Research Interests
(1) Disassembling blood clots and recovering blood oxygen function with magneto-rheology for Covid-19 patients. Blood clotting caused by Covid-19, including Delta variant, has made this disease much more severe than other respiratory diseases. An alarming number of Covid-19 patients developed blood clots that trigger heart attack, stroke, and other disasters. Currently blood thinner medicines are the only treatment. While blood thinners lower the blood’s ability to clot, they cannot disassemble existing blood clots. Many patients were not helped by them. We have found that strong magnetic field can disassemble blood clots safely and effectively. This is attributed to the magnetic property of red cells and their unique disk shape. Hence, we have developed a new treatment for Covid-19 patients with thrombosis: applying a strong magnetic field along the patients’ arm or leg. When the blood clots come to the magnetic field, they are disassembled safely; red cells recover their oxygen function; the blood viscosity along the flow direction is reduced, turbulence in blood circulation is suppressed, and the incidence of heart attack and stroke can be prevented. With the thrombosis all occurring in Covid-19 patients, the magnetic treatment will resolve this urgent issue and greatly help the patients to recover.
(2) Reducing blood viscosity with magnetic field to cure hypertension and prevent heart attacks and stroke. High blood viscosity is the common thread linking all vascular disease. Our study has found that application of strong magnetic field along the blood flow direction can effectively reduce blood viscosity, lower blood pressure, and prevent heart attack and stroke.
(3) Energy Science. Application of electrorheology for efficient energy production, transportation and conservation, including reducing crude oil viscosity, suppressing turbulence in pipeline, and improving engine efficiency.
(4) Food science. Utilize electrorheological effect to reduce the fat level in chocolate and make it healthier and tastier.
(5) Smart Fluids, electrorheological (ER) and magnetorheological (MR) fluids.
(6) Superconductors in a strong electric field. Investigate the fundamental physics related to the interactions between superconductors and static or quasi-static electric field and further explore the potential applications.
(7) Nuclear Detection. Investigate the ionization of local atmosphere surrounding hidden nuclear materials and develop new technology for nuclear detection.
(8) Nonlinear Optics. The goal of this project is to convert laser beams into coherent vacuum ultraviolet or soft x-ray radiation by second-harmonic generation of nonlinear optical crystals.
(2) Reducing blood viscosity with magnetic field to cure hypertension and prevent heart attacks and stroke. High blood viscosity is the common thread linking all vascular disease. Our study has found that application of strong magnetic field along the blood flow direction can effectively reduce blood viscosity, lower blood pressure, and prevent heart attack and stroke.
(3) Energy Science. Application of electrorheology for efficient energy production, transportation and conservation, including reducing crude oil viscosity, suppressing turbulence in pipeline, and improving engine efficiency.
(4) Food science. Utilize electrorheological effect to reduce the fat level in chocolate and make it healthier and tastier.
(5) Smart Fluids, electrorheological (ER) and magnetorheological (MR) fluids.
(6) Superconductors in a strong electric field. Investigate the fundamental physics related to the interactions between superconductors and static or quasi-static electric field and further explore the potential applications.
(7) Nuclear Detection. Investigate the ionization of local atmosphere surrounding hidden nuclear materials and develop new technology for nuclear detection.
(8) Nonlinear Optics. The goal of this project is to convert laser beams into coherent vacuum ultraviolet or soft x-ray radiation by second-harmonic generation of nonlinear optical crystals.
Academic Distinctions
- Received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who in 2019.
- Received the Outstanding Research Award from CST, Temple University in 2014.
- Elected to American Physical Society Fellow in 2004.
- Received Southern Illinois University Outstanding Scholar Award in 1998.
- Received Omni magazine prize in 1987 for having solved a mathematical puzzle, "vicious neighbor problem," which had remained unsolved for 19 years (shared with F. Y. Wu).
Key Publications
R. Tao, H. Tang, X. Xu, K. Tawhid-Al-Islam, E. Du, “Systems and methods for reducing the viscosity of blood, suppressing turbulence in blood circulation, and curing rouleaux” (Patent Cooperation Treaty), WO2018/085330A1 (May 11, 2018).
R. Tao and D. H. Wu, “Systems and Methods for Detecting Concealed Nuclear Materials” US Patent , US 10,393,914 B2 (August 27, 2019).
R. Tao, H. Tang, K. Tawhid-Al-Islam, E. Du, and J. Kim, “Electrorheology leads to healthier and tastier chocolate,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, V 113, N 27, 7399-7402 (2016).
R. Tao, E. Du, H. Tang, X. Xu “Neutron scattering studies of crude oil viscosity reduction with electric field,”, Fuel, V.134, pp493-498 (2014).
R. Tao and H. Tang, “Reducing viscosity of paraffin base crude oil with electric field for oil production and transportation”, Fuel, V.118, pp 69-72 (2014) .
R. Tao & K. Huang, “Reducing blood viscosity with magnetic fields,” Physical Review E, V84, 011905: 1-5 (2011).
R. Tao, “Electrorheology for efficient energy production and conservation,” Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structure s, V22, 1667-1671 (2011).
R. Tao, K. Hunag, H. Tang, and D. Bell, “Electrorheology leads to efficient combustion,” Energy & Fuels (to appear on Nov. 19, 2008).
R. Tao and X. Xu, “Reducing the viscosity of crude oil by pulsed electric or magnetic field,” Energy & Fuels, 20, 2046-2051 (2006).
R. Tao, "Super-strong Magnetorheological Fluids", Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter Physics, V13, R979-R999 (2001).
R. Tao, X. Zhang, X. Tang, and P. W. Anderson, "Formation of High Temperature Superconducting Balls," Phys. Rev. Lett. V. 83, 5575-78 (1999).
T. J. Chen, R. N. Zitter, and R. Tao, "Second Harmonic Generation of Nonlinear Optical Crystals in Vacuum Ultraviolet and X-Ray Region," Phys. Rev. A V51 706-711 (1995).
R. Tao and Q. Jiang "Simulation of Structure Formation in an Electrorheological Fluid,", Phys. Rev. Lett. V73, 205-208 (1994).
T. J. Chen, R. N. Zitter, and R. Tao, "Laser Diffraction Determination of the Crystalline Structure of an Electrorheological Fluid," Phys. Rev. Lett. V68, 2555-2558 (1992).
R. Tao and J. M. Sun, "Three-dimensional Structure of Induced Electrorheological Solid," Phys. Rev. Lett. V67, 398-401 (1991).
R. Tao and A. Widom, "Integral and fractional quantization of a class of quantum systems," Phys. Rev. B V35, 9853-9855 (1987).
R. Tao and D. J. Thouless, "Fractional quantization of Hall conductance," Phys. Rev. B V28, 1142-1144 (1983).
R. Tao and D. H. Wu, “Systems and Methods for Detecting Concealed Nuclear Materials” US Patent , US 10,393,914 B2 (August 27, 2019).
R. Tao, H. Tang, K. Tawhid-Al-Islam, E. Du, and J. Kim, “Electrorheology leads to healthier and tastier chocolate,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, V 113, N 27, 7399-7402 (2016).
R. Tao, E. Du, H. Tang, X. Xu “Neutron scattering studies of crude oil viscosity reduction with electric field,”, Fuel, V.134, pp493-498 (2014).
R. Tao and H. Tang, “Reducing viscosity of paraffin base crude oil with electric field for oil production and transportation”, Fuel, V.118, pp 69-72 (2014) .
R. Tao & K. Huang, “Reducing blood viscosity with magnetic fields,” Physical Review E, V84, 011905: 1-5 (2011).
R. Tao, “Electrorheology for efficient energy production and conservation,” Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structure s, V22, 1667-1671 (2011).
R. Tao, K. Hunag, H. Tang, and D. Bell, “Electrorheology leads to efficient combustion,” Energy & Fuels (to appear on Nov. 19, 2008).
R. Tao and X. Xu, “Reducing the viscosity of crude oil by pulsed electric or magnetic field,” Energy & Fuels, 20, 2046-2051 (2006).
R. Tao, "Super-strong Magnetorheological Fluids", Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter Physics, V13, R979-R999 (2001).
R. Tao, X. Zhang, X. Tang, and P. W. Anderson, "Formation of High Temperature Superconducting Balls," Phys. Rev. Lett. V. 83, 5575-78 (1999).
T. J. Chen, R. N. Zitter, and R. Tao, "Second Harmonic Generation of Nonlinear Optical Crystals in Vacuum Ultraviolet and X-Ray Region," Phys. Rev. A V51 706-711 (1995).
R. Tao and Q. Jiang "Simulation of Structure Formation in an Electrorheological Fluid,", Phys. Rev. Lett. V73, 205-208 (1994).
T. J. Chen, R. N. Zitter, and R. Tao, "Laser Diffraction Determination of the Crystalline Structure of an Electrorheological Fluid," Phys. Rev. Lett. V68, 2555-2558 (1992).
R. Tao and J. M. Sun, "Three-dimensional Structure of Induced Electrorheological Solid," Phys. Rev. Lett. V67, 398-401 (1991).
R. Tao and A. Widom, "Integral and fractional quantization of a class of quantum systems," Phys. Rev. B V35, 9853-9855 (1987).
R. Tao and D. J. Thouless, "Fractional quantization of Hall conductance," Phys. Rev. B V28, 1142-1144 (1983).