Physics News from the AIP No 2, Term 1 2005



Physics News from the AIP Term 4, No 1, 2013

Table of Contents

1. 2013 Nobel Prize for Physics - 'Explaining the Origins of Mass'

2. Bohemian Rhapsody and String Theory - An engaging video.

3. Video of a Rotating Moon from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

4. The Science of Medical Imaging: Three articles in 'The Conversation'

5. Forthcoming events for Students and the General Public *

a) Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament - Update

b) AIP Video and Photo Contests - Update

c) Observing echoes of the Big Bang in the Universe's most distant light, 6:30pm, 11th October, Swinburne University

d) Water Rocket Competition, 30th Nov, Hanoi, Applications close 11th October (Costs covered)

e) 60 Second Science Challenge – create a video to explain the world around us

6. Forthcoming events for Teachers *

a) Physics Equipment Grants - Round 2 Applications close on the Friday of the first week of Term 4

b) Laby Physics STAV workshops: 18th October, 8th November, Coburg - Funding available

c) Organic Solar Cells - Site Visit, 3:30pm - 6:30p, 20th October, CSIRO Clayton

d) VCE Physics Focus Day, 9:00am - 3:30pm, 8th November, Laby Theatre, University of Melbourne

7. Physics News from the Web

a) Laura Bassi (1711 - 1778) The first woman to forge a professional scientific career

b) What Did Alexander Graham Bell’s Voice Sound Like? Berkeley Lab Scientists Help Find Out

c) Quantum cryptography is coming to mobile phones

* Events listed for the first time are in bold with details below. The details of the other events can be found on our website at forthcomingevents.html or in previous newsletters at aipnews.html

This newsletter is compiled by the Australian Institute of Physics (Victorian Branch) Education Committee.

The next meeting of the AIP Education Committee will be at Kew High School on Tuesday, 19th November, when the committee's report on the 2013 VCE Physics exam will be prepared. All teachers are welcome to attend this or any other meeting. You don't need to be a member of the AIP to get involved. If you would like to attend, please contact the chair, Sue Grant, at susanmgrant1@ .

1. 2013 Nobel Prize for Physics - 'Explaining the Origins of Mass'

The 2013 Nobel Prize for Physics has be awarded to Francois Englert of Belgium and Peter Higgs of the UK for "the theoretical discovery of a mechanism that contributes to our understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles, which recently was confirmed through the discovery of the predicted fundamental particle, by the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider".

Some resources that have been identified so far are:

• The Nobel Prize for Physics web page, , has links to a 'popular information' file (6 pages) and an 'advanced information' file (28 pages).

• The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) has set up a weblink, , to a 32 page booklet of relevant articles from their publications of recent years.

• Physics World news story, . The article has links at the bottom to in-depth articles and a video.

• An audio interview with Peter Higgs from June 2012

• An interview (text and podcast) with Prof Brian Cox,

2. Bohemian Rhapsody and String Theory - An engaging video.

A physics masters student in Canada has produced a video on string theory to the music of Bohemian rhapsody by Queen. He has written new lyrics explaining string theory, sung all the parts himself and then produced the video. It is an astounding video, not only do you learn something, but you are thoroughly entertained for the full 8 minutes of the song. It is an extraordinary achievement.

Play it the staff room, show it to your students - at the end of the class.



3. Video of a Rotating Moon from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Check out the video at

Explanation: No one, presently, sees the Moon rotate like this. That's because the Earth's moon is tidally locked to the Earth, showing us only one side. Given modern digital technology, however, combined with many detailed images returned by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a high resolution virtual Moon rotation movie has now been composed. The above time-lapse video starts with the standard Earth view of the Moon. Quickly, though, Mare Orientale, a large crater with a dark center that is difficult to see from the Earth, rotates into view just below the equator. From an entire lunar month condensed into 24 seconds, the video clearly shows that the Earth side of the Moon contains an abundance of dark lunar maria, while the lunar far side is dominated by bright lunar highlands. Two new missions are scheduled to begin exploring the Moon within the year, the first of which is NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE). LADEE, which launched a few weeks ago, is scheduled to begin orbiting the Moon in October and will explore the thin and unusual atmosphere of the Moon. In a few months, the Chinese Chang'e 3 is scheduled to launch, a mission that includes a soft lander that will dispatch a robotic rover.

4. The Science of Medical Imaging: Three articles in 'The Conversation'

'The Conversation' is an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public. It has three articles on different medical technologies: i) MRI, ii) X-rays and CT scans, and iii) SPECT and PET. The articles are short and written for the general public and would be useful for students doing the 'Medical Physics' detailed study.

They can be accessed at , then move down the page.

5. Forthcoming events for Students and General Public *

a) Victorian Young Physicists' Tournament - Update

More schools have entered this year and there are sufficient Year 10 and Year 11 teams to run separate Year level competitions on different days as was hoped for. Participating schools will be contacted shortly about competition arrangements. The Year 10 competition will be Wednesday 4th December and Thursday 5th December for Year 11 teams. The venue is Quantum Victoria in Macleod West.

If you haven't so far registered your school's team(s), we can accept late entries until the end of this week.

b) AIP Video and Photo Contests - Update

The 2013 photo entries are now on the website at . Judging will be done over the next two weeks.

c) Observing echoes of the Big Bang in the Universe's most distant light, 6:30pm, 11th October, Swinburne University

Abstract: As we peer out into space, what is the most distant light we can see? The answer is the cosmic microwave background radiation, the faint afterglow of the hot Big Bang across the sky, which has travelled for almost 14 billion years to reach us. Within the microwave background, at the edge of the observable Universe, we can see the tiny ripples out of which galaxies such as our own later formed. In this talk, Assoc. Prof. Chris Blake from Swinburne's Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing will explain the crucial importance of this faint radiation for establishing our modern picture of the Universe, and will describe recent breakthrough measurements from the European Space Agency's Planck satellite.

Presenter: Assoc. Prof. Chris Blake, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University.

Date: Friday 11 October

Time: 6.30 – 7.30pm

Venue: Swinburne University, Hawthorn Campus, ATC Building ATC 101 (Burwood Road)

Please click on this link to register.

Map: . ATC is on Burwood Road.

d) Water Rocket Competition, 30th Nov, Hanoi, Applications close 11th October (Costs covered)

Would you like to represent Australia at the APRSAF Water Rocket Competition in Hanoi? One teacher and two students will represent Australia in Hanoi, Vietnam (30th Nov. and 1st Dec., 2013). Students between 12 and 16 years of age are eligible. Teachers are encouraged to submit an entry from their school for a chance to participate in this exciting challenge. Costs for the Australian Team will be met by VSSEC and/or the Federal Government Space Co-ordination Office.

For all details of the Australian Team Selection go to and follow the links.

Applications close: Friday 11th October 2013

e) 60 Second Science Challenge – create a video to explain the world around us

The 60 second science challenge aims to celebrate our ability to better understand the world around us. The challenge is to create a 60 second video that explains an invention, an experiment, a science concept or an idea.

The competition is open to all age groups across the world, with divisions including primary and secondary school students in each state and territory in Australia. Winners share $10,000 of cash prizes.

Registration closes on 14 November and entries are to be submitted by 20 November. For more details and to register, go to

6. Forthcoming events for Teachers *

a) Physics Equipment Grants - Round 2 Applications close on the Friday of the first week of Term 4

Earlier this year the AIP (Vic Branch) Education Committee advertised Round 1 of its Physics Equipment Grants. About 16 schools each received item(s) of equipment to a value ranging from $200 to $500. The Committee has decided to offer the next round this year rather than waiting to next year. Applications close on the Friday of the first week of Term 4.

A list of typical items and an application form can be found at equipment.html , but schools should not feel limited to the items on the list. Applications can be sent to: Physics Equipment Grants, c/- Australian Institute of Physics (Vic Branch) Education Committee, PO Box 3054, Richmond VIC 3121 or emailed to the Committee at danok@ with subject 'Equipment grant application'.

b) Laby Physics STAV workshops: 18th October, 8th November, Coburg - Funding available

The Laby Foundation is offering grants with the aim of building capacity in the teaching of physics in Years 7 to 12 across Victoria, specifically targeting (but not solely limited to) disadvantaged and rural schools.

 

The grants are available to help fund teachers to attend the Physics workshops organised by STAV and presented by Dr Christina Hart.

The workshops are for teachers of middle years 5 - 8, and inexperienced teachers of physics in years 9 - 10. They may also be suitable for teachers of year 11 physics who do not have a strong physics background. There are two topics: i) Modelling electricity: from batteries to power stations(18/10) and ii) Interactions: Making sense of Newton's laws of motion (8/11). More information about the workshops and how to register at:

 

Applications for funding are invited from interested schools/teachers. Funding up to $500 per school is available, depending on circumstances. Funds are to cover registration fee and CRT cost. The number of grants are limited and will be assessed in the order they are received.

 

Teachers should provide a case for sponsorship (a substantiated statement) based on the following selection priorities:

1. Geographical and/or socio-economic disadvantage

2. Access to high-quality professional learning in order to strengthen capacity in teaching physics

3. Low uptake of science subjects at VCE level, particularly physics, and/or low science profile in the school

4. Other disadvantage identified by applicant.

How to apply:

a) Complete and submit the online application form found at: , click on 'School of Physics' and choose 'Laby STAV workshops 2013' to register your details, which includes your response to the selection priorities.

Your statement addressing one or more of the selection priorities must be concise, totaling no more than 500 words. They are looking for key factors supporting your application, with brief substantiation (eg. school data, web address to evidence, clear statement of fact).

A letter advising of the outcome of the grant will be sent to applicants. Successful applicants will be advised how to arrange payment of funding (CRT and/or travel costs only) which will be paid after the event.

b) Register for the event at

Note: Payment of funding will be processed after the workshops, schools are required to register and make payment directly to STAV to attend the event.

c) Organic Solar Cells - Site Visit, 3:30pm - 6:30p, 20th October, CSIRO Clayton

The Australian Institute of Energy has organised a site visit to the CSIRO PV Printing Facility at Clayton for a talk and tour .

Program:

3:30 pm Registration

4.00 pm Presentation and Q&A sessionwith Dr Scott Watkins

5.00-6:30pm Facility tours, networking and refreshments

The flyer can be downloaded at There is a registration form in the flyer as well as a link for online registration.

The cost is $95 for non-members of the AIE.

Details:

With the new solar cell printer recently installed at CSIRO, scientists have produced the largest flexible plastic solar cells in Australia – 10 times the size of those previously possible. The printer has allowed researchers from the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC) to print organic photovoltaic cells the size of an A3 sheet of paper. CSIRO materials scientist Dr Scott Watkins will brief participants on the work to date and lead a panel discussion with other researchers from VICOSC. Following this, tours

to view the printing lab, which is now one of the largest organic solar cell printing facilities in the world, will be conducted.

d) VCE Physics Focus Day, 9:00am - 3:30pm, 8th November, Laby Theatre, University of Melbourne

Program

8:30 Registration

9:00 A century of seeing further in Astronomy Professor Warrick Couch, who was until recently Director of the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University, is the new director of the Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO).

10:00 100 years ago at Adelaide University! Dr. John Jenkin, formerly Physics Dept., La Trobe University, now Emeritus Scholar in the School of History and Philosophy of Science at University of Melbourne. Did you know that W. Lawrence Bragg was born in Adelaide, where his father, W. Henry Bragg was professor of mathematics at Adelaide University?

11:30 Sound reproduction technology over the past century. Dr. Roger Rassool, a lecturer in Physics at the University of Melbourne and Andrew Bowen, owner of “Clear Systems”, a company that provides sound systems for many large concerts and functions in Melbourne. They discuss the physics of sound and its reproduction.

1:30 The Bohr atom and its applications in information technology . Professor David Jamieson, the head of the School of Physics will talk about the atomic model of Niels Bohr, postulated 100 years ago, which tells us that nature is fundamentally digital at the atomic level. This lecture will show how modern nano-technology makes it possible to program digital information into the quantum atom.

2:30 50 years of Year-12 Physics - what have we lost and gained? Dr. Syd. Boydell, current chair of the VCE exam setting panel and Dr. Gerard Healy, past chair of the VCE examination setting panel, will consider aspects of the Year-12 Physics curriculum and assessment over many years. These reflections may give perspective to the next change, implementation of the National Curriculum.

The Registration fee is $99 inclusive of GST (includes lunch and writing materials). The program flyer and registration form are at : as well as from .

Payment methods:

• Credit card payments: For those who are happy to pay by credit card, please register via this link:

• Manual Registration: Those who prefer to pay by Cheque and Purchase order please fill out the registration form and either fax or email it back to the number/email provided on the form.

Note: All registrations close 1st of November.

The Laby Grant Foundation is also supporting to attend this event as well as the event under b) above. The same information and conditions are relevant.

To apply for the Grant for this event, please complete and submit the online application form found at: which includes your response to the selection priorities listed under b) above.

7. Physics News from the Web

Items selected from the bulletins of the Institute of Physics (UK) and the American Institute of Physics.

Each item below includes the introductory paragraphs and a web link to the rest of the article.

a) Laura Bassi (1711 - 1778) The first woman to forge a professional scientific career

b) What Did Alexander Graham Bell’s Voice Sound Like? Berkeley Lab Scientists Help Find Out

c) Quantum cryptography is coming to mobile phones

a) Laura Bassi (1711 - 1778) The first woman to have forged a professional scientific career



Laura Bassi might not be a household name, but she was one of the shining stars of 18th-century Italian physics – and could well have been the first woman to have forged a professional scientific career.

Two hundred years before Marie Curie received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, one of her most interesting predecessors, the physicist Laura Bassi (1711–78), was born in the city of Bologna. A contemporary of the French mathematical physicist Émilie du Châtelet, Bassi enjoyed great fame as a teacher and experimentalist. Her long, productive career also coincided with the development of experimental physics as a discipline. Like Châtelet, Bassi was widely known throughout Europe, and as far away as America, as the woman who understood Newton. The institutional recognition that she received, however, made her the emblematic female scientist of her generation. A university graduate, salaried professor and academician (a member of a prestigious academy), Bassi may well have been the first woman to have embarked upon a full-fledged scientific career.

b) What Did Alexander Graham Bell’s Voice Sound Like? Berkeley Lab Scientists Help Find Out



Berkeley Lab’s sound-restoration experts have done it again. They’ve helped to digitally recover a 128-year-old recording of Alexander Graham Bell’s voice, enabling people to hear the famed inventor speak for the first time. The recording ends with Bell saying “in witness whereof, hear my voice, Alexander Graham Bell.”

The project involved a collaboration between Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, the Library of Congress, and Berkeley Lab.

The Smithsonian recently announced the identification of Bell’s voice. A Smithsonian magazine article on this research was also published online. You can listen to the full recording and learn more about the project.

Berkeley Lab’s Carl Haber and Earl Cornell developed the noninvasive optical sound recovery technology that gave Bell’s recording a second life. Their method is derived from work on instrumentation for particle physics experiments. It acquires high-resolution digital maps of the surface of audio media without touching them. It then applies image analysis methods to recover the data and reduce the noise of scratches and other damage. A few years ago, Haber and Cornell set up this technology at the Library of Congress, where it’s used to digitally restore audio recordings that are too fragile to play.

c) Quantum cryptography is coming to mobile phones



The first practical way of carrying out quantum cryptography using a mobile phone has been developed by researchers at Nokia and the University of Bristol in the UK. Quantum cryptography – which allows messages to be sent with complete secrecy – is currently limited to banks and other organizations that can afford to have expensive and extremely sensitive quantum-optical components at both ends of a communications link. What the Nokia/Bristol team has done is to work out how to perform "quantum key distribution" (QKD) using simple and potentially inexpensive "client" electronics that could be integrated within a single chip.[pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic]

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