DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS NEWSLETTER UMass Amherst Launches Nanotechnology Center

16 Pages·2006·0.5 MB·English

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS NEWSLETTER
University of Massachusetts Amherst Issue 4 Spring 2004
UMass Amherst Launches Nanotechnology Center
Small is Beautiful
Many of us thrive on superlatives,
such as the biggest and the tallest,
but not our condensed matter
physicists. They are in pursuit
of extreme miniaturization, the
smallest. Their effort goes under
the name of nanotechnology,
where the prefix “nano” means
one-billionth. Nanotechnology
involves working in the size range
of a billionth of a meter, about the
distance across ten atoms lined
up one after the other, too small
to be seen with our best optical
microscopes. Nanoscale devices and
systems lie between the quantum
and classical regimes, and ever more
interesting applications are arising
from the novel and unexpected
properties that they may have.
The National Science Foundation
predicts that nanotechnology will
generate about $1 trillion per year
in new technologies and products
by 2015, and will create jobs
for about 2 million specialized Mark Tuominen, Tom Russell, and Jim Watkins standing on the image of an
workers. Technology analysts array of nano holes in a polymer. (“Honey, I shrunk the investigators !”)
agree that the coming decades will
see nanotechnology fundamentally The Department of Physics is playing a major role in the establishment of a
transform the electronics, medical, nanotechnology center on our campus, to be called MassNanoTech. Professor
chemical, and textile industries, and Mark Tuominen will serve as a co-director with Jim Watkins of Chemical
many others. As Richard Feynman Engineering. Tom Russell of Polymer Science and Engineering, current director of
once said, “There is plenty of room the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, will serve as the associate
at the bottom!” director.
UMass Amherst is at the forefront of nanotechnology research. Over the last three
years we have been seventh in the nation in new nanotechnology funding. Research
breakthroughs include polymer self-assembly techniques developed by Russell
and Tuominen, who have used these techniques to create arrays with densities of
Inside:
more than a trillion nanowires per square inch. Such arrays are expected to lead
From the Department Head ...........2 to commercial innovations in magnetic storage of data and other key applications.
Research ................................................3 Mark tells us that “with techniques like this we have the potential to get the contents
of 25 DVD movies on a disk the size of a quarter.”
Teaching ................................................6
People .....................................................8
Alumni News .....................................12
See Nanotech/ page 5
Gifts ......................................................14
DEPARTME NT OF P HY SICS - UN IV ERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
A Letter from the Department Head
Dear Friends and Alumni,
John Lombardi, and improvements
One of the most exciting developments
in the state budget. Nonetheless, it is
on campus this year is the creation of
clear that public funding from state and
the MassNanoTech Center, co-directed
federal sources and student tuition are but
by Mark Tuominen. The Center is
two of three essential pillars of support
interdisciplinary involving the Physics,
for the Department. Private gifts from
Polymer Science, Chemistry, and Chemical
friends and alumni are equally important
Engineering Departments, and represents
for maintaining and building on our
a major step forward in creating shared
excellence in teaching and research. This
instrumentation facilities, partnering with
year your gifts were used for everything
industry, and in attracting new state and
from purchasing new oscilloscopes for the
federal funding. UMass Amherst is now for 2002. John and Barry are both on
teaching labs, to supporting the activities
seventh in the country in Federal funding the all- time list of the 260 most cited
of the Society of Physics Students, to
of nanoscience. high-energy theorists along with likes
sending graduate students to conferences.
Although budget constraints precluded of Richard Feynman and Murray Gell-
We would love to hear from you, and if
hiring new faculty last year, we are now Mann. Together, their work has been
you are in the vicinity, please stop by to
are in the midst of searches for faculty in cited more than 10,000 times in the
say hello.
high-energy theory, nuclear experiment, scientific literature. The first results of
nanoscience, and in biophysics, the Robert Krishna Kumar’s experiment at the
Sincerely,
L. Gluckstern Professorship. Though we Stanford Linear Accelerator Center are in
will not be able to fill all of these positions press. Kumar is the lead investigator in
this year, I am confident that we will be this multimillion-dollar experiment with
able to do so within the next two years. 60 collaborators from 10 institutions. It
Because the new hires in biophysics and represents a new level of precision in
nanoscience require renovated space, we testing the Standard Model of particle
have major remodeling projects underway physics and is acknowledged as a technical Jon Machta
on the third floor and in the basement of tour de force. ([email protected])
the Hasbrouck Laboratory. Our Department hosted two superb
Last year was a time of transition for our public lectures this year (see the People
faculty. Art Swift retired in September but section for more details). Lawrence
continues to serve as Associate Department Krauss, noted cosmologist from Case
Head. Fred Byron retired last fall after Western Reserve University and author
many years as Interim Vice Chancellor for of the “Physics of Star Trek,” gave an University of Massachusetts Amherst
Research. David Scott and Ross Hicks exciting public lecture in October as Department of Physics Newsletter
took early retirement effective January part of the Five College Undergraduate
1, 2004. Ross plans to return to his Physics Colloquium Series. His talk Editors: Bob Krotkov
native Australia this summer. Ed Chang on the cosmological constant and the Gerry Peterson
serves half-time in the department and discovery of a mysterious acceleration in Monroe Rabin
half- time as Associate Dean for Advising the expansion of the Universe attracted Hajime Sakai
for the College of Natural Sciences and a spellbound audience of over 300. In
Mathematics (NSM), having replaced March, Douglas Osheroff, Nobel Laureate This fourth issue of our newsletter is being
Jim Walker who retired June 30, 2003. in Physics from Stanford and a member sent to more than 1,200 of our alumni and
Finally, we are pleased to welcome back of the Space Shuttle inquiry committee, alumnae who received degrees in physics
Mike Kreisler to the faculty after a decade drew an equally large public audience and from the 1930’s to the present, and to
of service to the country at the Lawrence gave a fascinating talk on the causes of the present and former staff and faculty. For
Livermore Laboratory and in Washington Columbia shuttle disaster. Osheroff’s visit more information about our department,
at the Department of Energy. was co-sponsored by the Commonwealth visit our website at
Honors College, and during his stay he
A few of the many achievements of our http://www.physics.umass.edu
discussed a broad range of topics with
faculty deserve special mention. John Comments about the newsletter or
physics honors students.
Donoghue was the winner of the NSM information about yourself may be sent to
Outstanding Service Award for 2003 Budget issues are much better than they the address on the last page or e-mailed
following Barry Holstein’s receipt of were when I wrote to you last year, thanks to us at
the NSM Outstanding Research Award to the dynamic leadership of Chancellor [email protected].
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DEPAR TME NT OF PHY SI CS - UN IV ERS ITY OF M AS SACHUS ETTS AMHERST
R
ESEARCH
NUCLEAR/HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS
PARITY VIOLATION IN ELECTRON-ELECTRON SCATTERING
Professor Krishna Kumar leads a 60- pulse consisting of about 500 billion Data taking was completed this past
member collaboration at the Stanford electrons, the detectors see about summer, and data analysis is being led
Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) 10 million electrons that scattered by Yury Kolomensky from Berkeley
in a precise experiment that tests the from target electrons. Of these, a (UMass Amherst Ph.D. ’97). A Physical
Standard Model of particle physics. His left-handed pulse will produce about Review Letter will be forthcoming
collaborators are from Syracuse, Cal Tech, 11 from Z exchanges compared to giving the result obtained thus far. The
Princeton, Saclay (France), Berkeley, about 10 in a right-handed pulse. reported result has sufficient accuracy to
Virginia, and SLAC, as well as a sizeable “In order to measure the difference demonstrate decisively that the electron-
contingent from the UMass Amherst in Z exchanges accurately (parity electron interaction is not mirror-
Nuclear Physics Group. The experiment violation), we needed to repeat the symmetric. [For those readers familiar
used a 50 GeV polarized electron beam comparison of left- and right-handed with the Standard Model notation, the
that scattered from the electrons in pulses 400 million times to get the result is
hydrogen atoms contained in a 1.5-meter desired 10 percent accuracy,” said sin2θ = 0.2293± 0.0024 (statistical) ±
W
long liquid hydrogen target. Such electron- Kumar. Experimentally, this meant 0.0016 (systematic) ± 0.0006 (theory).]
electron (e,e) scattering probes parity measuring the asymmetry in the (This article borrowed substantially
violation, and thus provides a measure of scattered flux to an accuracy of about from an article in the “SLAC Beam
the weak force between two electrons for 20 parts per billion; the expected value Line” by Heather Woods, Research
the first time. Until the 1950’s physicists is about 200 parts per billion. This Professor Steve Rock’s daughter.)
thought that parity was conserved, i.e., that required many months of running at
the universe was mirror symmetric, e.g., a rate of 120 beam pulses per second.
a top spinning clockwise (right-handed)
would behave the same in the real world
as its mirror counterpart, a top spinning
counter-clockwise (left-handed). Since
then, experiments have shown that the
strength of the weak force is different
for right- and left-handed electrons. At
SLAC the electrons in the beam can be
made to have their spins oriented parallel
or anti-parallel to their momentum,
i.e., they can have either right- or left-
handed polarization. But the left-handed
electrons are about 10% more likely to
exchange a Z boson (a carrier of the weak
force) than a right-handed electron, and
hence give rise to parity violation. (The
electromagnetic, strong, and probably
gravitational interactions conserve parity,
but not the weak.) However, the electron
interacts primarily by exchanging a photon
in an electromagnetic interaction by a ratio
of about a million to one compared to a Z
exchange in a weak interaction. Further,
many of the electrons that strike the target
involve electromagnetic scattering from the Some of the equipment used in the parity violation experiment. The electron
proton (e,p scattering), so it is necessary beam enters the large evacuated chamber (T) in the upper left that contains the
to distinguish the (e,e) scattering from liquid hydrogen target. Both the beam and the scattered electrons pass through
(e,p) scattering. This is accomplished by dipole-magnets (M) followed by quadrupole magnets (Q) in the lower right that
using a series of spectrometer magnets separate the scattered from the unscattered electrons.
and special detectors. In a single beam
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DEPARTME NT OF P HY SICS - UN IV ERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
ASTROPHYSICS
Astrophysicists are always looking for distinguish between gamma-ray-induced
new ways to study the universe. Since showers and other cosmic-ray-induced
the 1980’s they’ve sought to extend showers, as well as determine the direction
the spectrum of observed radiation to of the primary gamma ray. In this way,
very high energies (50 GeV and above), the atmosphere is employed as a sampling
a regime traditionally considered the calorimeter with a very large effective
domain of particle physicists. Very area. Because optical radiation is sampled,
high energy (VHE) gamma rays are of a dark and moonless night is preferred for
special interest because of their ability observation.
to probe some of the most powerful
The atmospheric detection technique
objects in the universe, including distant
has matured significantly since the early
galactic nuclei, supernovas, and pulsar-
1990’s, when the Crab Nebula became
powered nebulae. VHE gamma rays
the first celestial object identified as a
VERITAS prototype telescope for
can also be used to search for and study
source of VHE gamma rays. Today,
observing Cherenkov radiation
fundamental new physics phenomena such
eighteen sources of gamma rays have been
as primordial black holes, the effects of
observed using this technique, including
quantized space-time on the propagation will form the basis of a new field of particle
active galactic nuclei, supernova remnants,
of light, and the annihilation of heavy new physics research in the sky.
pulsars, and even previously unidentified
particles in galactic dark matter halos.
sources. VERITAS and its contemporaries
Professor Guy Blaylock and graduate
hope to detect hundreds of new sources
student Jennifer Joyce are participating
over the next few years, enabling not only
in these astrophysical explorations
detailed studies of astrophysical sources,
with their contributions to a Very High
but also explorations of fundamental new UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Energy Radiation Imaging Telescope
physics.
Array System (VERITAS), a gamma ray Undergraduates may undertake faculty
telescope array scheduled to be built in During the spring and summer of 2003 supervised research projects. As an
Arizona over the next few years. the prototype telescope for VERITAS example, Ryan McGorty, a junior,
was assembled and installed at the base of guided by Professor Tony Dinsmore, is
VERITAS is one of a new breed of
Mount Hopkins, about 30 miles south of attempting to encapsulate living bacteria
gamma ray telescopes comprised of an
Tucson, Arizona. The VERITAS proposal in a water droplet surrounded by a shell
array that looks in the optical range for
was fully approved on Sept. 26, 2003 as a of other particles. The procedure Ryan
Cherenkov radiation produced by gamma
joint funding effort between the National developed starts with oil containing
ray showers in the upper atmosphere.
Science Foundation and the Department of microscopic particles in suspension. He
(Cherenkov radiation occurs when a
Energy. This decision followed three years then adds some water containing bacteria
particle is travelling faster than the speed
of funding negotiations and was none too so as to make droplets. The particles
of light in a medium. For VERITAS
soon: first light on the prototype telescope, completely coat the droplets and form a
the medium is the atmosphere. See the
that will become the first telescope in the shell around them. They are then pulled
contribution by Steve Churchwell in
array, had already been seen two days through the oil by using a centrifuge to
the Alumni News Section on page 12 for
earlier. Complete commissioning of the move the denser water through the less
another astrophysics experiment where
telescope and development of the data dense oil, resulting in coated droplets
the medium for the Cherenkov radiation
acquisition system continues throughout suspended in water. In practice the water
is the Antarctic ice.) At these highest
2004. UMass Amherst contributions to has various salts and nutrients added to it
of energies, a gamma ray entering the
the experiment so far focus on software for benefit of the bacteria, as advised by
atmosphere interacts with air molecules
development, including database and collaborator Professor Mark Goulian of
at an altitude of 10 to 20 kilometers and
software repository management. the University of Pennsylvania, who also
produces an electromagnetic shower
provides the bacteria. Preliminary results
containing millions of particles and Over the next few years the VERITAS
in keeping the bacteria alive in the droplets
stretching over several kilometers. The collaboration will construct an additional
look promising. Such encapsulation
charged particles in the shower emit three telescopes. The complete four-
of bacteria could be potentially useful
Cherenkov radiation that illuminates tens telescope array will be installed at the top
in various biological processes, and if
or hundreds of square kilometers on the of Kitt Peak, and will be fully operational
mammalian cells could be encapsulated,
ground. Optical telescopes on the ground by 2006 to reconstruct stereoscopic images
there could be many clinically useful
sample this radiation and form an image of gamma ray showers. In the not too
applications.
of the shower. The intensity, shape, and distant future, data from this experiment
orientation of the image can be used to
Continued on page 5
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DEPAR TME NT OF PHY SI CS - UN IV ERS ITY OF M AS SACHUS ETTS AMHERST
Continued/Undergraduate Research
to applied stresses. He finds that dense
Ryan started the project in the summer networks tend to store elastic energy by
after his freshman year by using stretching, while in less dense networks it
paramagnetic particles in order to find is stored in bent filaments.
their response to a uniform magnetic field. Theorist Nikolay Prokofie’v is working
Since such particles are confined to a in another exciting area of nanophysics:
spherical surface, they cannot form linear quantum computers. In such a computer
chains as they would in bulk, leading to the single bit (0 or 1) of classical
novel statistical mechanical properties. computers would be replaced by a qubit
that in principle can be used to store much
more information. In the computer on your
Continued from Nanotech front page
desk, a single bit lives for years (memory is
The center will build upon currently
not forgotten). A problem to be overcome
existing on-campus research and
in proposed quantum computers is that
development efforts in nanotechnology, One nanoparticle thick self-assembled of decoherence: in practical realizations
and facilitate the creation of new ones, membrane of CdSe. of qubits, a superposition of qubit states
particularly those involving industrial
was formed by self-assembly of the lasts for only a very small fraction of a
partners. State-of-the-art fabrication
nanoparticles at the interface between second. For example, for qubits realized as
facilities will be provided that will enable
water and oil. This composite membrane is magnetic macromolecules, the measured
new basic research and technology-
a model system for studying the crumpling decoherence time is about a nanosecond.
based economic development. It will
of thin sheets. These membranes can be Nikolay has been studying the interactions
be possible to build systems atom by
made from a mixture of particles with of such magnetic molecules with
atom to create larger structures with
distinct properties, leading to the potential neighboring spins and finds that these
fundamentally new properties and
for new materials for encapsulation and interactions can quantitatively explain
functions.
stimulated release of drugs. The research the short decoherence time. He finds
Besides cooperative programs with has been carried out in collaboration with similar results for “flux qubits,” in which
Massachusetts industry, a significant faculty and students in the Departments an electrical current goes around a nano-
thrust will also be made in education, of Physics and of Polymer Science and loop in two directions at once. (It seems
training, and outreach through programs Engineering. It is an example of the strange, but that’s quantum mechanics!)
such as “Research Experience for
collaborative and interdisciplinary nature Don Candela and his students are
Undergraduates” and “Research
of current nanoscience research. using nuclear magnetic resonance to
Experience for Teachers,” both sponsored
The past decade has seen rapid advances study the crystal structure of magnetic
by the National Science Foundation.
in two initially unrelated areas: nanowires that are being grown by
The development of the center will nanotechnology and molecular biology. students in Mark Tuominen’s group.
require tens of millions of dollars in Alex Levine is currently exploring The cobalt wires are tens of nanometers
funding from the university, the state, the mechanics of nature’s smallest in diameter, of controllable length, and
the federal government, industry, and nanomachines – proteins, that at the scale are electrodeposited in the pores of
private donors. The MassNanoTech of microns (1000 nanometers), form membranes made of diblock co-polymers
program will be a very cooperative, super-molecular aggregates such as the (like the “floor” in the picture on page
coordinated effort with the Massachusetts filaments that make up the scaffolding of 1). The magnetic properties of such
Technology Collaborative, Mass Insight, the cell – the cytoskeleton. This complex nanowire arrays are interesting both from
and other programs to promote the state’s network of filaments is the site of cellular a fundamental point of view and also from
science and technology strengths in force sensing, and generation, and it the viewpoint of magnetic memory for
nanotechnology. establishes the mechanical integrity of the computers.
Other physics professors active in cell. Perhaps a better understanding of The campus’ nanotechnology program
nanophysics are Tony Dinsmore, Alex biological nanomachinery can play a role will be further strengthened when the
Levine, Nikolay Prokofie’v, and Don in the design and engineering of useful Robert L. Gluckstern Professorship is
Candela. For example, Tony Dinsmore, nanodevices based on, or mimicking, filled by an experimental biophysicist.
who joined us in 2001 (Spring 2002 issue biomolecules. Elucidating the underlying The combination of nanotechnology and
of this Newsletter), made a membrane machinery of life at the molecular level biophysics is very promising.
composed of 5 nm CdSe nanoparticles already depends on our growing ability
(“quantum dots”) whose macroscopic to manipulate nanoscale matter. Alex
lateral size is of the order of 1 cm2 has been doing theoretical work on the
,
but whose thickness is only 5 nm, one response of simulated cellular networks
nanoparticle thick! The membrane
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DEPARTME NT OF P HY SICS - UN IV ERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
T
EACHING
Undergraduate Program
Undergraduate Laboratories
Laboratory courses play important
roles throughout our undergraduate
program. For the first-year students and
sophomores, there are three laboratory
courses in classical physics, followed
by one in modern physics. For the
juniors and seniors, intermediate level
laboratory courses provide for future
Students use Tablet PCs in state of the art classroom
research activities. In these latter
courses, groups of students do various
table top experiments ranging from
CCS technology coupled with appropriate allowed to take the Ph.D. Qualifying
classical gravity measurements to up-to-
pedagogy broadly enhances learning. Exam. If a student had not succeeded in
date experiments on the nano-contacts
passing the Comprehensive Exam after
formed between two conducting wires. “We have reached the limit of what
two attempts, he/she could not continue in
Before carrying out their experiments, existing CCS’s can do for us,” said Ian.
the program. For the last few years, this
students first make a presentation before “No existing system is fully satisfactory.
exam was also used as a diagnostic tool to
the class and instructors about the More seriously, none offers a forward
determine whether a student was deficient
proposed measurements and procedures. path for research-driven exploration of the
in undergraduate physics and should start
Typically this involves intense scrutiny possibilities created by in-class mobile
their graduate career by taking one or
and discussion. When the experiment computing technology. The conjunction of
more upper division undergraduate physics
is completed, the results are presented mobile computing technology, computer
courses before embarking on the usual
in a form similar to that of a paper science research, and pedagogic innovation
graduate program.
given at an American Physical Society has created a grand opportunity for
meeting. Finally one of the students educational advancement.” The Qualifying Exam was usually given in
in the group writes a paper on the January of the second year of a student’s
The project is expected to take several
experiment, again with the scrutiny of graduate career, although over the years,
years, and additional support is currently
his/her colleagues. These procedures a number of foreign students who had
being sought from industry and the
involve extended interactions amongst entered the graduate program with superior
National Science Foundation. Besides
students and instructors. Their success undergraduate preparation had succeeded
designing and implementing software,
can be judged by the remarkable student in taking and passing the exam during their
explorations of the functionality and
progress that is observed as the course first year. Each student was given two tries
limitations of existing and planned wireless
proceeds. In parallel with these formally at passing the exam. Recently, we have
systems on campus will be undertaken. To
structured courses, there is a senior thesis/ allowed a second try at the exam during
this end, tablet PCs acquired as part of the
undergraduate research program that is the spring, so that a student who had not
Hewlett-Packard grant have been used in
described in this newsletter in the section passed the exam would not have to wait a
class and distributed to students in selected
on research. full year to retake it. Furthermore, we have
classes.
allowed students to pass (and not have to
Innovation in the Lecture Room
retake) only a part of the exam, either in
Last year Professor Bill Gerace and
Graduate Program Classical or Quantum physics.
Dr. Ian Beatty of the Physics Education
Research Group were awarded grants Changes in the Graduate Program Beginning with 2004-2005 academic year,
from the Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft we will consider the Comprehensive Exam
You would think that after more than 35
corporations for a project to design to be diagnostic only, with no requirement
years we would know how to do it, but
and implement a new generation of a that a student pass it in order to remain
the Department is still in the process of
classroom communication system (CCS) in the graduate program. The Qualifying
revising the philosophy behind and details
that incorporates all of the latest wireless Exam will then be the only filter
of both the Comprehensive and Qualifying
communication technology. UMass determining whether a student can pursue a
Exams.
Amherst has been a world leader in the Ph.D. degree in physics.
use of CCS systems. Hard evidence and Until now, a student was required to
ten years of experience demonstrates that pass the Comprehensive Exam, based
on undergraduate physics, before being
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DEPAR TME NT OF PHY SI CS - UN IV ERS ITY OF M AS SACHUS ETTS AMHERST
Graduating 1983
Others (1983): Fred Ellis (Ph.D.) Harald Gomm (Ph.D.) Bai-Sig Park (MS)
Yu-Zhang Chen (MS),
James M.Liebl (MS),
Michael F. McGurrin (MS),
Jie Piao (MS), Dong Lu Shi (MS)
Entering 2003
Front row (left to right): Jennifer Joyce, Laura Sparks, Rui Kong (Kerry), Vasileios Zarkos,
Matthias Frager, Xiangdong Gu, Hongqiang Wang
Middle row: Peter Laviolette, Robin Plachy, Chris Jones, Wolfgang Unger,
Dan Koehler, Kirsten Fuoti, Neil Naik, Amaresh Datta
Back row: Stefan Meyer, Colin Fredericks, Jacob Usinowicz, Robert Wagner,
Mike Ray, Jake Ferguson, Josef Wenzler (Andi)
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DEPARTME NT OF P HY SICS - UN IV ERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
P
EOPLE
DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
LAWRENCE KRAUSS
On October 22, 2003, Lawrence Krauss, received by a large audience. This lecture
an internationally known theoretical reviewed some of the problems involved
physicist, Professor of Physics and in trying to acquaint lay audiences with
Astronomy, and Chairman of the scientific advances and also illustrated the
Department of Physics at Case Western difficulties in confronting those who try to
Reserve University, spoke to an audience present creationist and other non-scientific
of over 300 on Einstein’s Biggest Blunder notions as alternate science.
in the Five College Colloquium Series
Professor Krauss is the author of several
“What’s New in Physics.” The blunder
critically acclaimed books, including The
involved the so–called “Cosmological
Physics of Star Trek (1995), The Fifth
Constant,” invented and later repudiated
Essence: the Search for Dark Matter in the
by Einstein, but whose existence seems to Douglas Osheroff
Universe (1989), and his most recent one,
have been validated by recent cosmological
observations. The Cosmological Constant Atom: An Odyssey from the Big Bang to indicated that these problems still exist in
predicts a kind of anti-gravity force that Life on Earth, and Beyond (2001). the agency.
is causing the expansion of the universe
to accelerate. This implies that about
73% of the energy in the universe is
Outstanding Service Award
JOHN DONOGHUE was presented
DOUGLAS OSHEROFF
the College of Natural Sciences and
On March 26, about 250 people attended a
Mathematics (NSM) Outstanding
special Physics Colloquium co-sponsored
Service Award at the fall 2003 College
by the Commonwealth Honors College,
Convocation. John served as Department
given by Douglas Osheroff, Chairperson
Head from 1996-2002, and in this capacity
of Physics at Stanford University, and
guided both the Department and the
recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in
College through some challenging times.
Physics. He spoke about the destruction of
He helped find a solution to the shortage
the Columbia space shuttle as it re-entered
of start-up funds for newly arrived faculty
the atmosphere after a successful mission,
to build up their laboratories on campus.
and the work of the Columbia Accident
He guided the Department of Physics
Investigation Board, of which he was a
and Astronomy through a division into
member.
separate Departments of Physics and of
Astronomy—this was not something
The cause of the accident occurred during
he initiated but something he executed
the shuttle’s ascent at the beginning of the
gracefully once he became convinced
mission. A piece of foam insulation had
that it was in the best interest to form
detached from the external fuel tank and
separate departments. He served on
impacted the underside of the left wing
the administrative team that negotiated
Lawrence Krauss with a speed in excess of that of a rifle
the Graduate Employees Organization
bullet.
contract. He was pivotal in the process
contained in empty space, so-called dark
Foam had detached during previous that helped select the new head of the
energy, whereas atoms have only 4% and
missions, including many flown by the Department of Mathematics at a time
mysterious cold dark matter 23%. If dark
Columbia shuttle, without obvious harmful when that department was going through
energy really exists, it is one of the biggest
effects. NASA engineers worried that this a difficult period due to the retirement of
mysteries of physics.
problem could eventually have disastrous 25% of its faculty. Finally he played a
On the next day Professor Krauss gave consequences in shuttle missions, but the leading role in organizing the NSM Heads
the William E. Mahoney Annual Lecture NASA management chose to minimize to advocate issues important to the College
in Chemistry on Scientific Ignorance the problem. Osheroff pointed to defects administration.
as a Way of Life that was also well in NASA’s management structure that
contributed to the Columbia disaster and
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DEPAR TME NT OF PHY SI CS - UN IV ERS ITY OF M AS SACHUS ETTS AMHERST
STAFF NEWS
David Erik Laus (B.S. ’94) died
unexpectedly June 26, 2003, in Demonstrations
Portland, Oregon at age 31. In 1994
You probably remember the lecture
he received a B.S. in physics from this
demonstrations (demos) if you were here
department with minors in music and
as an undergraduate. For many years they
mathematics. In 1996 he received an
were very efficiently managed by Bill
M.S. in computational science from the
Bates, who came to us from the Audio-
University of California at Davis where
Visual Department on campus. Bill set
he worked at the Lawrence Livermore
up the demos with their accompanying
Laboratories. He grew up in Amherst,
support electronics, such as TV’s, or
he became an Eagle Scout, and received
what- ever else was needed. Bill retired a
the Rensselaer Science Medal upon
few years ago and was replaced by Heath
graduation from high school. He leaves
Hatch who came from Alberta, Canada
his wife of seven years, Melinda (Neal)
on August 28, 2000 - with classes about
Laus, and two sons, Jonathan Michael
to start in just a couple of days with a full
and Brendan Avery. Memorial gifts
slate of demos. It was quite a first semester
may be made to trust funds established
of learning for Heath! Bill Bates was
for his sons, in care of MFS Service
very helpful, Heath survived, and now the
Center Inc., P.O. Box 2281, Boston,
operation is running smoothly again.
Here is Professor Arthur Swift at our 02107-9906.
annual holiday party holding a piece of How have the demos changed in the past
Jacob Ketchakeu (M.S. ’00) died
Mary Ann Ryan’s birthday cake. Art 30 or more years? For the most part they
December 22 following an automobile
has been Associate Department Head for haven’t. We still use a lot of the same
accident in Cameroon, West Africa,
many years and has been responsible for demos that even 30 years ago looked
where he had returned for the funeral of
course scheduling as well as countless like they were 100 years old. (See the
his mother. He grew up in Cameroon
other contributions to the Department. “Looking Back” article on page 10.)
and attended schools there and in
Although he retired effective September They just don’t make them like they used
France. In 1994 he came to the U.S.
1, 2003, and has relinquished his teaching to. We have added some new demos as
as a goalie on the Cameroon World
duties, he continues to serve as Associate new classes are added – for example, a
Cup Soccer Team. He did not return
Head. Mary Ann’s birthday came the same new course called “Seeing the Light”
with the team, but enrolled in our
day as the party, but she won’t tell which requires an extensive list of optical demos.
Department to continue his studies in
birthday. She has been our very competent The real change has been in the added
physics. He published several articles
and tireless business manager for over ten component of technology in the classroom.
on nonlinear phenomena and became
years. For the views of a past business As technology changes we have changed
a dedicated and popular instructor in
manager, see the article on page 11 by Al with it. We now use a wireless camera
physics and mathematics at Holyoke
Mathieson. for small demos, and computers in almost
Community College. He leaves his
every classroom to project Power Point
wife Laura (Diffenderfer) Ketchakeu,
slide presentations, web sites, and to show
three daughters, and two sons.
various computer animations. The web
In Memoriam
Memorial gifts may be made to the
has almost eliminated the good old slide
Jacob Ketchakeu Memorial Fund, c/o
projector. The old-fashioned blackboard is
Stella M. Rewa, 78, died June 29, Fleet Bank, Triangle Street, Amherst,
only rarely used in large lectures. We have
2003 in Greenfield. For twenty years
01002.
also implemented interactive classroom
she was the departmental bookkeeper
technologies such as the Personal
in the Physics and Civil Engineering
Response System. Through the use of
Departments before she retired in
these technologies the professor is able to
1990. She had been a resident of
get instant feedback from the students in a
South Deerfield for many years, and
way that allows for improved teaching and
before coming to UMass Amherst,
learning. All of these changes have fallen
had held a variety of jobs in Franklin
in the lap of the Heath Hatch.
County. She will be remembered for
her careful bookkeeping, but she was Whenever Bill comes in to visit he laughs
also a baker par excellence who would at what has happened and says, “There
often generously share her goodies is still no time to sit down and rest; it is
with an appreciative office staff. a good thing that there are only 24 hours
in a day.” As the world has changed,
Jacob Ketchakeu
demonstrations, computers, and whatever
9
DEPARTME NT OF P HY SICS - UN IV ERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
else is needed continue to be provided physics taught by a new instructor, Dr. Head, commanded respect from all of us.
in supporting the teaching mission of William Ross. This was a course such as George Alderman was a more practical
department. I had never dreamed of. About twenty man who ruled the basement of the physics
of my classmates and I were exposed building. Bill Ross’ teaching was his full
to a dazzling display of phenomena time occupation. Nearly every night Bill’s
in mechanics, sound, heat, light, and office would be lit well into the night.
Outreach Demonstrations
electricity that paralleled our text and made When we chided him about marriage, he
Heath Hatch not only runs lecture everything exciting and clear. We came would say, “Any woman foolish enough to
demonstrations, but is also active in to class each week wondering what would marry me is too foolish for me to marry.”
outreach. This past year saw some come next. I decided then and there that [See the back page for more about Bill
good opportunities for outreach to the physics and teaching would be a good Ross.]
local communities as well as the greater combination to pursue.
Upon graduation I had a choice of
Massachusetts area. We were invited
Our courses were taught in the small, working on television at RCA in Camden,
to many local schools where some
old, three-story, wooden physics building or teaching science at Westfield High
of our undergraduates gave physics
across from the Durfee Conservatory School. RCA would pay $30 per week, but
demonstrations to the classes. The
below the President’s House. (I shudder Westfield would pay $45. I started high
demonstrations were very well received
to think of the things done in that building school science teaching in 1937. I tried to
and the classes are looking forward to
with only one stairway and no rules about emulate Bill Ross’ demonstrations.
return engagements. There were so many
smoking or safety.) My courses included:
visits to schools, as well as on-campus Audiovisual Aids were new then, and I
demonstrations, that we had to do some Physics 25 & 26: Mechanics, Sound, Heat, did some pioneering with disc recording,
time juggling to make sure that the Light, E & M slides, filmstrips, silent movies, sound
participating undergraduates did not shirk Physics 51 & 52: E & M, taught by Dr. movies, and radio. I became the first
their studies. All in all it was a good year Wallace F. Powers Audio-Visual Director in Westfield, then
with many great experiences for both our in Holyoke, and then at UMass (1949). I
Physics 53: Optics, by George Alderman in
students as well as the recipients. obtained a first class FCC Radiotelephone
the basement
License and did part time engineering on
Mechanical Drawing 26 WHYN and WHMP. I was the required
Agricultural Engineering: Motors engineer for WMUA and WFCR.
Physics 75&76: Advanced Experiments in I think that I made good use of the
Electricity, Dr. Powers wonderful education that I received. I
Astronomy 58 retired from UMass Amherst twenty-
five years ago, and I still have a small
During my junior and senior years I elected
electronics shop in my garage for
nearly all of the courses offered in the
experimentation and repairs.
three-man Department. Note that there
were no courses in quantum mechanics. [Dr. Wyman received a D. Ed. in 1956 and
became a professor and chairman in the
Electricity and particularly vacuum tubes
fascinated me. I spent many delightful
hours in the second floor lab. Dr. Powers
Heath Hatch and some of his apparatus
became my friend and mentor. (He drove
a Buick “straight eight” that I thought
was made in heaven.) We kept in touch
until his death. My senior project was
LOOKING BACK
to construct a cathode ray oscilloscope,
the first in Western Massachusetts. We
The Department in the 1930’s
had a Nipkow spinning disc mechanical
[As described by Emeritus Professor television receiver, but no source of a
Raymond Wyman (B.S. ’37)] program. My friend Rod Bliss (’36) built
a 1000-watt short wave transmitter for his
In the depths of the Great Depression in
project.
1934 I was a sophomore at Massachusetts
State College that became the University I have nothing but admiration for the
of Massachusetts Amherst in 1947. I three professors who determined my
elected to take an introductory course in career path. Dr. Powers, the Department
Raymond Wyman
10