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Physics Department Newsletter

Volume 1 Spring 2009

Greetings from the Chair


First of all, we wish to honor the memory of Professor
Charles Leming, who passed away in August 2008 at the
age of 64. Charlie was a close friend and mentor to many
of us and a widely respected physicist. Charlie provided
tremendous leadership as a member of the department
from 1970 - 2007, and as Department Chair from 1998 -
2007. We will all miss his knowledge of physics, his keen
sense of humor and his devotion to scholarship and
service.

The purpose of the newsletter is to bring you up to date


regarding the activities in the department and to initiate a
conversation between the faculty, alumni and friends of the
department. We are experiencing an exciting time here at
Henderson and we look forward to the many opportunities Inside this issue
that lie ahead of us.
Department News 2
Of course, we always like to hear from you and we will
provide contact information below for you to get in touch Faculty Research 3
if you desire to do so. Also, if you know someone who
might enjoy receiving this newsletter but is not, please let Student Spotlight 4
us know.

Our goal is to distribute a newsletter twice a year. A lot


Student Events 5
happens here at HSU and we want to do a better job of
keeping you informed. We hope you enjoy this update and Alumni News 6
look forward to hearing from you with questions or
comments. Please contact me at (870) 230- 5170 or to Crossword 7
email me at mcdanir@hsu.edu , if you would like to
become more involved. Thanks!

Rick McDaniel
Professor and Chair of Physics
Department News
New Faculty Proposed Physics Tracks
Dr. Shannon Clardy joined our department as an A Physics Department internal review of the
assistant professor in the fall of 2008. Her area of undergraduate curriculum will begin in the Fall of
expertise is astronomy. Also, Shannon is an 2008.
acomplished Oboist. She is a frequent performer
during campus and area concerts. The goal is to allow students to choose a concentration
within the major that most closely aligns with their
After earning her B.S. from Southern Methodist future plans. The changes are further designed to
University, Dr. Clardy earned her Ph.D. at the provide students with increased knowledge of physics
University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The area of focus along with the technical, scientific, and academic
for her disertation was the classification of high-mass skills required to achieve success in later academic
stars. programs or in technical fields in the workforce. We
are currently looking at adding the following tracks:
Dr. Clardy has been appointed the faculty advisor to Classical Physics, Engineering Physics and Teaching.
the Society of Physics Students (SPS). With her
leadership and guidance, the SPS members are busy The classical physics track is primarily intended for
planning new activities and events. those students who are planning to continue in
graduate school in physics or astronomy.
Dr. Clardy, her husband Michael, and her son Calvin
(3 years) are settling in and have truely found a home The engineering physics track will be designed for
here at Henderson State University. students who are planning to continue to graduate
school as an engineer or work as an applied physicist
in industry.
Planetarium Upgrade
The teaching track is intended primarily for those
Beginning November 2009, the Reynolds Planetarium students who plan a career in physics education.
will have been in operation for ten-years. Since its
opening , the Reynolds Planetarium has had 76,351 As the proposals are refined they will go first to the
visitors. department for review, and if found desirable by the
faculty, on to the Ellis College Curriculum Committee.
During the Summer of 2009, the Reynolds Planetarium
will add a digital projector which combines a high
resolution, high brightness DLP projector with a fisheye Sigma Pi Sigma Inductions
lens and a specialized computer control unit. This will
immerse the viewer in digital images that cover and Henderson State University is proud to hold a charter
move over the full dome. and maintain a chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma, the national
physics honor society. Physics students who meet high
According to Dr. Mollere, "Any MPEg file may be shown academic standards are invited to join the chapter,
on the full dome and new digital shows dealing with usually in their junior or senior year.
astronomy, archeology, history, biology, etc are
planned". Shows using the Zeiss projector with its clear Students from the 2008 - 2009 school year who
skies and numerous stars will be updated with the latest maintain the high scholarship required of Sigma Pi
discoveries. The Zeiss projector will continue to Sigma and are invited to join include: Johnathan
highlight "what's up" in the night sky. This will provide Armstrong, Larry Bagley, Kayli Birdsong, Chris Brown,
us with a depth of shows and the best of both worlds. Micah Cassiday, Cole Deaton, Nick Jackson, Wresha
Parajuli, and Jesse Youngblood.
According to Dr. Mollere, "the Reynolds Planetarium
will present new digital shows this fall and is planning If you are a current student or former student and are
on a grand re-opening of the planetarium to celebrate". interested in becoming a member of Sigma Pi Sigma,
please contact Dr. Shannon Clardy. An annual formal
induction ceremony is held every Spring semester.

2
Faculty Research
Research Team Studying Natural Students and Researcher Investigate
VLF Signals Binary Stars
Dr. Rick McDaniel, Nicholas Jackson and Johnathan Dr. Shannon Clardy, Kayli Birdsong and Beau Harrison
Armstrong have been awarded a $7,657 grant from the have been awarded a $6,700 grant from the Arkansas
Arkansas Space Grant Consortium to research and build Space Grant Consortium use the NFO Webscope to
a VLF (very low frequency) radio receiver and antenna. investigate the optical variations that occur in binary
star systems and to develop outreach activities aimed
Dr. Rick McDaniel, chairman of the physics department, to strengthen secondary science education.
said the $7,657 will provide a $2,000 stipend for each
student, fund a trip to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight The NFO Webscope is a fully automated, robotic
Center in Washington, D.C., and pay for parts to build telescope facility located outside of Silver City, New
the receiver and antenna. Mexico. (http://webscope.nfo.edu). The Webscope
allows astronomers to enter data via the Internet about
According to Professor McDaniel, "The source of most an object they want to view. The telescope then makes
natural radio signals is lightning. When a lightning bolt the observations at the specified times, records them
strikes, a massive amount of charge is moved and this and notifies the researcher by e-mail when the job is
acts in much the same way as moving charge in a radio completed.
transmitting antenna. The lightning signal, when received
and amplified, sounds like a dry, crackling sound similar The purpose of the NF Webscope project is to provide
to the popping of a campfire." astronomy resources and activities to 5th grade
through 12th grade teachers and their classes, as well
These sounds are called “sferics,” which can be detected as to provide undergraduates with a research-grade
by the VLF receiver from as far away as 2-3,000 astronomy facility. The Arkansas school districts
kilometers. When the sferic signal travels a long distance currently involved in the project include Fayetteville
it undergoes dispersion. The modified sounds are called Public Schools, the Ouachita River School District,
“tweeks” and “whistlers.” and the Magnet Cove School District.

McDaniel said studying whistlers may lead to an In addition to written reports, the research team will
improved understanding of the nature and properties of present their results at undergraduate research and
the magnetosphere, and NASA has a continuing interest space grant meetings.
in studying the properties of the magnetosphere, which
is the area of space around the Earth that is controlled by Faculty Member Develops Magnetic
the Earth's magnetic field. Model of Little Missouri Hot Spring
In addition to written reports, the research team will This summer Basil Miller will complete his doctoral
present their results at undergraduate research and space studies at the University of Arkansas at LIttle Rock.
grant meetings. As part of his dissertation, Professor Miller has
developed a new magnetic model for the regional
Faculty Member Receives Sabbatical area of the Little Missouri Hot Spring.
Dr. Mollere will be on sabatical for the Fall 2008 and
Spring 2009 semesters. He will be spending a portion of The area was surveyed using a Bison proton
his sabatical in Durham, England as a visitor at Saint precision magnetometer and the survey developed a
John's College and will use the facilities of the new detailed model of the resulting magnetic
Department of Mathematical Physics. This department is anomalies.
international known for its expertise in particle physics
and cosmology. Dr. Mollere's research concentrates on
what the current measured values of particle masses and According to Professor Miller, the new model of the
dark energy in the universe indicate about the conditions hot fluid flow in the region will be used to determine
during the Big Bang and how this constrains string and the depth, size, and temperature of the heat source.
membrane theories which describe the forces of nature
in a single form.

3
Student Spotlight
Jesse Youngblood, 2008 Physics Graduates
a senior physics
As a department, we continue to average four to five
major in the majors per year. For the past four years, we have
department and ranked second in Arkansas in the number of physics
resident of bachelors degrees awarded by a public university.
Norman, AR, had
the privilege of The following students graduated in the 2008 - 2009
working for 9 school year with a Bachelors Degree in physics:
weeks as an intern
at the Electrostatics • Johnathan Armstrong
and Surface
• Cole Deaton
Physics Laboratory of Kennedy Space Center, a NASA
complex located at Cape Canaveral, FL. Jesse spent his • Nick Jackson
time testing electrical properties of various powdered
minerals including lunar simulate, or simulated moon • Michael Ugbade
dust, as well as actual moon dust obtained from the Apollo
14 mission. This electrical data, namely dielectric • Jesse Youngblood
constant, is an important parameter in making ground Heart and Key Scholarships
penetrating radar measurements on the lunar surface. The
data was obtained under high vacuum conditions in order Two physics students were presented with
scholarships during the annual Heart & Key awards
to simulate conditions present on the moon.
assembly April 15, 2009. The event is presented
Along with the help of his advisor, Basil Miller, Jesse each year by Heart & Key to publicly recognize the
recipients and to show appreciation to the
applied for and was accepted by Arkansas Space Grant
organizations, departments, and donors presenting
Consortium for a $6,500 grant, the stipulations of which
these awards.
were to perform research at a NASA facility if feasible or to
research at the college attended. Jesse and Mr. Miller • Bob Davis was awarded the Mel and Gene
traveled to Kennedy Space Center’s Electrostatics and Buck Physics Scholarship.
Surface Physics Laboratory, or ESPL, in May to tour the site
and to inquire about the possibility of working in the lab • Wresha Parajuli received the Don Avery
over the summer. There, upon meeting with ESPL Physics Scholarship.
researchers Steve Trigwell, Carlos Calle and Ellen Arens,
everyone agreed that such an arrangement would be Ellis College Awards
beneficial to all involved. Four physics students were presented with academic
achievement awards during the annual Ellis College
Jesse worked in the ESPL testing dielectric constants of awards Ceremony April 23, 2009.
powdered minerals, culminating in the testing of actual
lunar soil obtained by Apollo 14 astronauts. The dielectric • Chis Massey received the freshmen physics
constant data was obtained under high vacuum by testing academic achievement award.
each material’s capacitance, its ability to store electric
charge, and dividing by the capacitance of the vacuum, • Wresha Parajuli received the physics
that is no material present. The capacitance was measured sophomore academic achievement award.
using parallel cylindrical electrodes attached to an RLC
• Larry Bagley received the junior physics
meter. The material was heated in a cup under vacuum
academic achievement award.
and then vibrated, dropping the powder into a test cell
composed of the electrodes surrounded by a polycarbon • Johnathan Armstrong received the
container. The dielectric data obtained will hopefully be outstanding physics graduating senior award.
used to promote ground penetrating radar measurements
on future missions to the moon in order to locate
subsurface mineral resources.

4
Student Events

Society of Physics Students Halloweeen Candy


The department has an active chapter of the Society of Ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties and
Physics Students (SPS), which allows the student to things that go bump in the night . . . all of them
interact socially with student colleagues and faculty as turned out in force for Henderson Halloween in
well as to carry out interesting extracurricular physics Garrison!
activities.
The picture below shows Kayli, Shannon, Wresha
SPS has meetings every other Thursday at 5 PM in and Clay passing out candy to community children.
REY 131. The meetings are open to anyone who
wishes to join. We often have snacks and beverages
for the attendees and encourage all who enjoy physics
to attend.

The SPS officers this year are:


• President - Bob Davis III
• Vice President - Beau Harrison
• Secretary - Wresha Parajuli
• Treasurer - Michael Bilodeau
• Faculty Advisor - Dr. Shannon Clardy

SPS Activities
Science Night at Magnet Cove

Physics Cookout
This Fall we held our annual physics cookout at
Degray Lake lower Dam. After the cookout, we
conducted an observation session with the
telescopes. The picture below shows Beau and
Wresha setting up one of the telescopes.
The members of the Society of Physics Students and
Henderson physics faculty participated in Science Night
at Magnet Cove school.

We had a great time with the parents and students


showing all the wonderful physics "toys".

The picture above shows Dr. Clardy and Steven


demonstrating standing wave patterns on the Chladni
Plates while Wresha is setting up the Van Da Graf
electrostatic generator.

5
Alumni News
We continue to be extremely proud of the • Adam Hughes (2006) is is enrolled into the PhD
accomplishments of our students. Drop us a line and tell Space and Planetary Science (SPAC) program at
us what you have been doing since attending the University of Arkansas. His research area will
Henderson. Especially, let us know about any new be super-massive black holes. Adam was recently
plans, jobs, children, spouses, etc. Please include your selected as a student ambassador for the NASA
graduation date. International Year of Astronomy (IYA) program for
2009. The program was created by the National
• Grady Hodges (2002) and Jay Tolson (2004) are Space Grant Foundation to encourage
employed as mechanical technicians with undergraduate and graduate students to
Controlled Automation in Bryant, AR. participate in NASA’s IYA activities and to help
generate excitement about NASA scientific
• Jon Hodges (2004) is living in Greenville, SC and discoveries in astrophysics, planetary science, and
finishing his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at solar physics.
Clemson University.
• Amelia Church (2007) is finishing her M.S. in
• Justin Dyal (2004) is employed as a Chemist in Physics at Southern Illinois University in
Little Rock. Carbondale, Illinois. Her masters thesis is
concerns the growing of carbon nanotubes and
• Erin Camp (2005) is employed as a Systems seeing how/if they, combine with silver, M0S2, or
Analyst by the Mustang Tech Group in Dallas, other known friction reducing substances, to
Tx. She works in the simulations and algorithms significantly lower the coefficient of friction. She
group. Her current project is developing intends to continue her graduate work pursuing
guidance laws for small munitions and the PhD.
developing algorithms that will allow radar to
track moving targets in urban environments. • Jason Dubose (2007) is finishing his M.S. in
Materials Engineering at the University of
• Travis Baily (2005) is employed as a drilling fluid Houston. He is employed as a materials engineer
engineer with Baroid Fluid Services, a subsidiary with Sulzer Turbo Services in La Porte, Tx.
of Halliburtion.
• Cole Deaton (2008) is studying for the MCAT and
• Robert Nichols (2005) is employed as a taking courses in preparation for Medical School.
manufacturing engineer with IC Bus of
Oklahoma, LLC. They build school and • Michael Ugbade (2008) in enrolled in the
commercial buses. Robert is in charge of the Mechanical Engineering program at the University
pre-paint process which includes everything of Arkansas.
needed to build basically a stripped down body
from raw 14 and 16 gauge coiled steel. • Chad Reed (2008) is teaching chemistry and
Including but not limited to fabrication of basic physics at Joe T. Robinson High School in Little
steel parts, roll forming, robotic resistance Rock.
welding, manual mig welding processes and
fixturing, basic assembly processes and fixturing, • Johnathan Armstrong (2009) is graduating in May
safety/quality/cost/process improvements, and and has been accepted into the Applied Sciences
overall manufacturing support for large new graduate program at the University of Arkansas at
programs such as outsourcing the manufacturing Little Rock.
of the seat assembly.
• Nicholas Jackson (2009) is graduating in May and
• Alex Hill (2005) is employed as an is spending the summer in a REU at Fermi Lab.
environmental scientist at Center for Toxicology
and Environmental Health in North Little Rock.

• Jessica Conry (2006) is enrolled into the PhD


nanotechnology program at the University of
Arkansas. She is currently working with in the
laser optics lab.
6
A Waves Crossword
1

2 3 4

5 6 7

8 9

10

11

12

13 14

15 16

17

Across Down
2. Unless struck very hard a tuning fork only 1. In a transverse wave, vibrations are are
vibrates at its ______________ frequency. ____________ to the direction of wave motion.
5. Most waves require a __________ in which to 2. When the amplitude is halved, the energy
travel. decreases by a factor of ___________.
6. The human ______ is divided into three 3. A frequency shift that is the result of relative
sections. motion between the source of waves and an
9. The ________ is the time for one complete observer is called the ___________ effect.
cycle for an oscillation of a wave. 4. Sound waves that the average human can hear,
10. A string vibrates with a frequency of 197 Hz. called audible sound waves have frequencies
Assuming the speed of sound in the air is 394 between _______ and 20,000 Hz.
m/s. The wavelength of the sound waves 7. A condition that exists when the frequency of a
produced by the string is _________. force applied to a system matches the natural
11. The maximum displacement from equilibrium is frequency of vibration of the system is
called the ____________. ___________.
14. The frequency of the thirteenth note is exactly 8. A ______ is an interference between two
twice that of the first note, and together the 13 sounds of slightly different frequencies,
notes constitute an __________. perceived as periodic variations in volume
15. Frequency and wavelength are ______ whose rate is the difference between the two
proportional. frequencies.
16. The perceived highness or lowness of a sound, 12. The _______ of a wave is the time for a particle
depending on the frequency of the sound waves on a medium to make one complete vibrational
is ____________. cycle.

7
P h ys i c s D ep a r tme nt
H en de r s on State Univer s ity
1 10 0 He nder s o n Str eet Bo x 778 4
A r ka d e l ph ia , AR 7 1 99 9

We are always happy to hear from you.


Contact information is provided below.

Chair:
Dr. Rick McDaniel
(870) 230-5170
mcdanir@hsu.edu

Planetarium:
Mr. Jim Duke
(870) 230-5006
dukej@hsu.edu

Department of Physics
Henderson State University
1100 Henderson Street Box 7784
Arkadelphia, AR 71999

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