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Aaron Covington

Assistant Research Professor

Summary

Professional Experience

  • 2014-Present: Physics Graduate Director
  • 2010-Present: Interim Director, ÁùºÏ±¦µä Terawatt Facility
  • 2007–2010: Director of Graduate Studies, UNR Physics Department
  • 2004–Present: Assistant Research Professor, Physics Department, University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno
  • 2001–2004: Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy Department, Lake Tahoe Community College

Professional Awards

Westfall Scholar Mentor, UNR College of Science, April 2007 & December 2011
David A. Shirley Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement at the Advanced Light Source, 2002

Research Interests

My research interests include experimental studies of plasmas and photon-interactions with atoms, molecules, ions and solids. These studies encompass fundamental properties of atomic and molecular collisions relevant to terrestrial, astrophysical and high energy density plasmas as well as structural properties of atomic and molecular ions and materials. Condensed matter studies use Raman and FTIR absorption spectroscopy to interrogate solids including metals, energy storage materials and polymers at high-pressures and temperatures as well as biologic materials.

Education

  • Ph.D., Physics 1998 University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno
  • B.S., Engineering Physics 1992 University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno

Refereed Publications

  • Valence-shell single photoionization of Kr+ions: Experiment and Theory, G. Hinojosa, A.M. Covington, G. Alna-Washi, M. Lu, R. A. Phaneuf, M.M. Sant'Anna, C. Cisneros, I. Alvarez, A. Aguilar, A.L.D. Kilcoyne, A.S. Schlachter, C.P. Ballance and B. M. McLaughlin, Phys. Rev. A 86 063402 (Dec 2012).
  • Infrared Spectroscopic Study of Thermotropic Phase Behavior of Newly Developed Synthetic Polymers, Rajan K. Bista, Reinhard F. Bruch and Aaron M. Covington, Spectrochimica Acta A 81, Issue 1, pp 583-589 (Oct 2011).
  • Valence-shell photoionization of chlorinelike Ar+ ions, A.M. Covington, A. Aguilar, I.R. Covington, G. Hinojosa, C. A. Shirley, R.A. Phaneuf, I. Alvarez, C. Cisneros, I. Dominguez-Lopez, M.M. Sant'Anna, A.S. Schlachter, C.P. Ballance and B.M. McLaughlin, Physical Review A 84, 013413 (July 2011).
  • Photoionization Measurements for the Iron Isonuclear Sequence: Fe3+, Fe5+and Fe7+, M. F. Gharaibeh, A. Aguilar, A. M. Covington, E. D. Emmons, S. W. J. Scully, R. A. Phaneuf, A. Muller, J. D. Bozek, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, A. S. Schlachter, I. Alvarez, C. Cisneros and G. Hinojosa, In progress for Phys. Rev. A. 83, 043412 (April 2011).
  • Raman Spectroscopy Measurements of the Pressure-Temperature Behavior of LiAlH4, J.C. Fallas, Vamsi K. Kamisetty, Wien-Ming Chien, D. Chandra, E.D. Emmons, A.M. Covington, R. Chellappa, Stephen A. Gramsch, Russell J. Hemley, Hans Hagemmann, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, Vol. 114, 11991-11997 (June 2010).
  • Spectroscopic Characterization of nanovesicles originating from self-forming synthetic PEGylated lipids, Rajan K. Bista, Reinhard F. Bruch and Aaron M. Covington, Vibrational Spectroscopy, Vol. 53, Issue 1, pp126-131 (May 2010).
  • Investigacion en materiales sometidos a altas presiones, Juan Carlos Fallas, Dhanesh Chandra, Aaron M. Covington and Erik Emmons, Tecnologia en Marcha, Vol 23, No 2, P. 39-46, (Abril-Junio 2010).
  • Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies of Newly Developed Synthetic Biopolymers, Rajan K. Bista, Reinhard F. Bruch and Aaron M. Covington, Review for Biopolymers, Vol. 93, No. 5 pp. 403-417 (May 2010).
  • High-Pressure Raman Spectroscopy of Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, Erik D. Emmons, Juan C. Fallas, Vamsi K. Kamisetty, Wen-Ming Chien, Aaron M. Covington, Raja S. Chellappa, Stephen A. Gramsch, Russell J. Hemley and Dhanesh Chandra, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol. 114, 17 pp. 5649-5656 (May 2010).
  • Spectroscopic Characterization of Bionanoparticles Originating from Self-forming Synthetic PEGylated Lipids (QuSomes), Rajan K. Bista, Reinhard F. Bruch and Aaron M. Covington, Invited paper for the Journal of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Vol 396, No 3, pp. 1045-1055 (Feb. 2010).
  • Near-Infrared (NIR) Spectroscopic Investigation of Novel Bionanoparticles by using MOEMS Spectrometer, R. K. Bista, R. F. Bruch, A. M. Covington and B. S. Rawat, International Journal of Microwave and Optical Technology, pp 27-32, Vol. 5 No. 1, (Jan 2010).
  • K-shell photoionization of ground-state Li-like carbon ions [C 3+]: experiment, theory and comparison with time-reversed photorecombination, A. Müller, S. Schippers, R. A. Phaneuf, S. W. J Scully, A. Aguilar, A. M. Covington, I. Álvarez, C. Cisneros, E. D. Emmons, M. F. Gharaibeh, G. Hinojosa, A. S. Schlachter and B. M. McLaughlin, J. Phys. B. 42, 235602 (Nov. 2009).
  • Variable Temperature Raman spectro-microscopy for a comprehensive analysis of the conformational order in PEGylated lipids, Rajan K. Bista, Reinhard F. Bruch and Aaron M. Covington, Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, Vol. 40, No. 4 (Apr 2009).
  • Investigations of thermotropic phase behavior of newly developed synthetic PEGylated lipids using Raman Spectro-microscopy, Rajan K. Bista, Reinhard F. Bruch, Aaron M. Covington, Alexander Sorger, Thoralf Gerstmann and Alexander Otto, Biopolymers, Vol. 89, No. 11, 1012-1020 (Nov 2008).
  • Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy of Polycarbonate at High Pressure, R.G. Kraus, E.D. Emmons, J.S. Thompson and A.M. Covington, Journal of Polymer Science, Part B, Polymer Physics, Vol. 46 734-742 (2008).
  • High-Pressure Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate), E.D. Emmons, R.G. Kraus, S.S. Duvvuri, J.S. Thompson, and A.M. Covington, Journal of Polymer Science, Part B, Polymer Physics, Vol. 45, 358-367, (2007).
  • Measurements of partial cross sections and photoelectron angular distributions for the photodetachment of Fe- and Cu- at visible photon wavelengths visible photon energies, A.M. Covington, S.S. Duvvuri, D. Calabrese, W.W. Williams, J.S. Thompson, D.L. Carpenter, R.D. Collier, T.J. Kvale and V.T. Davis, Phys. Rev. A 75, 022711, (2007).
  • Inner-Shell Photodetachment of K-, A.M. Covington, V.T. Davis, S. Duvvuri, C. Cisneros, E.D. Emmons, M.S. Gulley, D. Hanstorp, R.G. Kraus, J.S. Thompson and D.J. Pegg, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. & Opt. Phys. 40, 935-942, (2007).
  • Production of rare-earth atomic negative ion beams in a cesium-sputter-type negative ion source, V.T. Davis, A.M. Covington, S.S. Duvvuri, E.D. Emmons, R.G. Kraus and J.S. Thompson, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. in Phys. Res. B 261, 157-160 (2007).
  • Triple detachment from Cl- ion, V. Davis, A. Aguilar, J.S. Thompson, D. Calabrese, A.M. Covington, C. Cisneros, M.S. Gulley, M. Halka, D. Hanstorp, J. Sandström, B.M. McLaughlin and D.J. Pegg, Phys. Rev. A 72, Brief Reports 034702 (September 2005).
  • Photofragmentation of ionic carbon monoxide,  G. Hinojosa, A.M. Covington, I.R. Covington, R.A. Phaneuf, I. Álvarez, C. Cisneros, R. Hernandez, M.M. Sant'Anna, and A.S. Schlachter, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 38, 2701-2709, (August 2005).
  • Photo-double detachment from F- ion, V. Davis, A. Aguilar, A.M. Covington, J.S. Thompson, D. Calabrese, C. Cisneros, M.S. Gulley, M. Halka, D. Hanstorp, J. Sandström, B.M. McLaughlin, G.F. Gribakin and D.J. Pegg, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 38, 2570-2589 (July 2005).
  • K-shell photoionization of Be-like carbon ions:  experiment and theory for C2+,  S.W. Scully, A. Aguilar, E.D. Emmons, R.A. Phaneuf, M. Halka, D. Leitner, J.C. Levin, M.S. Lubell, R. Puettner, A.S. Schlachter, A.M. Covington, S. Schippers, A. Muller and B.M. McLaughlin, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 38, 1967-1975, (June 2005).
  • Photoelectron angular distribution measurements of s- and d-electrons from the photodetachment of V- at visible wavelengths,  D. Calabrese, A.M. Covington, W.W. Williams, D.L. Carpenter,  J.S. Thompson and T.J. Kvale, Phys. Rev. A 71, 042708, (April 2005).
  • Photoionization of ions of the nitrogen isoelectronic sequence: experiment and theory for F2+ and Ne3+, A. Aguilar, E.D. Emmons, M.F. Gharaibeh, A.M. Covington, J.D. Bozek, G. Ackerman, S. Canton, B. Rude, A.S. Schlachter, G. Hinojosa, I. Alvarez, C. Cisneros, B.M. McLaughlin and R.A. Phaneuf, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 38, No 4 (Feb 2005).
  • Lifetime of a K-shell vacancy in Carbon by 1s ® 2p photo-excitation of C+, A.S. Schlachter, M.M. Sant' Anna, A.M. Covington, A. Aguilar, M.F. Gharaibeh, G. Hinojosa, R.A. Phaneuf, I. Alvarez, C. Cisneros, A. Muller and B.M. McLaughlin, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 37, L103-109 (Feb 2004).
  • Photo-double detachment from the Cl- ion, A. Aguilar, J. Thompson, D. Calabrese, A.M. Covington, C. Cisneros, V. Davis, M.S. Gulley, M. Halka, D. Hanstorp, J. Sandström, B.M. McLaughlin and D.J. Pegg, Phys. Rev. A 69, 022711 (Feb 2004).
  • Photoionization of Sc2+ ions by synchrotron radiation: Measurements and absolute cross sections in the photon energy range 23-68 eV,  S. Schippers, A. Müller, S. Ricz, M.E. Bannister, G.H. Dunn, A.S. Schlachter, G. Hinojosa, V. Cisneros, A. Aguilar, A.M. Covington, M.F. Gharaibeh, and R.A. Phaneuf, Phys. Rev. A 67, 032702, (March 2003).
  • Photoionization of Sc2+: experimental link with photorecombination of Sc3+ by application of detailed balance, S. Schippers, A. Müller, S. Ricz, M.E. Bannister, G.H. Dunn, J.D. Bozek, A.S. Schlachter, G. Hinojosa, C. Cisneros, A. Aguilar, A.M. Covington, M.F. Gharaibeh, and R.A. Phaneuf, Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions 205, 297-300 (May 2003).
  • Absolute photoionization cross sections of O II ions from 29.7 to 46.2 eV, A. Aguilar,  A.M. Covington, C. Cisneros, I.R. Covington, I. Domínguez, A.S. Schlachter, C.A. Shirley and R.A. Phaneuf, Astrophysics Journal Supplement Series, 146:467-477, (June 2003).
  • Photoionization of Ne+ using synchrotron radiation, A.M. Covington, A. Aguilar, I.R. Covington, M.F. Gharaibeh, G. Hinojosa, C. Shirley, R.A. Phaneuf, I. Alvarez, C. Cisneros, I. Dominguez-Lopez, M.M. Sant'Anna, A.S. Schlachter, and B.M. McLaughlin and A. Dalgarno, Physical Review A 66, 062710 (Dec 2002).
  • Experimental Link of Photoionization of Sc2+ to Photorecombination of Sc3+:  An Application of Detailed Balance in a Unique Atomic System, S. Schippers, A. Muller, S. Ricz, M.E. Bannister, G.H. Dunn, J.D. Bozek, A.S. Schlachter, G. Hinojosa, C. Cisneros, A. Aguilar, A.M. Covington, M.F. Gharaibeh and R.A. Phaneuf, Physical Review Letters 89, 193002 (Oct 2002).
  • Long-Lived states of CO2+ formed by photoionization of CO+, G. Hinojosa, A.M. Covington, I.R. Covington, R.A. Phaneuf, I. Álvarez, C. Cisneros, R. Hernandez, M.M. Sant'Anna, and A.S. Schlachter, Physical Review A 66, 032719 (Sept 2002).
  • Interference effects in the photorecombination of argon-like Sc3+ ions:  Storage-ring experiment and theory, S. Schippers, S. Kieslich, A. Müller, G. Gwinner, M. Schnell, A. Wolf, A.M. Covington, M.E. Bannister, and Li-Bo Zhao, Physical Review A 65, 042723 (Apr 2002).
  • Photoionization of Metastable O+ Ions: Experiment and Theory, A.M. Covington, A. Aguilar, I. Alvarez, N. Berrah, J. D. Bozek, C. Cisneros, I. R. Covington, I. Domínguez, B.M. McLaughlin, Sultana N. Nahar, M.M. Sant'Anna, A.S. Schlachter, and R.A. Phaneuf, Physical Review Letters 87, 243002-1 (2001).
  • Correlated Processes in Inner-Shell Photodetachment of the Na- Ion, A.M. Covington, A. Aguilar, V.T. Davis, C. Cisneros, M. Halka, D. Hanstorp, G. Hinojosa, A.S. Schlachter, J.S. Thompson and D.J. Pegg, J. Phys. B At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 34, Letters to the Editor, L735-L740 (Oct 2001).
  • Low-energy electron capture by Cl7+ from D using merged beams, J.S. Thompson, A.M. Covington, P. Krstic, M. Pieksma, J. Shinpaugh, P.C. Stancil and C.C. Havener, Physical Review A 63, 012717 (2001).
  • Laser photodetachment electron spectroscopy of Tl-, D.L. Carpenter, A.M. Covington and J.S. Thompson, Physical Review A 61, 042501 (2000).
  • Fine-structure resolved measurements of photoelectron angular distributions of Ge-at visible photon wavelengths, W.W. Williams, D.L. Carpenter, A.M. Covington, and J.S. Thompson, Physical Review A 59, 4368-4373 (1999).
  • Measurement of the electron affinity of lanthanum, A.M. Covington, D. Calabrese, J.S. Thompson and T.J. Kvale, Journal of Physics B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys., Letters to the Editor 32, L855-L860 (1998).
  • Fine-structure resolved laser-photodetachment electron spectroscopy of In-, W. W. Williams, D.L. Carpenter, A.M. Covington, J.S. Thompson, T.J. Kvale and D.G. Seely, Physical Review A 58, 3582-3584 (1998).
  • Laser photodetachment electron spectrometry of Ga-, W. W. Williams, D.L. Carpenter, A.M. Covington, M.C. Koepnick, D. Calabrese, and J.S. Thompson, Journal of Physics B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys., Letters to the Editor 31, L341-L348 (1998).
  • Measurements of photoelectron angular distributions by single-photon detachment of Al-, Si-, and P- at visible photon wavelengths, A.M. Covington, D. Calabrese, W.W. Williams, J.S. Thompson and T.J. Kvale, Physical Review A 56, 4746-4754 (1997).
  • Photoelectron angular distribution measurements of C- at visible wavelengths, D. Calabrese, A.M. Covington, D.L. Carpenter, J.S. Thompson, T.J. Kvale, and R. Collier, Journal of Physics B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 30, 4791-4800 (1997).
  • Evidence of small odd-numbered dianionic carbon cluster beams from a cesium-sputter negative ion source, D. Calabrese, A.M. Covington, and J.S. Thompson, Journal of Chemical Physics, Letters to the Editor 105, 2936-2937 (1996).
  • Production of Group IIA atomic and molecular negative ion beams in a cesium-sputter negative ion source, D. Calabrese, A.M. Covington, and J.S. Thompson, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A 379, 192-195 (1996).
  • Near-threshold infrared photodetachment of Al-: A determination of the electron affinity of aluminum and the range of validity of the Wigner law, D. Calabrese, A.M. Covington, J.S. Thompson, R.W. Marawar, and John W. Farley, Physical Review A 54, 2297-2804 (1996).

Refereed Conference Proceedings

  • Production Of SiOn- And (SiO2)n-, n= 2, 3, 4 Molecular And Cluster Anion Beams From A Cesium-Sputter-Type Negative Ion Source, V. T. Davis, D. D. Davis, K. Chartkunchand, J. S. Thompson, and A. C. Covington,   Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry, August 2011, AIP Conf. Proc. 1525, 251 (April 2013).
  • Thin-layer infrared spectroscopic study on thermal behavior of non-phospholipid lipids and nanovesicles, R. Bista, R. Bruch and A. Covington, Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 7188, Nanoscale Imaging, Sensing, and Actuation for Biomedical Applications VI(SPIE, Bellingham, WA) Article CID Number: 718808 (March 2009).
  • Investigaciones en Materiales Sometidos a Altas Presiones, Juan Carlos Fallas, Dhanesh Chandra, Aaron M. Covington, Erik Emmons and Jose Vega-Baudrit,Boletin de Ciencia y Technologia, N. 78- (Enero 2009).
  • Temperature-controlled Raman Microscopy to study the phase behavior of synthetic PEGylated lipids and nanovesicles, Rajan K. Bista, Reinhard F. Bruch, Aaron M. Covington, Alexander Sorger, Thoralf Gerstmann and Alexander Otto, Proc. SPIE, Vol. 7099, 709904 (2008).
  • Localizing Nonclassical Nonlinearity in Geological Materials with Neutron Scattering Experiments,  Timothy W. Darling, James A. TenCate, Sven Vogel, Thomas Proffen, Katie Page, Christine Herrera, Aaron M. Covington and Erik Emmons, Proceedings of the 17th ISNA Conference, Penn State (June 2005).
  • Laser photodetachment electron spectroscopy studies of heavy atomic anions,  Jeffrey S. Thompson, Aaron Covington and Vernon T. Davis, Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry, Fort Worth Texas, (Oct 15-18, 2004), Nuclear Instruments and Methods B 241 (June 2005).
  • K-shell photoionization of C2+ ions:  experiment and theory,  A.S. Schlachter, S.W.J. Scully, R.A. Phaneuf, E.D. Emmons, A. Aguilar, D. Leitner , M.S. Lubell , A.M. Covington, R. Puettner, A. Muller, M. Halka, J.C. Levin, and B.M. McLaughlin, Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena 144-147 (March 2005).
  • High-Resolution Measurements of Photoionization of Ions Using Synchrotron Radiation, Aguilar, A.; Covington, A. M.; Emmons, E. D.; Gharaibeh, M. F.; Álvarez, I.; Cisneros, C.; Hinojosa, G.; Dominguez, I.; Ackerman, G.; Bozek, J. D.; Canton, S.; Rude, B.; Sant'anna, M. M.; Schlachter, A. S.; Folkmann, F.; Phaneuf, R. A., APPLICATION OF ACCELERATORS IN RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY: 17TH International Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry. AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 680, pp. 534-540 (2003).
  • Time-reversal studies in Photorecombination and Photoionization experiments with Ion Beams, A. Müller, S. Schippers, A. Aguilar, I. Alvarez, M.E. Bannister, J. Bozek, C. Cisneros, A.M. Covington, G. H. Dunn, M. F. Gharaibeh, G. Hinojosa, S. Ricz, A. S. Schlachter, and R. A. Phaneuf, Proceedings of the Seventeenth International Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry, Denton, Texas (November 12-16, 2002).
  • Photoionization of Positive Ions Using Synchrotron Radiation, A.M. Covington, A. Aguilar, I.R. Covington, G. Hinojosa, C.A. Shirley, R. Phaneuf, I. Alvarez, C. Cisneros, I. Dominguez-Lopez, M. M. Sant'Anna, A.S. Schlachter, Sultana N. Nahar and B.M. McLaughlin, Atoms and Molecules in a New Light, H. Bryant Ed., Mexican Physical Society, (2001).
  • Laser Photodetachment of Heavy Negative Ions, J.S. Thompson, J. Ashokkumar, D. Calabrese, D. Carpenter, A.M. Covington, W.W. Williams and V.T. Davis, Atoms and Molecules in a New Light, H. Bryant Ed., Mexican Physical Society, (2001).
  • Laser Photodetachment Spectrometry of Negative Ions, J.S. Thompson, A.M. Covington and D. Calabrese, Proceedings of the 44th International Instrumentation Symposium, Instrumentation Society of America, Reno ÁùºÏ±¦µä, pp. 732-738 (1998).