Alan Dorsey, Ph.D.

Alan Dorsey is a professor of physics at the University of Georgia, where he also serves as associate chief information officer for research computing. A theoretical condensed matter physicist, his research focuses on understanding the behavior of quantum matter under extreme conditions such as low temperatures and high magnetic fields. He has made significant contributions to the theoretical understanding of magnetic flux phases in superconductors and, more recently, the hydrodynamic modes of supersolid phases of matter.

As a Simons Foundation Pivot Fellow, Dorsey will transition to geophysical fluid dynamics and climate modeling under the mentorship of Brad Marston, a professor of physics at Brown University and director of the Brown Theoretical Physics Center. Dorsey will leverage his expertise in condensed matter physics to explore recently discovered topological features in equatorial planetary waves and to expand this work to include the effects of nonlinearities and stratification on wave propagation. He plans to embed this work in a study of an atmospheric phenomenon called the quasi-biennial oscillation: periodic reversal of zonal east-to-west winds that encircle the planet and act from six to 50 kilometers above Earth’s surface. Every 28–29 months, these winds undergo a dramatic shift, transitioning from easterly (blowing from the east) to westerly (blowing from the west) and vice versa, in a descending pattern from the upper to lower stratosphere. This oscillation of the winds plays a significant role in regulating Earth’s atmospheric circulation and has far-reaching impacts on global weather patterns.