Newsletter for University of Wisconsin Physics Alumni TheWisconsinPhysicist Vol.14 No.1 Fall/Winter 2007 1 The Wisconsin Physicist TheWisconsinPhysicist

FEATURES

View from the Chair 2

Cover Stories: The L. R. Ingersoll Museum 3–4

Alumni News and Awards 5–6

Robert Fassnacht Remembered 6

Reaching Out 7

Update on Physics Learning Center 8 Do-it-yourself DC glow discharge. New Badger Physicists 9

Faculty News and Awards 10–11

The TeV II Particle Astrophysics Workshop in Madison 12–13

University Physical Society Information 13

Phenomenology Conference, May 7–9, 2007 13

The LHC 14

Graduate Program Update, News and Awards 15–17

Brownie troop does the loop-the-loop. Undergraduate News and Awards 18–19

In Memoriam 20–21

Our Donors 2006–2007 22

Support Physics at UW–Madison 23–24 The Wisconsin Physicist University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Physics Vol. 14 No. 1 Fall/Winter 2007

Editor: Mary Anne Clarke Assistant Editor: Katlin Kowalkowski Design & Layout: University Communications Students peering into black hole. Editorial Assistance: Linda Dolan, Jean Buehlman, Karyn Matchey

This publication is made possible by generous gifts to the Physics Department. View Greetings from the UW–Madison Physics Department! from the Chair

 am delighted to report on a great many positive Hall near the site of the bombing. We are grateful to the and exciting developments in the Physics Depart- alumni who offered to donate funds for the plaque and to ment over the past year. One tremendously exciting those who attended the dedication on May 18, 2007. development is the arrival on of three new faculty: This was an exciting year for gifts. The department IMichael Ramsey-Musolf is a theorist from Caltech, work- became the proud recipient of the Nobel Prize Medal ing at the interface of nuclear physics and particle physics; and other personal effects of 1977 Physics Nobel Prize Natalia Perkins is a condensed matter theorist from the winner John Hasbrouck Van Vleck. The medal is currently Technical University in Braunschweig, Germany; and on display in Special Collections at Memorial Library, and Stefan Westerhoff, a particle astrophysicist, joins us from will eventually be part of a display in the Physics Library Susan N. Coppersmith, Columbia University. Details of their research programs documenting J. Van Vleck’s life from his childhood years in professor and chair are in this newsletter and on the web at www.physics. Madison to when he won the Nobel Prize. wisc.edu. We look forward to the excitement, energy, and Department alumni Pete and Cheryl Jolivette have innovation these new faculty will bring to the depart- created an annuity that will ultimately become the Pete ment and to the UW–Madison scientific community. and Cheryl Jolivette Undergraduate Physics Scholarship, In May, Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate Bernice which will help undergraduate physics majors to partici- Durand stepped down from her post to became a profes- pate in summer research. Pete received his BS and PhD, sor emerita. We are all deeply indebted to her enormous and Cheryl her BS and MS, in physics at UW–Madison. contributions to research, teaching, and daily life in the Cheryl is the founder of our present day Physics Club. Physics Department over the years. Gerald and Tui Hedstrom, both UW physics gradu- Three faculty members will be enjoying sabbatical ates, visited their former “home” in the summer of 2006. leaves in 2007–08: Sridhara Dasu and Yibin Pan will be in Since returning home to California, they have created Geneva, Switzerland, working at the LHC, which is just the Gerald W. and Tui G. Hedstrom Scholarship Fund to about to turn on; and in the spring Pupa Gilbert will be provide scholarship assistance to undergraduate students working with colleagues at Berkeley and the Weizmann in the College of Letters and Science. Scholarships will be Institute. awarded annually to female students in their junior year. The department congratulates Franz Himpsel, who Preference will be given to students majoring in physics, won the 2007 Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface astronomy, AOS, and math. Physics awarded by the American Physical Society, and I am especially pleased to announce that we have Erik Spence, who received the 2007 APS Division of received a wonderful “lead gift” from Anne Herb, wife of Plasma Physics Outstanding Thesis Award. former Emeritus Professor Ray Herb, to “kick start” a much The seventh Annual Awards Banquet was held in needed endowment for the Ingersoll Museum. May. In addition to awards to outstanding students, three With the continuing tight budget at L&S, there are no Distinguished Alumni Fellow Awards were presented. The UW funds to support museum operations. The museum first went to Dr. W. Paul Menzel, a distinguished meteo- is an important part of our public outreach, promoting rologist who worked at NOAA for many years and recently awareness and literacy in science, and providing groups joined the UW faculty as the Verner Suomi Distinguished hands-on experience with important physical concepts. Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and ­Oceanic About 2,000 people visit the museum each year. We are Sciences. The second award went to Dr. Stephen L. Olsen, seeking additional donations to this endowment to the PI of the high energy physics group at the University provide perpetual support for the museum and its staff. of Hawaii, who has had a distinguished career at the fore- If you can help, please designate your donation to the front of particle physics. The third Fellow was Dr. Michael UW Foundation, Friends of the Ingersoll Museum Fund. If Witherell, a distinguished elementary particle experi- you wish to consult with a UW Foundation development mentalist who was director of Fermi National Accelerator officer on future gifts or other options, including estates, Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, June 1999–June 2005, and is trusts, gifts in-kind, or planned giving, please contact Chris currently the vice chancellor for research at the University Glueck, UW Foundation at 608/265–9952 or chris.glueck@ of California, Santa Barbara. Distinguished Faculty Fellow uwfoundation.wisc.edu. Awards were presented to former UW faculty Don Reeder, Lastly, on behalf of the department, I thank you, our Martin Olsson, and Richard N. Dexter (Port Angeles, Wash- alumni and friends who have provided generous support ington), in recognition of their outstanding and produc- to the department. This support is invaluable in furthering tive careers. A Special Recognition Award was presented the educational and research missions of the department. to the Liebenberg family, who endowed the very first fund dedicated to supporting summer undergraduate research in the department. A plaque honoring Robert Fassnacht, who was killed in the 1970 Sterling Hall bombing, was installed on Sterling Susan N. Coppersmith, Chair UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 2 3 The Wisconsin Physicist The L.R. Ingersoll Physics Museum by Emeritus Professor Ugo Camerini

he Ingersoll Physics Museum has more than dou- bled in size with its move to the newly remodeled space near the University Avenue entrance to Chamberlin Hall. It now occupies about 1,800 squareT feet and offers 30 exhibits. The exhibits area is still designed with the hands-on approach that has been developed over the years. The new museum has been painted with bright colors and adorned with new signs. A web site describing the exhibits is under way at www.physics.wisc.edu/museum. The exhibits have been improved: the Lissajous curves now show the difference between the just and the well-tempered scales, the magnetic field experiment has new liquid-damped compasses, the spectrophotometer is fully functioning, and the color subtraction exhibit has a better light source. There is a new gas discharge exhibit, a mystery window that passes light only one way, and a Newtonian telescope that can be converted to Galilean. In another new exhibit, the spectra of emission of various gases are nnn compared with the spectrum of an incandescent lamp. Also new to the museum is an exhibit that subjects your voice to a Fourier analysis, showing the differences For tours of the among vowel sounds. Other new exhibits are in the HISTORY museum, contact works: why the sky is blue, microwave absorption and dif- fraction, tone memory, series and parallel circuits, and an The museum was conceived by Professor Leonard Rose Steve Narf, exhibit explaining the difference in the concepts between Ingersoll in 1917 during the planning stages of Sterling 608/262–3898 Hall. Sterling Hall was completed in the early 1920s after energy and power. [email protected] We have nostalgia for the old Foucault pendulum. delays caused by World War I. The initial orientation of the Originally, the pendulum was located in Science Hall: it museum was toward educating children as well as univer- was moved, along with the entire department, to Sterling sity students, an approach that continues today. nnn Hall around 1917, and was disassembled in 2005 when the Over the course of 80 years, the museum developed department moved to Chamberlin Hall. We plan to install a small set of hands-on exhibits that are now used by it in Chamberlin Hall as soon as funds become available. more than 2,000 visitors each year. Visitors include middle and high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, visiting alumni, summer visitors, and prospec- tive students. The museum is a primary outreach facility for the department. The exhibits are maintained and the tours are arranged by the Museum Committee with help from volunteers. As a committee-run project with minimal funding, the new museum admirably provides enhanced opportunities to all user groups.

DOCENTS Through efforts of a few dedicated souls, the museum was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Knapp Foundation to provide support for a student docent program. The undergraduate and graduate-student docents are trained by senior faculty to give tours to visiting school groups. The docents are paid from the grant. The program sup- ports the communication, teaching, and outreach skills of the docents and provides guidance for visitors so they can take advantage of the interactive exhibits that dem- onstrate physical principles and their observable effects. Students taking the spinning table for a spin. continued on next page Physics Museum Update

by Professor Stewart Prager

After many decades in Sterling Hall, the Physics Museum has moved to a new and improved Student, not left in peace to find focal length of lens. venue in the remodeled Chamberlin Hall. The museum, residing near the main entryway to the FUTURE building, contains old standards, such as the spin- nnn ning platform to demonstrate angular momen- Planning for new exhibits is under way, but funds are tum. However, fascinating new hands-on exhibits To All Alumni needed to construct them. More exhibits are needed have been conceived and installed, covering phys- to cover the range of physical phenomena: resonance, ics topics ranging from optics to magnetism to Please stay current waves, electrostatics, holograms, polarized light, and by mailing any name, fluorescence to plasmas to probability concepts. perhaps a heliostat. These exhibits appeal to all levels—elementary address, phone, or e-mail What is most needed is a curator to coordinate tours changes to: school to professional physicist. to school groups and work more closely with middle A strange feature of the museum is that  WAA and high school science teachers, to train and supervise it is unfunded and has no paid staff. So how 650 N. Lake St. docents, to improve and maintain the website, and to does it function and evolve? Through voluntary Madison, WI 53706–1410 work with faculty and staff to maintain the exhibits. Efforts efforts (and donations). The masterminds and to procure a Baldwin Foundation grant have thus far been master builders of the clever exhibits are Professor  or by e-mailing: unsuccessful, but we will continue to seek support from ­Emeritus Ugo Camerini and plasma group engi- AlumniChanges@ various sources. Donations to the Friends of the Ingersoll neer Paul Nonn (with occasional input from Steve uwalumni.com Museum will help our efforts to secure additional funding. Oliva and Bob Ganch). The museum has become  or calling 608/262–9648 We welcome visitors and provide tours by request. If a popular stop for school groups, with tours orga- or 888/947–2586 (free) you would like to arrange for a tour of the museum, please nized by Steve Narf (with occasional help from contact Steve Narf, 608/262–3898 or [email protected]. Jim Reardon and Rachael Lancor). The museum is  (Obituaries and death Please contact him at least a week before desired date. complemented by displays and posters that are notices also appreciated) beginning to adorn the adjacent corridors. nnn A visitor to the museum is struck by two impressions: physics is fascinating (the exhibits both impress and teach) and the museum has enormous untapped potential. The ideas and projects under way by Paul Nonn and Ugo Camerini are limitless and include a helical Jacob’s ladder, transmission of microwaves, wave action in liquid kerosene, a motor-generator demo, and more. Peter Weix is developing plans to possibly relocate the Foucault pendulum, updated with laser tracking, to Chamberlin Hall. These ideas can be complemented by exhibits that directly reflect contemporary research, where concepts can be demonstrated at a basic level. In the longer term, the full potential of the museum, and its access to the community, cannot function fully on the kind- ness of volunteers. Efforts are under way to seek funding, donations or otherwise, for a part-time employee dedicated to the museum. Student bending steel with her bare hands. UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 4 5 The Wisconsin Physicist

Distinguished Faculty Fellows Don D. Reeder (PhD 1966) Professor Reeder retired in

Richard N. Dexter June 2005. He served two ALUMNI (PhD 1955) terms as department chair, Professor Dexter retired in June while maintaining an active 1990, after 35 years of long and program in experimental high distinguished service to the energy physics. When the Fermi department. He received a UW National Accelerator Laboratory PhD in 1955, then joined the first opened in 1971, he initiated physics faculty. He did research one of the early experiments:

in condensed matter physics studying neutrino interactions in a large detector of iron AWARDS NEWS & until about 1977, when he plates and spark chambers. This program spanned several switched to plasma physics. He made major contributions years and made major contributions to the Electroweak to both fields. His graduate students in condensed matter theory of the standard model. For many years he served included John Wiley and Paul Peercy. He was a cofounder as PI of the high energy grant with the DOE. Reeder is a of the Madison Symmetric Torus, which continues today UW alumnus, having received his PhD in 1966 under the as a major UW facility in plasma physics. He received a UW direction of Myron Good. award for excellence in teaching in 1976. Martin Olsson (PhD 1966) Distinguished Alumni Fellows Professor Olsson joined the department as an assistant W. Paul Menzel (PhD 1974) professor in 1966, after graduat- Professor Menzel received a PhD in physics from ing from Maryland. He retired UW–Madison under the direction of C.C. Lin in 1974. He in June 2005, following a distin- was senior scientist at NOAA for many years, working guished research and teaching with the UW Space Science and Engineering Center on career, including service as satellite-borne meteorological measurements. He joined department chair from 1988 the UW faculty as Vernon Suomi Distinguished Professor to 1991. As an active member in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences of the UW phenomenology theory group, his research in January 2007, after retirement from NOAA. contributions include detailed studies of bound states Stephen L. Olsen (PhD 1970) of heavy quarks. He co-authored several popular under- Stephen Olsen is presently professor of physics at the Uni- graduate textbooks with Vernon Barger and also received versity of Hawaii, where he is PI of the high energy physics a Chancellor’s Teaching Award in 1989. group. He earlier held faculty appointments at Rochester and Rockefeller. He is an active researcher in elementary continued on next page

Special Recognition Award

This year the department’s Special Recognition Award was made to Don Liebenberg and Lelia ­Ladenberger, in honor of the Liebenberg Family Undergraduate Scholarship Fund. The creation of this fund was a historical event in the department, since it was our very first undergraduate scholarship. The fund was started in 1999 by Maude Sachtjen Liebenberg, mother of Don and Lelia. Maude Liebenberg was a 1928 graduate of UW–Madison. Her Don Liebenberg, recipient of the Special Recognition Award, shown with Adam husband, Rex, was also a Wisconsin Maus, 2007 recipient of the Liebenberg Family Undergraduate Scholarship. graduate. Seven physics undergradu- ate students have received this award since its inception. At Last, a Plaque Commemorates the Victim of the 1970 University of Wisconsin Bombing

The University of Wisconsin–Madison dedicated a plaque on Friday to commemorate a phys- ics graduate student who was killed in 1970, when antiwar activists detonated a car bomb outside the campus building where he was working on an experiment, the Associated Press reported. The student, 33-year-old Robert Fassnacht, was a pacifist and his work was unrelated to the military or to the Vietnam War. He left three small children. Three of the four bombers, who were trying to destroy an Army research center elsewhere in the building, were caught, convicted, and jailed. All have served their sentences and been released, but they don’t often seem very remorseful. The fourth has remained on the FBI’s most-wanted list for more than three decades. The bombing itself remains a subject of bitter debate among critics of the bombers and of the war. Mr. Fassnacht’s family members long opposed a memorial to him, but recently, at the urging of the university’s chancellor, John D. Wiley, who knew Mr. Fassnacht as a fellow graduate student, they reconsidered. —Andrew Mytelka

continued from page 5 particle physics, with ongoing programs in Japan and China. He has reported results from these programs as a plenary speaker New Display in the at international conferences all over the world. He has spent Physics Library several years in Japan as a visiting scientist and has served on many national and international committees. He received a The following is an article that will appear in PhD in Physics from UW–Madison in 1970, under the direction the UW Library System newsletter ­describing of Lee Pondrom. the first of a series of displays in the­Physics Library on a well-known UW Physics Michael S. Witherell (PhD 1973) ­Department alumnus. Michael Witherell is presently the vice chancellor for research at UC, Santa Barbara. From July 1999 to June 2005 he was John H. Van Vleck, “The director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Early Years” Illinois. He won the WKH Panofsky Prize of the APS in 1990, by Erik Opsal, UW and he served as chair of HEPAP, an important advisory com- library system intern mittee to the DOE and NSF regarding the program in high energy physics. He received the Secretary of Energy Gold Winner of the Nobel Award in 2004 and is a member of the NAS. He received a Prize for Physics in PhD in Physics in 1973 from UW–Madison under the direction 1977, John H. Van of Richard Prepost. Vleck, whose father is the namesake of Van Vleck Hall, came to Madison in 1905 as a Physics Fair will be held Saturday, young boy. This exhibit focuses on Van Vleck’s early years, from his birth in 1899 until the February 16, 2008, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. time he was hired by the UW Physics Depart- Research groups will make posters, have tables with demonstrations and ment in 1928. The display includes his high ­physics activities, and some will give lab tours. The goal for this open house is school and college yearbooks, grade school to have at least one table from each research area, so that the whole depart- notebooks, and photos from his childhood, ment is represented. Additionally, there will be stations on general physics as well as a program from his time in the UW topics. We expect that posters will remain on display in the lobby after this Band, where he played the flute. Van Vleck first-time event. T-shirts will be available for $10 each. The Ingersoll Museum earned an undergraduate degree in physics will be open all day. from UW–Madison in 1920 and received his PhD from Harvard in 1922. “The Early Years” will We anticipate that the audience will be interested families from the Madison be a permanent display in the Physics Library, area. Presentations will be aimed at a middle school level, engaging both with displays for the middle and later years parents and kids. Conversations can be scaled up or down as needed. coming sometime next year. UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 6 7 The Wisconsin Physicist REACHINGOUT

Tours of the L.R. Ingersoll Museum WCATY Work with Jessica

We are currently in the process of reconstructing Hodges and Karen Andeen and updating the L.R. Ingersoll Museum, Room 2130 This year, the Physics Department contributed to a local organization ­Chamberlin Hall. called WCATY (pronounced “wickety”), the Wisconsin Center for Academi- The museum is open to visitors from 8 a.m. to cally Talented Youth. Founded in 1991, WCATY provides a unique set of 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. services to children from elementary through high school. It is the only If you would like to arrange for a tour of the muse- organization working with the state’s most promising students on a year- um, please contact Steve Narf at 608/262–3898 at least round, statewide basis. The mission is to nurture Wisconsin’s academically one week before desired date(s). To find out more about talented students by providing encouraging programs that support, campus tours, please contact Matt Dulak or Lisa Wingert, motivate, and challenge them. Examples include online programs, as well interim group tour coordinators at 608/265–6599 or as enrichment and accelerated courses. In spring 2007, an enrichment ­[email protected]. program for 7th and 8th graders hosted two physics graduate students, Tours can accommodate groups of up to 30, and Karen Andeen and Jessica Hodges, to discuss neutrino physics and the back-to-back tours can be arranged. Tour groups over 40 IceCube project. The WCATY students were very engaged and particularly may require special accommodations. Duration of a tour interested in hearing about the details of life at the South Pole and is about 50 minutes, with a 25-minute guided tour of descriptions of what it is like to work in science. about six exhibits, with the remainder of the time devoted Special thanks to Thomas Sinks from WCATY and Professor Bob to play and one-on-one education on the exhibits. Morse from the IceCube Project at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for cultivating this relationship, which we hope will continue in the Upcoming Wonders of ­coming years. Physics Presentations

Scheduled presentations of The Wonders of Physics are given on the UW–Madison campus in mid-February each year. Free tickets are recommended and are available after ­January 1 by calling 608/262–2927, or by e-mailing ­[email protected], or by using the online ticket form at sprott.physics.wisc.edu/cgi.bin/tickleft.exe. The next presentations of The Wonders of Physics are scheduled as follows: February 9, 2008, 1 and 4 p.m. February 10, 2008, 1 and 4 p.m. February 16, 2008, 1 and 4 p.m. February 17, 2008, 1 and 4 p.m. These presentations will be held in 2103 Chamberlin Hall, 1150 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin. For more information on The Wonders of Physics, please visit sprott.physics.wisc.edu/wop.htm. Ph y s i c s Tr i v i a Note: Twenty-three hours of past presentations of The Wonders What’s become of PhysWEB? of Physics, dating back to 1986, can now be viewed (for free!) on It has been replaced. If you are looking for ongoing, the web at sprott.physics.wisc.edu/wop.htm#videos. current UW–Madison Physics Department science news, just go to www.physics.wisc.edu and click on NEWS. This site will provide you with our latest news stories as they appear in the local press. Enjoy! Update on the Physics Learning Center

With motivated students and tutors, the Physics Learning Center has had another busy year. On a typical after- noon, the Physics Learning Center is a bustling place—undergraduate tutors are leading small study groups of peers in introductory physics. Moveable partitions separate the groups:in one area students are meeting to work on homework; in another a staff member meets with tutors to discuss strategies for teach- ing course content. The Physics Learning Center A small study group in the Physics Learning Center. provides small-group academic support for students studying introductory algebra-based (Physics for Biology Education, are working international students, and students 103–104) and calculus-based physics to improve the teaching of physics with disabilities. These are nontra- (Physics 207–208) sequences. These concepts and to show the relevance ditional students who may feel iso- courses are gateway courses taken of physics to biological topics. lated in large introductory courses, by students majoring in the bio- We were fortunate to welcome and thus may have difficultly finding logical sciences, physical sciences, Eric Hooper to our staff this past year. study partners. We also work with pre–health professions, pre–second- He joins as our third half-time staff students at risk for having academic ary science education, and engineer- member, following Amihan Hues- difficulty (factors such as previous ing. We expanded our program in mann’s move to the College of Gus- D, F, or drop in physics, academic spring 2007 to include students from tavus Adolphus in Minnesota. Eric is probation, weak math background, both semesters of Physics­ 103–104 an astronomer who is doing research low first exam score, no high school and Physics 207–208. The Physics within the Astronomy Department physics). 207–208 sequences have been the and who has also taught the intro- Another mission of the Physics focus of curriculum development. ductory astronomy course. He is an Learning Center is to provide teacher The Physics Department, in col- enthusiastic contributor to the team training and teaching and leadership laboration with campus biology of Larry Watson and Susan ­Nossal. experience for undergraduate peer faculty and the staff from the Center Larry brings his physics education mentor tutors. background to help guide our teach- During the 2006–07 academic ing of physics on a conceptual and year, we had ten undergraduate fundamental level. peer mentor tutors who ran small In addition to working in the study groups for students study- Lo o k i n g Ba c k Physics Learning Center, Larry also ing introductory physics. Of those worked as a physics staff member who graduated, one will be going This picture of Joe and on curriculum development, on to graduate school in physics, Martha Dillinger was assessment, and coordination for another will be a secondary science taken in Boston, MA, the development of the modified and mathematics teacher in a high when Joe was working ­Physics 207–208 course for biolo- school in Janesville, Wisconsin, a at the MIT Rad Lab dur- gists. In addition to serving as direc- third will spend the year doing ing World War II. They tor of the Physics Learning Center, post-baccalaureate research in liked to take outings Susan continues to work in the astrophysics before applying to on bicycles, as their department as a scientist focusing graduate school, and a fourth is car was in storage due on atmospheric physics. going to pharmacy school. Several to gasoline rationing. During the 2006–07 academic of our tutors returned to work as Martha had an administrative job at Harvard University, year, there were 189 students who tutors in the Physics Learning Center. in the president’s office. The highlight of her experience participated in the Physics Learning We are excited that this year, for the was attending Winston Churchill’s famous “The price of Center (note: students who partici- first time, two students who were greatness is responsibility.” speech at Harvard in September pated both semesters were counted participants in the Physics 207–208 1943. After the war, Joe’s graduate instruction continued twice). Students participating in our academic support program have in Madison, where he received his PhD in 1946. He was on program include ethnic-minority become tutors and will serve as role the UW–Madison Physics faculty until 1975. students, low-income students, models for students in our center. returning adults, first-generation We invite you to visit the college students, transfer students, ­Physics Learning Center at 2338 students from small rural schools, ­Chamberlin Hall. UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 8 9 The Wisconsin Physicist NEW New Badger Physicists PHYSICISTS

New PhD’s Materials Engineer, May 2007 Physics Advanced Development Elena Bezrukova Shan-Huei Chuang, August 2006 Program at Lockheed Rebecca Alice Cole First Search at CDF for the BADGER Martin Aeronautics Dustin John Kunkel Arthur Blair, Oscillat- Higgs Boson Decaying to ing Field Current Drive Emre Tepedelenlioglu, a W-Boson Pair in Proton- December 2006 Experiments in the Madison X-ray Observations of Antiproton Collisions at the ­Symmetric Torus (Prager) ­Rotation Powered Pulsars Center-of-mass Energy of Applied Math, Engineer- (Ogelman) 1.96 TeV (Carlsmith); Post- Terrance M. Figy, NLO ing, Physics (AMEP) doc with Rutgers CDF/CMS QCD Corrections to the Jet Joanna Jean Kaul Pengpeng Zhang, Struc- group Activity in Higgs Boson Pro- ture and Electronic Transport Benjamin Henry Payne duction via Vector-Boson Properties of Nanometer- Maria Teresa Herd, Vineet Prafulla Sudame Fusion (Zeppenfeld); Post- Scale Silicon-on-Insulator Branching Fractions, Brian Jeffrey Thompson doc, U. of Durham, U.K. (SOI) Membranes (Lagally); Radiation Trapping, and the Physics Postdoc Research Assoc., Infrared Continuum: A Spec- Jonathon Hollar, Benjamin Thomas Chiaro Penn State troscopic Study of Lamps Measurements of Rates, Brendan Hodis (Lawler) Asymmetries, and Angular Ian Erik Saunders + - December 2006 Distributions in Bd _ Ke e Brennan Hughey, Rolling Andrew Kenneth Tabbutt Aug 2006–May 2007 * + - and Bd _ K e e Decays (Pre- Rachel Cannara, The Search for a Cascade GRB Andrea Marie Schoohs post); LLNL Postdoc, CMS Atomic-Scale Orifins of Signal (Karle) collaboration at CERN Friction: A Nanotribological Pavle Juranic, Multiple May 2007 Study of Diamond Surfaces Xianglin Ke, Magnetic Photoionization Studies of Applied Math, Engi- (Eriksson/Carpick) and Electronic Transport Atoms and Molecules Using neering, Physics (AMEP) Measurements of Mag- Alexander Donkov, Ion Time of Flight Spectrom- Eric Michael Ashbrenner netic Oxide Heferostructures Raman Studies in Low- etry (Lawler) Brianna Rose Coughlin Cash (Rzchowski); Postdoc, Penn Dimen. Spin Systems Youngjoon Paul Choe State (Chubukov) Joel Adam Shulruf Oo Kaw Lim, Nonclassical Benjamin Hudson, Master’s Degree Astronomy-Physics Correlations and Entangle- Fast Ion Confinement in Recipients Matthew Allen Bayer ment in Intracavity Second the Reversed Field Pinch Michael Anthony DiPompeo August 2006 Harmonic Generation (Prager); Postdoc Research Scott Mathew Fallows (Saffman); Postdoc, Electri- Assoc., Lawrence Livermore Richard Magee Allison Germaine Noble cal Engineering Dept. at National Laboratory Nicolas Nelson Cristine Patricia Plecki Northwestern University David Ryan Burke Joshua Eric Reiter Paul Kutter, Measure of Matthew Michael Sieth John Wheeler Maiden, CP Violation in B_ _k and December 2006 Michael G. Taylor Applications of B-branes Branching Fraction of BO_ in Phenomenology and F0(980)KS (Wu) Benjamin Chiaro Physics Cosmology (Shiu); Assoc. Amanda Gault Jeremy James Basken Delmar Marshall, Research Physicist, William Creighton Hogg Matthew Allen Bayer Computational Studies of ­Princeton University Aongus Omurchada Samuel David Bockenhauer Diatomic Molecules—A Bonita Jean Squires Youngjoon Paul Choe Mark David Nornberg, Comparison of Three Meth- Chad Staus Elizabeth Lyn Conant The Role of MHD Turbulence ods (Lin); Prof. of Physics, Levens Peter DeBack in Magnetic Self-Excitation: Amritapuri Campus, May 2007 Samuel Mark Dredzdon A Study of the Madison Kollam, Kerala, India Donald Patrick Fahey Dynamo Experiment Jonathan Tyler Green Scott Mathew Fallows (­Forest); Postdoc, Princeton Antonio Romano, Testing Ryan Toonen J.J. Nelson Plasma Physics Lab the Boundaries of Accelerat- Erik Hanley ing Cosmological Models Allison Germaine Noble Patrick Daniel Ryan, (Chung); Researcher at Insti- Charles James Pomasl Photoproduction of Events tuto Astrofisica Canarias Bachelor’s Eric Thomas Poweleit with Rapidity Gaps between Prommapan Prommapan Jets with ZEUS at HERA Jason Simmons, The Degrees Matthew Michael Sieth (Smith); Postdoc, Michigan Effects of Local Chemistry on Recipients Michael Slutskiy State University the Growth and Electronic Jonathan David Sperling Properties of Single-Walled Summer 2006 Benjamin Thomas Spike Keith Aaron Slinker, Carbon Nanotubes (Eriksson) Astronomy-Physics Jessica Waters Quantum devices in Si/SiGe Jacob Robert Meyers Ryan James Wiseman Heterostructures (Eriksson);­ New Faculty cosmological distances. Specific questions include the study of the energy spectrum, the chemical composition, and the arrival direction distribution of these particles. He ●● Assistant Professor is currently working on the Pierre Auger Observatory in Natalia Perkins is a theorist &

Malargue, Argentina, which recently started data taking. working in the fields of solid Professor Westerhoff received his PhD in 1996 from state physics and magne- the University of Wuppertal. He worked as a postdoctoral tism. Her current projects fellow at the University of California at Santa Cruz on the concentrate on the interplay Milagro TeV gamma ray observatory and on the faculty of between spin, orbital, and Columbia University. charge degrees of freedom in various transition metal

NEWS oxides. She is also inter- AWARDS News on Current Faculty ested in studying frustrated magnetic systems in which Natalia Perkins ●● Professor Franz Himpsel non-trivial magnetic ordering has been awarded the follows the non-trivial topology of underlying lattices. prestigious 2007 Davisson- Professor Perkins received her PhD from Moscow Germer Prize in Surface or State University in 1997. Before joining the faculty of Atomic Physics sponsored the University of Wisconsin, she worked as a scientist at by AT&T Bell Laboratories ­Bogoliubov Laboratory for Theoretical Physics in Dubna, (now Lucent Technologies)

FACULTY FACULTY Russia; and as a postdoc fellow in Laboratori Nazionali di as a means of recognizing ­Frascati (INFN), Frascati, Italy; the Max Planck Institute for outstanding scientific work the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany; and in America by the Executive at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, Technical University Board of The American Physi- of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany. cal Society. The Prize was Franz Himpsel ●● Professor Michael established to recognize and Ramsey-Musolf is a encourage outstanding work in atomic physics or surface theoretical physicist whose physics. It consists of $5,000 and a certificate with the research lies at the interface citation: “For pioneering investigations of the electronic of nuclear physics, particle structure of surfaces, interfaces, adsorbates, and nano- physics, and cosmology. structures.” He received his PhD from The Davisson-Germer Prize was presented at the Princeton University in 1989. APS March 2007 meeting in Denver, Colorado, at a special He is joining the department ceremonial session congratulations, Franz! after completing six years ●● Susan Coppersmith is as a senior research scientist one of six faculty to receive at Caltech. He is a recipient Michael Ramsey-Musolf the Kellett Mid-Career of the Dissertation Award in Award for research. Profes- Nuclear Physics and an NSF Young Investigator Award. sor Coppersmith studies Professor Ramsey-Musolf’s current research includes the role of disorder on electroweak baryogenesis and the cosmic matter- changes in the fundamental antimatter asymmetry, electroweak precision tests of properties of materials. She the Standard Model and its extensions, supersymmetry, is a fellow of the American fundamental symmetry tests in nuclei, neutrino proper- Physical Society, the ties and interactions, Higgs boson phenomenology, and American Association for the higher twist effects in quantum chromodynamics. Advancement of Science, Susan Coppersmith He is also an ordained Episcopal priest. and the American Academy ●● Assistant Professor of Arts and Sciences. Stefan Westerhoff is an The awards, each of which includes $60,000 in experimental astroparticle unrestricted research support, are conferred annually by a physicist who specializes faculty committee in the Graduate School. They recognize in cosmic ray astrophysics. the work of faculty five to 20 years beyond their first His main research interests promotion to a tenured position. Supported by the Wis- are in the search for the consin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), the awards origin of the highest energy are named for William R. Kellett, a former president of the cosmic rays above 1018 eV WARF Board of Trustees and retired president of Kimberly- and the understanding of Clark Corporation. cosmic ray acceleration and their propagation over Stefan Westerhoff UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 1 0 11 The Wisconsin Physicist

●● We’re delighted to report that John Sarff has been in 1970, joined the faculty in 1977, and advanced through elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society. The the ranks to full professor. Since 2003 she has served citation for his fellowship reads: “For seminal contribu- as the vice provost for diversity and climate for the tions to the understanding and control of magnetic UW–Madison campus. ­fluctuations and associated transport, to the understand- Until late in her career, Professor Durand maintained ing of magnetic self-organization, and to the advance- an active funded research program in theoretical high ment of the reversed field pinch fusion configuration.” energy physics, directing nine PhD and three MS students. Congratulations, John! She has been a leader both on campus and nationally in improving climate and diversity in physics and other fields ●● Congratulations to Mark Eriksson and Mark in science and technology, serving on national commit- Saffman on being promoted to full professors, and tees on the status of women in physics and astronomy. In congratulations to Teresa Montaruli on her promotion 2002, she was awarded a special Chancellor’s Recognition to associate professor, effective fall 2007–08. Award for Outstanding Leadership in Campus Diversity, ●● Professor Mark Rzchowski agreed to test the intro- as well as the 2002 Faculty and Staff Recognition Award duction of student response systems (clickers) in his spring from the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s Cabinet 99. Physics 107 class (Ideas of Modern Physics). In every lecture, Professor Durand has played an active role in shared he presented 3 or 4 multiple choice questions to the stu- governance at UW–Madison, leading the most recent dents for them to answer by pressing the buttons on their chancellor search and chairing many other important hand-held clicker. “The results show up on my computer committees, including the University Committee, the in real time, with a histogram for the class to see showing Athletic Board, the Diversity Plan 2008 Development and the distribution of the student responses. This helps the Oversight committees, the University Library Committee, students evaluate whether they were following the ideas in and the Letters & Science Curriculum Committee, leading the lecture and to help me determine whether we needed the development and implementation of the university’s to spend more time discussing the concept.” ethnic studies requirement. There were several meetings with other awardees A recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding throughout the semester where strategies and results Teaching, Professor Durand has taught courses at all levels, were discussed on clicker usage in the class. The goal of from modern physics for nonscientists to a specialized the project was to help DoIT evaluate the effectiveness course she developed for advanced graduate students of clickers and how to support faculty who will be using in physics and mathematics in the use of topology and them in the future. algebra in quantum field theory. Many graduate students have benefited from her qualifier exam coaching. She was ●● Congratulations to Frank Petriello for being early to adapt her pedagogy to incorporate technology, selected to receive an Outstanding Junior Investigator showing her nonscientists course on public television with award from the DOE. the course work web-based. For several years she gave ●● Congratulations to Stas Boldyrev for being selected popular physics lectures to service organizations, high to receive a Plasma Physics Junior Faculty Program Award school students, and the general public. from the Office of Fusion Energy at DOE for his proposal: “Toward the Theory of Turbulence in Magnetized Plasmas.” ●● Professor Andrey Chubukov won the Mercator Guest Professor Award of the German Science Foundation. o o k i n g a c k Faculty Retirements L B

●● Bernice Durand, a Tokopole professor of physics and a In 1981 Professors campus leader in the areas Sprott and Prager of climate and diversity, has examined the announced her retirement Tokopole plasma at the end of June. During physics apparatus. a nearly 37-year career on Can you help us campus, Durand has served identify the other on the faculty as a theoretical men with them? physicist specializing in par- Please e-mail ticle theory and mathemati- maclarke@wisc. Bernice Durand cal physics, and she also has edu if you know. served in key campus leadership positions. Bernice Durand came to Wisconsin after earning her PhD at Iowa State University. She was appointed as a lecturer and part-time postdoc in the Physics ­Department The TeV II Particle Astrophysics Workshop in Madison, August 28–31, 2006

By Professor Teresa Montaruli

he idea of having this workshop in Madison was The plenary talks in the morning were also on these born at a table on the Memorial Union Terrace seven subjects, but we mixed them up to keep attendees’ one evening in summer 2005. Francis Halzen, interest high by offering a variety of topics; thus we could Albrecht Karle, and I had just attended the first have a large number of experts and extremely active TeVT meeting at Fermilab. We wished to convene the representatives in the field of astroparticle physics interact community of particle physicists and “new astronomers” with each other over several days. Particular attention was using particles to study the universe so everyone could paid to the selection of working group (WG) organizers share information on their activities and the methods and plenary speakers to achieve the highest possible they were using. All of us wanted this to be a meet- participation by women, which resulted in their level of ing between younger and more experienced people, involvement reaching 20 percent across the board. experimentalists and theorists with a common back- While no discoveries of astrophysical neutrinos, grav- ground—dealing with signals produced in the universe itational waves, or dark matter particles were reported at and not controlled by humans. this conference, detection of many positive signals was We decided to ask the organizers of the Fermilab described by representatives from gamma astronomy workshop, which was chaired by Gianfranco Bertone, experiments, such as Milagro (related talks by J. Good- to have a second edition in Madison, and thus to start a man, A. Branden and G. Yodh) for the cygnus region, HESS series of such meetings. The next edition was planned for (talks by B. Giebels, G. Hermann, D. Horns), and magic summer 2007 in the Venice region of Italy. (talk by M. Teshima). We had occasion to also explore To make the meeting more productive, we planned multiwavelength approaches (see E. Resconi’s talk and to have an appropriate number of “working sessions” and related posters by M. Bayer and M. Tluczykont), using not open discussions. Besides the Fermilab first edition, other only different wavelengths but also different messengers inspiring meetings included the Neutrino Oscillation (e.g., neutrinos and photons in different bands). E. Aprile, Workshops (see, e.g., www. ba.infn.it/~now2006) and the L. Baudis, and L. Kaufmann reported on the impressive Kavli Institute Inaugural Symposium in Honor of David amount of progress that has been made with LAr and LXe Shramm (newviews.uchicago.edu) in December 2005. detectors for dark matter. These workshops had plenary talks in the morning and A very active session was held by D. Saltzberg, parallel sessions in the afternoon. Conveners organized including an open discussion lead by A. Karle, on new these sessions, inviting experts in the field to come and techniques: radio and acoustic. H. Falcke presented the speak on their areas of experimentation and study. amazing results of radio detection surface arrays in his In the second case, the website for the workshop plenary session and also gave us a status report on the allowed potential speakers to propose talks for their construction of LOFAR. He summarized future proposals sessions to its conveners so that the organizers could as well, such as radio@Auger and projects exploiting also have a chance to include proposed talks. We felt signals from the moon. The success of LIGO was illus- that allowing this possibility was an excellent chance for trated by R. Weiss and others in the parallel gravitational unknown young students to offer interesting proposals Wave WG. Having achieved the expected sensitivity and that could then be selected. We developed our website a stable operation, work will go on toward an advanced to make this process work with the help of our web LIGO that will improve the sensitivity by more than master, Rene Shei, and main supporting secretary of the 1 order of magnitude. Neil Cornish gave a review on workshop, Kim Kreiger (who was also responsible for the sources of gravitational waves. Hopes in the community wonderful food available at coffee breaks and at the social (stressed by G. Mueller in his summary) are that LISA, the dinner!). This website can be viewed at www.icecube. proposed interferometer experiment with three satellites wisc.edu/tev. in orbit around the moon spread over five million kilome- We singled out seven main areas for discussion ters, will become a reality in 2015. This would extend the for the workshops with self-explanatory names, calling frequency range up to 10–4–10–2 Hz, allowing sensitivity to its afternoon sessions “Working Groups” as follows: (1) coalescent black holes and galactic binaries. Gamma Astronomy, (2) Ultra–High-Energy Cosmic Rays, Pierre Auger will have a leading role in ultra–high- (3) Dark Matter, (4) Neutrino Astronomy, (5) New Technolo- energy, cosmic-ray physics for years, unraveling the puzzle gies, (6) TeV Particle (i.e., connections between cosmic-ray, of the GZK cut-off and small-scale anysotropies, as did high-energy, and accelerator physics) and (7) Gravitational Jim Cronin, the person who, with A. Watson, suggested Waves. The conveners had to not only organize the sched- its construction. Currently, 1,000 tanks are operating in ules, but also had the unfortunate task of summarizing all Argentina, and completion is expected in 2007. During of the discussions which took place in their sessions for a the workshop, this collaboration was preparing its pro- presentation on the last day of the conference. posal for another 10,000-km2 observatory in Colorado. UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 1 2 13 The Wisconsin Physicist

Appealing proposals for other large infrastructures were also announced, such as the CTA mentioned by M. Teshima, University Physical Society made up of two arrays of about 100 Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes over a square kilometer, possibly using The Physics Club at the University of Wisconsin– silicon photomultipliers. We discussed current activities in the ­Madison, also known as the University Physical Society, neutrino telescopes field (K. Hanson and P. Coyle talks in the can be found online at ups.physics.wisc.edu. Check it plenary session) and expectations from standard physics and out! Also, check out our space in 2328 Chamberlin Hall, exotic phenomena were also updated (T. Weiler, C. Dermer, which overlooks the Charter Street entrance. and many of the talks in the WGs led by I. Albuquerque, A. UPS provides information on: Kusenko, D. Hooper, and L. Koepke). l Job Posting in the UW Physics Department The Mediterranean community met the Antarctic one, l Upcoming UPS Events which is already constructing the cubic-kilometer IceCube. l Your UPS Officers The IceCube Project hosted the workshop, together with the l Research Opportunities University of Wisconsin. The group is already discussing R&D l What is the University Physical Society? activities for extending the sensitivity by a factor of 100. All this l Tutoring (we offer volunteer tutoring) happened at the beginning of the 2006 fall semester, making, l Bad Physics Humor for many of us, the last four days of August a culturally interest- l Photos of Physics Club Memories ing time to remember! The site also provide links to The American Physical The web page of the workshop, including all presented Society and the Society of Physics Students. talks, can be found at www.icecube.wisc.edu/tev. The pro- 2007–2008 Officers: ceedings of this workshop will be published in Journal Physics: Bill Dirienzo—President Conference Series in 2007. Kristen Jones—Vice President Acknowledgements Erin Conrad—Treasurer Brandon Harris—Coordinator Due to the high quality of help that we received from them, Sam Hurley—Webmaster we acknowledge the conveners of the WGs mentioned in the Quintin Schiller—Coordinator text with the same numbering: 1) Felix Aharonian, Gus Sinnis, Frank Krennrich, and Masahiro Teshima; 2) Piera Ghia and Tom Gaisser; 3) Laura Baudis and Gianfranco Bertone, 4) Lutz Koepke and Dan Hooper; 5) David Saltzberg and David Waters; 6) Ivone Albuquerque, Alexander Kusenko, and Tom Weiler. A special thanks to Tom Gaisser, who also gave a comprehensive final summary of the conference.

Phenomenology Symposium l May 7–9, 2007

The 2007 Pheno Symposium, sponsored by the Phenomenology Institute, was held at the Memorial Union and the Pyle Center on May 7–9, 2007. The title of the symposium was “Prelude to the LHC.” The meeting focused on the physics discoveries that can be made at the Large Hadron Collider, which is scheduled to begin operation in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2008. The agenda also included related issues in astrophysics and cosmology. The symposium attracted 196 participants and had 138 talks, which gives an indication of the growing excitement about particle physics in the LHC era. The annual Pheno Symposia are a venue for young physicists to interact with senior physicists, and as such have become a very popular event in the particle physics community. Among the speakers and participants were former UW–Madison physics graduate students Ted Allen, Howie Baer, Dan Hooper, Danny Marfatia, Bob McElrath, David Rainwater, Tom Weiler, and Kerry Whisnant); former postdocs Ulrich Baur, Tilman Plehn, and Xerxes Tata; and former faculty member William Walker. The chair of the organizing committee was Professor Tao Han. Since the institute was founded in 1984 it has sponsored 25 symposia and workshops in phenomenology. LHC

By Professor Wesley Smith

niversity of Wisconsin high energy physics group Professors Duncan Carlsmith, Sridhara Dasu, Matt members eagerly await the mid-2008 turn-on Herndon, and Wesley Smith, and Senior Scientist Dr. Richard of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Loveless have built and are commissioning major parts of Geneva, Switzerland. The LHC will operate at CMS: the trigger system including the calorimeter level–1 Useven times the energy and 100 times the luminosity of the trigger and higher level triggers, the endcap muon system present world’s highest energy collider, the Fermilab Teva- including its infrastructure and alignment, tracking system tron. It will permit physicists to search for the mechanism of infrastructure, software for simulation and event processing, particle mass generation; for supersymmetry (SUSY) which and a leading Tier–2 US CMS computing facility. A Physical introduces a partner for each known particle, stabilizes the Sciences Lab (PSL) engineering and technical team led by Higgs mass, and provides a candidate for the dark matter Farshid Feyzi has been responsible for the design of the CMS making up most of the universe; for extra dimensions; and 4000-ton endcap iron disk system and its infrastructure. for other exciting new physics possibilities. Professors Bruce Mellado, Yibin Pan, and Sau Lan Wu, The LHC experiments will start taking physics data in and Senior Scientist Haimo Zobernig are leading the ATLAS 2008, with initial running expected to yield about 1, 10, and preparations for the Higgs search. They have developed 30 fb–1 of integrated luminosity in 2008, 2009, and 2010. innovative analyses for inclusive SUSY searches with There are several physics channels with the potential for leptons and missing transverse energy for small and large rapid discovery. New resonances could include a super- integrated luminosities, for searches for exotic particles massive Z’, a new heavy neutral gauge boson motivated such as a Z’ or W’, and for understanding backgrounds at by, for example, models with compact extra dimensions. turn-on. They have leading roles in the silicon and pixel Spectacular multi-jet, multi-lepton, and missing energy sig- readout driver, high level trigger, detector performance natures of SUSY could also appear. Roughly 100 events per studies, software, and computing. day are predicted at luminosities of 1033 cm–2 s–1 for squark Both ATLAS and CMS groups have partnered with UW and gluino masses of ~ 1 TeV. Almost all of the allowed Computer Science Department Professor Miron Livny and Higgs mass range will be explored with 10 fb–1. With 30 his Condor team in developing extensive computing facili- fb–1 the experiments will explore the entire expected range ties that take advantage of grid computing networks on with more than 7s sensitivity. campus and across the world to provide unprecedented UW faculty, scientists, postdocs, and engineers have high throughput computing for LHC physics analysis. made major contributions and played leading roles in the Professors Vernon Barger, Dan Chung, Lisa Everett, Fran- ATLAS and CMS detectors that will observe the collisions of cis Halzen, Tao Han, Frank Petriello, Michael Ramsey-Musolf, the LHC proton beams. Both ATLAS and CMS groups have and Gary Shiu are working on calculations of new physics been training Wisconsin graduate students in preparation models and backgrounds to interpret the new data from the for theses on the LHC discovery physics. LHC and to connect the results of the LHC to other exciting physics phenomena, such as astronomical observations of cold dark matter and studies of the cosmological origins of the Universe. They are also training students and postdocs to perform these calculations in the future. The commissioning of the LHC machine began earlier this year with the cool down and powering of the first sector (of eight) at 1.9 degrees K. Each of the other sectors is being successively cooled down and powered. The LHC will be ready for operation with the other CERN pre-accel- erators in the spring of 2008 and operate at high energy during the summer. Both the ATLAS and CMS detectors are being readied for data taking. ATLAS is mostly installed in its interaction hall 100 m below the surface. CMS has been partially com- missioned in surface facilities and more than half of its ~ 1,000-ton pieces have been lowered into its interaction hall, also 100 m underground. UW PSL engineers led the design effort for the installation of the endcap disks, com- prising 2/5 of the CMS detector. The Wisconsin teams on ATLAS and CMS have been Lowering of the CMS endcap disk, designed and equipped by the working on these projects since 1993, and now with the ­University of Wisconsin for the CERN LHC. prospect of start up within the year, the excitement of opening up the next energy frontier is building quickly. UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 1 4 15 The Wisconsin Physicist

Graduate Program Report STUDENT

by Jane Schimmel NEWS The quality of the graduate applicant pool has improved in recent years. In fact, the applicant pool for fall 2007 admis- sion was the most competitive applicant pool that any of us could remember. We were unable to make offers to many qualified applicants who would have been at the top of our offer list about five years ago. We have 23 new graduate students, listed below, joining our program in fall 2007. Two other students were admitted and granted deferrals of one or two years. UPDATES

Kiritkumar Makwana and second-year graduate students

Fall 2007 Admissions & Valerie Plaus deserves special recognition for GAANN Fellows Koki Takasaki the effort and enthusiasm they

Cami Collins JianJia Fei demonstrated in assisting with our AWARDS Christine Lewis Yuanfeng Gao group visit events this year. They are Elijah Martin Yongyan Rao a cohesive group that has proven Hiren Patel Siyuan Zhang to be terrific ambassadors for our Nathan Whitehorn graduate program. Prospective Admitted with Outside Support students unable to participate in the Teaching Assistants Laura Gladstone (DOD/Firminhac) group events were given the option Domestic Joao Paulo Rodrigues (Fulbright of an individual visit to campus. Lindsey Gray Scholar, and RA appointment) We invite you, as alumni, to Lisa Hardy (plus Firminhac) Research Assistants encourage prospective graduate Eli Parke Joseph Kane students to consider pursuing their Jared Schmitthenner 2007 Hainchen Wang graduate studies at UW–Madison. Bjorn Van Bael Our system of hosting two group Please refer them to: Teaching Assistants visits in March, with heavy involve- Jane Schimmel International ment of both faculty and current [email protected] Michail Bachtis graduate students, continued last 608/262–9678 Saurabh Maiti spring. Our current group of first-

Graduate News and Awards

Erik Spence was selected as the recipient of the 2007 Joseph Dillinger Marshall N. Rosenbluth Outstanding ­Doctoral Award for Teaching ­Thesis Award, sponsored by General Atomics of Excellence the Executive Committee of the American Physical Yoshi Hirai won this ­Society–Division of Plasma Physics (APS-DPP). The Award award in May 2007. Yoshi was established to recognize exceptional young scientists has served as a TA for who have performed original doctoral thesis research several courses, and his of outstanding scientific quality and achievement in the students love him. Addi- area of plasma physics. Congratulations, Erik! tionally, Yoshi has been instrumental in working on new lab experiments in Yoshi Hirai Henry and Eleanor Firminhac Physics 109, Physics in the Physics Scholarship Arts. Yoshi writes: This is the second year for this award, which is given to I truly appreciate various opportunities and support undergraduates or graduates in physics with financial given by physics faculty and staff members. Thank need as the primary consideration, with at least one-half you. Now, I would like to share a story of coincidence of recipients being women. Laura Gladstone and Lisa at the Physics Award Banquet and then my back- ground as my introduction. Hardy, new physics graduate students this fall, are the At the banquet table, I was glad to talk directly with recipients for 2007–08. Professor Stephen Olsen, who won the Distinguished Alumni Award. I introduced myself as Japanese and from Tokyo area, where my high school was. As it turned It now appears that I will be teaching a nonlinear dynam- out, he lived in Tsukuba Science City in Japan, just like I ics and chaos course next semester—10 or more students once did. Then the ordinary conversation turned into an have actually registered for it—which I plan to model after extraordinary one. I had lived there only for my upper Clint Sprott’s Physics 505. It will have two lectures and two elementary and junior high school years but, oddly one-hour Matlab sessions per week. There won’t be much enough, our recollections of places and events around homework to grade, because I plan to handle that in the us were almost one-to-one correspondence. We made Matlab sessions, where we will experiment with various two new discoveries that day: our houses were just a nonlinear systems. few blocks away, and he was there when I was there! I, I will continue to get invitations to do colloquium-like however, did not speak English at all, so chances are slim presentations, which I will have time to do (hopefully) that I had conversed with him at the time. if I’m only responsible for one course. I like doing these Beyond the times in Japan, I am no stranger to educa- because it gives me a chance to learn survey-level tion in Wisconsin. Starting from an English Language knowledge in areas of physics that I’m unfamiliar with, school, I earned my undergraduate degrees from but always wanted to check out when I had time, which I UW–Madison. At present, I am an experimental con- didn’t while a grad student. densed matter physicist and also lean towards physics I am continuing to develop inquiry-based labs, which and science education. Many of my friends and people I use computer simulations instead of lab equipment, and met during my undergraduate years are Wisconsin natives I’m looking into low-budget, equipment-based labs as and non-scientists. Quite naturally, teaching Wisconsinites well. Would you believe they had no motion labs here? and UW–Madison students is appealing. All activities The computer simulations are a nice way around buying related to education, such as Saturday science sessions Pasco equipment at $1,000+ for the first experiment and with Professor Onellion and instructional materials devel- several hundred for each additional. opment with Professor Gilbert, were real opportunities for I have ranted a bit about homework and quizzes here, teaching. Teaching non-physics and non-science majors because students copy so much from each other. I’m in the Physics in the Arts (PITA) course is rewarding. mellowing out about it (see what two hours of ashram- Many TAships in PITA have been profoundly interest- style meditation a day will do for you!), and I now see it as ing, as I learn new ideas in music and arts from students a cultural difference. In the US we think we all have to be every semester. Comments and feedback received from heroes and do everything on our own—asking for help is students in fall 2003 to 2005 semesters were very much regarded as borderline cause for shame. appreciated and were used for many improvements. Here everything is done by groups. To Indian people, I Some contributions to the lab updates for PITA during think it must seem crazy not to rely on your fellow human the time of migration to Chamberlin Hall were particularly beings as much as possible, particularly when you can’t important experiences. With much help from physics staff turn around without bumping into one. I think it contin- members, especially Joe Sylvester and Bill Grogan, we ues when they graduate—they will just join a new group fixed many existing and new problems at the same time. which will work together on a new project. We do things The responses recorded in lab notebooks suggest that the more efficiently and carefully in the US, but things get updates removed some of the major misconceptions that done here just the same, and with a lower level of stress, formed in the past. Developing course content, testing which is worth something. it in the field, and revising the content based on various It’s instructive to watch the huge construction project assessments were all pieced together in the past few that’s under way at this campus. In the US, we have huge years. The result is just lovely. And this is the part I enjoy trucks bring in 25 cubic yards of concrete to pour, or even the most—comments like “I get it now” were heard very pump, into forms built by small crews of workers. Here often in the past, but comments like “Labs actually work” they have a two-yard cement mixer or two, with piles of and “Professor [X] is right” are added on the list now. Use gravel and sand-cement mix on site and veritable swarms real stuff and they will get it for real! of workers with wok-like containers they carry on their heads. Twenty guys carrying 50 or 100 loads each is noth- ing to them, and it’s still 25 yards of cement. And they Campus-Wide TA Awards do it in the hot midday sun, where I don’t even go out without an umbrella for portable shade! In two extremely competitive I watched a small crew (six to eight) making a flat con- competitions on campus, crete roof over a fruit stand. To get the “woks” full of wet Physics won two awards for cement onto the roof, they formed a bucket brigade with TAs. Congratulations to Bret a guy on the ground, a guy on a three foot ledge, a guy on a six- foot ladder, and a guy on the roof. As each guy Underwood, who won one tossed a full wok upward, the guy above would simul- of two Exceptional Service taneously toss an empty one downward, like a juggling Teaching Awards, and to Del team, and I never saw them drop anything. They had to Marshall, who won the only get the roof poured in one shot before the cement set, so Capstone PhD Teaching Award, every movement had to count. a prestigious award that only Plans for the future? I’m going to watch this place grow the best teaching assistants both physically and academically, and contribute what I win. For many years Del served Del Marshall can to the latter. I quit the construction biz when I went as head TA for our largest intro- back to grad school! But be careful, I tell myself. As John ductory physics course and did a tremendous job! Lennon said, ‘Life is what happens while you’re busy ­making other plans.’ Now in India, Del writes the following: UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 1 6 17 The Wisconsin Physicist Departmental TA Awards I am a fifth-year graduate student in physics. I am working with Professor Peter Timbie ●● Eva Tsoncheva and Jacob King were honored as the on the design, construction, Best TAs of Spring 2006. Peter Hyland was given the title and analysis of data from the Best TA of Fall 2006–07, and David Hover was our Rookie Millimeter-wave Bolometric of the Year 2006–07. All of these graduate students do a Interferometer (MBI), which will tremendous and conscientious job TAing in physics. Thanks probe the earliest epochs of the for all your efforts! universe through anisotropies in the polarization of the cosmic ●● Jeff Klukas and Dong Zhou won the Emanuel R. Piore microwave background (CMB). Award, presented annually to recognize excellence on the The MBI operates in the EHF Physics Qualifying Examination. (extremely high frequency) Siddharth Malu Jeff Klukas came to Madison from Wittenberg University band of radio frequencies, at a in Springfield, Ohio, where he received a bachelor’s degree wavelength of 3mm. I am therefore honored to receive an with dual concentrations in physics and French language and award named after of the founder of this field, Karl Guthe Jansky, and his wife, Alice Knapp Jansky. literature. Although he grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I graduated from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, his family has been living in Nashotah, Wisconsin, since 2002. in 1998 with a BS (honors) in physics, and from the Univer- At UW, Klukas works in high energy particle physics, pre- sity of Oxford in 2000 with a master’s in physics. I received paring for experiments soon to go online at the Large Hadron the Radhakrishnan/British Chevening Fellowship for the Collider at CERN. As part of the Madison group, he has been master’s degree at Oxford. While at Oxford, I did research in involved with several aspects of CMS, one of the two main cosmology and prepared myself for a PhD in cosmology. detectors at the LHC. With Professor Duncan Carlsmith, he I have accepted an offer for a postdoctoral fellowship at worked on the endcap muon alignment system, which the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophys- measures the positions of the detector’s numerous muon ics (IUCAA), Pune, India. While there, I will continue my chambers as they shift under CMS’ 4 Tesla magnetic field. research in the CMB. Eventually, I would like to have my Currently, Klukas is working with Professor Matt Herndon own research program in cosmology as a professor in astrophysics. to improve tracking algorithms used to reconstruct events within the detector. ●● This year two graduate women were awarded the Outside of physics, Klukas always looks forward to sum- Hirschfelder Award to travel or to attend a conference in sup- mers in Madison—spending time at the Union Terrace and port of each of their areas of research. This year’s winners are enjoying concerts. He is a guitarist and songwriter and loves Christie Simmons and Annelise Malkus. to travel. He looks forward to spending more time in France ●● Don Huynh won the and Switzerland as he continues his research. Advanced Opportunity Fellow- ●● Dong Zhou writes: ship for 2006–07. The Ray and I did my undergraduate work Anne Herb Wisconsin Distin- in Zhejiang University, China, guished Graduate Fellowship where I graduated with a winners were Steve Sendel- degree in Physics and a degree bach and David Hover and from an honored interdisci- the Jeff and Lily Chen Wisconsin plinary program called Mixed Distinguished Graduate Fellow- Class. ship winner was Larissa Ejzak. In the past years, I have Don offers the following: worked on mathematical Don Huynh modeling (lottery design, I graduated cum laude from species control, etc), IC design, Boston University with a BA in Robert design, Monte Carlo Dong Zhou physics and minors in chemistry and mathematics. During simulations on magnetic sys- the summer of 2005 I lived and worked in Italy as part tems and high energy systems, of a summer research exchange program sponsored by quantum gate design, etc. I enjoy interacting with people the U.S. Department of Energy and the Italian National from different fields and would love to do interdisciplinary Institute of Nuclear Physics. The research I did in Italy was research in the future. on the degradation induced by protons and light ions in Currently, I am working with Professor Pupa Gilbert silicon substrates for the development of radiation hard and Professor Susan Coppersmith on biomineralization. detectors for the future very high luminosity hadron We aim to understand the relevance of protein-mineral colliders. interaction to the biominerals’ mechanical properties and I am interested in plasma physics, and this summer morphologies in the forseeable future. I worked with Professor Boldyrev on a project on ­viscoelastic and magnetorotational instability. In the ●● The Jansky Award was given to Siddharth Malu of future I would like to work on thermonuclear fusion Physics. This award goes to an outstanding graduate student research such as the ITER project. pursuing an advanced degree with interest in astrophysics and astronomy. This award rotates between the departments of astronomy and physics. Siddharth writes: Undergraduate News and Awards

We are pleased to announce that Matthew Allen Albert Augustus Radtke Bayer won the Leo and Jean Besozzi Scholarship. He has Scholarship declared physics, astronomy, and history as his majors. Over 215 applications were received last November for The 2007 Albert Augustus Radtke Scholarship for approximately 60 awards. The pool was full of excellent distinguished achievement in the study of undergradu- scholars. Congratulations, Matt! ate Physics was awarded to several Physics students, A number of physics majors have been awarded the including Samuel Bockenhauer, Jonathan Sperling, prestigious Hilldale Awards: William Dirienzo (working Matthew Bayer, Matthew Sieth, Jessica Waters, and with Professor Snazana Stanimirovic), Nick Leaf (working Nicholas Ballering. with Professor Mark Eriksson), Michael Line (working with Edwin Mierkiewicz), Nick Schafer (working with Jessica Waters writes: Professor Dan Negrut), and Dan Zou (working with Pro- I’m a senior majoring in fessor Karsten Heeger), who submitted a proposal titled, physics and the history “Are neutrinos their own antiparticles?—Towards the of science. I have worked observation of neutrinoless double beta decay through a for Professor Thad Walker precise calibration of the energy spectrum in CUORE.” since my sophomore year, The U.S. Department of Education is honoring 141 and over the last year I high school seniors nationwide as Presidential Scholars, have worked with him and another undergradu- and the only two from Wisconsin are from Madison. ate, Mike Slutskiy, on a One is Robert Marsland. He is the principal cellist senior thesis. It has been with the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra and an a challenging experience, Jessica Waters accomplished pianist, Eagle Scout, and lab assistant under and Professor Walker has Professor Thad Walker at the University of Wisconsin– been amazing. He has taught me in three classes and Madison Physics Department. Robert has been working has served as my “boss” for three years. He has person- in Professor Walker’s laser cooling lab since January 2007, ally helped me through countless problems (both working on his research on an electronics project. homework and what am I doing with my life). The honor is based on test scores or through I took last semester off from school in order to intern nomination by the nationwide Young Arts Talent Search, in a mechanical engineering cooperative learning program. Working for this program directed my WISC-TV reported. career focus toward applied physics. However, before attending graduate school I am taking a year or two to travel and hone other skills. This year through L.R. Ingersoll Awards AIESEC, an international student organization, I have devoted a lot of time to promoting understanding L.R. Ingersoll Awards for distinguished achievement in and student exchange between the U.S. and the undergraduate physics for spring and fall were awarded Middle East. I hope to spend the summer there in on May 4, 2007, at the Physics Banquet & Awards Cer- order to gain experience with the culture and to learn emony at the Fluno Center. Awardees included: Arabic. After that, I have plans to spend a year teach- ing English (and working on my Spanish) at EAFIT Spring 2005–06 University in Medellín, Colombia. My time in physics at the University of Wisconsin– (103) Eric Johnson Madison has been wonderful. I am looking forward (104) Hao Li now to graduating and beginning my next journey. (201) Grant Gelderman (202) Zebadiah Breuckman Nick Ballering is a Madi- (207) Nancy Ning Hail Ho son native. He graduated (208) Bryan Simmons from East High School in (248) Adam Beardsley 2004. When he began at the UW, he was undecided Fall 2006–07 in his major, knowing only that he did not want to (103) Michael Austin Bohl II be a doctor or a lawyer. (104) Ben Landgraf The introductory physics (201) Kai Bark Lau sequence with Professor (202) Daniel James Morgan Don Cox intrigued him (207) Andrew Bolanowski Nick Ballering enough to declare a major (208) Songyu Ng in physics, and he has not regretted the decision. Nick fin- (247) Alex Lang ished his third year as an undergraduate and has accreted a few other majors along the way, including mathematics UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 1 8 19 The Wisconsin Physicist and astronomy, and most recently he joined the Applied (the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program), Mathematics, Engineering and Physics Program (AMEP). which has been the most important series of classes Outside of class, Nick loves camping, scuba diving, I have ever taken. Through that program, I was able eating interesting food on State Street, watching movies, to find research in chaos theory with Professor Clint and playing tennis. Nick has also taken an interest in teach- Sprott. Professor Sprott has been a great mentor, sup- porting my ideas and challenging me to work hard. ing after he volunteered as a physics tutor through GUTS This project and his guidance have helped me figure for a semester. He is now employed by the Academic out what I would like to do later in life. Advancement Program as a tutor for the introductory Ideally, I would go to graduate school after my time physics courses. In addition, Nick volunteers at the UW at Madison. Right now, I have not fully researched Space Place, the Astronomy Department’s public outreach many schools, but would like to find a school that program, where he helps run public stargazing parties. offers programs in machine learning, artificial intel- This summer, Nick started working for the IceCube ligence, or nonlinear dynamics. I find these areas of Neutrino Detector project, where he works for the AURA research fascinating, and I would like to continue my project, detecting neutrino interactions in the radio education and research in chaos theory as well. Also, regime. He plans to finish his undergraduate studies in ideally, I would continue my education to the point of starting on the road to a PhD, though these are ideas two years, but beyond that his trajectory remains uncer- I just am toying with. I also like working with website tain. Attending graduate school has always been one of design and researching artificial neural networks Nick’s goals, but he may opt to volunteer or travel for a in my off time. I believe that college has so many couple of years prior to returning to school. Ultimately, he things to offer, and I feel privileged to have received would like work in observational astronomy or in astro- such an award to help me continue what I find most nomical instrumentation. He would love a career in which ­rewarding. he can travel, but also hopes to satiate his desire to teach. Although Nick has many ideas for his future, he is most focused on making his remaining semesters at the UW as Dr. Maritza Irene Stapanian productive and enjoyable as possible. Crabtree Undergraduate Award

This is the third year of this award, which stems from a Fay Ajzenberg-Selove Award bequest by William Crabtree on behalf of the late Dr. Maritza Irene Stapanian Crabtree to the University of The 2007 Fay Ajzenberg-Selove Award for outstanding Wisconsin to support tuition and fees based equally on undergraduate women majoring in physics, astrophysics, merit and need for undergraduate students in physics. or astronomy had two winners this year: Allison Noble This years winner is Jonathan Hedstrom, an under- (Astronomy) and Erin Conrad (Physics). graduate senior triple majoring in physics, electrical engineering, and mathematics at UW–Madison. He’s had wonderful experiences working as a lab assistant in the Liebenberg Family Applied Superconductivity Center working on MgB2, in a Undergraduate Summer multi-disciplinary lab studying electro-permeabilization Research Fellowship of HL–60 cells under Professor John Booske and Steve ­Kennedy, and in Professor Robert McDermott’s lab study- Our thanks goes to the fam- ing quantum computing and qubits. ily of Maude ­Liebenberg and her son, Don. Because of their generosity, the Bernice Durand Undergraduate Liebenberg Family Under- Research Scholarship graduate Summer Research Fellowship was awarded This award goes to undergraduate women or minorities to Adam Maus at the May majoring in or planning to major in physics or astronomy. awards banquet, where It is made possible through the generosity of Associate Don was our special Vice Chancellor and Physics Professor Bernice Durand, guest. This award provides who established this scholarship to encourage young Adam Maus funding to encourage women and minorities to do research and continue their undergraduates to become career in science. This years winner is Lauren Levac, who involved in summer research programs. Adam worked worked with Professor Peter Timbie doing research in with Professor Clint Sprott in summer 2007. Adam writes: summer 2007. I appreciate the Liebenberg award that I received and feel that it will greatly help my research progress and experience. I am currently an undeclared first semester junior leaning towards a major in computer science. I have found research to be the most reward- ing experience in college thus far. I have taken URS In Memoriam

Martha (Freeman) Cheryl Green Friedman, Mike Murray, 1925–2006 Dillinger, 1917–2006 1939–2006 Longtime electronics technician Myron Martha (Freeman) Dillinger, age 89, Cheryl Green Friedman, wife of Emeritus “Mike” Francis Murray, Jr. died on of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, formerly of Professor Bill Friedman, passed away Friday, ­Monday, December 4, 2006, at his home in Madison, Wisconsin, and Carbondale, Illinois, September 1, 2006, at home in Mill Creek, ­Madison. He was born on February 19, 1925, died Friday, October 20, 2006. She was the Washington, surrounded by her husband, sister to Myron and Geneva (Oimoen) Murray. widow of Joseph R. Dillinger, professor of Aletha, and sister-in law Florence. She fought a Mike was a graduate of Mount Horeb High physics at UW–Madison (deceased in 1975). courageous two-year battle with cancer. School in 1942. The Blue Mounds native was She was born on January 25, 1917, Cheryl was a true daughter of Seattle a World War II veteran serving in the Army in Benton, Illinois, to James Alexander and and the Northwest. Born in 1939, she lived signal corps. Nancy (Young) Freeman. Martha was united happily in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., He began his career at UW–Madison in in marriage to Joseph R. Dillinger on June Boston, Copenhagen, Princeton, and Madi- 1948, when he was hired as a student worker 6, 1942, in Benton, Illinois. Martha moved son for 34 years, but her heart was always in nuclear physics. From 1948 through early to Madison in 1946. She raised her family with the city of her birth, Seattle. After her 1949, he worked as an electronics techni- in Madison, where she contributed to the husband retired as professor emeritus of cian while pursuing a degree in electrical University, the public school system, and physics at the University of Wisconsin, she ­engineering. the community at large, while Joe worked was able to return to the Pacific Northwest Murray had been involved with many as professor of physics at the University of only two short years ago. experiments, such as the Amanda project Wisconsin. Having inherited a love of that part of and the Hubble space telescope, and spent When Joe preceded her in death in the country from her family, Cheryl intro- several years on the electrical wiring for the 1975, Martha returned to southern Illinois, duced her husband to extensive camping, linear proton accelerator in the basement where she contributed to Southern Illinois which they both enjoyed. Alaska was always of Sterling Hall. He organized the nearby University and the Carbondale, Illinois, a favorite of hers, and she made at least eight electronics shop for nuclear physics, then ­community. visits there by land, sea, and air, bringing reorganized it when a bomb exploded just Survivors include three children, family and friends to share her experiences. outside the shop in 1970. He also organized James of Austin, Texas, Ellen of Pittsburgh, A lover of learning, she majored in phi- the Physics Department’s main electronic Pennsylvania, and Thomas of Chelmsford, losophy, graduating with a BA from George shop in Chamberlin Hall when it relocated. Massachusetts; two grandchildren, Kristi Washington University in Washington, D.C., The state of Wisconsin honored him in 2005 (Dillinger) Chandler and Jeffrey Dillinger; four in 1961. Cheryl continued her studies in with a Certificate of Commendation for his great-grandchildren, Mason, Grace, Davis, Madison in sociology and trained in public 56 years of faithful service. and Nolan Chandler; and five nieces and administration at the graduate level, with Mike built his own home, which he was nephews. the dream of helping others and, later, able to live in until his death. He was very the possibility of serving her city of birth. involved in Crestwood neighborhood activi- While she had no children of her own, as ties, serving on the board of directors of the the eldest of five she was always looking Wisconsin Cooperative Housing Association. out for her siblings and, later, their children. Mike is survived by his son, John (Mary) She also took loving care of her husband’s Murray; a daughter, Jean (Dyck) Shepherd; family, especially his mother, with whom grandchildren, Michael, Ruth, Christopher she traveled, with and without his company. and Molly Murray, Amanda (David) Temple Of particular concern and interest were her and Marissa Shepherd; a brother, Robert nieces and nephews on both sides of the Murray; and a sister, Barbara Sutter. He was family. Her love of nature, life, and humanity preceded in death by his first wife, Audrey E. stemmed from her close relationship with Murray; his later wife, Karen Bradford; a son, Bill, and she shared these with her husband Mark J. Murray; and his parents. of 45 years. Cheryl was preceded in death by her father, Philip Gordon Green. She is survived by her husband, William Albert Friedman; her mother, Charlotte Canfield Green; sisters, Aletha Bonebrake, Heather Bell, and Hollyn Green; her brother, Philip David Green, her mother-in-law, Minnon Friedman; sister-in- law, Florence Rosenblum, and numerous nieces and nephews. UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 2 0 21 The Wisconsin Physicist

In Memoriam

Hugh Taylor Richards, 1918– Beatrix “Trixi” Roesler, James A. Van Allen, 1914–2006 2006, Emeritus Professor 1938–2006 James A. Van Allen was born in Mount Dr. Hugh Taylor Richards, PhD, died on Beatrix “Trixi” Roesler passed away on Pleasant, Iowa, on September 7, 1914. Friday, September 29, 2006, at the Dunn Wednesday, August 23, 2006, in the compa- He received his PhD in physics from the County Health Care Center in Menomonie, ny of husband, Emeritus Professor ­Frederick University of Iowa in 1939 and was a Wisconsin, where he received loving and L. Roesler and daughters, Kirsten (Elder) research fellow at the Carnegie Institution respectful care during the last three years of Thompson and Monica (Elder) Bridgewater of Washington’s Department of Terrestrial his life. at the Don and Marilyn Anderson Hospice Magnetism until 1942. As a Navy officer Hugh was born November 7, 1918, on Care Center in Fitchburg. The cancer that during World War II, he worked at the Johns a homestead in Baca County, Colorado. He took her life was diagnosed last November. Hopkins University Applied Physics Labora- graduated from Platteville High School. Trixi remained optimistic and brought cheer- tory (APL); after the war, he worked at APL In 1939 he received a BA from Park fulness to friends and family throughout the on instrumenting V–2 rockets for scientific College, Parkville, Missouri, and in 1942 he difficult treatments; in the end she made research and on various rocket- and balloon-­ earned his PhD in nuclear physics from Rice peace with the inevitable advance of her borne instruments for studying cosmic University, Houston, Texas. During World disease. rays at high altitudes and high latitudes. He War II, Hugh collaborated on the Manhattan She was born on July 19, 1938, in also headed the development of the first Project at Los Alamos, New Mexico. His area Hanau, Germany, and immigrated to the U.S. sounding rocket, the Aerobee. In 1951 he of expertise was neutron measurements in 1959 to marry and live in Los Alamos, New returned to the University of Iowa as head of of the atomic bomb. While there, he met Mexico, where her daughters were born. the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Mildred Paddock, and on February 11, 1944, After her first marriage ended, Trixi moved where he remained an active and respected they married. to Madison and married Frederick Roesler scientist and teacher. After the war, he accepted a research in 1968. She became a U.S. citizen in 1969. Van Allen worked with the highest and teaching position at the University For many years she was an enthusiastic vol- levels of government and scientific adminis- of Wisconsin and moved to Madison. In unteer for the Wisconsin Youth Symphony tration. A member of the National Academy 1952 he became a full professor of physics. Orchestra. Between 1982 and 1992, she and of Sciences’ Space Science Board at its incep- While at the university he served terms as her husband were frequently in Washington, tion in 1958 and working with NASA since its department chair and associate dean of D.C., where Trixi helped design and install creation in 1959, he helped plan and select Letters and Science. Hugh’s true passion was exhibits for the Smithsonian Museum of the initial suite of space-based observations scientific research, and he was a mentor to American History and later worked for the and experiments. He was among the most 49 PhD- level graduate students. After the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. From 1992 to influential of individuals in the late 1960s, 1970 bombing of Sterling Hall, in which a 1997 she worked in the oncology section at laying the groundwork for the exploration of physics graduate student was killed and the Madison VA Hospital. Trixi’s great love for the outer solar system and the missions that years of valuable research destroyed, Profes- the arts was expressed in all she did; many became Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager, and sor Richards’ leadership was credited with treasure her personal works in fiber arts. Her Galileo. He was an articulate and outspoken preserving the personnel, focus, and morale birth brought a sensitive spirit of great depth advocate of small, inexpensive missions long of the Physics Department. and beauty to earth that enriched people before this view became popular. Hugh was an active member of the First wherever she went. In death, her spirit will A member of the American Geophysi- Unitarian Universalist Society in Madison and live on in the hearts of her family and many cal Union since 1948, Van Allen helped to promoted using reason to solve problems friends who deeply loved her. organize the first planetary sciences section between nations. In 1988 he became emeri- in 1959 and served as its president from tus professor and remained active in his field 1964 to 1968. He was president of AGU’s until 2000. In retirement he treasured his solar-planetary relationships section from family, especially his grandchildren, enter- 1976 to 1978. Van Allen was elected an AGU taining them with his unique “punny” sense Fellow and named John Adam Fleming of humor. Medalist in 1963, was awarded the William Hugh and Mildred moved to Menomo- Bowie Medal in 1977, and served as Union nie, Wisconsin, in 2000 in order to be cared President from 1982 to 1984. He passed for by his son and daughter-in-law, Tom and away August 9 at the age of 91. Mary Richards. In 2001 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He was loved and respected, touching the world in many profound ways. Donor List

This list acknowledges donors to all departmental funds from July 2006 through June 2007 as recorded by the University of Wisconsin Foundation.

A E J O Mary S. Stapanian Robert K. Adair Barbara A. Ebel Larry A. Jacobson Marshall F. Onellion Edward J. Stephenson Alliant Energy Marvin E. Ebel Gregory B. Jaczko Larry D. Oppliger Darrel R. Sterzinger Fay A. Ajzenberg-Selove Mark A. Eriksson Cheryle L. Jolivette Constance K. Ott Diane Sterzinger Lawrence L. Ames Steven C. Erwin Peter L. Jolivette Mark P. Stevens L. Wilmer Anderson Gertrude K. M. Evans Edwin R. Jones, Jr P Edward J. Strait Marguerite G. Anderson William D. Evans Keith W. Jones Robert A. Perchonok Casimir J. Suchyta III Juliette Stapanian Apkarian Exxonmobil Foundation David W. Joutras Roger B. Perkins Keith R. Symon 2006-07 Robert Joynt Richard E. Peschel Mary L. Symon B F Philips Electronics Robert F. Szalapski Judith F. Babcock Paul Feng K Michael W. Phillips Robert W. Babcock Cary B. Forest Judith E. Kammeraad Julie A. Pickhardt T Mary J. Barbarian Peter M. Fried Fredrick Kelcz John E. Pinkerton 3M Annetta Barger Arnold G. Kellman Lee G. Pondrom Jennifer L. Tate Vernon Barger G Roderick G. Kerr Stewart Prager Robert E. Terrell Frank E. Barmore James Gaidos Cynthia E. Kieras-Phillips Principal Financial Group Gerald E. Thiel Stanley Bashkin Jose D. Garcia, Jr. Jeannette A. King Peter T. Timbie John E. Beam Margot W. Garcia Armen Kirakosian Q Ronald J. Tonucci Adam P. Beardsley GE Fund George M. Klody Paul Quin Hugo C. Tscharnack June F. Benenson Daniel Gee David G. Koch Leaf Turner R PHYSICS Manyee Ngai Gee

DONORS Raymond E. Benenson David C. Kocher Richard G. Turner Robert D. Rathmell Peter A. Bennett Kevin A. Geer Richard R. Kofler J. “Tony” Tyson Michael W. Rathsack Bradford A. Benson Richard A. Geise Eric J. Korpela Richard S. Raymond Barry L. Berman Daniel Gelatt John P. Krepczynski U Roberta K. Gelatt Raytheon Company John L. Ullman UW UW James M. Bishop Kerry L. Kresse James Reardon Robert D. Blank Elizabeth A. George United Technologies Corp Don D. Reeder Boeing Company Gelsomina Gilbert L Mildred Richards V Tom I. Bonner Roderick M. Grant, Jr. James G. Langemak Marylis A. Rigdon Bruce H. VanDomelen Robert A. Bosch Steven M. Grimes Richard R. O. Laughlin Robert J. Rigdon Edgar J. VanLieshout James H. Boyd Gary S. Grisbeck James E. Lawler William J. Romo Edward Van Peenen Rodney A. Britten Thomas H. Groves Robert K. Leach Patricia Rosenmeyer Marjorie K. Vanderhill Cornelius Browne Estate Alfred P. Lehnen H Randal C. Ruchti Matthew J. Vanderhill Ludwig W. Bruch Aimee N. Lefkow Roger L. Hagengruber Randy A. Rusch Paul A. Voytas Michael R. Buchholz Frederick R. Lemmerhirt Howard J. Halpern Eric J. Lentz Jean D. Buehlman S W Francis L. Halzen Anthony W. Leonard Mark Saffman Thad G. Walker C Nelly M. D. Halzen Donald H. Liebenberg Bruce D. Salzman Roddy B. Walton Richard H. Capps Tao Han Norma M. Liebenberg Wilton T. Sanders Paula R. Wamsley Duncan L. Carlsmith Harold P. Hanson Bruce Lipschultz William J. Saucier Robert C. Wamsley James T. Chudy Heidi S. Harlander Rochelle W. Lipschultz David W. Saum Thomas P. Wangler Michael M. Clark John M. Harlander William F. Long Frank L. Scarpace William J. Weber Douglas B. Clarke Harris Bank Foundation David H. Loyd, Jr. Timothy M. Schauer Thomas J. Weiler William R. Cochran Karsten M. Heeger John T. Lynch James E. Schewe James A. Weinman Charyssa A. Cobb John B. Heil James L. Schreve James O. Westgard John P. Comstock Eric D. Held M Peter F. Schultz Eric B. Wickesberg Thomas T. Cook Edward H. Hellen Joseph A. Margevicius Ruth A. Schwartz William G. Wilke Wilma J. Cook Anne W. Herb Reina H. Maruyama James L. Schwarzmeier Robert S. Williamson III Virginia B. Cook Elizabeth L. Himpsel Dan McCammon Walter Selove Pamela A. Wilson Susan N. Coppersmith Franz J. Himpsel Helen J. Mead Scott M. Seo Walter E. Wilson Ronald F. Corry Bradley M. Hinaus Jerud J. Mead Shell Oil Company Fdn. Michael J. Winokur David L. Cowan Barry S. Hindin Kenneth Mednick William D. Shephard Sandra K. Wisniewski Joanne E. Cowan Richard F. Hirsh Irving Michael Alan P. Shilepsky Thomas R. Wisniewski Donald P. Cox Donald R. Hodge Rodney H. Milbrandt Frank C. Shoemaker F. Douglas Witherspoon Jack T. Cusma Lothar O. Hoeft Daniel W. Miller Mary R. Holbrow Kevin J. Miller Ann J. Silversmith Margaret Witherspoon D Charles H. Holbrow Elizabeth R. Moog Thomas D. Sinclair Marvin W. Wolfmeyer Sridhara R. Dasu Brian Holland James R. Morgan Roberta P. Sinclair King-Lap Wong Denise A. Smith Jay C. Davis Nancy L. Holley Jane M. Morgan X Mary M. Davis Thomas K. Holley Elton S. Smith Xerox Robin L. Dennis Elaine F. Holub N H. Vernon Smith Mark J. Devlin David L. Huber Mark W. Nelson Wesley H. Smith Z Sharon L. Nelson Ng Songyu Tyce R. Deyoung Colin M. Hudson Jeffry G. Zais Clayton W. Nichols Carolyn M. Sowinski Thomas E. Dillinger Francis F. Huppe Andrew J. Zillmer Wayne E. Niemuth James G. Sowinski Bernice Durand Nadine Zwettler Loyal Durand I Yasutaro Nishimura Ross L. Spencer IBM Susan M. Nossal Julien C. Sprott Robert M. St. John UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 2 2 23 The Wisconsin Physicist

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Of Special Interest Joseph R. Dillinger Teaching Award Fund...... 12691359 (Graduate) Provides recognition to an outstanding teaching assistant in the Friends of the Ingersoll Museum...... 12694069 Department of Physics. With a “lead” future donation from Anne Herb, we are searching for more Ray & Anne Herb Distinguished Graduate Fellowship. 00000000 friends to help us create an on-going endowment to support and staff the (Contact department directly.) Ingersoll Museum. (Graduate) Provides support to two outstanding graduate students in the department annually. Student Support—Specific Elizabeth S. Hirschfelder Endowment...... 12693190 (Graduate) Supports women graduate students in physics research. Fay Ajzenberg-Selove Scholarship...... 12691618 (Undergraduate) Provides encouragement for undergraduate women Karl & Alice Knapp Jansky Fellowship Fund...... 12693916 ­majoring in physics, astronomy, or physics-astronomy to continue their (Graduate) Provides funding to an outstanding graduate student interested in careers in science. astrophysics and astronomy. Dr. Maritza Irene Stapanian Crabtree Undergraduate Graduate Student Recruiting...... 12692106 ­Scholarship...... 12693412 (Graduate) Provides assistance in recruitment expenses of physics graduate (Undergraduate) Provides assistance to undergraduate students based on students. merit and need. Bernice Durand Research Scholarship...... 12693561 (Undergraduate) Promotes meaningful undergraduate research Other ­opportunities, plus supports and encourages women and ethnic minorities Barschall Enterprise Fund...... 12694421 as undergraduate majors in the departments of physics and astronomy. Established in 2005 in honor of former Professor Heinz Barschall. Provides Henry & Eleanor Firminhac Scholarship...... 12693645 unrestricted-use fund for chair in recruiting senior researchers to faculty. (Undergraduate or Graduate) Provides assistance to students in Physics with Elementary Particle Physics Institute...... 12691418 financial needs. Provides funding for activities of the institute. Liebenberg Family Research Scholarship ...... 12692683 Physics Community-Building Fund...... 12694622 (Undergraduate) Supports physics, AMEP, or astronomy-physics majors in New in 2006. Provides funding for chair in establishing and reaffirming a summer research experiences. sense of community among the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the Cornelius P. & Cynthia C. Browne Endowed ­department. Fellowship Fund...... 12692082 (Graduate) Provides support to graduate students pursuing doctoral studies in the Physics Department. Jeff & Lily Chen Distinguished Graduate Fellowship ....00000000 (Contact department directly.) (Graduate) Provides support to an outstanding graduate student in the department annually.

We sincerely thank each and every one of you for being a part of our program improvement effort.

Susan N. Coppersmith, Chair UW-Madison Physics UW-Madison 2 4 University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Physics 1150 University Ave. Madison, WI 53706-1390