmosphere
• investigations of structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of:
  • thin films and multilayered systems of nanometric and sub-nanometric thickness,
  • intermetallic compounds of rare-earths with 3-d transition metals and their interstitial solutions containing hydrogen, nitrogen or carbon,
  • high-temperature superconductors,
  • magnetic oxides,
  • oxides exhibiting “colossal” and giant magnetoresistance as well as
  • disordered materials
• fundamental research of elementary constituents of matter and their interactions via analysis of collisions of high-energy particle beams
• detection of ionizing radiation; design and construction of detectors
• determination of crystal and magnetic structures of the compunds resulting from phase transitions
• investigations of crystalline systems showing reduced degree of ordering
• modelling of plastic deformation and recrystalization processes
• search for new molecular compounds of the LED-type layer-structures
• dosimetry of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation
• theoretical investigations of physical foundations of biological processes
• theoretical investigations of the solid semiconductors and semi-conducting nanostructures
• theory of electron transport and electron-localization in low-dimensional and low-ordered structures
• modelling of semi-conducing nano-devices
• methods and equipment for neutron measurements of geological samples
• trace element concentrations measurements via neutron activation analysis
• physical, environmental and social-economical aspects of nuclear energetics
• non-invasion methods of medical diagnostics
• complex analysis of industrial flows with the use of radiotracers
• computer simulations of quantum theory of quantum dots
• interdisciplinary applications of computer simulations in solid state physics, biophysics and social sciences
• and other

The Faculty's research programs are carried out in close collaboration with many international laboratories and research centers:

• CERN, Genève, CH
• DESY, Hamburg, DE
• CNRS, Grenoble, FR
• ESRF, Grenoble, FR
• CEA, Grenoble, FR
• Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, RU
• International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, AU
• Paul Scherrer Institute, CH
• INFN, Turin, IT
• Particle Physics Department, University of Berkeley, California, USA
• Charles University, Prague, CZ
• University of Linz, AU
• University of Antwerp, BE
• Cologne University, DE
• University Paris-XIII, FR
• Technical University, Vienna, AU
• Medical University, Graz, AU
• Universidad del Pais Vasco, San Sebastian, ES
• Royal Polytechnic Stockholm, SE
• Institute of Nuclear Physics, St. Petersburg, RU
• Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow, PL
• Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, PL
• and others

and its scientific achievements are internationally recognized. Many research projects are carried out within the European Framework Programmes.

Brief history of the Faculty

The first Department of Physics at the University of Mining was established in 1919. Its Head, Professor Jan Stock, was also creator of the first physics teaching facilities, i.e. a student laboratory of general physics and a collection of physical experiments used to illustrate lectures. In 1925, his post was taken over by Professor Mieczysław Jeżewski, who together with his colleagues started research activities focused mainly on the properties of dielectrics and liquid crystals.

In 1934, one of Professor Jeżewski's assistants, Dr Marian Mięsowicz, took up an independent and pioneering research on hydrodynamics of liquid crystals, which resulted in a discovery of anisotropy of viscosity. Professor Mięsowicz's works are commonly recognised as fundamental and ones which constitute a reference for contemporary investigations in this field. At the end of the 1930s, Professor Mięsowicz turned his scientific interests towards nuclear physics. After World War II, the community of University physicists was divided into two Departments. Professor Jeżewski became Head of the 1st Department of Physics and carried on his research on dielectrics and magnetic materials, while Professor Mięsowicz took over the 2nd Department of Physics and started intensive research on cosmic radiation. In the mid-fifties, Professor Mięsowicz headed a group of Krakow elementary-particle physicists of various affiliations. The group, collaborating closely with the University of Mining and Metallurgy, was actually the first Krakow department of the Warsaw Institute of Nuclear Research; at the end of the 1950s the group was incorporated into the structure of the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Krakow. Today, the complex of buildings at Kawiory Street houses the Marian Mięsowicz Centre of High Energy Physics. In this centre, the physicists of the University of Mining and Metallurgy, the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Krakow and the Jagiellonian University work together.

In 1962, the 2nd Department of Physics was transformed into the first University Institute of Nuclear Techniques. Five years later its name was changed into the Inter-branch Institute of Physics and Nuclear Techniques at the University of Mining and Metallurgy. Professor Leopold Jurkiewicz was its first Head. Finally, in 1991, by a decision of the University Senate, the Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Techniques was established. This meant a complete re-integration of the University physicists into one organisation, and resulted in a unification of teaching physics, and in a certain "standardisation" of the profile of University graduates. Also, the possibility of education leading to Master's degree in technical physics could be viewed as a new quality of the University curricula.

The current activities of the Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Techniques are two-fold: intensive research in applied and fundamental physics, and education of students. The latter aspect is again of dual nature: the Faculty educates its 'own' students in the field of technical physics, but also provides all other University students with general education in physics.

The Faculty Council is entitled to confer Doctor's and Doctor Habilitatus degrees in Physics, and to apply for conferring the title of Professor. In a recent ranking of the Polish Committee for Scientific Research (KBN), the Faculty has received top grade 'A'. The Faculty staff members hold posts in the Polish Government, in major Polish scientific organisations, and in various international bodies of science.

Deans and deputy deans of the Faculty

• Prof. Dr. Wojciech Łużny
• Prof. Dr. Marek Przbylski
• Dr. Andrzej Lenda
• Dr. Krzysztof Malarz


• Prof. Dr. Zbigniew Kąkol
• Prof. Dr. Wojciech Łużny
• Dr. Andrzej Lenda
• Dr. Krzysztof Malarz


• Prof. Dr. Kazimierz Jeleń
• Prof. Dr. Zbigniew Kąkol
• Prof. Dr. Wojciech Łużny


• Prof. Dr. Kazimierz Jeleń
• Dr. Zbignew Kąkol
• Dr. Janusz Wolny


• Prof. Dr. Danuta Kisielewska
• Dr. Janusz Wolny
• Dr. Andrzej Lenda


• Prof. Dr. Danuta Kisielewska
• Prof. Dr. Andrzej Maksymowicz
• Dr. Andrzej Lenda


• Prof. Dr. Jerzy W. Niewodniczański
• Dr. Kazimierz Jeleń
• Dr. Andrzej Kreft

Directors of institutes from which the Faculty originates

• Prof. Dr. Jerzy W. Niewodniczański
• Prof. Dr. Karol Krop
• Prof. Dr. Kazimierz Przewłocki
• Dr. Ludwik Górski
• Prof. Dr. Ludwik Kozłowski (∗1907, +1994)
• Prof. Dr. Leopold Jurkiewicz (∗1906, +1966)
• Prof. Dr. Marian Mięsowicz, dr hc UJ (∗1907, +1992)
• Prof. Dr. Mieczysław Jeżewski (∗1890, +1971)
• Prof. Dr. Jan Stock (∗1881, +1925)