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Berndt Mueller

James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Physics
Physics
Box 90305, Durham, NC 27708-0305
261-D Physics Bldg, Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708-0305

Research Interests


My research interests currently focus on emergent properties of the quark-gluon plasma, such as how it thermalizes, how its very low shear viscosity is generated, how it interacts with pairs of heavy quarks (quarkonia), how it reacts to magnetic fields, and how experimentally accessible probes can tell us more about these properties. I have also taken an active interest in the science that can be done at a future electron-ion collider and helped convince the Department of energy to initiate the construction of such a facility. More peripheral research interests include the viscous dynamics of matter falling into a black hole, the question of "thermalization" in the absence of a heat bath, and the possible physics of a world with two time dimensions.

Selected Grants


Nuclear Physics at Extreme Energy Density

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 2005 - 2026

Mueller BNL Support 2019 Incentive Pay Supplement

Institutional SupportPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Brookhaven National Labs · 2016 - 2020

Mueller BNL Support 2020 Increase

Institutional SupportPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Brookhaven National Labs · 2013 - 2020

JET Collaboration

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 2010 - 2015

Probing the QCD Equation of State and Hadronization at RHIC

ResearchCore PI · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2003 - 2007

Quantum Chromodynamics and Nuclear Physics at Extreme Energy Density

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 1995 - 2005

Quantum Chromodynamics and Nuclear Physics at Extreme Energy Density

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Energy Research · 1995 - 2001

Quantum Chromodynamics and Nuclear Physics at Extreme Energy Density

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Energy Research · 1995 - 1998

Quantum Chromodynamics and Nuclear Physics at Extreme Energy Density

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 1995 - 1998

Quantum Chromodynamics and Nuclear Physics at Extreme Energy Density

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Energy Research · 1995 - 1998

Nuclear Physics at Extreme Energy Density

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 1990 - 1995

Workshop on QCD Vacuum Structure

ConferencePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 1992 - 1993

External Relationships


  • Europa Verlag

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.