PHYSICS FLASH
    News from the Department of Physics ~ December 2008

ASU PHYSICS
Department of Physics
Arizona State University
PO Box 871504
Tempe, AZ 85287
480.965.3561

ASU Physics senior wins prestigious scholarship
 Way to go Andrew!

 For those in ASU Physics who study and interact with Andrew Gamalski, it was not surprising to hear that he was awarded one of the most coveted and prestigious graduate scholarships in the world - the Marshall Scholarship. After all, Andrew has been impressing the department ever since he joined ASU Physics in 2006. In addition to the Marshall Scholarship, Andrew has been the recipient of an Arizona Power Authority scholarship, the John C. Wheatley Undergraduate Research Scholarship, and has participated in notable Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs).
   The Marshall Scholarship is widely regarded as among the most prestigious awards an American undergraduate can receive. Past recipients include U.S. Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tom Friedman of the New York Times, Peter Orszag (who just was named budget director in President-elect Barack Obama’s administration) and former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. For more on the history and mission of this scholarship, click HERE.
   Faculty and staff have been in awe of Andrew's unabashed enthusiasm for physics since he came to ASU.  "The first time you meet Andrew you know that he is totally immersed in science and that he has such incredible enthusiasm to learn and push the boundaries of our understanding of physics," comments Robert Nemanich, Chair of ASU Physics. "I have no doubt he will be successful as he continues his studies through the Marshall Scholarship."

   Sabrina Mathues, Academic Advisor for ASU Physics, recalls an incident last summer when Andrew showed up in her office with a box full of "stuff". Andrew was brimming with excitement as he proceeded to show her various physics demos he had built in his garage. He intended to use the demos in K-12 classrooms as a means of generating student interest in science.
   Equally impressive is the dedicated support of Andrew's parents - David and Linda  - who have been visible and involved in Andrew's academic success at ASU from the start. Both were on hand to watch Andrew  receive the inaugural John C. Wheatley Under-graduate Research Scholarship established in memory  (Continued on Page 2)

Congratulations...

 

ASU Physics students who graduate this semester: Undergraduates: Christopher Friedline, Alise Martin, and Bruce Nourish; Masters: Adam Blake, Billie Jo Harvey;   Master of Natural Science (Physics); Angela McClure, Theresa Lococo; PhD: Kevin Gibson, Scott Menor, Keely Snider, Zhihao Wu, Pu Yang.
   Be sure to watch for upcoming issues of the Physics Flash for more details on what's next for these ASU Physics graduates.

 

ASU Physics Professor John Spence who has been elected a Fellow of the American Assoc-iation for the Advancement of Science.

 

ASU Physics' Sabrina Mathues as she graduates with her Masters in Education this semester. Mathues, who is the ASU Physics Undergraduate Coordinator and Academic Advisor, completed the Higher and Post-secondary Education program with an applied projected entitled "From co-scientist to scientist: The intersection of science and gender identities."

 

ASU Physics' Department Manager Peg Stuart who was elected to serve on ASU's University Staff Council (USC). The USC's mission is to serve as a voice on issues and concerns important to university staff.

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Marshall Scholarship

(continued from Page 1)

Conference celebrates 10th anniversary; founded on ASU professor's scientific contribution

The Sixth International Conference LEEM-PEEM6 was held in Trieste, Italy September 7-11, 2008. The conference was co-organized by Anastassia Pavlovska, an ASU research associate working with Distinguished Research Professor Ernst Bauer in ASU Physics.
   The organization of these bi-annual international conferences demonstrates the tremendous impact Professor Bauer has had on the science community. Bauer invented LEEM (Low Energy Electron Microscopy), which is a unique surface imaging method. His efforts in the field of surface microscopy have significantly enhanced Arizona State University’s reputation as the center of surface electron microscopy.
   The first international LEEM/PEEM workshop was organized in 1998 by Ernst Bauer and Anastassia Pavlovska and attracted 40 researchers from eight countries. Subsequent conferences have been held in Paris (2000), New Mexico (2002), Holland (2004) and Japan (2006). This past conference celebrated the 10th anniversary of the LEEM conferences – a milestone marked by celebration at the conference.
   The LEEM-PEEM6 conference focused on the most recent scientific advances as well as on the instrumental developments. Topics included surface chemistry, organic films, magnetism, advances in LEEM-PEEM instrumentation, novel methods and applications, and time resolved studies. Bauer gave an honorary lecture on Past and future of LEEM and PEEM.
   With 130 participants from 19 countries, the 2008 conference illustrated the steady growth in the LEEM/PEEM community. In addition to being a great scientific success, the conference also demonstrated that - despite tremendous growth - the LEEM/PEEM community maintains the harmonious, friendly, close-knit spirit of its pioneering times.
   The LEEMPEEM6 conference proceedings will appear on a special issue of the Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter as Festschrift in honor of Professor Bauer.  

For more information, visit http://www.elettra.trieste.it/leempeem6.

of long-time ASU laboratory manager John Wheatley. It was clear then, as it is now, that Andrew's heart and soul are forever tied to the study of physics and that he enjoys the full support of his parents and a host of faculty, staff, and students in ASU Physics.
   Andrew plans to attend the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom where he will pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree on the topic of growth dynamics of carbon nanotubes and nanorods. Not surprisingly, Andrew confesses he is "really excited about this opportunity!" The entire faculty, staff, and student body of ASU Physics congratulate Andrew on his tremendous achieve-ment and wish him well as he heads to England. Way to go Andrew!

For more information on Andrew  and the Marshall Scholarship, click HERE.

Keep in touch and

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
with ASU Physics!


 Please consider supporting ASU Physics students, research, and programs. More information on the
 ASU Physics website

or by calling 480.965.6794.

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Congratulations to...
Newly inducted ASU Regents' Professors! Stuart Lindsay and Otto Sankey were officially inducted as Regents Professors in a ceremony held on December 4, 2008.  Sankey and Lindsay bring the current number of Regents Professors in ASU Physics to four. They join their colleagues Professors David Smith and John Spence who were previously inducted.

ASU Physics wishes you and yours a holiday season filled with peace and joy!

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From the Chair...

 

The Beauty

 

of Physics

 

When pumpkins fly
ASU students analyze Punkin Chunkin

Professor Bruce Doak recently challenged two of his students in PHY121 (University Physics  I) with a unique Honors Project. Eric Lehnhardt and Wade Gyllenhaal were charged with the task of creating a Euler's method spreadsheet calculation to analyze the annual "Punkin Chunkin" contest. The contest, held annually in Delaware, has become a nationally-recognized event bringing together teams to toss, shoot, catapult, sling, or otherwise propel a pumpkin as far as possible through the air. Contestants compete in a variety of classes including the compressed air class, centrifugal class, catapult class, trebuchet class, and the human power class among others. The wining distances in the compressed air class (think monster air-driven cannon) now approach one mile! 
  Lehnhardt and Gyllenhaal analyzed the results of this year's competition and delivered their analysis earlier this semester as a presentation in the PHY 121 class. The numerical calculations allowed them to simulate trajectories of the pumpkins and investigate in detail how the range depends on the angle, height, and velocity at which a pumpkin is launched and on the mass and aerodynamic drag of the pumpkin itself. Through their analysis, they found that the longest flights require pumpkins of very high density (think gourd, essentially, rather than Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin). Internet searches verified these are indeed the preferred

projectiles in the compressed air class. They also discovered that, to match the data, they had to use a smaller drag coefficient than that of a perfect sphere. It appears the groove structure on the surface of the pumpkin plays an important role, reducing the drag coefficient in a manner similar to the dimples on a golf ball.
   Click on the following to learn more: Lehnhardt/Gyllenhaal presentation and data ; contest results, history, and rules at

http://www.punkinchunkin.com/main.htm; a great YouTube Punkin Chunkin music video; and more on Professor Bruce Doak, click HERE.

 

Physics Flash
welcomes your feedback. Please send your comments, questions, and

story suggestions to
margaret.stuart@asu.edu

 

It was a pleasure to welcome everyone to our holiday reception last week. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni enjoyed the opportunity to gather together to celebrate the season and the end of another great semester. A great deal of thanks goes to our dedicated staff who worked hard in organizing the event.
   It has certainly been an exciting semester for all of us involved with ASU Physics.  A record number of students are learning physics at ASU. Our students and faculty have been immersed in research and their accomplishments have been recognized in many important ways.
   Accomplishments are indeed special and worth recognition. However, the true spirit of ASU Physics lies in the way we join together to enable discovery and learning.  Our staff, faculty and students are a seamless team – working cohesively to provide a quality education to all students of physics.
   Our department’s web homepage currently highlights the ‘Beauty of Physics’ by displaying magnificent images from our research.  My first thoughts questioned whether beauty was an appropriate and sufficient description. After some reflection, it occurred to me that the ‘Beauty of Physics’ goes beyond the visual connotation.  It represents discovery as manifested in our research and the learning that occurs at every level of our academic programs.  Discovery and learning are at the heart of what we do - and that, in itself, is a beautiful thing.
   As some of our students graduate this fall and other set to graduate in the spring, we have confidence that they will have the perspectives to develop new approaches to advance our society.  We hope they also recognize and put into practice the knowledge that working as a team brings a broader appreciation of not only the science, but of those around us.
   On behalf of all of us in ASU Physics, I extend our warmest wishes for your holiday season.

Sincerely,

 

Robert J. Nemanich

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