Ithaca College Physics Newsletter
2005-2006
Chair’s Greeting
Welcome to the premier issue of the Physics Department Newsletter. Producing this newsletter, and getting it out the door, has primarily been the work of Bodhi Rogers, who was responsible for the initial idea and much of the work in organizing, writing, and producing the final copy. We hope to make it an annual event to help all of you keep in touch with what is happening in the Physics department today. The department has been through a remarkable period of growth and renewal, and those of you who graduated a while ago may have some trouble recognizing the place. (Just think: How much have you have changed since graduation? Would we still recognize you?) On that topic, I can’t resist getting in a plug for the department’s alumni web site at http://departments.ithaca.edu/physics/alumni/. I encourage you all to visit the site and see what’s been happening to your classmates. Please write back to let us know what you are doing now, what changes have been happening to you, and also to update your contact information. Pictures, especially before and after pictures comparing now to your student days, are also welcome. Also, let us know if you will be in town at anytime. We’d love to show you the changes on the second floor. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Meanwhile, check out the rest of this newsletter to see what’s been happening here.
Matthew C. Sullivan Has Joined the Ithaca Physics Faculty Team
After obtaining his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Maryland at the Center for Superconductivity Research under the mentoring of Christopher Lobb and a post-doctorial experience at Intel in Portland, Oregon Matthew C. Sullivan brings his high temperature superconductivity research to Ithaca College. In collaboration with the University of Maryland, Matt has worked to build a low-temperature lab from scratch here at Ithaca College. Matt studies the phase transition of the high-temperature cuprate superconductors in an effort to understand how they become superconducting. The hope is, if we can understand the existing superconductors, we can learn how to create room-temperature superconductors. To date, Matt has Ithaca College Physics Newsletter 2005-2006 1 of 9
succeeded in creating what is certainly the loudest lab in the building, with at least one vacuum pump (and often two) running to keep these samples cold.
Class of 2006
Grads (from L to R): Richard Levengood, Dan Varney, Kevin Faehndrich, Scott Boyd, Brad Egan, and Michael Stark Faculty (from L to R): Michael “Bodhi” Rogers, Luke Keller, Bruce Thompson, Beth Ellen Clark Joseph, and Dan Briotta
Brad Egan is off to Northeastern for graduate studies in engineering. Michael Stark is looking into becoming an actuary. Scott Boyd is heading to Florida to be with significant other Natalie Burek (IC Physics ‟05) and continue his desire to become a member of the space elevator team. Richard Levengood is off touring with his band Jack Bauer. Kevin Faehndrich just landed a job selling insurance for Afleck, and Dan Varney hasn‟t checked in yet.
The Physics Café
This year's Physics Café celebrates the 50th anniversary of the creation of School of Humanities and Sciences in 1956. In 1956 John Bardeen was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on semiconductors. In 1972 Bardeen became the only person to win two Nobel Prizes in physics. His 1972 award was for his role in the theory of superconductivity. Professor Davis will discuss his work on superconductivity and describe the development of "wavefunction imaging" scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) techniques that allow us to visualize complex electronic matter directly at the atomic scale.
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Student Research Highlights
Dan Varney spent the summer working with Dan Briotta on several projects, primarily doing much needed maintenance on the observatory telescope. He took apart all of the key components of the telescope and refurbished every component. Eric Leibensperger and Nitin Rajan are working with Beth Clark Joseph Michael Pacelli, Sweta Shah, and Maksim Sipos are working with Luke Keller Kevin Faehndrich and Kristyan Georgiev conducted research with Bodhi at a War of 1812 shipbuilding site near Sacketts Harbor, NY; at a longhouse Native American site dated before the Clinton-Sullivan Campaign, and did experiments to understand positional errors encountered during magnetic surveys by constructing a non-magnetic cart to house the magnetometers. Tayza Yeelin is working with Bruce Thompson studying asteroid occultations. In the 2005-2006 school year George DeBeck V, Penyo Michev and Brandon Sforzo worked with Matt Sullivan. George worked to build and test low-pass filters for the low-temperature probe. Penyo built a sample stage for the metal evaporator, which has not seen an evaporation in more than two decades. Brandon machined equipment to test the low-pass filters, as well as built a cart for the new vacuum pump the department purchased. Although no publications resulted, their efforts helped create the infrastructure necessary to conduct low temperature physics at IC.
Student Publications
G. C. Sloan1, L. D. Keller2, W. J. Forrest3, E. Leibensperger2,
B. Sargent3, A. Li4, J. Najita5, D. M. Watson3, B. R. Brandl9, C. H. Chen5, J. D. Green3, F. Kemper6, T. L. Herter1, P. DÕAlessio7, P. W. Morris8, D. J. Barry1, P. Hall1, P. C. Myers10, & J. R. Houck1,
Mid-infrared spectra of PAH emission in Herbig AeBe stars, Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal We have several manuscripts in process for submission next year that will have first author and coauthor SPS students.
Student Presentations
Regional Meetings Faehndrich, K., M. Rogers, Comparison of Archaeological and Magnetic Methods for Identification of Subsurface Prehistoric Native American House Features, Sigma Xi Northeast Regional Conference, Cornell University, NY.– Poster Presentation, April 3, 2006. Ithaca College J.J. Whalen Academic Symposium
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Coler, C., S. Stansfield, Design and Development of a Touch Feedback Device for Virtual Reality, Ithaca College James J. Whalen Academic Symposium – Oral Presentation, April 3, 2006. Faehndrich, K., M. Rogers, Comparison of Archaeological and Magnetic Methods for Identification of Subsurface Prehistoric Native American House Features, Ithaca College James J. Whalen Academic Symposium – Oral Presentation, April 3, 2006. Georgiev, K., M. Rogers, Identifying and Reducing Posiitional Errors Encountered During Ground-based Magnetic Surveys, Ithaca College James J. Whalen Academic Symposium – Oral Presentation, April 3, 2006. Rajan, N., E. Shehi, M. Sipos, Physics Meets Irrigation: Honorable Mention-2006 Mathematical Contest in Modeling, Ithaca College James J. Whalen Academic Symposium – Oral Presentation, April 3, 2006. Rajan, N., B. Clark Joseph, The Ithaca College Solar Trailer Project, Ithaca College James J. Whalen Academic Symposium – Oral Presentation, April 3, 2006. Shah, S. L. Keller, Spectral Analysis of Dust and Gas in Protoplanetary Disks: Planet Formation around Large Stars, Ithaca College James J. Whalen Academic Symposium – Ithaca College James J. Whalen Academic Symposium – Oral Presentation, April 3, 2006. Sipos, M., Z. Mustafaev, On Convex Figures of Constant Width in the Euclidean Plane, Ithaca College James J. Whalen Academic Symposium – Oral Presentation, April 3, 2006. Stelljes, L., B. Clark Joseph, Project, Ithaca College James J. Whalen Academic Symposium – Poster Presentation, April 3, 2006. Yeelin, T., B. Thompson, Observations of Stellar Occultations by Asteroids, Ithaca College James J. Whalen Academic Symposium – Oral Presentation, April 3, 2006. Ithaca College Department of Physics Student Research Symposium K. Faehndrich, M. Rogers, K. Georgiev, A Summary of Summer 2005 Ground-based Remote Sensing Surveys at Three Contrasting Sites, Ithaca College Physics Department Student Research Symposium, February 13th 2006. K. Georgiev, M. Rogers, K. Faehndrich, Identification and Reduction of Positional Errors in Cesium Magnetometer Surveys: An Ithaca College Dana Internship Summer Research Experience, Ithaca College Physics Department Student Research Symposium, February 13th 2006. N. Rajan, B. Clark Joseph, Summer Research 2005, Ithaca College Physics Department Student Research Symposium, February 13th 2006. S. Shah, L. Keller, Identification of Planet Formation in Stellar Disks, Ithaca College Physics Department Student Research Symposium, February 13th 2006. M. Sipos, L. Keller, Scientific Ruby, Ithaca College Physics Department Student Research Symposium, February 13th 2006. D. Varney, D. Briotta, Observatory Improvements, Ithaca College Physics Department Student Research Symposium, February 13th 2006. T. Yeelin, B. Thompson, Stellar Occultations, Ithaca College Physics Department Student Research Symposium, February 13th 2006.
Awards and Kudos
The H&S Dean recognized the entire physics department for all of their efforts with a Dean‟s merit award. Dean Erlich explains the recognition Ithaca College Physics Newsletter 2005-2006 4 of 9
“A „young‟ department with five of the six faculty not yet tenured (indeed, the department has only recently
completed its hiring of probationary faculty), the Physics department has revitalized its curriculum and introduced „scale-up,‟ an approach to teaching in the sciences which demonstrates important potential to engage and energize students, particularly in lecture-format classes.With so many outstanding departments in the school it is perhaps audacious to identify a single department for a group award. Yet the Physics Department seems to me deserving and I publicly applaud their achievements. Department members include: Dan Briotta, Beth Ellen Clark Joseph, Luke Keller, Michael Rogers, Matthew Sullivan, Bruce Thompson.”
Dean Erlich also recognized the Center for Natural Sciences Sustainability Group with the Dean‟s Merit group award,
“Many faculty members have contributed to the college‟s and school‟s sustainability effort. The central players in the sustainability effort have been: Susan Allen-Gil, overall coordination as well as leading the Whalen Symposium effort; Beth Ellen Clark Joseph, who leads the Wind Power and Solar Trailer Projects; Jason Hamilton, who chairs the Natural Lands Stewardship Committee; Michael Rogers, who leads the Physics classroom renovation work; Michael Smith, the Sustainability Café coordinator; Susan Swensen, who chairs the CNS Sustainability Group.”
Assistant Professor Michael “Bodhi” Rogers was awarded the Ithaca College Excellence in Teaching Award (only one faculty member out of the entire faculty body is recognized with this award each year and as far as we can tell this is the first time a pre-tenure faculty member has received this recognition).
Faculty Highlights
Dan Briotta has continued guiding the physics department as department chair while the department goes through its faculty transition due to many retirements. Beth Ellen Clark Joseph spent the fall 2005 semester in residence in Tokyo Japan, working with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Hayabusa spacecraft science team on a mission to a near-earth asteroid. Beth was successful in getting two new grants funded – one from the National Science Foundation to explore X-class asteroids by combining radar and infrared telescopic studies, and another from NASA to study the optical effects of asteroid impacts using a light-gas gun at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Closer to home, Beth worked with the CNS Sustainability Group and several physics students (Nitin Rajan, 2007; Lia Stelljes 2008) on energy efficiency and sustainable energy systems. With John Confer (Biology Professor), Allison Krasnow (Biology 2006), and Steve Figgatt (Environmental Studies 2009), Beth also led a feasibility study for a utility-grade wind turbine for the Ithaca College campus. Luke Keller taught Advanced Optics as the first installment of our new course, Selected Topics in Advanced Physics (PHYS 470) in Spring 2006. The course will allow us to teach any advanced topic or combination of topic as a senior-level course. He and students, Dan Varney ('06) and Nirbhik Chitrakar ('08), began a three-year project funded by NASA to develop data analysis software for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Luke and his students will be involved in testing and the first science flights of SOFIA, a 747-SP aircraft with a 2.5-meter telescope mounted in its fuselage. In collaboration with David Whelan ('05, now at Cornell University), Luke and Nirbhik set up a remote Ithaca College Physics Newsletter 2005-2006 5 of 9
observing system so that they can use the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, located at the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, by logging onto the observatory computers from Ithaca. Although it means fewer trips to Hawaii, it makes very short observing sessions (less than one full night) much easier to support and allows involvement of more students. Luke also assisted Bodhi Rogers with final designs of our new introductory physics classroom, the Performance-Based Physics Laboratory. We will move all of our introductory courses into the room (formerly CNS 206 and 208) in Fall 2006. Michael “Bodhi” Rogers has not only received the Excellence in Teaching award, but also advised our Society of Physics Student chapter that received an outstanding chapter award from the national office for the second year in a row. Only 10% of chapters receive this recognition. Bodhi has also published his work on using magnetic methods to locate agricultural drainage systems in Applied Engineering in Agriculture. Much of Bodhi‟s efforts during the 2005-2006 school year focused on working with Luke Keller preparing for creating the new Performance-based Physics teaching laboratory. He worked with IC facilities, architects, purchasing, and information technology services to ensure that the renovation was done correctly and using sustainable design. Bodhi taught Principles of Physics I: Mechanics, Freshman Laboratory, Thermodynamics, and “Physics?” in Cartoons and Movies. He also mentored 8 research students on a variety of projects. Matthew C. Sullivan has made a successful transition from being a Process Engineer at Intel to Assistant Professor at Ithaca College. He is in the process of repairing old equipment and adding new equipment to outfit a new low-temperature laboratory. Bruce Thompson has …
Alumni Back on Campus
Chris Tennant '01 gave a physics seminar on his graduate studies at Jefferson Labs. Jay Schuren ’04 gave our spring banquet keynote on his path from IC to Cornell engineering to the job market, and back to Cornell for an engineering Ph.D. Robert MacCurdy '99 shared with us his work at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at last year’s spring banquet. Bettina Schimanski ‘01, spoke at our seminar series on here graduate work on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Other Interesting News
Matt and Bruce, along with the rest of the department, started what will be a several years' process to revamp our advanced lab courses. The aim is to modernize the experiments and give the students more flexibility, as well as make Advanced Lab II a more in-depth experimental experience.
Society of Physics Students, Sigma Pi Sigma, and Other Events
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We had 34 department members attend our fall picnic.
SPS Treasurer Kevin Faehndrich goes up for the catch. We had 26 students and 7 faculty / instructors attend our spring banquet that includes our induction ceremony that inducted 7 student members and 2 faculty into . The total attendance including guests plus an alumni speaker was 38.
Alumnus Jay Schuren (an SPS member) gives our banquet keynote talk on his path to graduate school in materials science at Cornell University.
SPS President Melissa Gilbert signs the Sigma Pi Sigma log book during her induction.
The physics department congratulates this year’s SPS officers (other officers could not attend) Ithaca College Physics Newsletter 2005-2006
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We are actively promoting SPS membership by talking with non-members about the benefits of membership. This has been a successful approach. A recently discovered recruitment tool is having our Ithaca College SPS club pay for the spring banquet fee for SPS members. When a physics student pays the $20 SPS membership fee they get a ticket to attend the $10-$20 banquet free. The money to pay for the banquet comes from SPS fund raising activities such as bowling and poker nights.
Bowling night has become an easy and fun fundraiser. Our SPS chapter advisor‟s (Bodhi) bowling skills have led to a bit of competition (mainly due to his jestful taunting).
How you can help
The IC physics department currently has significant support from the administration to expand our curriculum, our facilities, and opportunities for students to engage in physics research. Graduating students are being quite successful in their 3-2 engineering pursuits, job hunting immediately after graduation, and heading off to excellent graduate programs in a variety of programs. You have probably heard that Ithaca College is in the midst of our first comprehensive campaign. This campaign has some big things in mind to advance the College. Physics has more pragmatic ideas in mind. Please consider sending us a $5, $10, or $25 donation earmarked for the physics department. Your donation will help us bring interesting speakers to our seminar series, pay for pizza for the seminars, hire students to repair laboratory equipment, and generally enhance learning opportunities for our physics students. $10 doesn’t sound like much, but it means a lot to us and the current IC physics students. Ithaca College Physics Newsletter 2005-2006 8 of 9
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