UM Directory

I am the proud husband of Maile Macaluso, an urgent-care nurse practioner and SANE-certified 1st responder. We have an amazing son, Lyell (named after the highest peak in Yosemite National Park), and a wonderful daughter, Claire (no mountains involved, we just love the name). Somehow during my time earning two bachelors degrees and teaching middle and high school, I was also a working (and busy) professional musician and an avid competitive cyclist: I am no longer the former, but I try to remain a non-competitive version of the latter. My wife - who was a guide in Yosemite Valley before finding her calling in medicine - and I enjoy backpacking and camping and are learning to incorporate two little munchkins into those activities (our travel trailer helps with that considrably!).

Education

• B.S. Architectural Engineering, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• B.A. Physics, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• Ph.D. Physics, University of Nevada

Current Position

• Professor of Physics - Department of Physics & Astronomy
• Chair of the Department of Physics & Astronomy, 2024-present
• Faculty Senator, 2018-2021, 2023-present
• Executive Council of the Senate (ECOS), 2025-present
• Taskforce to Develop and Propose the College of Science, 2024-2025
• Member of the UM Professional Education Council, 2012-2018
• Member of the Montana University System Doctorate Program in Materials Science, 2012-2018

Courses Taught

• Autumn 2012: Modern Physics (PHSX 343), Electronics (PHSX 220)
• Autumn 2013: Modern Physics (PHSX 343), College Physics I (PHSX 205N)
• Spring 2014: Communicating Physics (PHSX 330), Advanced Lab (PHSX 444)
• Autumn 2014: Modern Physics (PHSX 343), College Physics I Laboratory (PHSX 206N)
• Spring 2015: College Physics I (PHSX 205N), Kinetics and Phase Transformations (MTSI 512)
• Autumn 2015: Modern Physics (PHSX 343), College Physics I (PHSX 205N)
• Spring 2016: Communicating Physics (PHSX 330), Optics (PHSX 327)
• Autumn 2016: Modern Physics (PHSX 343), College Physics I (PHSX 205N)
• Spring 2017: College Physics I Laboratory (PHSX 206N), Kinetics and Phase Transformations (MTSI 512)
• Autumn 2017: Modern Physics (PHSX 343), College Physics I (PHSX 205N)
• Spring 2018: Communicating Physics (PHSX 330), Optics (PHSX 327), special topics: Solid State Physics (PHSX 492)
• Autumn 2018: Modern Physics (PHSX 343), University Physics w/Calculus I (PHSX 215N)
• Spring 2019: University Physics w/Calculus II (PHSX 217N)
• Autumn 2019: College Physics I Laboratory (PHSX 206N), University Physics w/Calculus I (PHSX 215N)
• Spring 2020: Communicating Physics (PHSX 330), University Physics w/Calculus II (PHSX 217N)
• Autumn 2020: Modern Physics (PHSX 343), University Physics w/Calculus I (PHSX 215N)
• Spring 2021: College Physics I Laboratory (PHSX 206N), University Physics w/Calculus II (PHSX 217N)
• Autumn 2021: Quantum I (PHSX 461), University Physics w/Calculus I (PHSX 215N)
• Spring 2022: Communicating Physics (PHSX 330), University Physics w/Calculus II (PHSX 217N)
• Autumn 2022: Modern Physics (PHSX 343), University Physics w/Calculus I (PHSX 215N)
• Spring 2023: Advanced Physics Lab (PHSX 444), University Physics w/Calculus II (PHSX 217N)
• Autumn 2023: Intermediate Physics Lab (PHSX 323), University Physics w/Calculus I (PHSX 215N)
• Spring 2024: Communicating Physics (PHSX 330), University Physics w/Calculus II (PHSX 217N)
• Autumn 2024: Einstein's Relativity/Honors (PHSX 141N), University Physics w/Calculus I (PHSX 215N)
• Spring 2025: University Physics w/Calculus II (PHSX 217N)
• Autumn 2025: University Physics w/Calculus I (PHSX 215N)
• Spring 2026: Communicating Physics (PHSX 330), University Physics w/Calculus II (PHSX 217N) 
• Autumn 2026: Physics I with Calculus (PHSX 220N)
• Spring 2027: Optics (PHSX 327), Physics II with Calculus (PHSX 222N)

Teaching Experience

During my time as an undergraduate, I was shocked by the number of professors who found themselves teaching in spite of their disinterest in teaching. For those who actually did want to teach, I was surprised by how little teaching experience they had before being thrust in front of a class as a new professor. None of my professors had formal training in education or had ever managed a class independently before being asked to do so at the highest levels of education. This is in stark contrast to research, where young scientists take years of classes and often spend a decade or more doing research in preparation for leading their own university research programs. So even though teaching accounts for roughly half of a professor's professional obligations, professors are asked to teach without being taught how or having any experience in the field. 

While many assistant professors make up for their inexperience with enthusiasm, hard work, and natural talent, others would clearly benefit from some training and classroom experience before becomming a university professor. Others still would benefit from just trying teaching before becomming a professor to see if it's for them, or if they'd prefer instead to do research exclusively (I had several professors who belonged in that latter camp...). That's why I spent six years teaching in secondary education before getting my PhD in experimental atomic physics. I taught both middle and high school during that time in preparation for my eventual career as a university professor: to learn more about teaching, to discover my own teaching style, and to test my mettle in front of the most challenging students in the world - insecure, anxious, hormonal 7th graders. After my successful, incredibly rewarding stint in secondary ed, I taught several sections of both algebra- and calculus-based introductory physics labs at the University of Nevada as a graduate student and (given my extensive teaching history) became the defacto guest lecturer and teaching substitute for the entire department. At UM, I've taught many of the classes in our physics curriculum at least once: Einstein's Relativity/Honors (PHSX 141N), Electronics (PHSX 322), Modern Physics (PHSX 343), algebra-based College Physics I (PHSX 205N), calculus-based University Physics I & II (PHSX 215N & 217N), Quantum Mechanics (PHSX 461), our technical writing course Communicating Physics (PHSX 330), Intermediate & Advanced Physics Laboratories (PHSX 323 & 444), Optics (PHSX 327), and even Kinetics and Phase Transformations (MTSC 512) to students at UM, Montana Tech, and MSU in the state-wide doctoral program in Materials Science.  I was also a member of the UM Professional Education Council from 2012-2018.

Universities exist to educate the next generation; we should all take teaching as seriously as we do our research.

Research Interests

Elemental photoionization in support of ongoing astrophysical and observational astronomy research endeavors.

Projects

My research group has two primary projects:

• Photoionization of ions via synchrotron radiation.
• Scanning Photoionization Microscopy using ultrashort pulses from a ti:saph laser focused to a diffraction-limited spot and directed in-vacuo to a 2D translatable sample stage.

Field of Study

• Atomic and Molecular Physics
• Materials Science

Publications

Velocity-tunable beam of continuously decelerated polar molecules for cold ion-molecule reaction studies: Experiment and theory, J. Greenburg, O.A. Krohn, J.A. Bossert, Y. Shyur, D. Macaluso, N.J. Fitch, H.J. Lewandowski, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 92, 103202 (2021).

Absolute single photoionization cross-sections of Br³⁺: Experiment and theory, D. Macaluso, A. Aguilar, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, R. Bilodeau, A. M. Juárez, I. Dumitriu, D. Hardy, N.C Sterling, and M. Bautista, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 52, 14, 145002 (2019).

Cross sections for photoionization of fullerene molecular ions C_n⁺ with n = 40, 50, 60, 76, 78, and 84, C. M. Thomas, K. K. Baral, N. B. Aryal, M. Habibi, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, A. Aguilar, A.S. Schlachter, S. Schippers, A. Müller, and R. A. Phaneuf, Phys. Rev. A 95, 053412 (2017).

Absolute single photoionization cross-sections of Rb²⁺: Experiment and theory, D. Macaluso, K. Bogolub, A. Johnson, A. Aguilar, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, M. Bautista, A. Kerlin, and N.C Sterling, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 49, 23, 235002 (2016).

Photoionization and photofragmentation of the C₆₀⁺ molecular ion, K. K. Baral, N. B. Aryal, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, C. M. Thomas, J. Hellhund, R. Lomsadze, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, A. Müller, S. Schippers, and R. A. Phaneuf, Phys. Rev. A 93, 033401 (2016).

Absolute single-photoionization cross sections of Se²⁺: Experiment and theory, D. Macaluso, R. A. Phaneuf, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, A. Aguilar, R. Bilodeau, E. Red, N.C. Sterling, B.M. McLaughlin, Phys. Rev. A. 92, 063424 (2015).

Absolute measurements of chlorine Cl⁺ cation single photoionization cross section E.M. Hernández, A.M. Juárez, A.L.D. Kilcoyne, A. Aguilar, L. Hernández, A. Antillón, D. Macaluso, A. Morales-Mori, O. González-Magaña, D. Hanstorp, A.M. Covington, V. Davis, D. Calabrese, G. Hinojosa, J. J. Quant. Spectrosc. Radiat. Transfer, 151, 217-223 (2014).

Valence-shell single photoionization of chlorine-like K²⁺ ions: Experiment and theory G. Alna’Washi, M. Lu, M. Habibi, D. Esteves-Macaluso, J.C. Wang, R. A. Phaneuf, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, C. Cisneros, B.M. McLaughlin, Phys. Rev. A, 90, 023417 (2014).

Probing confinement resonances by photoionizing Xe inside a molecular cage R. A. Phaneuf, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, N. B. Aryal, K. K. Baral, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, C. M. Thomas, J. Hellhund, R. Lomsadze, T. W. Gorczyca, C. P. Ballance, S. T. Manson, M. F. Hasoglu, S. Schippers, and A. Müller, Phys. Rev. A 88, 053402 (2013).

Single-photon multiple detachment in fullerene negative ions: absolute ionization cross sections and the role of the extra electron, R. C. Bilodeau, N. D. Gibson, C.W. Walter, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, S. Schippers, A. Müller, R. A. Phaneuf, A. Aguilar, M. Hoener, J. M. Rost, and N. Berrah, Phys. Rev. Let.111, 4, 043003 (2013).

State purity of decelerated beams, N. J. Fitch, M. I. Fabrikant, T. C. Briles, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, Y. Shyur, L. P. Parazzoli, H. J. Lewandowski, J.Mol.Spec. 278, 1-6 (2012).

Absolute photoionization cross-section measurements of Se³⁺ and Se⁵⁺_, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso,  A. Aguilar,  R. C. Bilodeau,  R. A. Phaneuf , A. L. D. Kilcoyne, E. C. Red,  N. C. Sterling, J. Phys. B, At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 45 115201 (2012).

Absolute high-resolution Se⁺ photoionization cross-section measurements with Rydberg-series analysis, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, N. C. Sterling, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, R. C. Bilodeau, E. C. Red, R. A. Phaneuf, A. Aguilar, Phys. Rev. A 84, 013406 (2011).

Experimental photoionization cross-section measurements in the ground and metastable state threshold region of Se⁺, N. C. Sterling , D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, A. Aguilar, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, R. C. Bilodeau, E. C. Red, R. A. Phaneuf, J. Phys. B 44, 025701 (2011).

New atomic data for trans-iron elements and their application to abundance determinations in planetary nebulae, N. C. Sterling , M. C. Witthoeft, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, R. C. Bilodeau, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, E. C. Red, R. A. Phaneuf, G. Alna’Washi, A. Aguilar, Can. J. Phys. 89, 4, 379 (2011).

Confinement resonances in photoionization of Xe@C₆₀, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, A. Aguilar, A. Müller, S. Schippers, C. Cisneros,  G. Alna’Washi, N. B. Aryal, K. K. Baral, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, C. Thomas, R. A. Phaneuf, Phys. Rev. Let. 105, 23, 239901 (2010).

Site-selective ionization and relaxation dynamics in heterogeneous nanosystems, M. Hoener, D. Rolles, A. Aguilar, R. C. Bilodeau, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, P. Olalde Velasco, Z. D. Pešić, E. Red, N. Berrah,  Phys. Rev. A 81, 021201 (2010).

Photoionization cross sections for ions of the cerium isonuclear sequence, A. Müller, S. Schippers, R. A. Phaneuf, M. Habibi, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, J. C. Wang, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, A. Aguilar, L. Dunsch, Phys. Rev. A 80, 3, 033407 (2009).

Improved neutron-capture element abundances in planetary nebulae, N. C. Sterling, H. L. Dinerstein, S. Hwang, S. Redfield, A. Aguilar, M. C. Witthoeft, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, M. Bautista, R. A. Phaneuf, R. C. Bilodeau, C. P. Ballance, B. McLaughlin, P. H. Norrington, Publications Of The Astronomical Society Of Australia 26, 3, 339-344 (2009).

Significant redistribution of Ce 4d oscillator strength observed in photoionization of endohedral Ce@C₈₂⁺ ions, A. Müller, S. Schippers, R. A. Phaneuf, M. Habibi, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, J. C. Wang, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, A. Aguilar, L. Dunsch, Phys. Rev. Let. 101, 13, 133001 (2008).

Photoionization and electron-impact ionization of Ar⁵⁺, J. C. Wang, M. Lu, D. A. Esteves-Macaluso, M. Habibi, G. Alna’Washi, R. A. Phaneuf, A. L. D. Kilcoyne, Phys. Rev. A 75, 062712 (2007).

Affiliations

American Physical Society

Specialized Skills

• Measurement and analysis of atomic and molecular photoionization spectra
• Extensive CAD design and machining skills
• Mechanical engineering and design
• Bicycle maintenance
• Guitar building
• Home renovation

Professional Experience

• Doctoral Fellow In-Residence at the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2008 - 2010.
• Ph.D. in experimental atomic physics, University of Nevada, 2010.
• Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Joint Institute of Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA), CU-Boulder, 2010 - 2012.
• Faculty member in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Montana, 2012 - present.

International Experience

• Extensive international collaborations (Germany, Mexico, Sweden, Great Britian)
• Participated on merged-beams photo-dissociation measurements at the DESY particle accelerator/storage ring in Hamburg, Germany (summer, 2025)
• Extensive snowboarding experience in France and Canada (because having fun is important too)

Honors / Awards

Doctoral Fellow In-Residence, The Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2008-2010.

Hobbies

• Cycling (mountain, road, cyclocross, gravel, fat, etc.)
• Music (writing, recording, guitar, drums, bass)
• The Outdoors (camping, cycling, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, hiking, floating the river, etc.)

Home Department

Department of Physics and Astronomy 

Area of Expertise

Atomic and Molecular Physics; Kinetics and Phase Transformations; Scanning Photoionization Microscopy

Chair Director Departments

Department of Physics and Astronomy