Physics 5123 W. Weyhmann
Spring 1996 K. Wick
Methods of Experimental Physics: III
Student Project:
Project: The main component of
this final quarter of the sequence Physics 5121, 5122, 5123,
will be the completion of the project which you have already
proposed. The instructors will meet with you during the first
few days of the quarter to discuss your needs. Additional
meetings will be arranged as needed.
In order to track your
progress, you must complete and hand in a non-fictional
weekly project report in which you will briefly indicate the
work you have accomplished, along with any other relevant
comments.
Keys will be signed out to
students during your first meeting with the instructors,
provided they have returned all keys checked out previously.
These keys will give you access to the main lab (Room 65) and
also to the room to which your project has been assigned.
Prerequisite:
Completion of Physics 5122.
Staff:
The faculty member for this course is:
Walter Weyhmann (Physics 335, 624-3809, weyhmann@physics.spa.umn.edu)
Technical assistance for the laboratory is provided by:
Kurt Wick (Physics 69, 624-2831, wick@physics.spa.umn.edu)
Reinhard Schwienhorst (Physics 50, 624-9321, schwier@physics.spa.umn.edu)
Please check our WEB page (http://mxp66a.spa.umn.edu/) and
your E-mail on a regular basis, as it may be used for
announcements.
Lectures:
Usually, three lectures are given per week:
M, W, F, 12:20 - 13:10, in 170 Physics, but some weeks may
have fewer. The lectures will cover the following topics:
light and particle detectors, signal detection and noise,
vacuum techniques and other experimental methods.
Guest Lectures:
In addition to the lectures described
above, guest speakers (experts) will occasionally be invited
In addition to the lectures described above, guest speakers
(experts) will occasionally be to describe and discuss
techniques and experiments in their research areas. There
will also be several tours of research laboratories and
facilities. A schedule will be posted later.
Oral Presentations:
Two short (15 minutes) oral project
presentations will be given by each group. The first
presentation will be given in the second week of the quarter;
you will need to explain briefly the theory and background of
your project and what your group expects to accomplish in the
next 8 weeks. The second presentation will be given in the
final two weeks of the quarter; the results from your project
will be shown and explained.
Each student is required to give one of these presentations.
Students may decide which partner will do the first
presentation and which one the second.
These presentations will be given in Phys 170 during
scheduled class hours and may involve the use of overhead
transparencies.
Grades:
70% of the final grades will be based on a
written final report. These reports are due at the scheduled
time of the final exam, by 4:30 PM, Tuesday, June 10. The
quality of your oral reports and weekly reports, together
with your class attendance and participation will count for
30% of the grade. Arrangements for I’s must be made
before the end of classes. I’s may be given only for
compelling reasons.
Lab Notebooks:
You must enter a lab-by-lab record of your
work and data acquired in a bound record book. Both students
in a pair may use the same book so that all records are
available to both. The book must be turned in with the
reports at the end of the quarter.
Reports:
The final written report must be presented
as a full scientific paper in the style of Physical Review
Letters (8 - 10 double spaced typewritten pages). Of
course you prepare the experiment and make the measurements
together, you may analyze the data together, but the final
report containing description of the physics and of the
apparatus, summary of the data and discussion there of,
conclusions and other pertinent information must be prepared
individually.
04/10/98
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