physics and some things about modern laboratory equipment and techniques. ...
Building Scientific Apparatus by J. J. Moore et al., available in paperback from ...
TEMPLE UNIVERSITY A Commonwealth University
College of Science and Technology Department of Physics
Barton Hall A325 1900 N. Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19122
Physics 4796 - Experimental Physics Temple University C. J. Martoff, Instructor
Introduction: This is the final lab course in the physics major. The lab is intended to teach both some physics and some things about modern laboratory equipment and techniques. Many of the physics topics are both highly exotic, for example showing the existence of antimatter, or exhibiting subtle quantum effects like fine- and hyperfine-structure in atomic spectra, counting of single photons, excitation of plasmon oscillations, and nuclear magnetic resonance; but also have technologically important applications (low level radiation detection, optical communications, thin film fabrication, MRI). It has been reported to me by graduates that specific technical knowledge gained in this course was very helpful in getting industry jobs after graduation. This is also a Writing Intensive Course, so rather formal lab reports will be required. These will be graded twice, giving the student an opportunity to benefit from the instructor’s critique of the first version. Each report will also carry two grades, one for the science understanding/correctness demonstrated, and one for the writing. The grading rubric and required lab report format are described in separate handouts. An extremely useful (though not required) textbook for experimental physicists’ training is Building Scientific Apparatus by J. J. Moore et al., available in paperback from your favorite online bookseller. Experiments: The experiments currently or recently in use (2014) are listed below. Students are encouraged to propose their own alternative experiments or extensions to these, which the instructor will do his best to make possible. The instructor is particularly interested in discussing possible observational astronomy measurements with interested students. 1. Pulsed NMR - the technology behind MRI imaging 2. Optical pumping- atomic structure from your Modern Physics class brought to life 3. Shot Noise- counting statistics of single electrons in a “steady” current 4. Single Photon Counting with a Photomultiplier Tube- push on to the quantum limit! 5. Modern Interferometry- measure sub-nanometer displacements and do Fourier Transform optical measurements 6. Particle Sizing by Light Scattering- Fourier Transform microscopy to probe the micro-world 7. Thin Film Device Fabrication and Characterization- make and characterize one of several optical or electrical devices by vacuum-depositing a film a few hundred atoms thick 8. High Resolution Nuclear Spectroscopy with HPGe detector- seeing the unseen world of natural and artificial radioactivity 9. Muon Lifetime- measure unstable cosmic ray particles from the Big Accelerator In The Sky
In addition to the lab portion of the course, some lectures will be given on useful practical topics for experimental physicists. These will include introductory material on: • Statistics and error analysis • The use of spreadsheets for quick numerical calculations and plotting • The use of online databases to find scientific information. Graded homework assignments will be made based on the lectures. The text for the statistics portion of the course is Introduction to Error Analysis by John Taylor, which is available in the Temple Bookstore. Course Requirements: Enrollment in this course requires a grade of C- or higher in Physics 2701. Short lectures will be given in class and homework collected on Tuesdays. Multiple homework sheets must be stapled together or they will not be accepted. The bulk of the time in class will be spent on the lab exercises. The course is scheduled to meet Tuesday and Thursday from 2:00 PM to 4:50 PM. Per university guidelines, a three-credit lab course like this requires nine hours per week of lab work. Consistent with this requirement, you will certainly need to work in the lab outside of the scheduled meeting times in order to complete these labs. A key to the room is available from the Physics Department Office. Working alone in the lab is not permitted so bring your lab partner. Grading will be based on attendance, periodic checks of your lab notebook (15%), homework (15%) and the lab reports (70%). Semester Schedule: A typical semester schedule of lab work and lectures is shown below. During the first week everyone will do the same experiment, a guided exercise on random and systematic errors using counting statistics. For the rest of the semester, students will work in pairs to complete three additional experiments from the list given above. A different lab partner will be assigned for each experiment. Typical Semester Schedule for Ph. 4796 Week of Jan 21 Jan 28 Feb 4 Feb 11 Feb 18 Feb 25 March 2-9 Mar 11
Statistics Reading Ch. 1,2 Ch. 3,4 Ch. 5,7 Ch. 8 SPRING BREAK Ch. 10
Lab Exercises Counting Statistics Counting Statistics Draft Due First Lab First Lab First Lab First lab report draft due First lab report final version due 2
Mar 18 Mar 25 Apr 1 Apr 8 Apr 15 Apr 22 Apr 29 May 8
Ch. 11 Ch. 11 Ch. 12
Second Lab Second lab report draft due Third Lab Second lab report final version due Third Lab Report Draft Due
Library Databases Spreadsheet Math Third lab report final version due Turn-in Deadline for All Work
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