Physics News From The AIP No 2, Term 1 2005

VicPhysics News: Term 3, No 4 2017

Dear ,

Table of Contents 1. Call for Presenters: Vicphys/STAV Physics Teachers' Conference 2. Preparing for the Exam a) Definitions of Terms for Practical Investigation b) Formulas in Formula Sheet c) Revision Strategies for the Exam 3. Forthcoming events for Students and the General Public a) Medical Radiations Careers Open Day, 10:00am - 2:pm, 27th August, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre b) Laboratory Sessions at the Synchrotron for Unit 4 and Unit 2 Synchrotron Option c) VCE Lectures for Students 'How to pass the exam', 6pm, Thursday, 14th September, University of Melbourne. d) Prof Brian Cox Live, 7:30pm - 10pm, 2nd November, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Wharf 4. Forthcoming events for Teachers a) Workshop on Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, 3:30 - 5:00pm, 29th August, Bairnsdale b) Lab Techs Workshop for Years 7 - 10 Physics, 19th September 5. Physics News from the Web a) X-rays pick out letters on ancient scrolls b) Single photons set for telecom wavelengths c) Solar core spins four times faster than expected

The next meeting of the Vicphysics Teachers' Network will be at 5pm on Thursday, 14th September at Melbourne Girls' College. All teachers are welcome to attend this or any other meeting. . If you would like to attend, please contact Vicphysics at [email protected]

Regards,

Frances Sidari (Pres), Jane Coyle (Vice Pres), Barbara McKinnon (Sec) and Dan O'Keeffe (Treas). The executive of the VicPhysics Teachers' Network.

1. Call for Presenters: Vicphysics/STAV Physics Teachers' Conference, Friday 16th February at La Trobe University A distinctive feature of the Physics Teachers' Conference has been the large number of teachers who offer workshops about what they do. These workshops are not only beneficial for other teachers, but they also significantly enhance the curriculum vitae of the presenters and their own personal skills.

With the introduction of the new course and the opportunity to try out new classroom practices and teach new content, the conference is an ideal forum for teachers to share their ideas.

If you would like to offer a workshop, please register the workshop on the STAV website , http://www.sciencevictoria.com.au/gateway/General_Papers.php

 The presenter and only one co-presenter are free of charge for the session they are presenting.  All such presenters are able to register “free of charge” for other sessions at this conference.  All subsequent co-presenters are charged $75 each and need to register to attend sessions.  Presenters are not paid any fee nor is CRT covered.

Closing date: 22nd September.

2. Preparing for the Exam a) Definitions of Terms for Practical Investigation The exam will include questions on Unit 4 Area of Study 3 'Practical Investigation' . The study design has a number of terms that have specific meanings such as: independent, dependent and controlled variables, precision, accuracy, reliability and validity of data, and the identification of, and distinction between, uncertainty and error. Meanings of these terms can be found in VCAA's Advice to Teachers at http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/vce/adviceforteachers/physics/introduction.aspx b) Formulas in Formula Sheet i) For those who have previously taught the Detailed Study 'Einstein's Special Relativity', you should be aware that the equation for the total 'mass-energy' of an object is now expressed differently.

ii) Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. The formula sheet includes the form of the inequality pxx ≥ h/4 rather than the one using ђ, (h bar). Although the relationship is not included in the study design. c) Revising for the Exam Our webpage for students, Advice on Revising Physics, http://www.vicphysics.org/advice-on-revising- physics.html is being progressively updated to match the new study design. Several files have been done so far, including a draft of a template for the four page summary.

3. Forthcoming events for Students and General Public a) Medical Radiations Careers Open Day, 10:00am - 2:pm, 27th August, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Departments of Medical Imaging, Radiation Therapy and Nuclear Medicine This open day is for students interested in careers in the medical radiations professions. Staff will conduct tours of these departments and provide important career and professional information. University course providers will also be in attendance.

Make the most of this great opportunity to see the latest in high-tech modern medicine. Parents and teachers are most welcome.

Address: 305 Grattan Street Melbourne 3000 VIC. www.petermac.org b) Laboratory Sessions at the Synchrotron for Unit 4 and Unit 2 Synchrotron Option Starting in Term 3 2017, specialised practical lab sessions are available for Year 12 VCE students with guided tours of the Australian Synchrotron. ANSTO VCE Laboratory Sessions are the only hands-on experience in Australia that allows students to comprehensively explore key syllabus concepts such as interaction of light and energy, nuclear physics and radioactivity.

Based at the Australian Synchrotron, the sessions are held in ANSTO’s interactive learning centre which includes equipment not normally found in schools. The sessions include a tour of the Synchrotron where students will obtain a deep understanding of how research using synchrotron and nuclear techniques delivers a wide range of benefits.

Sessions are open to the following students. Lab Session: Interactions of Light and Matter • VCE Physics Unit 4 / Area of Study 1: How Can Waves Explain the Behaviour of Light? • VCE Physics Unit 4 / Area of Study 2: How Are Light and Matter Similar? Lab Session: Synchrotron and its Applications • VCE Physics Unit 2 / Area of Study 2 / Option 2.8: How Do Particle Accelerators Work?

When: Term 3, 2017 Start time: 9.30am - 12.50pm (or as arranged with individual schools) Class size: maximum of 24 students per session Cost: $30+GST per student To book for more details go to http://www.swinburne.edu.au/business-partnerships/explore- partnerships/community-partnerships/engaging-schools/ansto/ c) VCE Lectures for Students 'How to pass the exam', 6pm, Thursday, 4th September, University of Melbourne. The next lecture in the series will be on 4th September, when Ms Clare Kenyon will speak . The venue is the Laby Theatre. The video of the last lecture on Particle Wave duality is here https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=cpMnxRE3VmA&feature=youtu.be . It has some impressive images. d) Prof Brian Cox Live, 7:30pm - 10pm, 2nd November, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Wharf Prof Brian Cox said: “The massive screens of this show do justice to the astonishing images of the universe from the Hubble Space Telescope and spacecraft like the Cassini orbit around Saturn. The success of the tour in the UK and Europe also means that hundreds of thousands of people were interested enough in physics to come and watch a live show about it, and that’s an encouraging thought for the future!”

Joining Brian on stage will be British comedian, actor and writer Robin Ince, Brian's co-host on the BBC Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage. Prices range from $91 to $218 plus delivery and handling fees http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/event/13005284F374DE0A?did=riaus

4. Forthcoming events for Teachers a) Workshop on Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, 3:30 - 5:00pm, 29th August, Bairnsdale Peter Cheung from Nagle College in Bairnsdale will be presenting a workshop for teachers on Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. To book, please contact Peter at [email protected] b) Lab Techs Workshop for Years 7 - 10 Physics, 19th September Purpose: To enhance the skills and confidence of laboratory technicians in supporting the physics aspects of the Years 7 - 10 Science Curriculum. The focus is on the resources commonly found in schools.

The program will include sessions on: • Learning new skills, e.g. using a CRO, maintaining a Van de Graff, etc • Setting up Physics Demonstrations for Years 7 - 10 • Techniques for checking/testing and repairing equipment • Laboratory management hints • Safe handling of ionising radiation and storage of radioactive sources • Setting up data logging equipment • What is that old equipment in the back cupboard and is it of any use?

Time and Date: 9:30am - 3:30pm, Tuesday, 19th September Venue: Camberwell Grammar School Cost: $60 Lunch is provided. A copy of LTAV's Physics Reference Manual is available at a discounted price of $20. To book: Go to Trybooking at https://www.trybooking.com/RGZG Bookings close 15th September.

This event is organised by Camberwell Grammar School and the Vicphysics Teachers' Network. For more details go to www.vicphysics.org/labtech.html or email [email protected]

5. Physics News from the Web Items selected from the bulletins of the Institute of Physics (UK) and the American Institute of Physics. Each item below includes the introductory paragraphs and a web link to the rest of the article. a) X-rays pick out letters on ancient scrolls b) Single photons set for telecom wavelengths c) Solar core spins four times faster than expected a) X-rays pick out letters on ancient scrolls http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2017/aug/01/x-rays-pick-out-letters-on-ancient-scrolls Ancient rolls of manuscript that were carbonized during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD have been virtually unfolded by scientists in Italy. Having probed the "Herculaneum papyri" with X-rays, the researchers were able to isolate individual layers from the extremely delicate and heavily distorted rolls and identify Greek letters written on them. They are currently refining their technique and hope shortly to be able to read significant portions of the ancient text.

The Herculaneum papyri, discovered in the mid-18th century, were stored in the library of a huge villa overlooking the Bay of Naples that some think belonged to the father-in-law of Julius Caesar. Numbering more than 1800 and concerned, at least in part, with the work of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, the scrolls were carbonized and buried by volcanic material from Vesuvius. Although the eruption preserved the manuscripts for posterity, the high temperatures and pressures it generated also crushed and partially melted the precious texts. b) Single photons set for telecom wavelengths http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2017/aug/10/single-photons-set-for-telecom-wavelengths By shining laser light at carbon nanotubes containing special defects, scientists in the US and Japan have taken a step forward in the quest to deliver single photons at room temperature and at wavelengths suited to the telecommunications industry. The technique, which would be a boon for developers of quantum technology, allows the researchers to tune the light emitted by the nanotubes across a range of infrared wavelengths, at some of which they showed room-temperature, single-photon emission.

Single-photon emission is a key component of several quantum-information technologies, in particular quantum communication. If a bit of information is encoded in a laser pulse containing many photons, as is the case conventionally, eavesdroppers can steal information by tapping some of those photons. Attenuating such pulses to the single-photon level might seem a good idea, but it does not completely solve the problem because the laser might emit two photons at the same time. c) Solar core spins four times faster than expected http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2017/aug/11/solar-core-spins-four-times-faster-than-expected The Sun's core rotates four times faster than its outer layers – and the elemental composition of its corona is linked to the 11 year cycle of solar magnetic activity. These two findings have been made by astronomers using a pair of orbiting solar telescopes – NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the joint NASA–ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The researchers believe their conclusions could revolutionize our understanding of the Sun's structure.

Onboard SOHO is an instrument named GOLF (Global Oscillations at Low Frequencies) – designed to search for millimetre-sized gravity, or g-mode, oscillations on the Sun's surface (the photosphere). Evidence for these g-modes has, however, proven elusive – convection of energy within the Sun disrupts the oscillations, and the Sun's convective layer exists in its outer third. If solar g-modes exist then they do so deep within the Sun's radiative core.