AAPT 2009 Meeting Information ........................... 4 Bus Schedule/information ................... 6 Winter Meeting Welcome to Chicago ........................... 8 First Time at a Meeting ...................... 10 February 12–16, 2009 Special Events .................................. 11 Committee Meetings ......................... 12 Chicago, Illinois Exhibitor Information ........................ 14 Commercial Workshops .................... 19 Awards/Plenaries .............................. 20 In conjunction with AAAS Annual Meeting Session Finder .................................. 22 Meeting at a Glance ........................... 25 Workshops ........................................ 29 SESSION ABSTRACTS Friday ........................................... 36 Saturday ...................................... .38 American Association of Physics Teachers Sunday ......................................... 63 One Physics Ellipse Monday ........................................ 90 College Park, MD USA 20740-3845 Index of Contributors ...................... 104 301-209-3300, fax: 301-209-0845 Our Donors ..................................... 107 [email protected], www.aapt.org Index of Advertisers ........................ 107 Map of Exhibit Hall .......................... 108 Welcome to Chicago! Beyond the standard committee meetings, exhibits, and ceremonial sessions, the Chicago AAPT meeting offers a rich spectrum of invited and contributed sessions, posters, workshops, crackerbarrels, and plenaries on disciplinary and interdisciplinary topics ranging from exciting new areas of contemporary research through the substance of what we teach at all levels to the history of physics, uses of technology, and recent research in physics education. In addition, we are having our meeting in conjunction with AAAS, whose symposia and special events span all sciences, and those who register with either organization will be welcome at a large fraction of the events arranged by the other. While a single theme would be difficult to identify for any AAPT meeting, we have, at this meeting, taken particular pains to highlight the contributions of Chicagoans to physics research and teaching. To that end, we have arranged a workshop at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (W08), field trips to Fermilab, invited talks by several Fermilab researchers (DA and NA), a session on the Manhattan project (LJ), a panel on the Illinois State Physics Project (LG), a panel on physics first (KA), several posters highlighting projects by Chicago-area high school students (PST1), a session (OG) in which Chicago-area high school teachers provide take-home demonstrations, a session (OH) in which you can view prize-winning demonstrations developed by students at Glenbrook South High School, a Share-A-Thon arranged largely by teachers in Chicago schools, and a demo show featuring particularly Chicago-area teachers. There is also a session (OC) on the International Year of Astronomy designed to whet your appetite for the fuller recognition that will be part of the 2009 summer meeting. In an effort to respond to those who have expressed concerns over the attention given to posters at past meetings, each poster in sessions PST1 and PST2 will be on display for a full day, and at least 1.5 hours of unopposed time for posters has been distributed throughout each day. So that some presenters may visit with other presenters, those with odd-numbered posters will be at their posters during half of the unopposed time, and those with even- numbered posters will be at their posters during the other half of that time. In the past six months, I have been made acutely aware that putting together the schedule of an AAPT meeting provides a challenge not unlike that posed by a Jackson Pollock puzzle, and complete elimination of conflicts is almost certainly impossible. The program sorters (Shannon Mandel, Michelle Strand, Charles Henderson, and Gordon Ramsey), AAPT staff in the Programs and Conferences Dept. (Tiffany Hayes, Cerena Cantrell, Janet Lane, Natasha Randall, and Annette Coleman), and I regret any conflicts that remain. At the same time, those who worked with me on this monumental task deserve deep appreciation for their diligence and creativity in solving the scheduling puzzle as fully as they have. The AAPT area chairs and committee members and all the presenters and presiders also deserve sincere thanks for their contributions to assuring a varied, full, and valuable meeting. Enjoy the meeting and—time permitting—Chicago! I am confident your challenge will be much less in finding interesting things to do than in deciding which of several compelling but conflicting events will be of greatest value to you. David M. Cook Vice President and Program Chair Lawrence University Appleton, WI 3 Special Thanks: AAPT thanks the following persons for their outstanding dedication and selfless contributions to the Winter Meeting: Paper Sorters: Shannon Mandel, Michelle Strand, Gordon Ramsey, and Charles Henderson. Our local organizers: Gordon Ramsey (Loyola University) and Samuel Dyson (Walter Payton College Preparatory H.S.) Meeting Information Fermi Lab’s: Spencer Pasero, of the Education Office in the Workforce Development and Resources Section at Fermilab, who helped in identifying speakers for the two sessions about research at Fermilab and also who arranged the two field trips to Fermilab.! Resource Room for Registrants with Disabilities Hyatt Regency, East Tower, Blue Level, Skyway Conference SquareHive is an Internet-based, Center, Room 282 social networking tool that connects Speaker-Ready Room Thurs, Feb. 12: 12–5:30 p.m. attendees to each other. Within There will be a Speaker Ready Fri, Feb. 13: 8–5:30 p.m. SquareHive you will be able to see who room located in the Hyatt, Sat, Feb. 14: 8–5:30 p.m. Grand Suite 3. Participants is already registered for the AAPT Sun, Feb. 15: 8–5:30 p.m. Winter ’09 meeting and interact with should take their presentations Mon, Feb. 16: 8 a.m.–12 p.m. there to prepare for the sessions. your colleagues before and during the Mobility assistance will be conference. The hours are: provided on request for persons Thurs., Feb. 12: 7 a.m–6:30 p.m. with disabilities within and out- www.squarehive.com Friday, Feb. 13: 7 a.m.–6:30 p.m. side the conference facilities. Saturday, Feb. 14: 7 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Call the AAPT Registration desk AAPT Sustaining Members Sunday, Feb. 15: 7 a.m.–6:30 p.m. at the Hyatt, 312-239-4820, for Monday, Feb. 16: 7 a.m.–12 p.m. Alberti’s Window information. ALTAY Scientific Spa American 3B Scientific AAPT Executive Board Arbor Scientific Lila Adair, President Mary Mogge AU Physics Enterprises Piedmont College Vice Chair of Section Representatives Carolina Biological Supply Co. Monroe, GA California State Polytechnic University Daedalon Design Simulation Tech, Inc Alexander Dickison, President-Elect Pomona, CA Educational Innovations, Inc. Seminole Community College Gordon Ramsey Heliocentris Energy Systems, Inc. Sanford, FL Four-Year College Representative John Wiley & Sons Inc. David M. Cook, Vice President Loyola University Chicago Johns Hopkins Univ. Center for Talented Youth Lawrence University Frankfort, IL Kinetic Books Appleton, WI Elizabeth B. Chesick High School Representative Klinger Educational Prod. Corp Steven Iona, Secretary PASCO scientific University of Denver 625 Walnut Lane Haverford, PA Pearson Denver, CO Physics Academic Software Dwain M. Desbien Paul W. Zitzewitz, Treasurer Physics2000.com Two-Year College Representative University of Michigan–Dearborn Rice Univ. Estrella Mountain Comm. College Dearborn, MI Sargent Welch CENCO Physics Avondale, AZ Harvey Leff, Past-President School Specialty Science Karl C. Mamola (ex officio) California State Polytechnic University Spectrum Techniques LLC Editor, The Physics Teacher Pomona, CA TeachSpin Inc Alan Gibson Jan Tobochnik (ex officio) Tel-Atomic Inc Chair of Section Representatives Editor, American Journal of Physics Vernier Software Adams High School Warren Hein (ex officio) W H Freeman & Company Rochester, MI AAPT Executive Officer WebAssign Ztek Co. 4 February 12–16, 2009 XXX AAPT Sustaining Members Alberti’s Window ALTAY Scientific Spa American 3B Scientific Arbor Scientific AU Physics Enterprises Carolina Biological Supply Co. Daedalon Design Simulation Tech, Inc Educational Innovations, Inc. Heliocentris Energy Systems, Inc. John Wiley & Sons Inc. Johns Hopkins Univ. Center for Talented Youth Kinetic Books Klinger Educational Prod. Corp PASCO scientific Pearson Physics Academic Software Physics2000.com Rice Univ. Sargent Welch CENCO Physics School Specialty Science Spectrum Techniques LLC TeachSpin Inc Tel-Atomic Inc Vernier Software W H Freeman & Company WebAssign Ztek Co. Bus Schedule to Workshops and Fieldtrips *All buses will load outside the Crystal Ballroom Foyer, located in the Hyatt Regency’s West Tower Date: Thursday, February 12, 2009 Date: Friday, February 13, 2009 • 7:15 a.m. – Bus departs Hyatt Hotel to Walter • 7:15 a.m. – Bus departs Hyatt Hotel to Walter Payton College Prep for Workshops Payton College Prep for Workshops • 7:30 a.m. – Bus departs Hyatt Hotel to Walter • 7:30 a.m. – Bus departs Hyatt Hotel to Walter Meeting Information Payton College Prep Payton College Prep • 8 a.m. – Bus departs Hyatt Hotel to Fermilab for • 8 a.m. – Bus departs Hyatt Hotel to Fermilab for Fieldtrip fieldtrip • 8:25 a.m. – Bus departs Hyatt Hotel to Walter • 8:30 a.m. – Bus departs Hyatt for Walter Payton Payton College Prep College Prep • 12:15 p.m.