Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons^™

Physical Science Day: Design, Implementation, And Assessment, Liang Zeng, Mark A. Cunningham, Steven C. Tidrow, K. Christopher Smith, Jerry Contreras

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Physical Science Day at The University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA), in collaboration with the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District, has been designed, developed and implemented to address an identified fundamental shortcoming in our educational process within this primarily (90+%) Hispanic serving border region. Physical Science Day overcomes the lack of knowledge about what physics is by raising youth awareness of physics as the foundation of science, engineering and technology disciplines, through activities including hands-on laboratory experiments, career orientation, and higher educational student and graduated student testimonials. Thus, Physical Science Day encourages, attracts, and enables more Hispanic youth towards science, technology …

Discipline-Based Planetary Education Research And Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis Of Mars, Filis Coba

Physics Theses & Dissertations

This thesis originates from the testing and implementation of an IRB-approved interactive animation designed to help students understand what causes The Reasons For The Seasons (RFTS) on Earth. Results from the testing indicated a small improvement in student understanding after exposure to the animation. Next, using the 3-D mapping tool Google Earth, students explored seasons and other planetary features on Mercury, Venus, the Moon and Mars through IRB-approved interactive tours which were developed and tested for astronomy education. Results from the tests indicated that there were statistically significant learning gains (p-value < 0.05) after students interacted with the tours compared to those who did not. The development of the tours inspired a geophysics study of the possibility of former plate motion (or plate tectonics) on Mars. A 2-D finite element convection model for the mantle of Mars was designed and solved using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.1, to investigate whether or not thermal gradients in a Mars-sized planet could cause vigorous upper mantle convection, consistent with plate tectonic processes. Results from this project indicated that stable convection could occur in the interior of a Mars-like planet assuming the presence of sufficiently high thermal gradients at about 0.8 times the mantle temperature of Earth. The convective patterns resembled hot upwelling and cool downwelling which may be similar to subduction-like features. Furthermore, increasing the temperature of the hot boundaries resulted in faster, more rigorous convective motions and a hotter average temperature.

Studying Solar Limb Darkening In H-Alpha With A Coronado Pst, Jessica N. Farrell, Jennifer Birriel

Celebration of Student Scholarship Poster Sessions Archive

No abstract provided.

Teaching Numerical Methods In The Context Of Galaxy Mergers, Maria Kourjanskaia

Physics

Methods of teaching numerical methods to solve ordinary differential equations in the context of galaxy mergers were explored. The research published in a paper by Toomre and Toomre in 1972 describing the formation of galactic tails and bridges from close tidal interactions was adapted into a project targeting undergraduate physics students. Typically undergraduate physics students only take one Computational Physics class in which various techniques and algorithms are taught. Although it is important to study computational physics techniques, it is just as important to apply this knowledge to a problem that is representative of what computational physics researchers are investigating …

Session F-3: “It Is Rocket Science”, Carmela Jones, Christine L. Moskalik

Professional Learning Day

All current NASA rocket launchers are no longer useable because all of the available rocket-fuel sources on Earth have been depleted. Participants will serve as NASA engineers tasked with developing non-fuel-based rocket launcher prototypes in an effort to maintain current and future NASA space programs and missions. Model how you will get your students to take off with Rocket Science.

Session B-1: Model Building In Planetary Science And The Ngss, Eric Hawker

Professional Learning Day

In this session I will guide teachers through the steps my students take in Planetary Science to develop a conceptual model of how planetary interiors work. Teachers will then create concept maps from their conceptual models, and then use their models and maps to understand planetary systems other than Earth.

Andrews Professor Helps Find Gravitational Waves: Ligo Research Team Makes International News, Becky St. Clair

Andrews Agenda: Campus News

No abstract provided.

Astr 103: Descriptive Astronomy Syllabus, Michael Sibbernsen

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 103 Descriptive Astronomy for Fall 2015 semester.

Astr 224: Astronomy And Astrophysics Laboratory, Zachary Smith

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 224 Astronomy and Astrophysics Laboratory for Fall 2015.

Astr 204: Introduction To Astronomy And Astrophysics, Shawn Langan

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 204 Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics for Fall 2015 semester.

Astr 113: Life In The Universe Syllabus, Edward Schmidt

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 113 Life in the Universe for Fall 2015 semester.

Cosmic Ray Air Shower Lateral Coincidences, Gordon C. Mcintosh

2017 Academic High Altitude Conference

At the University of Minnesota, Morris, my students and I have begun to investigate the time and altitude dependence of air showers. Air showers are cosmic ray secondaries that spread out laterally around the primary cosmic ray direction. To investigate the air showers we have been measuring the lateral coincidences among three Aware RM60 Geiger counters located at 0 cm, 15 cm, and 40 cm. Most of these measurements have been carried out at the surface. The rate of lateral, triple coincidences of Geiger counter with this configuration is 0.053 ±0.013 hr^-1 at the surface. On 4 April 2015 …

To Apply Or Not To Apply: A Survey Analysis Of Grant Writing Costs And Benefits, Ted Von Hippel, Courtney Von Hippel

Publications

We surveyed 113 astronomers and 82 psychologists active in applying for federally funded research on their grant-­‐writing history between January, 2009 and November, 2012. We collected demographic data, effort levels, success rates, and perceived non-­‐financial benefits from writing grant proposals. We find that the average proposal takes 116 PI hours and 55 CI hours to write; although time spent writing was not related to whether the grant was funded. Effort did translate into success, however, as academics who wrote more grants received more funding. Participants indicated modest non-­‐monetary benefits from grant writing, with psychologists reporting a somewhat greater benefit overall …

Interdisciplinary Connections Between Science & Theatre, Jessica N. Dotson

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SCIENCE & THEATRE

Jessica Nicole Dotson

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015.

Major Director: Dr. Noreen C. Barnes, Director of Graduate Studies, Associate Professor of Theatre

In the 1990s, astronomer Peter Usher was searching for new ways to teach his introductory astronomy class at Pennsylvania State University. He began to engage his students by searching for astronomical connections from other disciplines. His focus was turned to the arts, especially the works of William Shakespeare. Usher found, while …

The Experiences Of Women In Post Graduate Physics And Astronomy Programs: The Roles Of Support, Career Goals, And Gendered Experiences, Ramón S. Barthelemy

Dissertations

In physics and astronomy the low representation of women is obvious at every stage of the educational pathway from undergraduate students to full professors. These low numbers perpetuate themselves by failing to create new mentors to foster the next generation of women. Women and men also have different experiences as they traverse into physics and astronomy careers. Women often experience chilly climates, discrimination, and challenges coordinating the demands of young families with their careers. In the literature exploring this topic, little focus is put on the experiences of women graduate students in physics and no focus is put on women …

The Magnetopause: Bringing Space Physics Into A Junior Lab, Jim Crumley, Ari Palczewski,, Stephen Kaster

MapCores Faculty Publications

Undergraduate students often have minimal exposure to many subfields
of physics which are active areas of research. Space physics
is an area that is particularly difficult to expose students to since
it builds off of another area that most undergraduates see little of,
plasma physics. The magnetopause is convenient entry point
into space physics, since it can be modeled as a pressure balance, which is
a concept familiar from introductory physics. We use the Earth's
magnetopause as the basis for a lab for junior physics majors. In
the lab students analyze results from a NASA MHD simulation and
data from …

Session B-5: Planetary Science And The Ngss, Eric Hawker

Professional Learning Day

The goal of this session is to use what we understand about other planets and moons in our Solar System in order to get a better understanding of the Earth.

An Integrated Multidisciplinary Nanoscience Concentration Certificate Program For Stem Education, Karen S. Martirosyan, Mikhail M. Bouniaev, Malik Rakhmanov, Ahmed Touhami, Nazmul Islam, Davood Askari, Tarek Trad, Dmitri Litvinov, Sergey E. Lyshevski

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Integration of nanoscience and nanotechnology curricula into the College of Science, Mathematics, and Technology (CSMT) at the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) is reported. The rationale for the established multidisciplinary Nanoscience Concentration Certificate Program (NCCP) is to: (i) develop nanotechnology-relevant courses within a comprehensive Science, Engineering and Technology curriculum, and, to offer students an opportunity to graduate with a certificate in nanoscience and nanotechnology; (ii) to contribute to students' success in achieving student outcomes across all college's majors, and, improve the breath, depth and quality of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates' education; (iii) through NCCP, recruit certificate- …

Using Open Datasets And Simulations In Laboratories, Jim Crumley

Physics Faculty Publications

While advances in instrumentation physics have made many areas more accessible to undergraduate physics laboratories, other areas are still beyond reach. Open data sets and simulations can open up some other frontiers of physics, such as Space Physics and Astronomy. In this talk, I will give an overview of some resources for open data and simulations, and then describe my experiences using these tools in both introductory and advanced labs in our curriculum.

Wesleyan's Mark Evans Observatory Designated Official Site, Kim Hill

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Astr 407: Physics Of The Interstellar Medium, Edward Schmidt

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 407: Physics of the Interstellar Medium syllabus for Fall 2013 semester.

Nsf Funds Study Of Cosmic Dust, Kim Hill

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Astronomy Talk, Sherry Wallace

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Student-Teacher Interactions For Bringing Out Student Ideas About Energy, Benedikt W. Harrer, Michael Wittmann, Rachel Scherr

Faculty Publications

Modern middle school science curricula use group activities to help students express their thinking and enable them to work together like scientists. We are studying rural 8th grade science classrooms using materials on energy. Even after spending several months with the same curriculum on other physics topics, students' engagement in group activities seems to be restricted to creating lists of words that are associated with energy. Though research suggests that children have rich and potentially valuable ideas about energy, our students don't seem to spontaneously use and express their ideas in the classroom. Only within or after certain interactions with …

Astr 403: Galactic And Extragalactic Astronomy, Edward Schmidt

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 403 Galactic and Extragalactic Astronomy for Fall 2011 semester.

Stereoscopic Visualization As A Tool For Learning Astronomy Concepts, Norman M. Joseph

Department of Computer Graphics Technology Degree Theses

Three-dimensional (3D) visualization is becoming an extensively used educational tool. 3D visualization tends to be most useful when demonstrating concepts involving the very large – such as astronomy, or the very small – such as nanotechnology. Stereo visualization allows students to familiarize and immerse themselves in worlds which are difficult or impossible to experience in real life. This study will evaluate the educational benefit of teaching lessons involving a highly spatially-oriented topic (astronomy) using stereoscopic visualization technology.

We have used a stereoscopic visualization system, installed in a classroom, to deploy 3D simulation packages for use in classroom instruction. This educational …

Astr 404: Stellar Astrophysics, Edward Schmidt

Department of Physics and Astronomy: Syllabi

Syllabus for ASTR 404: Stellar Astrophysics for Spring 2011 semester.

The Effects Of Seductive Details In An Inflatable Planetarium, Sean Gillette

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Astronomy is becoming a forgotten science, which is evident by its relatively low enrollment figures compared to biology, chemistry, and physics. A portable inflatable planetarium brings relevance back to astronomy and offers support to students and educators by simulating realistic astronomical environments. This study sought to determine if learning is improved in an inflatable planetarium by adhering to the design principles of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML), specifically the coherence principle, in an authentic classroom. Two groups of 5th grade students of similar ability were purposefully assigned using a 1-teacher-to-many-students format with mean lesson lengths of 34 minutes. …

College Of Engineering Senior Design Competition Spring 2009, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fred and Harriet Cox Senior Design Competition Projects

Part of every UNLV engineering student’s academic experience, the senior design project stimulates engineering innovation and entrepreneurship. Each student in their senior year chooses, plans, designs, and prototypes a product in this required element of the curriculum. A capstone to the student’s educational career, the senior design project encourages the student to use everything learned in the engineering program to create a practical, real world solution to an engineering challenge.

The senior design competition helps to focus the senior students in increasing the quality and potential for commercial application for their design projects. Judges from local industry evaluate the projects …

A Teaching Intervention To Increase Achievement Of Hispanic Nonscience Majors Taking Physical Science Courses, G. Herold Poelzer, Liang Zeng

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

This quasi-experimental pilot study of nonscience majors taking a physical science course at a university in South Texas was conducted on Hispanic undergraduate students, and is theory based--an application of attribution theory. That the treatment group outperformed the comparison group provides evidence of the positive effect of having students reflect on controllable reasons for their grades and on their subsequent planning of strategies to maintain or improve those grades. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)