[MAAPT] spring meeting program 4/28/07

[Andy Rundquist]

Date: Saturday, 4/28/07 from 8:30 - 2:30

Location: Bethany Lutheran in Mankato
http://www.blc.edu/facilities/map/

Building: Meyer Hall

Directions:
http://www.blc.edu/about/directions/

Program:

8:00
registration begins

8:30
Title:  An Overview of NASA’s Stardust Mission

Author:  Russell Palma

Affiliation:  Department of Physics and Astronomy, Minnesota State  
University, Mankato

Abstract: Understanding the solar system's origin and evolution  
requires knowledge of the nebular starting composition.  NASA has had  
two Discovery Missions return samples within the last three years  
addressing this question. NASA’s Stardust Mission traveled through  
the tail of Comet Wild-2, collecting particles thought to be  
representative of the primitive material found in the outer solar  
system. The 7 year mission returned successfully on January 15, 2006,  
and exciting results are already being published on these samples. I  
will briefly review the Stardust Mission and the role of my research  
group in that mission.

8:50
Title:  Measuring Noble Gases in Coma Samples from Comet Wild-2

Authors:  Jacob Simones and Russell Palma

Affiliation:  Department of Physics and Astronomy, Minnesota State  
University, Mankato

Abstract:  Since comets are early solar system relics, the formation  
of the solar system can be better understood through compositional  
analysis of cometary material.  NASA's Stardust spacecraft used an  
extraordinarily low density material, aerogel, to collect coma  
samples from comet Wild-2.  Experiments with non-flight and flight  
aerogel were performed to determine whether or not helium and neon  
from fine particles embedded within the capture material could be  
measured. Gases evolved from heated samples were measured using high- 
sensitivity mass spectrometry.  Excess helium and neon were detected  
in samples containing tracks from comet particle impacts.

9:10
Energy Storage Systems for Peak Shaving as a Complement to Wind Power  
at Gustavus Adolphus College

Jared D. Sieling, Charles F. Niederriter, and Danielle A. Berg,  
Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, MN  56082

As Gustavus Adolphus College prepares to install two wind turbines on  
campus, we are faced with the question of what to do with the excess  
electricity that is generated.   It would seem fiscally responsible  
to store the energy and use it for peak shaving, if possible.  We  
analyzed six currently available systems: hydrogen storage,  
flywheels, pumped hydroelectric, batteries, compressed air, and  
superconducting magnetic energy storage, for suitability.  Potential  
wind turbine production is compared to consumption to determine the  
energy deficit or excess, which is fed into a model for each of the  
storage systems.  We will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of  
each system.

9:30
Poster session (overlaps the workshop)
Snacks as well

9:45 Workshop
Workshop by Dick Cooper from Gettysburg College on Project CLEA
http://public.gettysburg.edu/~marschal/clea/CLEAhome.html

10:45 KEYNOTE
Jim Gates, University of Maryland
A presenation on pedagogy and curriculum development.  Jim has been  
working at Gustavus for the past semester on this project.

11:45
Latest and Greatest or Just Latest?  Pedagogical Technology in the  
Physics Classroom

Paul J. Nienaber
Department of Physics, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, Winona  
MN 55987

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota recently deployed a classroom- 
based audio-video capture system which allows web-based replays of  
classroom presentations.  The technology was used for two semesters  
in a calculus-based general physics course.  Initial discussions held  
out the possibility of improved student performance.  This  
presentation will detail some ways in which the technology has been  
used (in some cases differently than the original plans), will  
consider how the benefits might be assessed, and will reflect on ways  
that the technology has and has not fulfilled rollout expectations.

12:05
Donald Penn
"What do we do about textbook errors?"
(Not physics books, by the way)

I am presently teaching in a helicopter ground school program, and have
found several glaring errors in the application of physics to the
operation of the helicopter.  These texts are written by Federal  
Aviation
Agency personnel, who quite obviously are not sufficiently knowledgable
regarding the topics in question.  My real reason for wanting to do this
is to get a response from the group, and give me some direction as to  
what
my approach in the class should be.

12:30 Pedagogy discussion

1:00 lunch and business meeting

**************************************************
Prof. Andy Rundquist
Hamline University
Chair, Department of Physics
arundquist at hamline.edu
www.hamline.edu/~arundquist
651-523-2513