Events in the academic year 2006-2007
Events scheduled in 2006 - 2007 | |
| Jun-14(14:00): Thesis Presentations Weniger 304 | Seniors See the link below for the latest schedule. [show/hide abstract] 2:00 Scott Clark: "Protein Statistics"
2:15 Ken Lett: "Modeling the anisotropic superlens" 2:30 Nick Kuhta: "Electrodynamics of the Planar Negative Index Lens" 2:45 Curtis Taylor: "Transverse Flux Permanent Magnet Linear Generator" 3:00 Zachary Haines: "Light Propagation in a Photonic Crystal" 3:15 Joshua Russell: "Radio Telescope I" 3:30 Rozy Nystrom: "Radio Telescope II" 3:45 Joe Kinney: "Room Temperature Excitons in BaCuChF" 4:00 Gabriel Mitchell: "Light scattering from large particles" 4:15 Wiliam Martin: "Simulating the reaction-diffusion equation in space and time" 4:30 Tyler Backman: "Thermodynamic Analysis of the Biodiesel Cycle" |
| Jun-09(13:00): PICNIC 1-5pm in Avery Park, Thompsons Kitchen Shelter | |
| Jun-08(08:00): Prof. MS Presentation Wngr 305 | Vincent Cerimele Practical Industry Experience; Developing a print server and financial reports |
| Jun-06(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Jonathan Day and Andy Platt,
OSU Physics
Andy Platt: Towards understanding charge transport in organic semiconductors [show/hide abstract] Andy Platt: Organic semiconductor materials have attracted significant attention in recent
years as they offer significant advantages over traditional silicon technology
including their low cost fabrication and tunability through functionalization
of the molecules. Projected uses include polymer lasers, flexible displays,
and printable photovoltaic cells. However, despite this interest in
application, the actual mechanics of charge carrier photogeneration and
transport that make such devices possible is not completely understood and
remains controversial, partly due to difficulties in assessing intrinsic
properties that are often masked by impurities, grain boundaries, etc.
In this presentation, we will summarize our recent work directed towards
understanding ultrafast dynamics of excitons and charge carriers in
high-performance functionalized pentacene- and anthradithiophene-based
electronic materials. We also present our future plans to use these novel
materials to study charge transport processes on the microscopic, down to a
single-molecule, level. |
| Jun-05(14:00): CANCELLED: Teaching Seminar Weniger 304 | For more information, please see www.physics.oregonstate |
| May-30(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Prof. Wei Kong,
OSU Chemistry Electronic polarization spectroscopy for conformational determination of gas phase biologically related species |
| May-29(14:00): Teaching Seminar Weniger 304 | For more information, please see www.physics.oregonstate |
| May-24(16:00): Special Seminar Weniger 304 NOTE SPECIAL PLACE AND TIME | Dr. Paul Zschack, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory Time-Resolved Surface X-ray Diffraction at the Advanced Photon Source: Pulsed Laser Deposition Growth of SrTiO3 [show/hide abstract] Knowledge of atomic structural arrangements and composition at surfaces and buried interfaces is fundamental to our understanding of the function and properties of fabricated thin-film structures. Because of favorable cross sections, x-rays offer a unique opportunity to penetrate through gas, liquid, or solid thin-film overlayers to probe the structure and chemistry of surfaces and internal boundaries on the atomic length scale. The brilliance of the Advanced Photon Source at the Argonne National Laboratory enables these in situ studies, permits real-time investigations to elucidate thin-film growth mechanisms, and allows for molecular scale studies of important chemical interactions at internal boundaries. In this talk, I will illustrate several important x-ray scattering techniques that are routinely exploited in the study of 2-dimensional surface or interface structures and demonstrate these with the example of homoepitaxial growth of SrTiO3 by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD). PLD is a widely used technique for the growth of complex oxide thin films and heterostructures of complex stoichiometry. In these studies, we used time-resolved surface x-ray diffraction measurements with microsecond-range resolution to study the growth kinetics of pulsed laser deposited SrTiO3. Time-dependent surface coverages corresponding to single laser shots were determined from crystal truncation rod intensity transients. Analysis of the surface growth evolution demonstrates that extremely fast non-equilibrium interlayer transport, which occurs concurrently with the arrival of the laser plume, dominates the deposition process. A much smaller fraction of material, which is governed by the dwell time between successive laser shots, is transferred by slow, thermally driven interlayer transport processes. I will also discuss new x-ray methods for the study of growth surfaces and internal interfaces, and I will describe initiatives for new surface & interface science facilities that are planned at the Advanced Photon Source. |
| May-23(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Prof. Hailin Wang,
UofO Physics Quantum optics with silica microresonators [show/hide abstract] A quantum system, whose dynamics can be manipulated and controlled at the level of a single photon, is of both fundamental and practical importance. In this talk, I will discuss two promising systems that are based on the use of silica optical resonators. The first system consists of artificial atoms, such as nanocrystals or defect centers, coupling to a resonator mode via a dipole optical transition. The second system exploits the interaction between a mechanical excitation and a resonator mode via radiation pressure. Both of these systems take advantage of the ultrahigh quality factor inherent in silica microresonators.
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| May-22(14:00): Teaching Seminar Weniger 304 | For more information, please see www.physics.oregonstate |
| May-21(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. Pallavi Dhagat,
OSU EECS Magnetic sensors and storage devices [show/hide abstract] In this talk, I will present research efforts recently initiated in my
laboratory to develop novel magnetic devices. These include biosensors and solid
state memory using magnetostrictive thin films.
The sensors are based on magnetic bead labeling of target biological and
chemical agents, and are envisioned for application in counterterrorism
monitoring and bio-medical diagnostics.
We are also working on a novel solid state magnetic memory in which the storage
and retrieval of data is accomplished by surface acoustic waves (SAWs). SAWs
are mechanical stress waves that travel along the surface of a medium. The
principles of reading and writing data exploit the interaction between the SAW
induced stress and the magnetization of a magnetostrictive storage medium.
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| May-16(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Prof. Lisa Zurk,
PSU ECE Terahertz Time Domain Spectroscopy Scattering Signatures [show/hide abstract] There has been considerable interest in the potential application of terahertz (THz) time domain spectroscopy (TDS) for a variety of problems, including the detection of explosive devices and imaging for biomedical applications. The THz regime has many advantages, including the possibility of a safe (non-ionizing) screening modality and the potential for high-resolution 3D imaging. It also has the advantage of exhibiting spectral peaks that can be used, for example, to classify explosives or detect the presence of cancerous cells.
However, in addition to the chemical spectroscopic structure, many materials also produce a classic electromagnetic scattering response due to the presence of volume scatterers and/or rough interfaces present in the object. This response can serve to alter or obscure the identifying resonances, and thus it is critical to understand the nature of the scattering. In this work, random media models are devised to quantify the classical scattering response due to embedded volume inhomogeneities (in the form of spherical inclusions) and a rough surface interfaces that may occur between dielectric layers. Results are presented from THz transmission and reflection measurements of granular samples and compared with theoretical results calculated using a Quasi-Crystalline Approximation (QCA) and rough surface scattering theory. Implications of the scattering signatures and direction for future research in the THz area are presented and discussed. |
| May-15(14:00): Teaching Seminar Weniger 304 | For more information, please see www.physics.oregonstate |
| May-14(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. Ethan Minot,
OSU Physics Biosensing with carbon nanotube devices in solution [show/hide abstract] Semiconducting carbon nanotubes are extremely sensitive to their electrostatic environment. We use this property to build single-nanotube sensors in liquid environments that detect bio-molecule adsorption in real time via changes in device conductivity. The mechanisms for conductance modulation upon adsorption have been controversial. I will present scanned probe measurements and liquid gating measurements that resolve much of this controversy. We show how modulation of Schottky barrier contacts, together with bulk doping of the nanotubes, lead to gate-dependant changes in conductivity. I will discuss future directions for biosensor research, such as single molecule sensitivity, in which our understanding of electron transport properties will be critical. |
| May-09(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Vince Rossi
OSU Physics Understanding light propagation in bone for applications in photodynamic therapy [show/hide abstract] My research is focused on applying photodynamic therapy (PDT) towards bone cancers. In PDT, inert photosensitizers (PS) are administered to targeted areas for treatment. Once illuminated by wavelengths specific to the absorption properties of each PS, the PS reaches an excited state and interacts with nearby oxygen, forming reactive species and free radicals. The reactive oxygen and free radicals then damage nearby cells. The goal of PDT is to create sufficient free radicals and reactive oxygen to destroy targeted sites. Before these techniques can be administered, the optical properties of various bone tissues at varying wavelengths need to be determined in order to effectively predict the penetration depths of incident light in treatment of bone cancers. I am currently working on the optical characterization of various bone samples—cancellous versus cortical, healthy versus cancerous. This characterization requires creating optically thin slices of bone (less than 10 microns thick) for characterization and the use of an integrating sphere for reflectance and transmission measurements. Additionally, I have a Monte Carlo simulation of photon propagation through a cylindrically symmetric medium as a first order approximation to the distribution of light incident on bone. By incorporating the optical characteristics of bone into the Monte Carlo simulation, my aim is to help guide clinical treatments of PDT in bone cancers. My research is done in collaboration with the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of nutrition and Exercise Sciences, as well as the OHSU Departments of Dermatology and Biomedical Engineering. |
| May-08(14:00): Teaching Seminar Weniger 304 | For more information, please see www.physics.oregonstate |
| May-07(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Dr. Koorosh Zaerpoor,
INTEL The Nature of R&D in the High-Tech Industry [show/hide abstract] The phrase “research and development” apart from its conventional meaning of scientific research and technological development has a special commercial significance and may be thought of as “activities conducted by specialized units or centers belonging to companies, universities and state agencies”. These activities are usually future-oriented, longer-term, and without predetermined outcomes and with broad hope of commercial yield. In this sense, R&D in industry is a well-planned targeted activity involving roadmap planning, gap analysis, identification of break points in hope of capability, cost and quality improvements using applied research. R&D is not basic research.
In this talk, we will try to present a description of the nature of R&D activities in the high-tech industry, highlight its scope, boundary and limitations and draw a realistic picture of what physics graduates may anticipate entering work environments other than academia.
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| May-02(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Dr. Jong-Seok Yeo, Hewlett-Packard Laser micro and nano scale processing [show/hide abstract] Laser processes have been applied to microscale to nanoscale
technologies where wafer level laser micromachining or surface
processing of silicon, glass, and other materials are crucial steps to
realize the potential of new products or their developments. Especially,
the laser processing of silicon using nanosecond laser pulses provides
the capabilities of high precision and fast processing in micromachining
applications. The unique advantages of the laser micromachining are
currently applied towards the thermal ink jet fabrication process within
HP along with many other micromachining applications. For these
applications, laser offers advantages over competing technologies in
providing lower cost of ownership, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and
simpler, flexible photolithography-less process. Industrial laser
processing requires reliable, low cost operation with high quality and
throughput. In order to enable the novel applications of laser process
for various parameters of laser-material vectors, it is important to
gain an understanding on how material responds to the ranges of laser
fluence (J/cm2) and peak intensity (W/cm2) for different wavelengths
(nm) and how well the laser beam can be controlled temporally and
spatially. This presentation describes the results of the relevant
fundamental experiments for the optimization of processes and their
novel applications in microscale and nanoscale processing. Emerging
technologies increasingly demand fabrication capabilities in nanoscale.
Overcoming diffraction limited spot size by thresholding effects from
laser material interaction, multi-beam interference, near-field optic
laser direct write, and nonlinear self-focusing can open up the
opportunities for the laser nanoscale fabrication. The results from
laser holographic lithography and laser direct write and their
applications will be discussed. |
| May-01(14:00): Teaching Seminar Weniger 304 | For more information, please see www.physics.oregonstate |
| Apr-30(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. Al Bartlett,
UC Boulder Sustainability 101: Arithmetic, Population, and Energy |
| Apr-25(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Prof. Janet Tate,
OSU Physics Cu-based chalogenides in transparent electronics [show/hide abstract] Wide band gap semiconductors are important elements in a new class of applications that can be broadly categorized as transparent t electronics. They are used as transparent electrodes, insulators, and active layers (e.g. channel layers in transistors or light emitters in diodes). In this talk, I will focus on chalcogenides, s, oxy-chalgogenides, and chalogenide fluorides as examples of such materials.
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| Apr-24(14:00): Teaching Seminar Weniger 304 | For more information, please see www.physics.oregonstate |
| Apr-18(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Jeremy Danielson,
OSU Physics Tunable Narrow-band THz Generation by Type-II Difference Frequency Generation with Linearly Chirped Optical Pulses in ZnTe [show/hide abstract] Bright, tunable sources of narrow-band THz radiation are highly desirable for studies of low energy excitations of various systems such as phonons, strongly correlated electron systems, and the rotational and vibrational states of molecules. Techniques developed so far to obtain narrow-band THz pulses include mixing chirped optical pulses in a photoconductive switch; optical rectification of shaped pulses; and optical rectification in quasi-phase matching nonlinear crystals. For these methods, either loss of optical power in the optical components or parasitic nonlinear effects in the nonlinear media lowers the efficiency of THz generation. In this work, we demonstrate a novel scheme for generation of tunable narrow-band THz pulses, in which the undesirable effects are substantially reduced. We produced
narrowband THz pulses via type-II difference frequency generation in ZnTe, where two linearly-chirped and orthogonally-polarized broadband near-IR pulses were employed. We tuned the central frequency by adjusting the time delay between the two optical pulses.
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| Apr-17(14:00): Teaching Seminar Weniger 304 | Participants For more information, please see www.physics.oregonstate.edu/TeachSeminar |
| Apr-10(14:00): Teaching Seminar Weniger 304 | Participants For more information, please see www.physics.oregonstate.edu/TeachSeminar |
| Apr-09(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. David Cann,
Mechanical Enginering Applications of Instabilities in Perovskite Structures [show/hide abstract] Perovskite structures can exhibit a wide range of structural
modifications based on changes in octahedral ordering and tilting,
cation coordination, and bond lengths and angles. Often these
materials are designed to operate near intrinsic structural or
chemical instabilities to take advantage of the resultant superior
materials properties. This has directly led to the use of
perovskites in numerous applications including piezoelectricity, high
temperature superconductivity, ferroelectricity, and many others.
This presentation will feature a short discussion of the origin of
these instabilities followed by recent examples of how this can be
applied in the search for new piezoelectric materials,
magnetoelectric materials, and capacitor materials. |
| Apr-03(14:00): Teaching Seminar Weniger 304 | Participants For more information, please see www.physics.oregonstate.edu/TeachSeminar |
| Mar-16(13:00): Research Seminar Weniger 377 | Tom Giebultowicz,
Ken Krane Experimental Solid State, Experimental Nuclear |
| Mar-14(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Fred Moore
Whitman College / UO Vibrational Sum Frequency Spectroscopy of Aqueous Interfaces -a dilettante's view of six year's work |
| Mar-13(16:00): Teaching Seminar Weniger 377 | Participants Redish: Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite |
| Mar-12(16:00): Colloquium Gilkey 108 | Prof. William Newman, Indiana University Chemistry and Colors: The Interaction Between Newton's Alchemy and Early Optical Theory |
| Mar-09(13:00): Research Seminar Weniger 377 | David Roundy,
Rubin Landau Computational Solid State, Computational Physics |
| Mar-08(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 304 | Dr. Leon Hsu,
Department of Postsecondary
Teaching and Learning,
University of Minnesota Improving learning and the learning experience for students in introductory physics [show/hide abstract] In this talk, I will discuss the two main areas of my research in physics education,
helping students become better problem solvers and investigating students’ attitudes
towards physics and the learning of physics. Problem Solving: One of the goals of
many physics courses is to help students learn to use physics principles to solve
novel problems. However, as anyone who has taught a physics course knows, this is a
difficult task. I have been investigating an approach to helping students learn to
become competent problem solvers through the use of interactive, web-based
problem-solving coaches. These coaches are an integral part of a pedagogy known as
cognitive apprenticeship. Students’ attitudes: One of the surprising and unwelcome
findings from physics education research has been that students’ attitudes towards
physics and the learning of physics often degrade over the duration of an introductory
physics course, even courses taught with modern research-based curricula. I will
discuss my investigations of this phenomenon in an introductory course for non-science
majors, including some dramatic gains as measured by the CLASS survey and factors with which those gains are correlated.
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| Mar-05(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Dr. Dedra Demaree,
Department of Physics,
The College of the Holy Cross Writing in Physics: Challenges in achieving higher-order goals in introductory courses [show/hide abstract] Many colleges and universities promote writing across the curriculum, both for developing writing skills and for gaining content knowledge. Writing is one of many higher-order goals that can be a focus of the introductory curriculum. But do we know if it is effective, or how to use it to promote learning? Historically writing in the disciplines is assumed beneficial, but most published papers fail to show a link between writing and improved conceptual understanding within a discipline. Members from both the Physics and English departments at the Ohio State University and Rochester Institute of Technology have been involved in a study aimed at answering these questions. This talk will state what we can learn about writing to learn from existing literature, and what we have learned from our recent studies. It will also address the broader issues of effectively implementing higher-order goals into the curriculum.
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| Mar-02(13:00): Research Seminar Weniger 377 | David McIntyre,
Bill Hetherington Experimental Optical |
| Mar-01(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 304 | CANCELLED.
Dr. Jose Acacio de Barros,
Institute for Exact Sciences,
Federal University at Juiz de Fora,
Brazil
and
Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford University
CANCELLED. Communities of Practice in Brazil: An Ethnographic Study of Changes to University Physics Instruction [show/hide abstract] In this talk I examine the impact of bringing instructional methods and models developed in the U.S. to an Introductory Physics course at a Brazilian university. Using participant observation, interviews, and questionnaires, we investigated the influence of cultural context on the effectiveness of teaching. I describe student responses to instructional approaches that were designed to change their epistemologies, interactions, and sense of responsibility for learning. |
| Feb-28(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | (1) Robert Kykyneshi,(2) Paul Newhouse, (3) Robyn Wangberg, (4) Justin Elser.
APS Practice Talks: (1) Transparent conductive BaCuTeF thin films by pulsed laser deposition, (2) Thin film preparation of the p-type transparent semiconductor Cu3TaS4, (3) Coupling to nanoscale negative-refraction planar waveguides, (4) Effective Non-Localities of Nano-Layered Meta-Materials [show/hide abstract] (1) Transparent p-type carrier conductive BaCuTeF thin films are reported.
Undoped BaCuTeF films obtained in-situ by pulsed laser deposition in UHV
exhibit maximum conductivities of 50-55 S/cm on fused silica substrates.
The polycrystalline films deposited at various temperatures up to 600šC are
single phase with optical band gap of about 3 eV and 70% average
transparency in the visible and near-IR optical ranges. BaCuTeF films
deposited on single crystal MgO substrates are highly oriented.
(2) ---
(3) Negative index non-magnetic strongly anisotropic waveguides have been shown to
provide efficient beam steering and manipulation in nanoscale areas with
applications that include sub-diffraction planar lens imaging and photonic
funnels. In this work we study the coupling to and from sub-wavelength planar
waveguides of different sizes and compare the transmission through a
negative-index structure to the Bethe prediction for positive index materials.
We simulate EM wave propagation and imaging in arbitrary waveguide
configurations with a focus on designing and optimizing planar-waveguide based
beam-steering photonic devices.
(4) Multi-layered nano-composites have been suggested for negative index of refraction systems, photonic funnels, super- and hyper-lenses, as well as other nanophotonic structures. We analyze the electromagnetic modes in such systems and show that they are not described by conventional effective-medium theories. We demonstrate the response of a majority of realistic layered structures is strongly affected by effective non-localities. We develop the analytical description of the relevant phenomena and confirm our results with rigorous numerical solutions of the Maxwell equations. Finally, we demonstrate that multi-layered plasmonic nanostructures support high-index volume modes confined to deep subwavelength areas by using the formalism we have developed.
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| Feb-26(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Dr. Homeyra Sadaghiani,
Department of Physics,
University of Washington Towards improving physics education: examples of student mathematical and conceptual difficulties in quantum mechanics [show/hide abstract]
Physics Colloquium
Monday 26 February 2007
4:00 pm Weniger 153
Refreshments 3:30 Weniger 305
Towards improving physics education: examples of student mathematical and conceptual difficulties in quantum mechanics
Dr. Homeyra Sadaghiani
Department of Physics
University of Washington
Over the past twenty-five years, Physics Education Research (PER) has changed our view of student learning in the traditional introductory courses. Although most PER research has focused on student difficulties in understanding introductory physics, research shows similar difficulties exist in more advanced physics topics. In this talk, I will discuss examples of student common difficulties in understanding quantum mechanics with a focus on quantum wavefunctions and probability. |
| Feb-23(13:00): Research Seminar Weniger 377 | Yun-Shik Lee,
Bill Warren Experimental Optical & Solid State Experimental Solid State |
| Feb-22(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 304 | Paul Hutchison,
Department of Physics,
University of Maryland "Answermaking" and "sensemaking" among students in an introductory college physics course: Good science learning is like doing science [show/hide abstract] Broadly, my research focuses on how students interpret the nature of activity in school science settings and how that impacts what they learn. In this presentation I will describe characterizations of two ways students can interpret their activity in science classes, I label them answermaking and sensemaking. Answermaking is common and unproductive for the goal of students coming to see the concepts of physics for what they are, ways of making sense of physical phenomena. Sensemaking is a potentially productive student view of school activity for this goal. I will present the results of a study using a qualitative survey instrument we designed that shows how students interpret the activity in a physics class can be influenced by the kinds of questions they are asked. The data also suggests that instructional practices in large enrollment introductory course settings can influence students’ interpretation of the activity.
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| Feb-21(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | John Toner
UO Physics Squeezing Superfluid from a Stone: Coupling Superfluidity and Elasticity in a Supersolid [show/hide abstract] Superfluidity - the ability of liquid 4He, when cooled below 2.176 K, to flow without resistance through narrow pores - is one of the most amazing phenomena in physics. Supersolidity - the coexistence of superfluid behavior with the crystalline order of a solid - was proposed theoretically long ago as an even more exotic phase of solid 4He, but it has eluded detection until recently. In 2004, Kim and Chan (E. Kim and M. H. W. Chan, Nature (London) 427, 225 (2004); E. Kim and M. H. W. Chan, Science 305, 1941 (2004).) reported the onset of "nonclassical rotational inertia" in a torsional oscillator experiment with solid 4He, and they interpret their results as indicating the onset of supersolidity. In this talk, I'll describe what a supersolid is, discuss the Chan et al experiments (in the process revealing how to tell a raw from a hard boiled egg), and present the theory I've recently developed (with Paul Goldbart of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Alan Dorsey of University of Florida) of the normal solid to supersolid (NS-SS) phase transition. |
| Feb-20(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 304 | Dr. MacKenzie Stetzer,
Department of Physics,
University of Washington Using research to guide instruction: New insights into student understanding [show/hide abstract] New insights into student understanding continue to emerge from ongoing
investigations by the Physics Education Group at the University of Washington.
Two projects that focus on electric circuits and dynamics are part of a larger
effort to develop and refine research-based instructional materials for several
different student populations. The results have strong implications for
instruction in introductory and upper-level physics courses and laboratories as
well as in special physics courses for preservice and inservice K-12 teachers.
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| Feb-19(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. David Kaiser, M.I.T. [show/hide abstract] The modern era of cosmology began nearly one hundred years ago. From the start, the field has engendered controversy, both within and beyond the halls of science. At its root stands Einstein’s elegant theory of gravitation, general relativity. Einstein’s contemporaries saw in his equations a universe that could evolve over time -- a possibility that Einstein himself initially rejected. Other physicists worried that an evolving universe might sound too much like the biblical account, and urged caution. Soon after World War II, scientists elaborated competing cosmologies -- the big bang and steady-state models -- each built upon Einstein’s work. As before, the terms of debate ranged widely, from the latest astronomical data to charges of political and religious dogmatism. More recent developments have been inspired by string theory, which seeks to surpass Einstein’s relativity. Cosmologists now describe different “stringy” scenarios by which our observable universe might have evolved, together with a tremendous multitude of unseen universes. The latest work, controversial among working scientists, has also encountered push-back from adherents of “intelligent design.” Cosmic evolution remains just as fascinating -- and just as able to stir controversy -- as ever.
David Kaiser is an associate professor in MIT’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society, and a lecturer in MIT’s Department of Physics. He studied physics as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College before completing two Ph.D.s at Harvard University, one in theoretical physics and the second in the history of science. His physics research focuses on early-universe cosmology, working at the interface of particle physics and gravitation. His historical research focuses on the development of physics during the twentieth century. His book Drawing Theories Apart: The Dispersion of Feynman Diagrams in Postwar Physics appeared in 2005. He also is the editor of Pedagogy and the Practice of Science: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives (2005) and numerous articles. His work has been honored with awards from the American Physical Society, the History of Science Society, the British Society for the History of Science, and MIT.
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| Feb-16(13:00): Research Seminar Weniger 377 | Viktor Podolskiy Computational Optical |
| Feb-14(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Raghuveer Parthasarathy
UO Physics Spatial Organization of, at, and by Membranes [show/hide abstract] Cellular membranes are remarkable materials - flexible, heterogeneous, two-dimensional fluids whose spatial organization is crucial to many biophysical processes. Little is known about the mechanisms that maintain various modes of organization, and this talk will explore some recent experiments on this theme. First, I'll discuss lipid membranes that phase-separate into coexisting fluid phases - widely believed to mimic phase-separation tendencies in membranes in vivo - and ask how the locations of the various phases can be controlled. Assisted by microfabricated surfaces that direct membrane curvature, we find that curvature and phase separation are closely connected, and that curvature can control the locations of phase-separated domains. Next, we examine molecules that mimic mucins, a class of large "brush-like" membrane-anchored proteins that are believed to project outward from cell surfaces to better interact with their environment. Using interferometric imaging techniques, we determine the molecular orientation of these mucin mimics, raising questions about the mechanisms that control cell-surface protein organization. Finally, we ask whether the physical properties of membranes might be of use in creating and organizing new, non-biological materials, and discuss a nascent project involving optical traps to probe membrane-mediated colloidal crystallization.
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| Feb-12(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Jason Li, Asylum Research Atomic Force Microscopy R&D: new developments from Asylum Research [show/hide abstract] Jason Li has been part of the Asylum Research R&D team for three and a half years. The Asylum team have developed atomic force microscopes (AFMs) with unprecedented precision, accuracy and flexibility for materials and life science applications. Jason will speak about some of the technological innovations in the Asylum AFMs and the experiments that these microscopes are enabling.
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| Feb-09(13:00): Research Seminar Weniger 377 | Ethan Minot Experimental Solid State |
| Feb-07(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Thomas Mossberg,
LightSmyth Technologies, Inc. Harnessing Deep UV Photolithography for Free-Space and Integrated Photonics |
| Feb-02(13:00): Research Seminar Weniger 377 | Janet Tate,
Oksana Ostroverkhova Experimental Solid State, Experimental Optical & Solid State |
| Jan-31(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | David Foster Methods for Numerical Beam Propagation in Nonlinear Media |
| Jan-27(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. Al Stetz, OSU 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics: JOHN C. MATHER and GEORGE C. SMOOT |
| Jan-26(13:00): Research Seminar Weniger 377 | Corinne Manogue Physics Education Research |
| Jan-24(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Alexey Shvarev
OSU Chemistry Ion-Selective Sensors: New Frontiers |
| Jan-19(13:00): Research Seminar Weniger 377 | Henri Jansen,
Guenter Schneider Computational Solid State |
| Jan-17(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | Heiner Linke
UO Physics Thermoelectric Effects in Nanowires |
| Jan-12(13:00): Research Seminar Weniger 377 | Janet Tate How to get started & what is expected |
| Jan-10(16:00): SSO Seminar Weniger 304 | David McIntyre
OSU Physics Optical Trapping and Manipulation of Atoms and Particles [show/hide abstract] Optical interactions with matter involve energy exchange and momentum exchange. The momentum aspect gives rise to strong optical forces that can be used to manipulate and control the positions and velocities of atoms and particles. I will review the basic physics of this field and our work on laser cooling and trapping of rubidium atoms. I will then discuss our new effort to trap particles using a strongly focused laser beam in an optical tweezers trap. Work to date has concentrated on micron sized particles, but we are working towards trapping smaller nanoparticles. New experiments and potential applications will be discussed.
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| Nov-27(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. Mas Subramanian, OSU Chemistry Chemically Designed Multifunctional Materials with Contraindicated Properties: Magnetodielectrics and Thermoelectrics |
| Nov-20(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. Corinne Manogue, OSU Easing the Transition to Upper- Division physics |
| Nov-13(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. Edward F. Redish,
U. of Maryland Problem Solving and the Use of Math in Physics Courses |
| Nov-06(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. W. E. Moerner, Stanford |
| Oct-30(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. Guenter Schneider, OSU From classical potentials to strongly correlated electrons: The melting transition in small metal clusters and transport in 1D systems |
| Oct-09(16:00): Colloquium Weniger 153 | Prof. David Roundy, OSU Classical density functional theory for water |