Physics /asmagazine/ en Two 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 scientists win prestigious honor /asmagazine/2025/03/27/two-cu-boulder-scientists-win-prestigious-honor <span>Two 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 scientists win prestigious honor</span> <span><span>Clint Talbott</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-03-27T08:00:00-06:00" title="Thursday, March 27, 2025 - 08:00">Thu, 03/27/2025 - 08:00</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-03/science%20image2.jpg?h=080bc288&amp;itok=Vh7blX_d" width="1200" height="800" alt="AAAS header"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/46"> Kudos </a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/30"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/174" hreflang="en">Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/428" hreflang="en">Physics</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><h2><em><span>Ivan Smalyukh and Tom Blumenthal are named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science&nbsp;</span></em></h2><p>Two University of Colorado Boulder professors have been named 2024 <a href="https://www.aaas.org/news/aaas-welcomes-471-scientists-and-engineers-honorary-fellows" rel="nofollow">fellows</a> of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the group announced today.</p> <div class="align-right image_style-medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/2025-03/Smalyukh%20Blumenthal2.jpg?itok=jgL9jyM8" width="750" height="469" alt="Smalyukh and Blumenthal"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text"><em>Ivan Smalyukh (left) and Tom Blumenthal</em></p> </span> </div> <p><a href="/physics/ivan-smalyukh" rel="nofollow">Ivan Smalyukh</a>, professor of <a href="/physics/" rel="nofollow">physics</a>, and <a href="/mcdb/tom-blumenthal" rel="nofollow">Thomas Blumenthal</a>, professor emeritus of <a href="/mcdb/" rel="nofollow">molecular, cellular and developmental biology (MCDB)</a>, are among the 471 scientists, engineers and innovators who have been recognized for scientifically and socially distinguished achievements by the world鈥檚 largest general scientific society and publisher of the <em>Science&nbsp;</em>family of journals.</p><p>This year鈥檚 class of fellows 鈥渋s the embodiment of scientific excellence and service to our communities,鈥 said Sudip S. Parikh, AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the <em>Science</em> family of journals.</p><p>鈥淎t a time when the future of the scientific enterprise in the U.S. and around the world is uncertain, their work demonstrates the value of sustained investment in science and engineering.鈥</p><p>鈥淚 am pleased to see this well-deserved recognition of Professor Smalyukh and Professor Blumenthal. Their accomplishments highlight the remarkable scientific advances occurring at CU,鈥&nbsp;said Irene Blair, dean of natural sciences.</p><p>Smalyukh鈥檚 research encompasses different branches of soft-condensed-matter and optical physics, including chiral phenomena, knot theory, laser trapping and imaging techniques, molecular and colloidal self-assembly, fundamental properties of liquid crystals, polymers, organic and nano photovoltaics, nano-structured and other functional materials, as well as their photonic and electro-optic applications.</p><p>鈥淲e aspire to uncover very fundamental physical principles underpinning phenomena and properties of materials and other physical systems,鈥 Smalyukh noted. 鈥淎t the same time, we also apply this fundamental knowledge to contribute to a sustainable future via designing artificial forms of meta matter needed to reduce the growing energy demand and slow down climate change.鈥</p><p>Smalyukh earned BS and MS degrees with highest honors in 1994 and 1995 from Lviv Polytechnic National University in Ukraine. He earned a PhD in chemical physics in 2003 from Kent State University in Ohio.</p><p>He joined the 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 faculty in 2007. In addition to serving as a professor of physics, he holds a courtesy appointment as a professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, is a fellow in the Materials Science Engineering Program and is a fellow of the Renewable &amp; Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI), a joint institute of NREL and 蜜桃传媒破解版下载.</p><p>Among other awards, Smalyukh has been named a fellow of the American Physical Society and has won the Department of Energy Early Career Research Award and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award.</p><p>Smalyukh said he is honored by the selection: 鈥淚 am especially grateful to many students and postdocs doing interdisciplinary physics-centered research together with me over nearly 20 years at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载.鈥</p><p>Blumenthal鈥檚 lab has studied a variety of important problems in molecular biology, including regulation of gene expression, mechanisms of RNA splicing and arrangement of genes on chromosomes. His lab is responsible for discovering that eukaryotes can have operons for identifying the protein that is responsible for recognizing the 3鈥 splice site and for a variety of other esoteric findings.</p><p>He has also studied how the tiny extra chromosome responsible for Down syndrome changes the levels of many proteins, even though most of those proteins are not encoded on the extra chromosome.</p><p>Blumenthal earned a BA&nbsp;in biology from Antioch College&nbsp;in 1966 and a PhD&nbsp;in genetics from Johns Hopkins University&nbsp;in 1970. He did postdoctoral research at Harvard University from 1970-73, then spent 23 years at the Biology Department at Indiana University Bloomington and nine years at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He joined 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 faculty in 2006 and served as professor and chair of MCDB.</p><p>Among other awards, Blumenthal was recognized as a fellow by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010 and won a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in 1980.</p><p>Lee Niswander, professor and chair of molecular, cellular and developmental biology, said the department is thrilled about Blumenthal鈥檚 recognition. 鈥淭om鈥檚 research program related to RNA processing and gene regulation, as well as his strong leadership of MCDB, have left an enduring mark on science and MCDB.</p><p>鈥淭om continues to engage with astute questions and the endowment of a lecture series related to RNA biology through a partnership between 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 and CU Anschutz.鈥</p><p>Counting Blumenthal and Smalyukh, 81 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 professors have been named AAAS fellows since 1981.&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Ivan Smalyukh and Tom Blumenthal are named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. </div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-03/science%20image2.jpg?itok=OdcmS9jq" width="1500" height="618" alt="AAAS header"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 27 Mar 2025 14:00:00 +0000 Clint Talbott 6091 at /asmagazine Discovering Boulder County鈥檚 tiniest residents /asmagazine/2025/03/24/discovering-boulder-countys-tiniest-residents <span>Discovering Boulder County鈥檚 tiniest residents</span> <span><span>Rachel Sauer</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-03-24T11:10:47-06:00" title="Monday, March 24, 2025 - 11:10">Mon, 03/24/2025 - 11:10</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-03/pseudoscorpion.jpg?h=6de883b3&amp;itok=t2toUOFO" width="1200" height="800" alt=" a reddish-orange Larca boulderica pseudoscorpion"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/30"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/54" hreflang="en">Alumni</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1246" hreflang="en">College of Arts and Sciences</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1242" hreflang="en">Division of Natural Sciences</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/428" hreflang="en">Physics</a> </div> <span>Collette Mace</span> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead"><em><span lang="EN">蜜桃传媒破解版下载 alum and experienced caver Dave Steinmann recently discovered a new species of pseudoscorpion in Mallory Cave, with a moniker honoring its namesake hometown</span></em></p><hr><p><span lang="EN">When Dave Steinmann&nbsp;(Phys鈥90) first started classes at the University of Colorado Boulder in 1984, he had never explored a cave before and never really thought much about caves. However, when his new dorm-mate suggested they try his dad鈥檚 favorite hobby of caving, what seemed at first like an adventurous new pastime soon turned into a lifestyle for Steinmann鈥攐ne that he has continued for more than 30 years and leading to his discovery of almost 100 new cave-dwelling species.</span></p><p><span lang="EN">Steinmann, now a research associate with the Denver Museum of Nature &amp; Science鈥檚 Zoology Department, most recently discovered a new species of pseudoscorpion named after the city closest to where it was found鈥攏one other than CU鈥檚 hometown of Boulder. Steinmann said that he knew almost immediately that the critter that is now known as </span><em><span lang="EN">Larca boulderica</span></em><span lang="EN"> was a new species.</span></p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-03/Dave%20Steinmann%20family.jpg?itok=e8JTBDL_" width="1500" height="1998" alt="Nathan, Debbie and David Steinmann wearing caving helmets"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text">Dave Steinmann (right) with his son, Nathan (left), and wife, Debbie (center), as they get ready to go caving. (Photo: Dave Steinmann)</p> </span> </div></div><p><span lang="EN">When he first spotted it in Mallory Cave, one of Boulder鈥檚 most well-known cave systems thanks to its role in bat conservation, he immediately noticed its unique, almost lentil-shaped body and adaptations for cave living, such as its pale color. These specimens were later verified as a new species by Mark Harvey, a pseudoscorpion expert at the Western Australian Museum; Harvey and Steinmann recently </span><a href="https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/120353/" rel="nofollow"><span lang="EN">published details of the discovery</span></a><span lang="EN"> in ZooKeys.</span></p><p><span lang="EN">Steinmann notes that it鈥檚 typically not difficult to discern when a specimen is a new species, as it happens pretty frequently in the ancient cave systems right below our feet.</span></p><p><span lang="EN">鈥淚 always say that if I want to discover a new species, I just need to visit a new cave,鈥 he says.</span></p><p><span lang="EN">Why are caves such a great place to make new discoveries? The answer lies in their role as a sort of refuge from climate change, Steinmann notes. In caves, insects can hide from the effects of temperature, floral and faunal changes that happen more rapidly in the outside world, facilitating isolated evolutionary changes.</span></p><p><span lang="EN"><strong>Changing cave life</strong></span></p><p><span lang="EN">However, even cave life is changing. Lately, the temperature inside of caves, typically very cold, has been observed to be rising on a minuscule scale. Although this may seem trivial, even a few degrees鈥 difference can have immeasurable effects on the delicate life structures within the caves.</span></p><p><span lang="EN">Similarly, outside temperatures affect which species go in and out of the cave systems, most notably bats. With the recent spike in white-nosed syndrome in bat populations, the number of bats in cave systems has decreased dramatically, with disastrous effects on internal cave species such as </span><em><span lang="EN">Larca boulderica</span></em><span lang="EN">, who survive on organic material鈥攎ost often wood brought into the cave鈥攁nd guano (bat fecal matter).</span></p><p><span lang="EN">These changes are slow to progress, though, and there is still time to save cave ecosystems like that of Mallory Cave, which is closed to the public to protect the bat population inside (although it鈥檚 still possible to hike up to the cave entrance, a pleasant and short hike for anyone hoping to get outside).</span></p><p><span lang="EN">So, how did Steinmann spot these teeny tiny bugs who live on bat feces? Well, after more than 30 years of experience, he has some tricks up his sleeve. One of the easiest methods he uses to spot tiny critters is simply by turning over rocks or pieces of wood.</span></p><p><span lang="EN">When species like pseudoscorpions are disturbed by the movement or sense the carbon dioxide released by human breathing, they tend to skitter in every direction, looking for a new spot to curl up and revel in the damp darkness. When they move around, according to Steinmann, it鈥檚 just a game of whether you can catch them quickly enough.</span></p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-03/pseudoscorpion.jpg?itok=9A7g0EOq" width="1500" height="1000" alt=" a reddish-orange Larca boulderica pseudoscorpion"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text"><span lang="EN">The newly described pseudoscorpion</span><em><span lang="EN"> Larca boulderica</span></em><span lang="EN"> is about the size of a sesame seed and is only known to live in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo: Dave Steinmann)</span></p> </span> </div></div><p><span lang="EN">To catch samples, Steinmann usually brings simple tools along with him鈥攁 painter鈥檚 brush and some rubbing alcohol. When the brush is wetted with the alcohol, it鈥檚 easy to run it along a surface and pick up all of the tiny things residing there, including minuscule species of bugs like&nbsp;</span><em><span lang="EN">Larca boulderica.</span></em></p><p><span lang="EN">From there, it鈥檚 also easier to see what he鈥檚 found, as cave species are usually albino due to the lack of melanin鈥 they don鈥檛 need pigmentation when there鈥檚 no sunlight鈥攁nd they stand out against the dark ground and hairs of the paintbrush.</span></p><p><span lang="EN"><strong>Looking for a gold bug</strong></span></p><p><span lang="EN">Despite being at it for multiple decades, Steinmann has no plans to slow down his caving career any time soon. He鈥檚 even made it a family pastime, and often spends time caving with his wife, Debbie, and his son, Nathan. He keeps an ongoing list of caves he plans to visit in the future and looks forward to making even more discoveries.</span></p><p><span lang="EN">鈥淚鈥檇 really like to find some kind of gold-colored bug and name it after the university,鈥 he says, 鈥渙r maybe even Coach Prime!鈥</span></p><p><span lang="EN">He鈥檚 also enthusiastic about getting more students involved in caving, including caver and photographer Andres 鈥淎ndy鈥 Better, who will be a CU transfer student next fall. Steinmann emphasized how many different opportunities lie in the caving experience and says students of any background could find a niche interest in the hobby.</span></p><p><span lang="EN">He also mentions local groups and clubs for both new and experienced cavers, including the Front Range Grotto and the Colorado Grotto, which meets at the Colorado School of Mines. He says that while anyone is welcome in caving, experienced members of the clubs can sometimes be protective of the places they visit, as human disturbances can harm delicate cave ecosystems, and caving as a hobby can be dangerous in a lot of ways.</span></p><p><span lang="EN">However, if you鈥檙e looking to learn about caving with curiosity and respect, any of these clubs are great ways to get involved in this adventurous and exciting hobby鈥攋ust be careful not to step in the bat guano because there could be a new species in there!</span></p><hr><p><em>Did you enjoy this article?&nbsp;</em><a href="https://cu.tfaforms.net/73" rel="nofollow"><em>Subscribe to our newsletter.</em></a><em>&nbsp;Passionate about arts and sciences?&nbsp;</em><a href="/artsandsciences/giving" rel="nofollow"><em>Show your support.</em></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>蜜桃传媒破解版下载 alum and experienced caver Dave Steinmann recently discovered a new species of pseudoscorpion in Mallory Cave, with a moniker honoring its namesake hometown.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-03/L.%20boulderica%20in%20cave%20cropped.jpg?itok=apKAIgMq" width="1500" height="489" alt="Larca boulderica pseudoscorpion on dirt ground"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Mon, 24 Mar 2025 17:10:47 +0000 Rachel Sauer 6089 at /asmagazine An ultrafast microscope makes movies one femtosecond at a time /asmagazine/2025/03/11/ultrafast-microscope-makes-movies-one-femtosecond-time <span>An ultrafast microscope makes movies one femtosecond at a time</span> <span><span>Rachel Sauer</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-03-11T10:18:01-06:00" title="Tuesday, March 11, 2025 - 10:18">Tue, 03/11/2025 - 10:18</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-03/perovskite_figure.png?h=8f74817f&amp;itok=jQZJYuTX" width="1200" height="800" alt="illustration of laser pulses hitting nanotips over perovskite material"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/30"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1242" hreflang="en">Division of Natural Sciences</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/428" hreflang="en">Physics</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/686" hreflang="en">Research</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead"><em>New 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 research harnesses the power of an ultrafast microscope to study molecular movement in space and time</em></p><hr><p>The interactions in photovoltaic materials that convert light into electricity happens in femtoseconds. How fast is that? One femtosecond is a quadrillionth of a second颅颅. To put that in perspective, the difference between a second and a femtosecond is comparable to the difference between the second right now and 32 million years ago.</p><p>Subatomic particles like electrons move within atoms, and atoms move within molecules, in femtoseconds. This speed has long presented challenges for researchers working to make more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable photovoltaic materials, including solar cells. Imaging materials on the nanoscale with high enough spatial resolution to uncover the fundamental physical processes poses an additional challenge.</p><p>Understanding how, where and when electrons move, and how their movement depends on the molecular structure of these materials, is key to honing them or developing better ones.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-03/perovskite_figure.png?itok=gX9eU8jM" width="1500" height="844" alt="illustration of laser pulses hitting nanotips over perovskite material"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text"><span>Ultrafast nano-imaging of structure and dynamics in a perovskite quantum material also used for photovoltaic applications. Different femtosecond laser pulses are used to excite and measure the material. They are focused to the nanoscale with an ultrasharp metallic tip. The photo-excited electrons and coupled changes of the lattice structure (so called polarons, red ellipses) are diagnosed spectroscopically with simultaneous ultrahigh spatial and temporal resolution.&nbsp;(Illustration: Branden Esses)</span></p> </span> </div></div><p>Building on more than five years of research developing a unique ultrafast microscope that can make real-time 鈥渕ovies鈥 of electron and molecular motion in materials, a team of University of Colorado Boulder scientists <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ads3706" rel="nofollow">published in Science Advances</a> the results of significant innovations in ultrafast nanoimaging, visualizing matter at its elementary atomic and molecular level.</p><p>The research team, led by <a href="/physics/markus-raschke" rel="nofollow">Markus Raschke</a>, professor of <a href="/physics/" rel="nofollow">physics</a> and JILA fellow, applied the ultrafast nanoimaging techniques they developed to novel perovskite materials. Perovskites are a family of organic-inorganic hybrid materials that are efficient at converting light to electricity, generally stable and relatively easy to make.</p><p>Working with a thin perovskite layer, the researchers directed ultrashort laser pulses onto tiny metallic tips positioned above the perovskite layer. The tip functions like an antenna for the laser light and focuses it to a spot much smaller than what is possible in conventional microscopes. The tip is then scanned across the perovskite layer, creating an image pixel by pixel. Each image provides one frame of a movie as the different laser pulses are varied in time.</p><p>The movie also has 鈥渃olor,鈥 albeit in the infrared and invisible to the human eye but where the molecules and electrons respond. Through different wavelengths of light, the researchers can follow both the electron and molecular motion and their coupling, which is what controls the photovoltaic efficiency in perovskites.</p><p>This milestone not only helps them better understand the missing links between the perovskite鈥檚 crystal structure and composition and its performance as a photovoltaic material but also led to the surprising discovery that more disorder seems to facilitate better photovoltaic performance.</p><p>鈥淲e like to say that we鈥檙e making ultrafast movies,鈥 Raschke says, adding that there have long been many unknowns about the elementary processes after sunlight gets absorbed in photovoltaic materials and how the excited electrons move in them without being dispersed, but 鈥渇or the first time, we can actually sort this out because we can record spatial, temporal and spectral dimensions simultaneously in this microscope.鈥</p><p><strong>Molecules as spectators of how the electrons move</strong></p><p>In recent years, much research has focused on perovskites, particularly in the quest to create more efficient and sustainable solar cells. These materials absorb certain colors of the visible spectrum of sunlight effectively and can be layered with other materials, such as silicon, that catch additional wavelengths of light the perovskite does not absorb.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><blockquote><p class="lead"><span>"This is a way to examine the material properties on a very elementary level, so that in the future we鈥檒l be able to design materials with certain properties in a more directed way."</span></p></blockquote></div></div><p>鈥(Perovskites) are easy to fabricate and have a very high solar cell efficiency, and can be applied as a very thin film,鈥 explains Roland Wilcken, first author on the new paper and a post-doctoral researcher in Raschke鈥檚 research group. 鈥淏ut the problem with this material is it has relatively low photostability.鈥</p><p>Improving the material鈥檚 performance is no easy feat. There鈥檚 a large possible combination of chemical compositions and preparation conditions of perovskite solar cells, which affect their structure, performance and stability in ways that are difficult to predict. This is a challenge also faced by many other complex materials used for semiconductors, quantum materials, displays or in biomedical applications.</p><p>This is where the ultrafast microscope helps the researchers gain the spatial and temporal information needed to optimize the material鈥攁nd in turn鈥攆ind a good compromise between stability and performance.</p><p>Building the ultrafast microscope was a challenge, explained Branden Esses, a physics graduate student and research contributor. The team used nanotips, coated in a platinum alloy or gold, which are brought within nanometers of the perovskite layer, then hit with a sequence of laser pulses.</p><p>The first pulse excites the electrons in the visible, and subsequent pulses in the infrared watch how the electrons and molecules interact and move in time,&nbsp;<span> </span>Esses says, adding that 鈥渋f you shine a light on this very tiny tip, the light that comes back is very weak since it only interacts with very few electrons or molecules; it鈥檚 so weak that you need special techniques to detect it.鈥</p><p>So, they developed a special method, modulating the light beams and using optical-amplification techniques to reduce noise and background to isolate the desired information.&nbsp;</p><p>Both how 鈥渢he light is focused at the nanometer scale with the tips and how it is emitted and detected was essential to get enough contrast and signal to make these ultrafast movies of the material,鈥 Wilcken explains.</p><p>And thanks to the ultrafast microscope technology, researchers are able to capture ultra-high-resolution images of femtosecond movement, measuring atomic motion in the molecules with very high precision. A particular feature of this development is the ability to resolve the dynamics of the molecular vibrations as a spectator of how the material responds to the photoexcited electrons.</p> <div class="field_media_oembed_video"><iframe src="/asmagazine/media/oembed?url=https%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DhlzSSdNDJqI&amp;max_width=516&amp;max_height=350&amp;hash=QYXU5_EN0e6wnBfEwZjAwDruteT3X6zQ87RLoPPRiLA" width="516" height="290" class="media-oembed-content" loading="eager" title="Perovskite Animation"></iframe> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Building better and functional materials from the bottom up</strong></p><p>鈥淭his is a way to examine the material properties on a very elementary level, so that in the future we鈥檒l be able to design materials with certain properties in a more directed way,鈥 explains <a href="/physics/sean-shaheen" rel="nofollow">Sean Shaheen</a>, a professor of electrical, computer and energy engineering who provided the material sample and collaborated on the research.</p><p>鈥淲e鈥檙e able to say, 鈥榃e know we prefer this kind of structure, which results in, for example, longer lived electronic excitations as linked to photovoltaic performance,鈥 and then we鈥檙e able to inform our material synthesis partners to help make them,鈥 Esses adds.</p><p>One of the surprising results of the work is that 鈥渋n contrast to conventional semiconductors it seems that more structural disorder gives rise to more stable photogenerated electrons in hybrid perovskites,鈥 Raschke explains. With the ultrafast microscope it became possible for the first time 鈥渢o directly image the role of molecular order, disorder and local crystallinity on the optical and electronic properties of materials in general.鈥</p><p><span>This discovery is expected to have a profound impact on material science for advancing the performance of novel semiconductor and quantum materials for computing, energy and medical applications.</span></p><p><em>The instrument development was supported by the National Science Foundation, through&nbsp;</em><a href="https://strobe.colorado.edu/" rel="nofollow"><em>STROBE,</em></a><em>&nbsp;an NSF Science and Technology Center for which Raschke serves as co-principal investigator.</em></p><p><em>Roland Wilcken, Branden Esses, Rachith Nithyananda Kumar, Luaren Hurley, Sean Shaheen and Markus Raschke contributed to this research.</em></p><hr><p><em>Did you enjoy this article?&nbsp;</em><a href="https://cu.tfaforms.net/73" rel="nofollow"><em>Subscribe to our newsletter.</em></a><em>&nbsp;Passionate about physics?&nbsp;</em><a href="https://giving.cu.edu/fund-search?field_fund_keywords%5B0%5D=938" rel="nofollow"><em>Show your support.</em></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>New 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 research harnesses the power of an ultrafast microscope to study molecular movement in space and time.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-03/nanoimaging%20header.jpg?itok=XDzcbmms" width="1500" height="608" alt="illustration of femtosecond nanoimaging"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:18:01 +0000 Rachel Sauer 6084 at /asmagazine Learning about the beginning of the universe in trillions of degrees /asmagazine/2025/01/23/learning-about-beginning-universe-trillions-degrees <span>Learning about the beginning of the universe in trillions of degrees</span> <span><span>Rachel Sauer</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-01-23T17:09:52-07:00" title="Thursday, January 23, 2025 - 17:09">Thu, 01/23/2025 - 17:09</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-01/Jamie%20Nagle%20thumbnail.jpg?h=8f6d3d24&amp;itok=R1f50Vbd" width="1200" height="800" alt="Headshot of Jamie Nagle over illustrated imagining of the Big Bang"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/893"> Events </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1273" hreflang="en">Distinguished Research Lecture</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1242" hreflang="en">Division of Natural Sciences</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/877" hreflang="en">Events</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/428" hreflang="en">Physics</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/686" hreflang="en">Research</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead"><em>蜜桃传媒破解版下载 Professor Jamie Nagle will discuss the quarks and gluons that formed at the Big Bang in his Distinguished Research Lecture Feb. 6</em></p><hr><p>Ten trillion degrees Fahrenheit is unfathomably hot鈥攎ore than 10,000 times hotter than the Sun鈥檚 core鈥攁nd it鈥檚 the temperature of the universe just moments after the Big Bang. At such extreme temperatures, according to nuclear theory, ordinary matter made of protons and neutrons transforms into a plasma of fundamental particles called quarks and gluons.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-01/Jamie%20Nagle.jpg?itok=cB-sxhdV" width="1500" height="1593" alt="headshot of Jamie Nagle wearing a hardhat"> </div> <span class="media-image-caption"> <p class="small-text">Jamie Nagle, a 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 professor of physics, will discuss his research to unlock the secrets of the early universe in his Distinguished Research Lecture Feb. 6.</p> </span> </div></div><p>At the world鈥檚 most powerful accelerators, scientists recreate tiny droplets of this early-universe matter by colliding heavy nuclei at near-light speeds. One of these scientists is <a href="/physics/jamie-nagle" rel="nofollow">Jamie Nagle</a>, a University of Colorado Boulder professor of <a href="/physics/" rel="nofollow">physics</a> who for 20 years has studied these fleeting droplets and, along with his research group, engineered their shapes, sizes and temperatures to better understand their properties.</p><p>Nagle will discuss this work in the <a href="/researchinnovation/drl/125th-distinguished-research-lecture-jamie-nagle" rel="nofollow">125<span>th</span> Distinguished Research Lecture</a>, 鈥10 Trillion Degrees: Unlocking the Secrets of the Early Universe,鈥 at 4 p.m. Feb. 6. in the <span>Chancellor's Hall and Auditorium of the Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE).</span></p><p><strong>蜜桃传媒破解版下载 Jamie Nagle</strong></p><p>Nagle has spent much of his career investigating the early universe through high-energy nuclear physics. His research has focused on understanding the quark-gluon plasma, a state of matter theorized to have existed just microseconds after the Big Bang.&nbsp;</p><p>鈥淎s you go back to about six microseconds after the universe started, the temperature was around two trillion Kelvin,鈥 Nagle explains. 鈥淚t was theorized that protons and neutrons inside of nuclei would melt away, creating a bath of more fundamental particles鈥攓uarks and gluons.鈥</p><p>Nagle's work involves recreating droplets of this quark-gluon plasma in a laboratory by colliding large nuclei at nearly the speed of light. These collisions occur at the world鈥檚 highest-energy accelerators, including the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland.&nbsp;</p><p>鈥淚n the world's highest-energy accelerators, we can collide very large nuclei like gold, lead or platinum at such high velocities that we create a tiny droplet of this 2 trillion Kelvin plasma,鈥 he says.</p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-left ucb-box-alignment-left ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">If you go</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p><i class="fa-regular fa-circle-right ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp; <strong>What:</strong> 125th Distinguished Research Lecture, <em>10 Trillion Degrees: Unlocking the Secrets of the Early Universe</em></p><p><i class="fa-regular fa-circle-right ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Who:</strong> Professor Jamie Nagle of the Department of Physics</p><p><i class="fa-regular fa-circle-right ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>When:</strong> 4-5 p.m. Feb. 6, followed by a Q&amp;A and reception</p><p><i class="fa-regular fa-circle-right ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Where:</strong> Chancellor's Hall and Auditorium, Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE)</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/125th-distinguished-research-lecture-jamie-nagle-tickets-1118236999969" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Register now&nbsp;</span></a></p></div></div></div><p>Reflecting on the award, Nagle expresses gratitude and a sense of accomplishment: 鈥淚t means a lot to me. You get to a certain middle age and are more self-confident, but this recognition feels rewarding. There's a lot of effort, and much of the hard work goes unnoticed. It鈥檚 nice to feel like the fruits of that labor are appreciated.鈥</p><p>The Distinguished Research Lectureship also emphasizes communicating complex scientific concepts to broader audiences. For Nagle, this is a vital part of his work: 鈥淭his award is very meaningful to me because I often listen to the lectures of past recipients. It's about communicating the broader context of why this scientific research is important, not just within the microcosm of nuclear physics.鈥</p><p><strong>蜜桃传媒破解版下载 the Distinguished Research Lectureship</strong></p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="/researchinnovation/drl" rel="nofollow">Distinguished Research Lectureship&nbsp;</a>is among the highest honors given by faculty to a faculty colleague at CU&nbsp;Boulder. Each year, the Research and Innovation Office requests nominations from faculty for this award, and a faculty review panel recommends one or more faculty members as recipients.</p><p><span>The lectureship honors tenured faculty members, research professors (associate or full) or adjoint professors who have been with 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 for at least five years and are widely recognized for a distinguished body of academic or creative achievement and prominence, as well as contributions to the educational and service missions of CU&nbsp;Boulder. Each recipient typically gives&nbsp;a lecture in the fall or spring following selection and receives a $2,000 honorarium.</span></p><p><a href="/physics/2024/10/17/cu-physics-professor-jamie-nagle-awarded-cu-boulders-distinguished-research-lectureship" rel="nofollow"><em><span>Read the original article from the Department of Physics</span></em></a></p><hr><p><em>Did you enjoy this article?&nbsp;</em><a href="https://cu.tfaforms.net/73" rel="nofollow"><em>Subscribe to our newsletter.</em></a><em>&nbsp;Passionate about physics?&nbsp;</em><a href="/physics/giving" rel="nofollow"><em>Show your support.</em></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>蜜桃传媒破解版下载 Professor Jamie Nagle will discuss the quarks and gluons that formed at the Big Bang in his Distinguished Research Lecture Feb. 6.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2025-01/big%20bang.jpg?itok=6aTlUZw-" width="1500" height="750" alt="illustrated imagining of the Big Bang"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 24 Jan 2025 00:09:52 +0000 Rachel Sauer 6058 at /asmagazine CU president urges Quantum Scholars to think critically and creatively /asmagazine/2024/12/10/cu-president-urges-quantum-scholars-think-critically-and-creatively <span>CU president urges Quantum Scholars to think critically and creatively</span> <span><span>Rachel Sauer</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-12-10T16:20:49-07:00" title="Tuesday, December 10, 2024 - 16:20">Tue, 12/10/2024 - 16:20</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2024-12/Todd%20Saliman%20thumbnail.JPG?h=af85fd7f&amp;itok=XkaGGNEq" width="1200" height="800" alt="CU President Todd Saliman"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/30"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1242" hreflang="en">Division of Natural Sciences</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/428" hreflang="en">Physics</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1102" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1269" hreflang="en">quantum</a> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/rachel-sauer">Rachel Sauer</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead"><em>At the program鈥檚 December meeting, Todd Saliman reaffirmed CU鈥檚 commitment to the quantum education and research happening on campus</em></p><hr><p>The way University of Colorado President Todd Saliman sees it, 鈥(quantum) is a sector where Colorado is uniquely well-situated... I want us to be the one. I want us to be front of the line. I want us to be leading the world.鈥</p><p>As for the Quantum Scholars he was addressing Wednesday evening, their mission is to think 鈥渃ritically and creatively, and be dynamic human beings,鈥 Saliman said.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2024-12/Saliman_Quantum.CC36.JPG?itok=Ht2_tjzD" width="1500" height="1027" alt="Noah Finkelstein directing Quantum Scholars meeting"> </div> <p>Professor Noah Finkelstein co-directs Quantum Scholars with Michael Ritzwoller. (Photo: Casey A. Cass/蜜桃传媒破解版下载)</p></div></div><p>Saliman was a guest speaker at the December meeting of <a href="/physics/quantum-scholars" rel="nofollow">Quantum Scholars</a>, a program conceived in the University of Colorado Boulder <a href="/physics/" rel="nofollow">Department of Physics</a> and the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) that offers undergraduate students opportunities&nbsp;to learn about the quantum field, including connections with local industry leaders and introduction to new quantum technology.</p><p>The Quantum Scholars program includes undergraduates studying physics, engineering and computer science and aims to advance quantum education and workforce development through professional development, co-curricular activities and industrial engagement.</p><p>鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to extend what the Quantum Scholars are learning in class to make their education even more marketable and relevant,鈥 said Michael Ritzwoller, a physics professor of distinction and Quantum Scholars founder with CEAS Dean Keith Molenaar. 鈥淢ore than 80% of our graduates eventually work in industry, so Quantum Scholars helps fill that gap.鈥</p><p>Scott Davis (PhDPhys鈥99), CEO of Vescent Technologies Inc. and a member of the Department of Physics advisory committee, told students at the Wednesday meeting that they are 鈥渁t a special place鈥 and cited the <a href="https://www.young.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Senate-Quantum-Reauthorization.pdf" rel="nofollow">National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act&nbsp;(S. 5411),</a> introduced in the U.S. Senate last week, which would authorize $2.7 billion over the next five years for quantum research and development at federal agencies and shift focus 鈥渇rom basic research to practical applications.鈥</p><p>鈥淪o much of that started because of this institution,鈥 Davis said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e really just at the beginning, and we need CU to keep doing what you鈥檙e doing鈥攖echnical development, workforce development, inventing the future.鈥</p><p><strong>Supporting scholars</strong></p><p>For Denali Jah, a senior majoring in engineering physics who has been a Quantum Scholar since the program began in spring 2023, the benefits of participating in it are many. The $2,500 that Quantum Scholars receive during the academic year鈥攕upported by the Department of Physics and CEAS, as well as contributions from alumni, industry and external partners鈥攇ave his budget some wiggle room so he could participate more fully in research and community initiatives.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2024-12/Saliman_Quantum.CC75.JPG?itok=a_dnzSy_" width="1500" height="1016" alt="Todd Saliman addresses Quantum Scholars"> </div> <p>CU President Todd Saliman (left) spoke to Quantum Scholars at the program's monthly meeting. (Photo: Casey A. Cass/蜜桃传媒破解版下载)</p></div></div><p>鈥淚 was looking for some way to contribute to the physics department and really put my stamp on CU before I left,鈥 Jah says. 鈥淧rofessor Ritzwoller and I were talking and he said, 鈥業 really want a quantum hackathon to happen here at CU,鈥 so Annalise Cabra and I organized the quantum hackathon.</p><p>鈥淚t was a really great success on the whole, and a great opportunity for Quantum Scholars to be able to get some industry initiatives that were much better integrated into our program. One way that I see Quantum Scholars is we鈥檙e a curation of student opportunities. Everybody is really working to be able to create more and more initiatives and opportunities throughout campus.鈥</p><p>Luke Coffman, a senior studying physics and mathematics, is leveraging his time as a Quantum Scholar to study 鈥渦seful ideas for quantum computation,鈥 he noted during the Wednesday meeting. Specifically, he鈥檚 interested in molecular simulation for qubit systems and suggested that perhaps quantum sensing will happen before quantum computation.</p><p>鈥淭heoretical quantum computing will always be hot,鈥 added Noah Finkelstein, a professor of physics and Quantum Scholars co-director.</p><p>In response to a question from Alexander Aronov, a junior studying mechanical engineering, about whether quantum science is in a period of over-hype, Davis noted that the technology field broadly has long existed in a cycle of hype and bust: 鈥淚s that happening in quantum?鈥 he asked. 鈥淚 take a fairly broad view of what it means to be in quantum systems and a quantum player.</p><p>鈥淓xploiting quantum to our benefit is not hype; it鈥檚 real鈥 It鈥檚 been slowly building for a long time, especially the amount of money (dedicated to quantum research and development) on the public side because of national security aspects. We exploit the laws of physics to the advantage of humanity, and that鈥檚 not going anywhere.鈥</p><p>Saliman said that as an institution, CU is committed to quantum鈥攖o building and leveraging public and private partnerships that help fund the research and development of which Quantum Scholars are or will be a part. 鈥淥ur job is to support smart people, and translating the discoveries made here into practical applications is going to help pay for it.鈥</p><hr><p><em>Did you enjoy this article?&nbsp;</em><a href="https://cu.tfaforms.net/73" rel="nofollow"><em>Subscribe to our newsletter.</em></a><em>&nbsp;Passionate about Quantum Scholars?&nbsp;</em><a href="https://giving.cu.edu/fund/quantum-scholars-program-support-fund" rel="nofollow"><em>Show your support.</em></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>At the program鈥檚 December meeting, Todd Saliman reaffirmed CU鈥檚 commitment to the quantum education and research happening on campus.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2024-12/Quantum%20group%20cropped.JPG?itok=gVOD8AP3" width="1500" height="486" alt="CU President Todd Saliman (second from left) talks with (left to right) professors Noah Finkelstein and Tobin Munsat, Scott Davis and Professor Michael Ritzwoller. (Photo: Casey A. Cass/蜜桃传媒破解版下载)"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> <div>CU President Todd Saliman (second from left) talks with (left to right) professors Noah Finkelstein and Tobin Munsat, Scott Davis and Professor Michael Ritzwoller. (Photo: Casey A. Cass/蜜桃传媒破解版下载)</div> Tue, 10 Dec 2024 23:20:49 +0000 Rachel Sauer 6034 at /asmagazine Physicist鈥檚 dissertation gets top marks from American Physical Society /asmagazine/2024/05/24/physicists-dissertation-gets-top-marks-american-physical-society <span>Physicist鈥檚 dissertation gets top marks from American Physical Society</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-05-24T09:05:33-06:00" title="Friday, May 24, 2024 - 09:05">Fri, 05/24/2024 - 09:05</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/article-thumbnail/seidlitz_thumbnail_0.jpg?h=bf7a708b&amp;itok=bTkygOwU" width="1200" height="800" alt="Blair Seidlitz"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/30"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/54" hreflang="en">Alumni</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1155" hreflang="en">Awards</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1242" hreflang="en">Division of Natural Sciences</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1218" hreflang="en">PhD student</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/428" hreflang="en">Physics</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/686" hreflang="en">Research</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default 3"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead"><em>Blair Seidlitz, now a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University, studied near-collisions of nuclear beams at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, and he did so despite having severely limited vision</em></p><hr><p>Blair Seidlitz, who earned his PhD in <a href="/physics/" rel="nofollow">physics</a> in 2022 from the University of Colorado Boulder, has won the <a href="https://www.aps.org/funding-recognition/winners" rel="nofollow">American Physical Society (APS)</a> Dissertation Award in Hadronic Physics for his dissertation, the society announced.</p><p>Seidlitz鈥檚 dissertation research was on the <a href="https://home.cern/science/experiments/atlas" rel="nofollow">ATLAS Experiment </a>of the Large Hadron Collider, hosted at the international CERN laboratory in Switzerland. His 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 research group, led by Professors <a href="/physics/dennis-perepelitsa" rel="nofollow">Dennis Perepelitsa</a> and <a href="/physics/jamie-nagle" rel="nofollow">Jamie Nagle</a>, works in experimental nuclear physics鈥攊t collides nuclear beams (鈥渋ons") at the LHC to study the fundamental forces of nature under extreme conditions.</p><p>The major advance of Seidlitz鈥檚 dissertation was to use these nuclear beams at the LHC in an unusual way. 鈥淗e was interested in the processes not where the beams slam into each other 鈥 but instead the cases where the beams just barely miss each other,鈥 Perepelitsa said.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-large"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/article-image/blair_seidlitz.jpg?itok=gzv3C0GX" width="750" height="750" alt="Blair Seidlitz"> </div> <p>蜜桃传媒破解版下载 physics PhD alum Blair Seidlitz won the American Physical Society (APS) Dissertation Award in Hadronic Physics for his dissertation research on the ATLAS Experiment of the Large Hadron Collider.</p></div></div></div><p>鈥淚t turns out that in these cases, a photon emitted by one ion can strike the other, and thus result in rare and unusual 鈥榩hoto-nuclear鈥 collisions 鈥. The ATLAS detector was not set up to take this kind of data by default. So Blair had to do a lot of work to develop the 鈥榯rigger鈥 (the algorithms that decide which data to even record), to get access to this rare dataset.鈥</p><p>Perepelitsa said this kind of work is unusual for a graduate student; many graduate students work with existing infrastructure or use well-established procedures in research like this. 鈥淏ut Blair really took his idea from the conception stage, to implementing it himself, and helping to deploy it in person during data-taking at CERN,鈥 a bustling scientific community at which Seidlitz spent significant time.</p><p>Once Seidlitz had collected the data, he then did a very careful analysis, which necessitated developing some new methods because nobody had really done this kind of thing before, Perepelitsa added.</p><p>The surprising result was that these sparse 鈥減hoto-nuclear鈥 collisions exhibited a collective 鈥渇low鈥 behavior among their produced particles鈥斺渟omething you might only expect in the collisions of large nuclei where there are many, many particles that are produced and interact.鈥</p><p>鈥淗is measurement has come at a time when the scientific community is asking big questions, such as: Just how few particles can one have to still exhibit many-body collective motion? Blair鈥檚 thesis work, by paving the way to experimentally access these unusual datasets, is addressing these open questions head on!鈥</p><p>Seidlitz is now a post-doctoral researcher at Columbia University. He still works at ATLAS, but he now also works at a new experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, in which Perepelitsa and Nagle鈥檚 group at CU is closely involved. 鈥淪o we are pleased that we can continue to collaborate with Blair very closely,鈥 Perepelitsa said.</p><p>Seidlitz said he hopes to build on his graduate school work. 鈥淭here are actually distinct categories (or types) of photon-nucleus collisions. My thesis work did not sort the different types, but studied them as a whole. In principle, it should be possible to sort these, although it has never been done.&nbsp;That way, we could study the 鈥榝low鈥 properties of each type individually, which would be really interesting.鈥</p><p>Seidlitz said that he and his colleagues will be able to study these types of collisions at the Electron Ion Collider, which is scheduled to be completed in the 2030鈥檚 at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) on Long Island, New York.</p><p>Seidlitz said he was surprised to win the APS dissertation award. 鈥淭hey called me while I was in the sPHENIX control room (an experiment at BNL).&nbsp;I don't usually pick up my phone, but it seemed to not be spam, and as fate would have it, it was an official from APS saying I had won.鈥</p><p>Seidlitz has charted a successful academic career even though he has Stargardt's disease, a rare form of macular degeneration that leaves him with approximately 1/20th the visual acuity of average people.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/article-image/atlas_wheel.jpg?itok=sFxy84S_" width="750" height="600" alt="ATLAS new small wheel C"> </div> <p>A wheel in the ATLAS detector of the Large Hadron Collider. Blair Seidlitz's dissertation research focused on near-collisions of nuclear beams in ATLAS. (Photo: <a href="https://home.cern/resources/image/experiments/atlas-images-gallery" rel="nofollow">CERN</a>)</p></div></div></div><p>His vision posed many challenges, he said. 鈥淚 guess the first challenge was learning as much as I could and getting through courses without being able to see the black board or projector, where I did most of my learning through textbooks.鈥</p><p>Seidlitz said disability service centers at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 and at his undergraduate institution, the University of Wisconsin, Madison, 鈥渞eally made it possible for me to succeed, from scanning old textbooks to make PDFs, to scanning students' homework so I could grade it when I was a TA&nbsp;and recommending assistive technology.鈥&nbsp;</p><p>Another challenge was finding a field of research that would work for him. 鈥淏ecause physics that revolves around particle accelerators is so big and complicated, large collaborations are formed and the work is shared. Some people build the detectors鈥攕omething I could not do鈥攁nd others set up data analysis and reconstruction, which is a lot of software to take the signals from individual detectors and turn it into a measurement of a photon with a particular momentum, for example,鈥 Seidlitz explained, adding:</p><p>鈥淭his is something I can do!&nbsp;I would say there are still challenges day to day, but they are manageable, and I am very grateful that I am in a place where I can contribute and do valuable work.</p><p>Seidlitz grew up in Wisconsin and earned a BS in engineering physics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. As an undergraduate, he conducted research in plasma physics with Cary Forest, applying optical emission spectroscopy techniques for measurements of the electron temperature in the Plasma Couette Experiment and the Madison Plasma Dynamo Experiment.</p><p>The American Physical Society is a nonprofit organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its research journals, scientific meetings and education, outreach, advocacy and international activities.</p><p>APS represents more than 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories and industry in the United States and throughout the world.</p><p><em>Top image: The eight toroid magnets surrounding the calorimeter in the ATLAS detector. The calorimeter measures&nbsp;the energies of particles produced when protons collide in the center of the detector. (Photo: </em><a href="https://home.cern/resources/image/experiments/atlas-images-gallery" rel="nofollow"><em>CERN</em></a><em>)</em></p><hr><p><em>Did you enjoy this article?&nbsp;</em><a href="https://cu.tfaforms.net/73" rel="nofollow"><em>Subscribe to our newsletter.</em></a><em>&nbsp;Passionate about physics?&nbsp;</em><a href="/physics/giving" rel="nofollow"><em>Show your support.</em></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Blair Seidlitz, now a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University, studied near-collisions of nuclear beams at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, and he did so despite having severely limited vision.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/feature-title-image/atlas_project.jpg?itok=FNu8vFzx" width="1500" height="977" alt> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 24 May 2024 15:05:33 +0000 Anonymous 5901 at /asmagazine A Nobel laureate walks into a first-year physics class鈥 /asmagazine/2024/04/19/nobel-laureate-walks-first-year-physics-class <span>A Nobel laureate walks into a first-year physics class鈥</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-04-19T12:57:11-06:00" title="Friday, April 19, 2024 - 12:57">Fri, 04/19/2024 - 12:57</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/article-thumbnail/phys_cornell_writing_on_blackboard_cropped.jpg?h=43af18b9&amp;itok=ifqHeWD0" width="1200" height="800" alt="Eric Cornell writing on blackboard"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/30"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1242" hreflang="en">Division of Natural Sciences</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/857" hreflang="en">Faculty</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/428" hreflang="en">Physics</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/744" hreflang="en">Teaching</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1102" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/rachel-sauer">Rachel Sauer</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default 3"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead"><em>General Physics for Majors course designed by 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 Professors Eric Cornell and Paul Beale shows students that the furthest reaches of science are built on fundamental concepts</em></p><hr><p>The Nobel laureate was not feeling happy about his minus signs.</p><p>He stood back from the blackboard鈥攜es, an actual blackboard on which he wrote with actual chalk鈥攁nd considered the calculus he鈥檇 jokingly hyped just moments before with, 鈥淭his is some of that real calculus sensation. This is why you sat through that whole calculus class: for this moment.鈥</p><p>His team teacher, a noted scientist who this year is marking 40 years teaching <a href="/physics/" rel="nofollow">physics</a> at the University of Colorado Boulder, called from the back of the classroom, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 right, Eric.鈥</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/article-image/phys_beale_and_cornell_resized.jpg?itok=yLJQGNNj" width="750" height="500" alt="Paul Beale and Eric Cornell"> </div> <p>Professors Paul Beale (left) and Eric Cornell prepare for a Tuesday morning PHYS 1125 class. (Photos: Rachel Sauer)</p></div></div></div><p>Advanced math is not always easy with an audience watching鈥攊n this case, about 85 first-year physics, astrophysics and engineering physics students in <a href="https://classes.colorado.edu/?keyword=PHYS%201125&amp;srcdb=2241" rel="nofollow">PHYS 1125</a>, General Physics 2 for Majors.</p><p>It鈥檚 a class for students who know they want to pursue a field of physics and are newly starting out in it. And it鈥檚 taught by a Nobel laureate.</p><p>鈥淚 harken back to freshman physics every day of my life,鈥 explains <a href="/physics/eric-cornell" rel="nofollow">Eric Cornell,</a> a 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 professor adjoint of physics and <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2001/cornell/facts/" rel="nofollow">2001 Nobel Prize</a> winner in physics for his work with Bose-Einstein condensates. 鈥淚鈥檓 in a Facebook group with people I met my freshman year in physics.鈥</p><p>In other words, there鈥檚 absolutely no reason a Nobel laureate shouldn鈥檛 teach first-year physics.</p><p><strong>Basic, foundational concepts</strong></p><p>Cornell and <a href="/physics/paul-beale" rel="nofollow">Paul Beale</a>, a 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 professor of physics, created the course six years ago, in part to help students interested in pursuing physics to find community and support among like-minded peers. While other introductory physics courses are open to all majors, this one is specifically for physics, astrophysics and engineering physics majors. <a href="/physics/steven-pollock" rel="nofollow">Steven Pollock</a>, a professor of physics, and <a href="/physics/yuan-shi" rel="nofollow">Yuan Shi</a>, an assistant professor of physics, in the fall taught the first half of the course, PHYS 1115, which was created by Professors&nbsp;<a href="/physics/charles-rogers" rel="nofollow">Chuck Rogers</a> and <a href="/physics/shijie-zhong" rel="nofollow">Shijie Zhong</a>.</p><p>鈥淲e start from ground zero,鈥 Beale says. 鈥淢ost (of the students) have had some physics in high school, most have seen these ideas before鈥攖hey know that same charges repel. But even students who have had really good high school physics classes, maybe even AP classes, we say, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 great! Take our class.鈥</p><p>鈥淏eing with other physics majors helps them relax and get immersed in the field. Everybody in there really wants to be in there.鈥</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/article-image/phys_cornell_tutoring.jpg?itok=zr4-V_Gw" width="750" height="563" alt="Eric Cornell helping students the 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 Physics Help Lab"> </div> <p>Professor Eric Cornell (center, striped shirt) answers student questions in the physics help room.</p></div></div></div><p>A cynic might ask, however, why a Nobel laureate would be teaching a first-year class. Shouldn鈥檛 they be, you know, spending their time in the furthest, most esoteric reaches of physics? Doing the kind of science only a handful of people on the planet can understand?</p><p>鈥淚 want to push back on that idea that the basic, foundational concepts of physics don鈥檛 have considerable charm of their own,鈥 Cornell says. 鈥淭his is really fun stuff, and one of the things I like about this course is it gets into really interesting things right away.鈥</p><p>鈥淚t鈥檚 also a hard class,鈥 Beale adds. 鈥淭he concepts are difficult, so the challenge for us is to do everything we can to make them approachable. (The students) have got to get them right even though they鈥檙e hard, because everything else in physics builds on what they learn here.鈥</p><p>Cornell and Beale designed the class not only with beginning physics students in mind, but learning assistants and graduate students as well.</p><p>鈥淚n a lot of schools, grad students鈥攚ho might be just one year past undergrad鈥攁re thrown in the classroom and told, 鈥楬ere, go teach,鈥欌 Cornell says. In this course, however, graduate students assist with weekly tutorials but meet with Beale and <a href="/physics/colin-west" rel="nofollow">Colin West</a>, an associate teaching professor of physics, before each one, because the skills of teaching need to be taught. The same is true for class learning assistants, who are undergraduate students who took the course the previous year.</p><p>Cornell and Beale also spend time in the physics help room each week, which is a space where students can drop by for help with anything physics related.</p><p>鈥淚 would say that we are a very good teaching department, and not just our graduate program,鈥 Beale says. 鈥淭his is your introduction to physics, and you鈥檙e either going to like it or not, so we put a lot of effort into the first years.鈥</p><p>鈥淲e鈥檙e always asking, 鈥楬ow do we do better teaching?鈥欌 Cornell adds. 鈥淧eople like Paul and me have the advantage of people in this department who have studied teaching and have tried approaches like using clickers, using a conversational approach, using hands-on demonstrations. There are ongoing discussions about how we can be teaching better.鈥</p><p><strong>Physics with a purple crayon</strong></p><p>Sometimes, better teaching means an apology: 鈥淚t鈥檚 my sorry duty to apologize for all the sins of physicists who went before me, and electrical engineers. And Ben Franklin,鈥 Cornell said, writing 鈥渟orry!!鈥 on the blackboard and underlining it twice. 鈥淚鈥檓 here to apologize for this thing called 鈥榩otential.鈥 The whole rest of your life you鈥檙e going to be thinking about electric potential. It鈥檚 unavoidable. Your intuition will overwhelm your minus-sign errors.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/article-image/phys_beale_classroom_smaller.jpg?itok=mWxwY5jv" width="750" height="500" alt="Paul Beale helps students in physics class"> </div> <p>Professor Paul Beale (standing, blue sweater) walks around the classroom during PHYS 1125 to help students and answer questions.</p></div></div></div><p>鈥淚t鈥檚 a 鈥榮orry, but...鈥 though, which is another way to say, 鈥楽uck it up.鈥欌</p><p>While Cornell pivoted to voltage, 鈥渁 happier, friendlier term (than electric potential),鈥 Beale walked slowly among the rows of seats, stopping to sit by students who had questions and prompt them toward their response on class-wide clicker questions.</p><p>Pranay Raj Poosa, a freshman majoring in astrophysics who hopes to study black holes and neutron stars, cites Cornell鈥檚 and Beale鈥檚 enthusiasm for physics and their personal, conversational approach to teaching as two of the reasons he likes the class: 鈥淭he fun they generate makes my understanding crystal clear,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he first day of class, (Cornell) made a joke about himself, which I personally felt was clap-worthy.鈥</p><p>Poosa added that he was in 鈥渦tter disbelief鈥 when his advisor mentioned a Nobel laureate would be teaching the class.</p><p>For Min Wang, a sophomore majoring in physics and interested in theoretical neuroscience and writing science fiction, Cornell and Beale have shown her that 鈥済reat minds are not the ones who are walking in front of others all the time. They always slow down and let the young generation be on their shoulders.</p><p>鈥淓ven though what Professor Cornell taught us is just a tiny piece of knowledge in his mind, he shows amazing patience to every student and shows us how profound even a little, tiny bit in physics can be. And since I have time conflicts with all the office hours, Professor Beale gives me a special office hour time according to my school schedule. It is after class and work time on Friday! They make me feel welcome in the world of physics.鈥</p><p>Wang noted that while learning physics is not without its pains, she doesn鈥檛 feel alone in tackling them because she is part of a 鈥渓ovely and supportive physics community created by the professors.鈥</p><p>Which is good, because it was time to do 鈥渁 very modest amount of algebra, the kind you could do with a purple crayon if you鈥檝e got one,鈥 Cornell said, explaining how they could figure capacitance between two metal plates and then telling the students, 鈥淚鈥檓 going to show you something which I think is very neat. It鈥檚 kind of an advanced idea, giving you a taste of physics to come.鈥</p><p>The key thing to remember? 鈥淭he whole idea of physics is zooming all the way into what does matter and ignoring what doesn鈥檛.鈥</p><hr><p><em>Did you enjoy this article?&nbsp;</em><a href="https://cu.tfaforms.net/73" rel="nofollow"><em>Subscribe to our newsletter.</em></a><em>&nbsp;Passionate about physics?&nbsp;</em><a href="/physics/giving" rel="nofollow"><em>Show your support.</em></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>General Physics for Majors course designed by 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 Professors Eric Cornell and Paul Beale shows students that the furthest reaches of science are built on fundamental concepts.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/feature-title-image/phys_cornell_writing_on_blackboard_cropped_0.jpg?itok=x2-q8P8i" width="1500" height="692" alt> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 19 Apr 2024 18:57:11 +0000 Anonymous 5875 at /asmagazine Nobel Prize winner Andrea Ghez to give 53rd Gamow lecture /asmagazine/2024/02/21/nobel-prize-winner-andrea-ghez-give-53rd-gamow-lecture <span>Nobel Prize winner Andrea Ghez to give 53rd Gamow lecture </span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-02-21T10:10:38-07:00" title="Wednesday, February 21, 2024 - 10:10">Wed, 02/21/2024 - 10:10</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/article-thumbnail/gamow_lecture_thumbnail.jpg?h=19529793&amp;itok=bTA4puY0" width="1200" height="800" alt="Andrea Ghez and black hole illustration"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/30"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/254" hreflang="en">Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1242" hreflang="en">Division of Natural Sciences</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/877" hreflang="en">Events</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/428" hreflang="en">Physics</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1053" hreflang="en">community</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default 3"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead"><em>Astrophysicist who confirmed black hole at galaxy鈥檚 center to speak March 5 at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载</em></p><hr><p>Andrea Ghez, recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in physics, will give the 53rd George Gamow Memorial Lecture March 5 at the University of Colorado Boulder.</p><p>Ghez, Lauren B. Leichtman and Arthur E. Levine Professor of Physics and Astronomy at UCLA, shared half of the prize with Reinhard Genzel of the University of California, Berkeley.</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-medium"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/article-image/ghezbig.jpg?itok=JtS4z9LV" width="750" height="1050" alt="Andrea Ghez"> </div> <p>Andrea Ghez, 2020 Nobel Prize winner in physics, will give the 53rd George Gamow Memorial Lecture March 5 at the University of Colorado Boulder. (Photo: The Nobel Foundation)</p></div></div></div><p>The pair were recognized by the Nobel committee for their discovery of a 鈥渟upermassive鈥 black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Ghez, head of UCLA鈥檚 Galactic Center Group, solved the question, what exactly is 鈥淪agittarius A*,鈥 which was first detected as a mysterious radio signal in 1933.&nbsp;</p><p>鈥淚 see being a scientist as really fundamentally being a puzzle-solver,鈥 Ghez <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2020/ghez/168954-ghez-interview-march-2021/" rel="nofollow">said</a> in 2021. 鈥淧utting together the pieces, trying to find the evidence, trying to see the bigger picture.鈥</p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-left ucb-box-alignment-left ucb-box-style-outline ucb-box-theme-white"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">If you go</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p><i class="fa-regular fa-circle-right ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp; <strong>What:</strong>&nbsp;53rd George Gamow Memorial Lecture</p><p><i class="fa-regular fa-circle-right ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Who:</strong>&nbsp;Andrea Ghez, recipient of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics</p><p><i class="fa-regular fa-circle-right ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>When:</strong> 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5</p><p><i class="fa-regular fa-circle-right ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Where:</strong>&nbsp;Macky Auditorium, University of Colorado Boulder campus</p><p><i class="fa-regular fa-circle-right ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;<strong>Tickets:</strong> Free and open to the public</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/physics/events/outreach/george-gamow-memorial-lecture-series/fifty-third-george-gamow-memorial-lecture" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Learn more&nbsp;</span></a></p></div></div></div><p>She helped develop a new technology to correct the distorting effects of Earth鈥檚 atmosphere. Gathering data from the world鈥檚 largest telescope system, the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, she and her team continue to plumb the depths of the galactic center 26,000 light years distant.</p><p>While Albert Einstein鈥檚 epochal work on relativity remains the best description of how gravity works, Ghez says it can鈥檛 account for gravity inside a black hole. Through what she calls 鈥渆xtreme astrophysics,鈥 she seeks to go where the pioneering astrophysicist could not.</p><p>鈥淓instein鈥檚 right for now,鈥 she said. 鈥淗owever, his theory is showing vulnerability. 鈥 At some point we will need to move 鈥 to a more comprehensive theory of gravity.鈥</p><p>A member of the National Academy of Sciences and author of a 2006 children鈥檚 book, 鈥淵ou Can Be a Woman Astronomer,鈥 Ghez is widely recognized as a role model for young women.</p><p>鈥淪eeing people who look like you, or are different from you, succeeding shows you that there鈥檚 an opportunity,鈥 she said.</p><p><em>Top image: An artist's concept illustrating a supermassive black hole with millions to billions times the mass of the Sun. (</em><a href="https://science.nasa.gov/universe/10-questions-you-might-have-about-black-holes/" rel="nofollow"><em>Illustration: NASA/JPL-Caltech</em></a><em>)</em></p><hr><p><em>Did you enjoy this article?&nbsp;</em><a href="https://cu.tfaforms.net/73" rel="nofollow"><em>Subscribe to our newsletter.</em></a><em>&nbsp;Passionate about astrophysical and planetary sciences?&nbsp;</em><a href="/aps/support-us" rel="nofollow"><em>Show your support.</em></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Astrophysicist who confirmed black hole at galaxy鈥檚 center to speak March 5 at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/feature-title-image/supermassive_black_hole_illo.jpg?itok=Izfspbm8" width="1500" height="844" alt> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Wed, 21 Feb 2024 17:10:38 +0000 Anonymous 5831 at /asmagazine Frank Oppenheimer, Robert鈥檚 brother, honed physics teaching at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 /asmagazine/2024/01/25/frank-oppenheimer-roberts-brother-honed-physics-teaching-cu-boulder <span>Frank Oppenheimer, Robert鈥檚 brother, honed physics teaching at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2024-01-25T09:05:40-07:00" title="Thursday, January 25, 2024 - 09:05">Thu, 01/25/2024 - 09:05</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/article-thumbnail/oppenheimer_hero.jpg?h=45f25dc5&amp;itok=GJiSmGLW" width="1200" height="800" alt="Frank Oppenheimer doing experiments in physics"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/30"> News </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1242" hreflang="en">Division of Natural Sciences</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/857" hreflang="en">Faculty</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/428" hreflang="en">Physics</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/686" hreflang="en">Research</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/1053" hreflang="en">community</a> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/rachel-sauer">Rachel Sauer</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default 3"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead"><em>In a little-known chapter of university history, the Manhattan Project scientist taught for several years in the Department of Physics, and his legacy appears in the fabric of the department</em></p><hr><p><a href="/physics/2013/09/30/memoriam-albert-bartlett" rel="nofollow">Al Bartlett</a>, the legendary University of Colorado Boulder physics professor, was a judge for the combined Colorado-Wyoming high school science fair in the mid-1950s. One year at the awards banquet, he later recalled to author K.C. Cole, many of the winners suddenly were from Pagosa Springs High School.</p><p>Pagosa Springs? Where even <em>was</em> that? As each Pagosa winner was announced, the faces of students from bigger, more prestigious Denver high schools fell further, Bartlett recalled. Many of the Pagosa students were Hispanic, many from 鈥渙rdinary origins鈥 and many bussed to the competition by their science teacher.</p><p>As for that teacher, Bartlett would later learn it was someone with whom he shared a background鈥攚orking on the Manhattan Project developing the atomic bomb. And someone who, within several years, would become his colleague in the 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 <a href="/physics/" rel="nofollow">Department of Physics</a>.</p><p><a href="/physics/paul-beale" rel="nofollow">Paul Beale</a>, a 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 professor of physics, remembers Bartlett describing how he asked someone about this new science teacher and was informed the gentleman鈥檚 name was 鈥淥ppen-something.鈥</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/article-image/oppenheimer_in_movie.jpg?itok=LZOMPUs2" width="750" height="482" alt="Frank Oppenheimer and Dylan Arnold"> </div> <p>Frank Oppenheimer (left) was played by Dylan Arnold (right) in Christopher Nolan's Oscar-nominated film <em>Oppenheimer</em>. (Frank Oppenheimer photo: Bettman Archive; Dylan Arnold photo: Universal Pictures)</p></div></div></div><p><em>Ahhh</em>. Well, OK then, that explained it.<em> </em>Oppenheimer. Frank Oppenheimer, younger brother of J. Robert Oppenheimer, brilliant particle physicist, Manhattan Project scientist, blacklisted as a communist and, in a history not widely known, onetime 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 faculty member.</p><p>Since the summer 2023 release of Christopher Nolan鈥檚 film <em>Oppenheimer</em>, which on Tuesday earned 13 Academy Award nominations, the surname has become popularly synonymous with science. While Robert may be the more famous brother鈥攁nd the film鈥檚 subject, due to directing the Los Alamos Laboratory when the Manhattan Project was housed there鈥擣rank鈥檚 scientific legacy runs similarly deep.</p><p>In the several years he taught physics at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载, Frank Oppenheimer not only made science exciting and accessible, but he initiated the creation of the Library of Experiments. This library allowed instructors greater freedom in tailoring physics instruction, getting away from the 鈥渄o these steps and this should happen鈥 approach, and allowing students hands-on learning.</p><p>There were no 鈥渂lack boxes, no gimmicks, no contrivances to make an experiment work in accordance with theory,鈥 recalls Jerry Leigh, who was hired at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 to work with Oppenheimer on the Library of Experiments. 鈥淪tudents could apply textbook principles to an apparatus directly, and 鈥榮ee鈥 the principles contained therein.鈥</p><p>It was an exciting way to learn science, Leigh says, and Oppenheimer was excited about science.</p><p><strong>A winding path</strong></p><p>By the time Oppenheimer arrived at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 in 1959, he had already helped develop the bomb that ended World War II, been branded a communist, sold a Van Gogh painting to buy a ranch and guided a high school of fewer than 300 students to state science fair glory. Among other things, of course.</p><p>Following the war and his work on the Manhattan Project, Oppenheimer accepted a position teaching physics at the University of Minnesota. However, he was 鈥渙uted鈥 as a communist in a 1947 <em>Washington Times-Herald</em> article and eventually called before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1949.</p><p>He initially denied any communist affiliation, but eventually testified that he and his wife, Jackie, had been members of the American Communist Party for about three years in the late 1930s, when they lived in California and were active in efforts to desegregate a public swimming pool in Pasadena.</p><p>As a result of his HUAC testimony, Oppenheimer was pressured to resign his position at the University of Minnesota, was denied his passport and could not get a job anywhere working in physics. He was understandably angry, and noted in a letter to his friend, esteemed physicist Robert Wilson, 鈥淎t the moment it seems that all organizations that men create are either impotent or monsters."</p><p>However, admitting that he 鈥渁cted badly鈥 by not better explaining himself to the HUAC, Oppenheimer further wrote, 鈥淚 think if one does not try to explain what one believes in and still pretends to be an intellectual, then soon one ceases to believe in anything."</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/article-image/frank_oppenheimer_bw.jpg?itok=tc2R_MjO" width="750" height="490" alt="Frank Oppenheimer"> </div> <p>Frank Oppenheimer demonstrates a gyroscope at Pagosa Springs High School (left) and uses a microscope in 1967. (Left photo: Stanely Fowler, Oppenheimer's former student; right photo: Bill Johnson/The Denver Post)</p></div></div></div><p>Oppenheimer鈥檚 father had been a passionate art collector and from him Oppenheimer inherited, among other works, the Van Gogh that he sold to buy a 1,500-acre ranch near Pagosa Springs in southern Colorado. Frank and Jackie, and their son and daughter, ranched cattle for about 10 years, becoming good neighbors and active in the community, Cole wrote in her book <em>Something Incredibly Wonderful Happens: Frank Oppenheimer and His Astonishing Exploratorium.</em></p><p>When a teaching position opened at Pagosa Springs High School, Oppenheimer, who earned a PhD in physics from Caltech, seemed right for it but didn鈥檛 have state teaching credentials. The community, Cole wrote, was appalled that the state wouldn鈥檛 give him a license to teach, so he was granted temporary licensure while taking correspondence courses in education.</p><p>He wrote in a research paper for his credentials, 鈥淚 am certain that mathematicians must frequently run into some object that they want to play with or investigate much as one is always tempted to play with magnets or gyroscopes or Silly Putty.鈥 It foreshadowed his later work to help evolve science education so that it was fun, hands-on and playful.</p><p><strong>Excited about teaching</strong></p><p>Oppenheimer earned his full teaching credential in 1957 and at that point was teaching physics, chemistry, biology and general science in a community of about 850 people that hadn鈥檛 previously had a dedicated science teacher. Not long thereafter, Oppenheimer鈥檚 students began arriving at the University of Colorado and wowing their professors, physicist Hal Zirin told Cole.</p><p>In summer 1958, Oppenheimer and his family moved to Boulder in part so he could position himself for opportunities at CU. He helped develop a new National Science Foundation curriculum and taught in the Summer Institute for High School Physics Teachers. He also taught special physics classes throughout Jefferson County.</p><p>During this time, Cole wrote, Oppenheimer 鈥渞ealized that the teachers themselves had to be excited about the material and engaged in discovery or they'd never be able to inspire, or even adequately teach, their students.鈥</p><p>After returning to Pagosa Springs so his son could complete his sophomore year of high school, Oppenheimer鈥檚 strategy of positioning himself for entry into CU faculty paid off, and in 1959 he was offered a position as a research associate. His past in the American Communist Party continued haunting him, though, and several members of the Board of Regents attempted to block his appointment.</p><p>Fortunately, <a href="https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/online/18079/Obituary-of-Wesley-Emil-Brittin" rel="nofollow">Wesley Brittin</a>, who was then chair of the 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 Department of Physics, was strongly on Oppenheimer鈥檚 side, showing tremendous courage in the face of intimidating opposition, Beale says. Brittin sought letters of recommendation from such esteemed physicists as Hans Bethe, George Gamow and Victor Weisskopf. During the Board of Regents meeting to determine Oppenheimer鈥檚 fate at CU, Bartlett and several of his physics colleagues waited anxiously outside the door, Bartlett recalled to Cole.</p><p>Oppenheimer became an associate professor in 1961 and a full professor in 1964.</p><p>[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC2XWIWkZ8A&amp;list=PLaWHFWu_46_xWlImHKbee4c5tDNTaWxcG&amp;index=15]</p><p><em>While at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载, Frank Oppenheimer created a video series explaining the various experiments in the Library of Experiments. </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaWHFWu_46_xWlImHKbee4c5tDNTaWxcG" rel="nofollow"><em>See the entire series here</em></a><em>.</em></p><p><strong>Building a Library of Experiments</strong></p><p>Oppenheimer was already established in the physics faculty when <a href="/physics/allan-franklin" rel="nofollow">Allan Franklin</a>, now a professor emeritus, joined the faculty as a young scientist. Though he could easily have been in awe of the famous鈥攕ome might say infamous鈥攑hysicist, Franklin recalls Oppenheimer as kind and generous to an early career scientist.</p><p>鈥淗e invited us to his home on High Street in downtown Boulder,鈥 Franklin remembers. 鈥淗e was quite a modest guy, and I never remember him being bitter about how badly he鈥檇 been treated.鈥</p><p>Franklin recalls a friend telling him about complimenting Oppenheimer on the collection of art hanging on his living room walls, noting to Oppenheimer that a particular painting was 鈥溾檛he best copy of Picasso I鈥檝e ever seen.鈥 And Frank says, 鈥業t鈥檚 not a copy.鈥欌</p><p>Oppenheimer also never expressed a sense that he existed in his famous brother鈥檚 shadow, Franklin says: 鈥淛.R. was a theorist but Frank was experimental. He was really interested in teaching, and he completely revised our sophomore modern physics labs.鈥</p><p>Those revisions would evolve into the Library of Experiments, which created a 鈥渃afeteria鈥 approach to physics experiments. Rather than every student in class doing the same experiments, a student could choose the required number of experiments that interested them the most.</p><p>Leigh recalls that Oppenheimer had clear ideas about what he wanted an experiment to be. 鈥淚 was to assist teaching assistants with growing classes, devising and fabricating fixes for (Oppenheimer鈥檚) often crudely built apparatus and repair lab documentation written hastily without editing,鈥 Leigh says.</p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-left ucb-box-alignment-left ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">Learn more</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><p><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-right fa-lg ucb-icon-color-gold">&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;蜜桃传媒破解版下载 has a broad history of recruiting former Los Alamos scientists. Former 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 President <a href="https://president.cu.edu/past-presidents/robert-l-stearns" rel="nofollow">Robert L. Stearns</a>, through his work in a Pacific War Targeting unit, was assigned to the Atomic Bomb Targeting Committee in 1945, which may have been when he came in contact with Los Alamos physicists, mathematicians and scholars. After the war ended, <a href="/today/2002/02/26/manhattan-project-historian-and-cu-boulder-professor-david-hawkins-dies-88" rel="nofollow">David Hawkins</a> and <a href="/physics/2013/09/30/memoriam-albert-bartlett" rel="nofollow">Al Bartlett</a> came to 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 in 1947 and 1950, respectively. But the real flow of former Los Alamos scientists came later, under presidents <a href="https://president.cu.edu/past-presidents/ward-darley" rel="nofollow">Ward Darley</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://president.cu.edu/past-presidents/quigg-newton" rel="nofollow">Quigg Newton</a> and <a href="https://president.cu.edu/past-presidents/joseph-r-smiley" rel="nofollow">George Smiley</a>: <a href="/physics/events/outreach/george-gamow-memorial-lecture-series" rel="nofollow">George Gamow</a> in 1956; <a href="/asmagazine/2022/11/10/movie-cu-prof-manhattan-project-mathematician-screen-boulder" rel="nofollow">Stanis艂aw Ulam</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="/libraries/2018/04/02/archives-edward-u-condon-and-ufo-studies" rel="nofollow">Edward Condon</a> in 1963; and <a href="/math/robert-davis-richtmyer" rel="nofollow">Robert D. Richtmyer</a> in 1964. These 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 presidents were committed to bringing in quality faculty, regardless of criticism. In addition, after Sputnik and rising Congressional and grant support for space sciences, support for physics, mathematics and engineering at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 grew considerably.</p><p>鈥<a href="/libraries/2018/05/29/q-and-archivist-david-hays" rel="nofollow"><em>David Hays</em></a><em>, University Libraries archivist</em></p></div></div></div><p>鈥淎t first, Frank was somewhat distant, but friendly. Students were grouped at each experiment in twos or threes, so Frank circulated among the groups and politely offered suggestions and asked challenging questions of students, yet never intruding or confronting them.</p><p>鈥淥ver time, Frank began to approach me saying, 鈥楾here is something want to show you.鈥 He would demonstrate some apparatus, pointing out items in need of improvement. The first involved a Polaroid camera that was mounted on a heavy stand that was tilted to provide data. The motion being studied was sinusoidal, and tilting the camera abruptly changed the field of view so the data was often bad.&nbsp; So, I had a shop make a mount that changed the camera鈥檚 position sinusoidally. Data became perfect and Frank beamed with joy.鈥</p><p>In another experiment, a steel ball was held up by an electromagnet and then dropped, providing a measurement of Earth's gravitation. The ball often stuck to the magnet instead of falling, so Leigh glued a small fiber washer to the magnet and fixed the problem, 鈥渁nd Frank glowed with satisfaction,鈥 Leigh says.</p><p>Oppenheimer envisioned experiments for radioactive decay, the Doppler effect and Millikan oil drops, among many other elements of physics, and received national acclaim for the Library of Experiments while he was at CU.&nbsp;</p><p>"His 'library'&nbsp;of sophisticated science toys operated in typical Frank style鈥攚hich is to say with a large measure of anarchy," Cole wrote. "He insisted on not having a lab manual, for instance, because he thought it would be too confining and inhibit free exploration. He liked to work with students one on one, encouraging them to ask questions and always making suggestions: 'Why don't you try this?'"</p><p>Having a lab with Oppenheimer was an incomparable educational experience, even for a professional, Bartlett told Cole. "He was personally setting an example of how fascinating it was to be engrossed in the excitement of learning physics. His enthusiasm was contagious. He seemed to take so much pleasure getting other people to see the interesting things in what he was doing."</p><p>In retrospect, it鈥檚 easy to see that Oppenheimer was testing ideas for what would become the Exploratorium, a hands-on public learning laboratory for all ages in San Francisco, California. Prior to founding it in 1969, Oppenheimer was awarded the first of two Guggenheim Fellowships in 1965 to study the history of physics and research bubble chambers at University College London. (The University of Colorado granted Oppenheimer a series of leaves until he became professor emeritus in 1979.)</p><div class="feature-layout-callout feature-layout-callout-xlarge"><div class="ucb-callout-content"><div> <div class="imageMediaStyle medium_750px_50_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/medium_750px_50_display_size_/public/article-image/frank_oppenheimer_young_and_older.png?itok=EN0Pns7I" width="750" height="554" alt="Frank Oppenheimer"> </div> <p><strong>Left photo</strong>: Frank Oppenheimer (right) with his older brother, J. Robert Oppenheimer. <strong>Right photo</strong>: Frank Oppenheimer in his later years in San Francisco; he died in 1985. (Left photo:&nbsp;AIP Emilio Segr猫 Visual Archives; right photo: K.C. Cole/courtesy Houghton Mifflin)</p></div></div></div><p><strong>A legacy of learning</strong></p><p>Oppenheimer <a href="https://www.exploratorium.edu/about/our-story" rel="nofollow">built the Exploratorium</a> into a nationally and internationally recognized center for public science, never losing his curiosity or enthusiasm for science, Franklin says. He recalls visiting Oppenheimer and his wife in San Francisco around 1970.</p><p>鈥淭hey had a house near the top of Lombard Street, and when I was staying with them I remember seeing an ad in the paper that Jefferson Airplane were going to be playing at the Fillmore West,鈥 Franklin says. 鈥淚 asked Frank if he wanted to go and he said yes, which shouldn鈥檛 have been surprising because he was always curious and open to new things. We were older than the rest of the audience, and people were looking at us like we were narcs. But they played a 30-minute version of 鈥榃hite Rabbit鈥 at that show, and I remember Frank was really into it.鈥</p><p>Despite Oppenheimer鈥檚 relatively short time at CU, his legacy is woven into the fabric of the Department of Physics. 鈥淭eaching and learning have been central for this department forever," Beale says.&nbsp;"Like when Frank was here, we have students doing hands-on, real science鈥攑ublishable stuff when they鈥檙e even freshmen and sophomores. One example from the COVID era was something students could work on online, using this huge dataset available from NASA that had not been combed through at a level it needed to be. So, students were doing that real-world data analysis and then having a published paper in an astrophysical journal about solar flares at the end of it.</p><p>鈥淚 tell students when I first meet them coming out of high school that science is a human endeavor; there has to be room for trial and error. If you do an experiment and get what you expect every time, you haven鈥檛 really learned anything or done science. I think that鈥檚 why we wanted Frank here in the first place, because he strongly believed that, too.鈥</p><hr><p><em>Did you enjoy this article?&nbsp;</em><a href="https://cu.tfaforms.net/73" rel="nofollow"><em>Subscribe to our newsletter.</em></a><em>&nbsp;Passionate about physics?&nbsp;</em><a href="/physics/alumni-and-friends" rel="nofollow"><em>Show your support.</em></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>In a little-known chapter of university history, the Manhattan Project scientist taught for several years in the Department of Physics, and his legacy appears in the fabric of the department.</div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/feature-title-image/oppenheimer_experiments_hero.png?itok=jsMD8dzZ" width="1500" height="524" alt> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 25 Jan 2024 16:05:40 +0000 Anonymous 5810 at /asmagazine Paul Phillipson, physics department's first biophysicist, dies at 90 /asmagazine/2023/11/30/paul-phillipson-physics-departments-first-biophysicist-dies-90 <span>Paul Phillipson, physics department's first biophysicist, dies at 90</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-11-30T11:30:26-07:00" title="Thursday, November 30, 2023 - 11:30">Thu, 11/30/2023 - 11:30</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/asmagazine/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/article-thumbnail/phillipson_header.jpg?h=ec2523f3&amp;itok=YF-BlCW7" width="1200" height="800" alt="Phillipson"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/897"> Profiles </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/628" hreflang="en">Biophysics</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/987" hreflang="en">Obituaries</a> <a href="/asmagazine/taxonomy/term/428" hreflang="en">Physics</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default 3"> <div class="ucb-article-row-subrow row"> <div class="ucb-article-text col-lg d-flex align-items-center" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content-media ucb-article-content-media-right col-lg"> <div> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--media paragraph--view-mode--default"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <script> window.location.href = `/physics/2023/10/26/memoriam-paul-phillipson`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Related Articles</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 30 Nov 2023 18:30:26 +0000 Anonymous 5777 at /asmagazine