Issue: 2
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
PHYSICS DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER
April 2006
From the Chair:
Dear Physics Alumnae/Alumni and Friends of the Department
It is hard to believe that already two months have passed and that we have to get ready to
send out the second Newsletter. I have really appreciated the response to our first
Newsletter and hope that you will continue to provide feedback how we can improve our
letter and what you want to see in it.
Your support will help us to become the best Department we can be and to provide a
better educational experience for our students. Please feel free to contact me at (970) 4916246 or to email me at dieter@lamar.colostate.edu , if you would like to become more
involved.
Yours sincerely,
Hans D. Hochheimer
Chair, Department of Physics
Content:
Physics News
Congresswoman Musgrave’s Tour of the Physics Department
Research in Prof. Steve Lundeen’s group by Erica Snow
Research in Prof. Carl Patton’ group
Contribution of the alumnus, Dr. Jack Woodyard
On a Ph. D. Panel at the University of Cantabria in Spain
Luncheon sponsored by Students as Leaders in Science
Our faculty affiliate Dr. Maura E. Hagan, Director, Advanced Study Program
Activity of The Little Shop of Physics during Spring break
Physics News
I am very glad and proud about an e-mail I have received from our graduate student,
Laura Wright, who served as a student representative at a meeting concerning graduate
students issues in the College of Natural Sciences:
“Also, I forgot to tell you yesterday that at the CNS grad student issues
meeting, that grad students in other departments seem to have far more
problems than physics grad students. Most students said they didn't feel a
sense of community within their departments, but I have felt (at least in my
experience) that despite any problems our department may have, that we do have
a sense of community. Just thought I'd let you know I learned of one respect
the physics department is stronger than others!”
The following students have passed their Ph. D. or Master examination successfully:
Ph. D.:
Mo Nan successfully defended his thesis “Microwave Effective Linewidth in
Polycrystalline Ferrites: Precision Measurements and New Interpretations” on
February 24, 2006 (Advisor: Prof. Carl Patton)
Master:
Adam Pearlstein gave his presentation entitled "Neutrino Oscillations in Matter" on
March 6, 2006 and passed his Master examination. (Advisor: Prof. Walter Toki)
John Adams successfully defended his M.S. thesis "Monocrystal elastic constants of
iron from 3 - 500 K" on Monday, March 20. (Advisor: Prof. Bob Leisure)
Ansel Foxley gave his presentation entitled "Measuring the Beyond Mean Field Shift"
on March 28, 2006 and passed his Master examination. (Advisor: Prof. Jake Roberts)
Sean Harrell gave his presentation entitled "Waves and their role in the middle
atmosphere" on March 29, 2006 and passed his Master examination. (Advisors: Profs.
Joe She/David Krueger)
Laura Wright gave her presentation entitled "Measurements of the Fine Structure of
High L Argon Rydberg States to Determine the Dipole Polarizability and Quadrupole
Moment of Ar+" on March 30, 2006 and passed his Master examination. (Advisor: Prof.
Steve Lundeen)
Professor Richard Eykholt presented a colloquium talk “Searching for Evidence of
Nonlinear Determinism in Streamflow Data” February 27, 2006 in the Physics
Department and
gave an introductory talk on chaos to the undergraduates over in the dorms (Corbett
Hall).
Adam Beehler volunteered to be a supervisor/judge of the Sounds of Music in
February. This event is just one of many as part of the Science Olympiad program,
which involves middle schools, junior high schools, and high schools. This one was for
the Colorado Northern Regional Science Olympiad held March 4, 2006 at Poudre High
School in Fort Collins, CO. The State Science Olympiad will be held in another month
or so in Golden, CO.
Erica Snow will be starting as an Assistant Professor of Physics at State Univ. of NY at
Fredonia at the end of this August. SUNY Fredonia is a liberal arts college with about
5000 undergraduates. There are a few masters programs (but not in physics). She will
be teaching there and also starting up a research lab for undergraduates. There are about
40 or 50 physics majors spanning the 4 yrs. They also have a 3-2 engineering program,
which is probably why they have a few more majors than some other smaller schools.
Currently there are 3 other tenure track physics faculty and she will be joining as another
tenure track position. They also have one other visiting professor/lecture person.
Kendy Hall was awarded the GRADUATE SCHOOL AGEP FELLOWSHIP TUITION
AWARD of $1,025.00 towards 5 graduate credits on Feb 21, 2006.
AGEP is a acronym for Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate.
Prof. Hans D. Hochheimer served on a Ph. D. Panel at the University of Cantabria,
Santander, Spain.
Brian Jones and The Little Shop of Physics crew successfully hosted this year’s Open
House on the 25th of February. As an additional bonus for an interested group of girls
and a part of the outreach program of the physics department, Sangita Kalarickal, Tessa
Peters and Jessica Lovewell put together laboratory tours for 9 and 10 year olds from
Greeley. In order to give students, and particularly young women, an opportunity to
know a little more about the prospects that exist in physics, these three students worked
as mentors for an afternoon. The participants from the Girls Excelling in Math and
Science (GEMS) group were welcomed into two research labs where they were given a
brief overview of the work that goes on at CSU. The GEMS group from Greeley is a
group, which was formed to support and encourage girls interested in the areas of math
and science. The young students toured parts of Prof. Carl Patton’s laboratory with
Sangita as guide and Prof. Siu Au Lee’s laboratory with Tessa and Jessica leading the
tour. The tour guides answered questions pertaining to the exciting world of physics
research, opportunities for physicists after their graduation, and general perspective of
women in physics. The parents accompanying the students also realized the value and
importance of family support for women students pursuing a career in physics or other
technical areas. The exclamations of “wow!” on entering the labs, and the motivation in
the eyes of the young students towards the end of the tour were a rewarding experience
for the volunteers of the physics department.
Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave’s visit to the Colorado State University
Physics Department
Marilyn N. Musgrave has been a member of the United States House of Representatives
since 2003, representing the 4th District of Colorado. The district includes Fort Collins
and takes up most of the rest of eastern Colorado outside the Metro-Denver and Colorado
Springs-Pueblo areas, with most of its vote cast in Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, and
Greeley.
Congresswoman Musgrave is a member of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, the
U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the U.S. House Committee
on Small Business.
She was born in Greeley and was educated at Colorado State University. Her career in
elective office began in 1991, when she served one term on the school board of Fort
Morgan. She served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1993 to 1997 and in
the Colorado Senate from 1997 until her election to Congress.
She visited the Physics Department on Thursday 23 March 2006. She was accompanied
by her husband, Steve Musgrave, and her District Director, BJ Nikkel.
Upon arrival, Congresswoman Musgrave’s party was be met by Prof. James Sites,
Associate Dean for Research, College of Natural Sciences, and Prof. Steve Robinson,
Associate Chair of Physics.
Her visit included a tour of the laboratories of Prof. Jake Roberts, Prof. Carl Patton, Prof.
Siu Au Lee, and Prof. Bill Fairbank. In Prof. Roberts’ laboratory she was able to see a
collection of ultra-cold atoms in a Magneto-Optic Trap. These traps can cool atoms down
to sub-millikelvin temperatures. In Prof. Lee’s laboratory she was shown precision
equipment that uses high resolution laser spectroscopy for atom manipulation, atom
interferometry, and to test fundamental laws of physics.
Marilyn Musgrave visiting a laser laboratory.
Prof. Fairbank discussed his work on the neutrino mass search using single Ba+
detection along with other work in ultra sensitive analysis and single atom detection.
Prof. Patton showed his work on Ferrite materials for advanced multifunction
microwave systems applications along with Gigahertz electromagnetic devices for use in
systems for next-generation battlefield communications.
Following the laboratory tour, a group met in the Physics Conference Room for three
short presentations of important, current research initiatives within the physics
department and in collaboration with larger groups.
Carl Patton and Marilyn Musgrave in Patton’s magnetics laboratory.
Professor Carl Patton reviewed his program in applied microwave magnetics for next
generation advanced signal processing, high density information storage, secure
communications, and radar. He also presented an overview on a possible five state multiuniversity "Institutes for Applied Magnetics" (IAM) consortium under development by
himself and colleagues at the University of Idaho, Case Western, Carnegie Mellon, and
Northeastern.
Professor John Harton discussed the Pierre Auger Observatory. It has two sites, one in the
southern hemisphere and one in the north. The southern site near the city of Malargue in
Mendoza province, Argentina has been under construction since 2000 and completion is
expected in 2007. The northern site is planned for southeast Colorado, roughly between
the cities of Lamar, Springfield and Las Animas. Proposals for funding the northern site
are in preparation. Two sites are needed to view the entire sky, which is needed to do
complete searches for sources of ultra high-energy cosmic rays. The Auger collaboration
began in the early 1990’s and now consists of about 250 scientists and engineers from 16
countries.
Marilyn and Steve Musgrave in the Physics conference room.
Professor Bob Wilson discussed the DUSEL initiative. “The National Science
Foundation (NSF) has solicited proposals for a conceptual design for a Deep
Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory (DUSEL). This national facility would
house a variety of advanced experiments in physics, geosciences, biosciences, and
engineering and have a lifespan of at least 30 years. The initial investment is expected to
be approximately $300 million.
The Henderson Mine near Empire, Colorado is one of two remaining candidate sites in
the second of a series of three solicitations. The Henderson DUSEL conceptual design is
being developed by the 90-member Henderson Underground Science and Engineering
Project (HUSEP) collaboration of industry, higher education, state and local officials, and
community members. Colorado State University faculty are key members of the HUSEP
leadership team. Prof. Wilson (physics) is a co-Principal Investigator and Project
Manager for the current NSF award and Deputy Spokesman of the collaboration. Prof.
Judith Hannah (geoscience) is a co-PI and chair of the Geoscience Working Group.”
Atomic Beam Lab
Graduate students, Erica Snow (standing) and Laura Wright (sitting), are pictured
here with the Resonant Excitation Stark Ionization Spectroscopy apparatus.
The research conducted in the atomic beam lab under the supervision of Dr. Steve
Lundeen specializes in optical and microwave spectroscopy of high angular momentum
Rydberg atoms, molecules and ions. When an electron is highly excited but still weakly
bound to a positive ion core it is called a Rydberg state. High-angular-momentum (highL) Rydberg states are very interesting yet have a simplicity to them. Since the excited
electron essentially does not penetrate the ion core the system is nearly but not exactly
hydrogenic. The small differences from hydrogenic energies are the focus of this lab’s
work. The fine structure patterns in non-penetrating high-L Rydberg states provide a
unique signature of interactions between the Rydberg electron and the positive ion core
that break the symmetry of the dominant simple Coulomb potential. Measurements of
these patterns can provide precise determinations of the core properties such as dipole
polarizability and quadrupole moments, which control these interactions and so set the
scale of the fine structure patterns. The Resonant excitation Stark ionization
spectroscopy (RESIS) technique provides a general method of accessing the high angular
momentum levels that are required for such studies. With this method, the Rydberg
atoms, molecules or ions are formed by single electron capture from an accelerated ion
beam. Specific high-L Rydberg levels in the resulting fast beam can be detected by
upward excitation using a Doppler-tuned CO2 laser followed by Stark ionization of the
upper state of the excitation and collection of the resulting ions. The fact that the laser
excitation is upwards from existing levels means that all angular momentum states are
eligible to be detected in this way, and as long as the fine structure energies exceed the
laser resolution, individual Rydberg levels can be selectively detected. The relatively
small fine structure intervals can be measured directly using microwave resonance
methods, relying on the selective RESIS excitation to provide detection of those
transitions. The existence of these high-L fine structure patterns, coupled with a practical
and general method of studying them provides a versatile tool for measuring certain
properties of positive ions that is, in some ways, superior to methods available for the
study of neutral atom properties.
Current studies are investigating the alkali-earth metals of barium and
magnesium. There are large non-adiabatic effects present in barium, which makes it of
interest. The theoretical basis for interpreting these fine structure patterns has been in
existence for over 70 years, all the while under scrutinization and revision. Independent
theoretical calculations are available to be combined with experimental results, so that
critical analysis of the theoretical model is possible. This will strengthen the
understanding of the theoretical framework needed to interpret these Rydberg fine
structure patterns. There are also applications of the barium ion in parity nonconservation experiments and atomic clock transitions.
What's happening in the Magnetics Group - Carl Patton - 29 March
2006
By way of introduction, the Magnetics Group started in 1971 when
Professor Patton was a brash young bearded, fuzzy haired, wire rimmed
Beatle glasses, bell bottomed freaky hippie associate professor (with no
funding). After 35 years, the program now has official CIOSU
(whatever that means) status as the "Magnetic Materials and Applied Magnetics
Laboratory" and annualized external research support in the range of $500,000 (2004) to
$750,000 (2005). Funding comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the
Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Army Research Office (ARO), the Information
Storage Industrial Consortium (INSIC), the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency
(DARPA), and various industrial contributors. There are numerous visitors and guest
speakers in the group from time to time. Recent visitors include Takao Suzuki from the
Toyota Technological Institute (Nagoya), Jeff Young (University of Idaho), Andrei
Slavin (Oakland University), Kirill Rivkin (Northwestern University), Sergej Demkritov
(Univ. Muenster), and Lance De Long (University of Kentucky). Group meetings are
generally held twice a week. Students and visitors are always welcome. Web surfers are
also welcome to check out the group web site expertly designed and managed by Pavol
Krivosik. http://www.physics.colostate.edu/groups/maglab/
People:
The five (current) postdoctoral fellows include Mingzhong Wu (Tongji University,
Shanghai), Pavol Krivosik (Slovak Electrotechnical University, Bratislava), Jaydip Das
(IIT Bombay), Kumar Srinivasan (Carnegie Mellon University), Kyoung-Suk Kim
(KOSEF Fellow, Korea), and Scott Brown (University of Alabama). Mingzhong Wu and
Pavol Krivosik will soon be promoted to Research Scientist/Scholar III (research
positions comparable to Associate Professor). The five current graduate students in the
group are Sangita Kalarickal (ferromagnetic resonance in metallic thin films), Nan Mo
(effective linewidth in ferrites), Heidi Olson (nonlinear spin waves at high power), Kevin
Smith (envelope soliton dynamics), and Arkajit Roy Barman (new). There are two
undergraduates doing advanced level research, Byron Griffin (pulsed laser deposition and
liquid phase epitaxy of ferrite films) and Michael Kabatek (time and space resolved
inductive probe measurements of spin dynamics).
Summertime usually brings two or three high school students into the group under REAP
(Research Engineering Apprenticeship Program) funding from the Army Research
Office. Over the past few years, we have been working with Tim Lenczycki at Poudre
High School to recruit students.
Research
The Laboratory is engaged in a variety of basic and applied research problems that range
from the fundamental understanding of magnetic order to the study of materials and
device structures for information storage, radar, and high frequency signal processing
applications. The present emphasis is on microwave and millimeter wave excitations,
nonlinear interactions in precession dynamics, spin wave instability processes and
envelope solitons in ferrites and thin films, spin wave chaos and fractals, Brillouin light
scattering on magnetic excitations, hexagonal ferrite materials, and metallic thin films.
Happenings
The Laboratory was recently notified of new funding from DARPA to investigate bulk
and thin film composite and multifunctional materials for dual electric magnetic device
applications.
Nan Mo passed his thesis defense examination and is in the throes of final thesis
corrections. Nan was able to solve a long standing problem on off resonance loss in
ferrite materials, develop new and innovative measurement techniques for low level
microwave loss measurements, and popularize the slogan he stole from Carl Patton, "the
truth is in the data."
Sangita Kalarickal is finishing off her thesis and preparing for her defense, after which
she will join her husband (a recent PhD from the CSU ECE Department) in Berlin.
Sangita's work on ferromagnetic resonance has led to an improved understanding of two
magnon losses in thin film and bulk magnetic materials and shed new light on the electric
and magnetic properties of ferroelectric - ferrite composites.
Eight group members will travel to the International Conference on Magnetics
(INTERMAG) in San Diego, May 8 - 12 to present seven contributed papers on, barium
ferrite thin films (Das), ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) losses in Fe-Ti-N films
(Kalarickal), two magnon scattering (Krivosik), spin wave excitation theory (Mo),
nonlinear ferromagnetic resonance at high power (Olson), intergranular interactions in
Fe-Ti-N films (Srinivasan), random solitons (Wu). Sangita, Nan, and Heidi won student
travel grants to attend the conference. Carl Patton is Vice President of the IEEE
Magnetics Society and will spend most of his time at the conference in attendance at
boring management meetings.
Figures and Photos
Example of fractal structure in the evolution of high power
spin wave signals in a yttrium iron garnet film (Wu nearly accepted for Physical Review Letters)
Mingzhong Wu
In
YIG film
Ou
Dielectric
resonator
Hybrid 10 GHz dielectric resonator (gray rectangle) and
YIG film spin wave propagation structure (film with
tapered edges) for the cloning of spin wave pulses (Smith paper in preparation).
Kevin Smith
Contribution of the alumnus, Dr. Jack Woodyard
Young Yeal Song (previous KOSEF Fellow - Korea), Sangita Kalarickal,
Boris Kalinikos (frequent visitor from St. Petersburg Electrotechnical
University), Sung An (previous KOSEF Fellow - Korea), Mingzhong Wu,
and Michael Kraemer (Magnetics Group Ph.D. 2004, now in Germany).
Jack R. Woodyard
610 W. Woodsfield St.
Norton KS 67654
(785) 877-5519
January 24, 2006
(woodyard@ruraltel.net)
Education
1974Ph.D. — University of Nevada, Reno - theoretical atomic physics
1968M.S. — University of Nevada, Reno - theoretical atomic physics
1969B.S. — Colorado State University — with honors - physics/mathematics
Honors, Awards, Fellowships, Professional Organizations
12 substantial cash awards for excellence and innovation from the USBOM; Elected to
various honors societies and organizations; NASA Trainee; multiple scientific, technical,
honors, and professional societies
Positions Held
01-22-1996 present: Retired, dba Jack R. Woodyard, Ph.D.
10-12-1970 - 01-22-1996: Research Physicist or mid-management, U.S. Bureau of
Mines
01-01-1978 - 12-31-1984: Sole Owner, NOMAR — advanced computer software and
consulting
09-01-1962 - 10-12-1970: Various part-time or temporary positions with Colorado State
University and others including Aerojet General, project NERVA (nuclear rocket)
When I was in sixth grade in Fort Collins, my home, Mr. Parshall, as I knew him, was
retired. He had invented the Parshall measuring flume for water control. (His son taught
at CSU somewhat later, and I knew him too.) He wanted to do something to get students
interested in science and engineering so he came to the junior high and recruited a group
of us to study with him after school. I don’t remember for sure but I believe there were
six of us, boys and girls. All that school year we came to the university engineering
building and learned science and mathematics, as much as we could hold. Mr. Parshall’s
love of the subject rubbed off on me for sure, but I had never even heard of physics until I
took it under Mr. Hayden Hodges at the local high school. Mr. Hodges was excellent,
and is largely why I majored in physics, and took my Ph.D. I stayed in touch with Mr.
Parshall for years, until his death. I was told that he died at his desk early in the morning.
He had just put the last period on the last sentence of the last paper he ever wrote. What
a way to go!
I took physics my junior year, reversing the chemistry-physics sequence at my advisor’s
request. This allowed me to act as a lab assistant for Mr. Hodges my senior year. I so
loved physics that I bought a college level book and started going through it in my spare
time. I also had excellent mathematics teachers, but Fort Collins High did not offer
calculus at that time, so I got some books and taught it to myself the following summer.
At that point I did something uncharacteristically bold. I marched over to the University,
found the office of the Chair of the physics department and asked to see the chairman. I
felt very young and foolish, and Dr. Weber’s appearance did nothing to calm me. Thin
and wiry with a shock of white hair and as I remember bushy eyebrows he talked with a
breathless haste. I was totally intimidated when he asked what I wanted. I said, “I want a
job.”
Dr. Weber asked me what I knew about physics, and I showed him the books of physics
and calculus I had been using. He made me solve a couple of problems, and then told me
about what he called “reducto ad absurdum.” During my “interview” one of his former
undergraduate students dropped by to visit. When the man left Dr. Weber told me
everything about him down to where he had sat in the lecture hall. The man had not seen
Dr. Weber for over fifteen years! Shortly he turned back to his work, looked up and said,
I’ll get back to you.” I was dismissed. It had been an unnerving but equally exciting
encounter. I went to the library for more books on physics. Sometime later I got a call
from Dr. Weber. In his breathless hurried voice he told me to come to the department to
start work. I worked the first three years along with Paul Lightsey and “Hank” Nelson on
the atmospheric ozone project. Funding for the atmospheric ozone project ran out my
last year, so they gave me my own physics class to teach, and the electron microscope to
operate. I had an interesting curriculum vita before I ever graduated! Between CSU and
UNR I had teachers that gave me a broad education in physics and math, actually in the
sciences and philosophy. This stands me in good stead as I encounter multi-disciplinary
problems through out my career and have published in a dozen different fields. I will
never forget Mr. Parshall and Dr. Weber they gave me the will to try and the desire to
succeed.
On a Ph. D. Panel at the University of Cantabria in Spain
On March 21, 2006 I had to opportunity to be a member of the thesis panel of a student
from the University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain, who has worked for 3 months in my
laboratory here at CSU. It was quite an experience, because there are similarities and
differences to our procedures here.
Most striking is the fact that the supervisor cannot be a member of the Ph. D. committee.
Our faculty affiliate, Prof. Dr. Fernando Rodriguez , the supervisor of the PH. D. student,
Ignacio Hernandez Campo.
Furthermore, the committee is composed of outside members except for the secretary.
The defense takes place in a special room (Sala de Grado) and the committee members sit
on a platform in this special room.
The Ph. D. panel from left to right: Secretary, Prof. Dr. Rafael Valiente, University of
Cantabria, Santander, Spain, Prof. Dr. Alfonso San Miguel, Université Lyon 1, Lyon,
France, Chair: Prof. Dr. Alfredo Segura, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain,
Prof. Dr. David Dunstan, Queen Mary University of London, London, England,
Prof. Dr. Hans D. Hochheimer, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
The candidate (3rd from left in the picture) will give a 45- 50 minutes talk and then all the
committee members will ask questions. The Chair of the committee, who must be the
senior member of the Spanish committee members, is the last one to ask questions.
After the talk and the questions session the each committee member has to write a report
about the thesis and the performance of the student and recommend, if a special grade
(cum laude or summa cum laude) should be given.
Then the department sponsors a reception for the members of the department and friends
to celebrate in the cafeteria, where they serve tapas and other snacks, and in my opinion,
the best café in the world.
Students as Leaders in Science
by Karl Achiu
"To help science majors develop professionally, academically, and personally
through leadership activities, community service projects, networking with peers &
faculty, and exposure to internship opportunities."
-Quote from the Students as Leaders in Science website
As a member of Students as Leaders in Science (SLS), I have had the unique
experience of being involved with a club that has allowed me to network with faculty
from all over the College of Natural Sciences. I have been to several Networking
Luncheons, as they are called, put on by SLS, each one featuring a different department
in the college. The last SLS luncheon featured the Biochemistry department, with the
professors talking about their research and opportunities for students, just like at the
Physics department’s SLS luncheon.
Another aspect of SLS that I enjoy is not only the networking with the other
departments in the College of Natural Sciences, but also with the Career Center and
networking with Judy Brobst, the career advisor for students. She would come down and
help us build our resumes, or if we did not have a resume just yet, she would help us to
write one.
For me, the most important contribution, that SLS has made in my college
experience, is assistantships. What happens is, that Arlene Nededog and Christina
Paguyo will contact a professor for me to do research with. It has helped quite a bit for
me to ask a professor to work for them when I have backing from another organization. I
worked in Professor Patton’s lab in the school year 2004-2005. This year, school year
2005-2006, I am working in Professor Borak’s lab in the Radiology building. Both years
have given me invaluable experience working in and understanding how a laboratory
operates. I am very grateful for all of the opportunities that SLS has granted me, and I
look forward to even more collaboration between the Physics Department, SLS and the
College of Natural Sciences.
Pictures from the SLS’s luncheon with members of the Physics
Department
From left to right: Prof. Bob Leisure, Arlene Nededog, Dean Rick Miranda, Edmond
Johnsen
From left to right: Prof. Jake Roberts
Prof. Richard Eykholt, Christina Paguyo
Back left to right: Aya Ushijima, Karl Achiu
Front left to right: Michael DeAngelo , Kyle
Johnson
Our faculty affiliate Dr. Maura E. Hagan, Director, Advanced Study Program
Maura E. Hagan
Director, Advanced Study Program
Senior Scientist, High Altitude Observatory
National Center for Atmospheric Research
Maura Hagan was awarded a B.A. in physics from Emmanuel College in 1975, and both
M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from Boston College in 1980 and 1986, respectively.
Between 1986 and 1992, she was a staff member at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology Haystack Observatory. She joined the staff of the National Center for
Atmospheric Research High Altitude Observatory (NCAR/HAO) in 1992 and was
promoted to Senior Scientist in 2003. She is currently the Director of the NCAR
Advanced Study Program. Her research interests are centered on investigations of the
mesosphere, thermosphere and ionosphere with emphases on the coupling between these
atmospheric regions and the generation and propagation of tides and planetary waves
therein as well as in regions below. She has authored or co-authored more than 70
refereed publications. For several years she served as the project leader for the
Coordinated Analysis of the Thermosphere within the National Science Foundation
Coupling Energetics and Dynamics (CEDAR) Program. She served as associate editor for
Geophysical Research Letters from 1993 to 1997. She was a member of the National
Academy of Sciences Committee on Solar Terrestrial Research (1996-2000) and the
CEDAR Science Steering Committee (1997-2000). She served on the Steering
Committee of the Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric and Related Sciences
(SOARS) program at NCAR (1996-2001) and continues to serve as a SOARS mentor.
She co-chaired the Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics (SCOSTEP)
Planetary Scale Mesopause Observing System (PSMOS) Steering Committee (19982002). She served on the Atmosphere-Ionosphere-Magnetosphere Panel for the Solar and
Space Physics Community Assessment and Strategy for the Future and as a SCOSTEP
Scientific Discipline Representative to the International Council of Scientific Unions. She
is currently a member of the NASA Geospace Management Operations Working Group
(GMOWG) and an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Physics at Colorado
State University.
It’s All in Your Head: Highlights from the 2005-2006 Little Shop of Physics World
Tour
This year, it really was a world tour,
with Director Brian Jones starting the
fall semester with a series of invited
presentations at the GIREP meeting of
Physics educators in Ljubliana,
Slovenia.
It was a great chance to meet with
educators from around the world to
discuss the theme of the meeting: how
best to connect formal and informal
education.
This sort of connection is something
that the Little Shop of Physics has been
doing for nearly 15 years now, so we
had a lot to share, but a lot to learn as
well.
A local newspaper article shows Brian Jones, Director, Little Shop of
Physics demonstrating the conductivity of the human body at the
“Physics Noctorno” presentation at the 2005 GIREP meeting.
After Slovenia, the Little Shop of Physics crew tie-dyed this year’s shirts and got down to work.
It’s been another full year for the Little Shop, including visits to schools in Colorado, Wyoming,
New Mexico and Arizona—all of the Four Corners States.
We have a great crew of interns this year who have been hard at work making new experiments to
take on the road to share with high school, middle school and elementary school students all over
the region.
Logan Muñoz, a physics and biochemistry major,
explains a bit about electromagnetic induction to a
middle school student at Wyoming Indian School.
Stephanie Wisely, a physics education major, helps
a student at Franklin Middle School make a secret
message with magnetic fields.
2006 Open House
This year, 4500 students attended our 15th annual Open House—making this the second-largest
event (except for sporting events) on campus for the year, after Mikael Gorbachev’s presentation.
The event was run by nearly 100 CSU student interns and volunteers, who did a great job sharing
exciting hands-on science with parents, kids and other curious folks who dropped by.
It’s All In Your Head—one of our 30+ new
experiments this year, demonstrating sound
conduction through the bones of the skull.
Eric Hazlett, a recent physics graduate, is spending a
semester working with the Little Shop before heading
off to Penn State for graduate school.
2006 Spring Break 4 Corners Trip
One of the highlights of this year has been the annual trip to the Navajo Nation to present school
programs, evening family science nights, and after-school teacher workshops. This year, we
presented programs to over 2,000 people, and presented workshops to 50 teachers. We partnered
with Colorado State University’s Native American Student Services (NASS) office and the
Student Leadership and Civic Engagement (SLCE) office. The NASS office recruited several
CSU students, alums and employees from the area to be part of the programs, and the trip was an
Alternative Spring Break option for SLCE students—8 of whom chose to spend their spring break
doing science with kids.
Seraphina Wall, of the NASS office, does a color
vision experiment with some Ojo Amarillo
students.
Ashley Ackley, one of the Alternative Spring Break
folks, explores perception with some Fruitland kids.