Senior Seminar Student Reports Goal is to investigate and report on one of the main research areas of physics – preferably an area emphasized here at ND,

Senior Seminar Student Reports

Goal is to investigate and report on one of the main research areas of physics – preferably an area emphasized here at ND, but not required

3 students per team*, each team looks at one research area

Prepare ~ 45 minute presentations to be given in class

* One team will have only two students

Contents of the report

Lots of flexibility here, but basically a report should include the following: Some historical background, important

achievements Current status – what are the major questions,

problems under study today? How is the research carried out? Discuss major

laboratories, important university efforts, etc. What is going on at Notre Dame (if applicable)? The future – where will this field be in 10 years,

20 years? What will be the big questions?

Resources

Literature searches Textbooks, historical treatments Review articles in magazines and journals Reports, self-studies, e.g. from HEPAP, NSAC, … Anything you can find on the web

Discussion with Notre Dame physics faculty, including postdocs and graduate students

I will encourage these people to be available to help you

Report Format

No written report necessary, only a talk to the class

Make a Powerpoint presentation All three team members should share equally

in both the study and the presentation You can divide this up as you wish, for example “past,

present, future”, or three sub-areas The level of the talk should be such that it is

interesting and informative for your classmates.

Schedule

Form teams, pick research areas over the next couple of weeks

(If necessary I will form the teams and assign the research areas)

Spend the next several weeks investigating and preparing the report

Reports begin on Monday, October 27. One report per week for 7 weeks.

Astrophysics

Why is the expansion of the Why is the expansion of the Universe accelerating?Universe accelerating?

How do planets and stars form?How do planets and stars form?

Faculty: Balsara, Garnavich, Rettig, Mathews, Howk

Atomic Physics

Can we use atoms to search Can we use atoms to search for new physics?for new physics?

How can we use new states How can we use new states of matter?of matter?

Faculty: Berry, Livingston, Tanner, Sapirstein

Condensed Matter & Biophysics

How does superconductivity work?How does superconductivity work?

Can we make electronics using spin?Can we make electronics using spin?

How are cells organized?How are cells organized?

Faculty: Alber, Arnold, Blackstead, Bunker, Dobrowolska, Eskildsen, Furdyna, Janko, Merz, Newman, Ruggiero, Toroczkai

High Energy Physics

What is mass?What is mass?

Are there extra dimensions?Are there extra dimensions?

What is Dark Matter, Dark Energy?What is Dark Matter, Dark Energy?

Faculty: Bigi, Delgado, Hildreth, Jessop, Kolda, Lannon, LoSecco, Ruchti, Wayne

Nuclear Physics

How are heavy elements How are heavy elements formed in supernovae?formed in supernovae?

What are the limits of nuclear matter?What are the limits of nuclear matter?

Faculty: Aprahamian, Caprio, Collon, Frauendorf, Garg, Kolata, Tang, Wiescher

Final Comments

Relax and have fun with this!! It will give you an opportunity to:

Learn about a particular area of physics

Teach your classmates what you have learned

Interact with Notre Dame physics faculty, postdocs, graduate students, …