111078 Physics Matters.Indd

Department of Physics and Astronomy Winter 2005–2006 Matters he physics and astronomy department was honored this past April to have two Kenneth Alhadeff, vice president of of its distinguished faculty take a prominent part in WSU Showcase 2005. The the WSU Board of Regents, assists Showcase is a daylong event to acknowledge individuals who excel in scholar- in the demonstration of physics ship, research, and artistic achievements. Professor Mark Kuzyk was selected to principles during the Showcase 2005 deliver the Distinguished Faculty Address during the Showcase’s University Lun- luncheon. These demonstrations cheon in Webster auditorium. His talk, entitled “From Black Holes to the Inter- were part of the Distinguished net: How We Use the Scientifi c Method to Understand the Mysteries of Things Faculty Address offered by physics Unseen,” was delivered to a full house, and included dynamic and crowd-pleasing demonstrations Professor Mark Kuzyk: “From Black Tassisted by Tom Johnson. Holes to the Internet: How We Use Mark’s eloquent speech and thought-provoking audio-visual aids showed his enthusiasm for teaching the Scientifi c Method to Understand physics: “If you can show and not just teach, you can garner more interest amongst the students in the the Mystery of Things Unseen.” subject matter…My students never know what is going to happen, so they stay attuned, enabling them to learn better.” Mark, whose research is world renown, has been teaching at WSU for fi fteen years. Beasley Coliseum was fi lled with WSU’s best and brightest academic minds for the evening’s Cel- ebrating Excellence Recognition Banquet. Among the group was Professor Yogendra (Yogi) Gupta, recipient of not one, but two of the University’s highest honors. Yogi was presented with the distinguished Eminent Faculty Award, and formally named Regents Professor beginning August 2005. Criteria for the Eminent Faculty Award mandates that the recipient has “changed the thinking in his or her fi eld by making lasting contributions through teaching, research, creative scholarship, and service.” The award, fi rst presented in 2000, is considered the highest honor for faculty, and is accompanied by a monetary award of $15,000. For more on Kuzyk and Gupta’s awards, please visit www.showcase.wsu.edu/index.html. As you can see, our masthead has changed. As of December 2004, we offi cially became the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Given our change of name—and all of the privileges and responsibilities that come with it, as well as the plethora of events in the department this past year—we hope you will fi nd this issue interesting. Greetings from the Chair s I enter the fi nal year of my Among staff, we have a new fi scal person, Laura four-year term as chair of the Krueger, who has worked on the WSU campus for Department of Physics and 14 years. Additionally we welcomed Edythe (Edie) Astronomy, I would like to re- McPherson to our main offi ce. Edie has worked for fl ect a bit. Although the over- WSU since 2000. Finally, Mary Guenther’s position all fundamental goals of our was upgraded and her hours were increased to meet program and the aspirations the ever-growing demand for more formalized re- of our faculty, staff, and students remain largely cruitment activities. Mary’s efforts for the depart- Aconstant, there have been signifi cant changes in the ment are paying off; we have more honors students details. A few of the changes have created serious than ever before expressing an interest in majoring challenges for the department, but many are part of in physics. For photos of these staff members please a foundation that positions us for a bright future. go to page 4. Programmatically, the department took on an im- The budget continues to challenge the depart- portant challenge four or fi ve years ago; namely, to rebuild astronomy ment. Thus far, additional funding requests have been granted to at Washington State University. With this year’s addition of assistant keep us healthy. Better yet, this year the additional funds were grant- professor John Blakeslee, and the conversion of Michael Allen’s posi- ed at the beginning of the fi scal year. Thus, we have greater fl exibility tion to a full-time instructor, astronomy at WSU has reached its fi rst to run the department and the opportunity to recruit aggressively for importantimportant “critical“critical mass”mass” plateau.plateau. OurOur lowerlower divisiondivision astronomyastronomy nextnext year’syear’s graduategraduate cohort.cohort. courses are extremely popular; they are always fi lled to capacity. In Personally, the greatest change over the past couple of years is a addition, we are attracting students to our undergraduate and gradu- far greater understanding and appreciation of the dedication and ate degree programs whose primary interests are in astronomy and hard work of the faculty, staff, and students that make our depart- astrophysics. As of last year, it was apparent that the time had come ment thrive. This is worth a lot to me. Having said this, some things for us to change our name to include astronomy. And so, we have. do remain the same. You will read in the following pages numerous Unhappily, I report that several faculty have left the department examples of recognition for high quality teaching, research, and pro- for various reasons. Chief among them is George Lake, Moonsoo ductivity. This continues unabated. Given what I have seen as chair, Kang, and Sudha Swaminathan. On the plus side, we recently hired it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. John Blakeslee, Peter Engels, and Pamela Blakeslee, an astronomer, an atomic physics experimentalist, and half-time instructor, respectively. Sincerely, Steve Tomsovic All are very talented young people, and we are happy to welcome them to the department. In addition, we are searching this year for another full-time instructor. This will help us offer a suffi cient range of courses for our students. 2 Winter 2005–2006 Pumpkin Toss Curtis Osterhoudt and Katherine Hegewisch, dropping a pumpkin and watermelon. and fell straight onto his head. Unharmed, Tomsovic smiled and said Three, two, one, drop! he was pleased with the event. It seemed highly appropriate that Washington State University’s Phys- One young skeptic in the crowd refuted Galileo’s theory of fall- ics Club would begin Dad’s Weekend 2004 with a big splat. More than ing bodies. She maintained the pumpkins did not land at exactly the 200 staff, students, and their families gathered on Webster plaza for same time. Galileo conceded her observations seemed correct. As he the fi rst annual “Operation Pumpkin Drop.” Graduate student and explained, however, the weather was a factor; it was after all, a windy master of ceremonies Francis Morrissey came dressed in a black robe and blustery autumn day. Graduate student volunteers Katherine for his 17th-century role as Galileo Galilei. Galileo described his the- Hegewisch and Aubrey España agreed that the wind and rain, and ory of falling bodies, lecturing briefl y on the mathematical equation perhaps even their own human error, attributed to not releasing the that refuted the current Aristotelian thinking of his time. In support fruits at exactly the same moment. Not to be discredited, Galileo chal- of his theory, Galileo introduced a simple demonstration that would lenged the young observer to conduct her experiment in a vacuum help prove his point—and so began the drops. state. He was confi dent his theory would stand the test. With student volunteers in place, the crowd shouted in unison, As Galileo himself lamented, it would take the likes of mathemati- “three, two, one…” The onlookers let out a large gasp just prior to cian and physicist Sir Isaac Newton to give total credence to Galileo’s a “thump, thump” as the fruit hit the ground. Pumpkins, watermel- mathematical equation. Galileo’s equation was based on the Archi- ons, cantaloupes, and a University of South- medean approach to motion, i.e., falling bodies in proportional to ern California “Trojan soldier” were dropped their density, not their weight, as Aristotle from the 12th fl oor of the Webster Science had claimed. Much later in history, Galileo’s building. Although the drop seemed simple theory of falling bodies came into play when enough, physics students and staff members Einstein explained the theory of mechanics of spent countless hours ensuring the event was the cosmos. Clearly, without Galileo’s contri- safely executed. Even so, pieces of fruit projec- butions to the study of falling bodies, motion tiles were seen throughout the plaza. Although might still be a mystery. no major injuries were reported, department If you plan to be in town for Dad’s Week- chair Steve Tomsovic was almost a casualty end 2006, be sure to keep Saturday mid-morn- when the Trojan fi gure drifted over the crowd ing open for the next pumpkin toss event. Physics Matters 3 Paul Anderson Display Adorns World Year of Physics 2005 Webster Lobby The year 2005 has been set aside to celebrate Einstein. Professor Professor emeritus Ed Donaldson and Regents Professor Tom Dick- Sudha Swaminathan, scientifi c instructional tech supervisor Tom inson have constructed an impressive display of former physics pro- Johnson, director of undergraduate laboratories Gordon Johnson, fessor Paul Anderson’s glass vacuum equipment on the fi rst fl oor of graduate student Katherine Hegewisch, and undergraduate Joel Bale Webster building. Anderson, who served as chair of the physics de- orchestrated several events to help commemorate Einstein’s seminal partment (1931–1961), applied his creations to studies involving the papers of 1905. As way of commemorating the “World Year of Physics physics of metal surfaces.

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