OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY

PHYS 413W, Methods of Experimental Physics

Spring 2008

LABORATORY TIMES:    OCNPS Room 224, 
                                                Tuesday, Thursday 1:30 - 4:20 pm

INSTRUCTOR: Professor Larry Weinstein
OFFICE: Room 217, OCNPS (Oceanography and Physics Building), Elkhorn Ave.
or Room 108, Nuclear and Particle Physics Research Facility, 1021 W 47th St.
PHONE: 683-5803
E-MAIL: weinstei (at) physics (dot) odu (dot) edu
HOMEPAGE: http://www.physics.odu.edu/~weinstei

Home Page: http://www.physics.odu.edu/~weinstei/courses/413s08.html

NEWS

Jan 29: We start actual labs on Jan 31. Please send me your lab preferences by Jan 30 so I can organize the class. The initial labs will: Gamma Ray Spectroscopy, Geiger Counter, Index of Refraction, Electron specific charge, and the digital pendulum.

Jan 29: Homework (due 2/5): Bevington and Robinson 3.1, 3.5 and 3.8.

Jan 24: Learning Labview: Do the 'Getting Started with LabView' (this is not the Learn LabView in 3 hours or 6 hours). Do the exercises. I want to see the following:
(1) convert temperature from C to F (from Learn LabView in 3 Hours),
(2) A vi that records and plots data continuously from a function generator until the user presses the stop button. It should continuously write the data to a file (with only one header per file). I then want to see the data imported to Origin. In addition, (a) Fourrier transform the signals and plot the results for sine, square and sawtooth waves; and (b) compare the plot of the signal as acquired by LabView with the signal shown directly on the oscilloscope. Compare the amplitude and period. Do this for sampling rates less than, approximately equal to, and much greater than the waveform frequency.
(3) A vi that inputs a decimal number, converts it to binary and displays it on the LED binary I/O outputs of the interface box. Review binary to decimal conversion so you can check your output.

Jan 24: Homework (due 1/29) Bevington and Robinson 2.2, 2.3, 2.6 and 2.13

Jan 22: Homework (due 1/24) a) record the results of 64 sequential coin flips (using a random number generator is OK) and b) write down what you think a random sequence of 64 coin flips would look like.

Jan 17: Homework (due 1/22) Bevington and Robinson 1.4 and 1.6

REQUIRED TEXTS (and related materials): 

Data Reduction and Error Analysis for the Physical Sciences, P.R. Bevington and D.K. Robinson, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2002.

Bound lab notebook, preferably with graph paper (rather than just a composition book).

USEFUL TEXTS:

1. Experiments in Modern Physics, A. C. Melissinos, Academic Press, N.Y.

2. Building Scientific Apparatus, Moore, Davis & Coplan, Addison Wesley Pub. Co.

PREREQUISITE: PHYS323 Modern Physics, PHYS303 Intermediate Experimental Physics.

COREQUISITE: CS150.

COURSE GRADE:  A final grade will be determined from laboratory participation, occasional homework, laboratory notebook,  laboratory reports and presentations.  There will be no final written examination for this course.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course provides an introduction to data acquisition, data analysis and report writing.  The course consists primarily of laboratory experiments, with some supplemental lectures. 

HONOR CODE: The student's attention is drawn to the Honor Code of Old Dominion University. Remember that it is forbidden to copy the data or reports of other students.  If you lose your data contact your instructor.

LABORATORY ORGANIZATION:

Students will work in groups (usually pairs) to set up the experiments and collect data. Students will work individually to analyze the data and write the reports.

If you would like to undertake an experiment at other than the assigned laboratory hours, either due to a need for extra time or for extraordinary conditions (e.g., complete darkness or freedom from building or other vibrations), discuss the matter with the instructor. You will still be expected to be present at the scheduled laboratory times.

You will have access to personal computers in the laboratory for the purpose of completing the requirements of each experiment. Although you may work in groups to record data for each experiment, you should analyze the data yourself. Often group consultation will help solve problems you are faced with. However the final analysis, the conclusions and report should be your individual work.

LABORATORY NOTEBOOKS:

Experimental results must be recorded in a bound lab notebook (preferably with graph paper, rather than just lined). Do not record your data on looseleaf paper. Lab notebooks will be inspected periodically.  See the MIT lab notebook guidelines (pdf).  See the Case Western Reserve guidelines (pdf).  Here is a sample rubric (pdf) for grading the notebooks (from Washington U in St. Louis).

LABORATORY REPORTS:

Laboratory reports should be submitted on looseleaf paper (stapled or stripbound).  Details of report content are included below. Individual reports must be submitted within one week of completing the experiment. Each report should be produced using word-processing software, which will allow you to import tables and graphs as required. The laboratory computers have MS Word installed.

This course satisfies the university's Writing Intensive Course criterion. Therefore final reports are expected to be of high standard, including correct grammar, syntax and spelling. Label all tables and figures clearly and include captions for each. The front page of your report should include the experiment title, your name and those of your lab partners, as well as the Honor Code statement which must be signed.

Laboratory reports should be submitted in the general format used for publications. Some examples can be found in the laboratory. The general report headings follow, but are by no means rigid since report contents depend on the individual experiment and author:

  1. Title page
  2. Abstract
  3. Theoretical and/or experimental motivation
  4. Description of the experiment
  5. Analysis of the data and results
  6. Conclusions
  7. Acknowledgements
  8. References

In general, most of the grade will be based on sections 4, 5 and 6.  More detailed guidelines (from Case Western Reserve U and from Washington U) can be found here.

Error analysis is a crucial part of data analysis.  While Bevington is the primary reference, you may find this summary (also from Washington U) helpful.

LABORATORY SECURITY:

The Physics 413 Laboratory (OCNPS room 224) must be locked when you leave at the end of each session. Without exception you will not be allowed to remove equipment or software from the laboratory for personal use.  The doors must be locked by the last person leaving the laboratory each day. The quality of your experimental equipment depends on your willingness to keep the laboratory secure.

LABORATORY SAFETY:

  Prevention of injury is a matter of being aware of and having respect for pieces of equipment that are potentially dangerous.  (Thanks to the MIT Junior lab web site for the safety recommendations.)
Electrical Safety

NEVER WORK ALONE.

All high voltage supplies are potentially dangerous.  Do not poke or prod into them.  Turn off the supply if you need to change cable connections.  The supplies may be dangerous even when turned off if the capacitors have not discharged.  Always keep one hand in your pocket when testing any circuit in which there may be high voltages present so that if you get a shock, it will not be across your chest.  Never go barefoot in the lab.  Remember that it is current that kills.  A good (e.g., sweaty) connection of 6 volts across your body can kill as well as a poor connection of 600 or 6000 volts.
Laser Safety

A laser beam may not seem very bright, but if it enters your eye it will be focused by the lens of your eye to a pinpoint spot on the retina where the intensity is enough to destroy retinal cells.  The standard cheap 5 mW laser pointers deliver approximately the same power to the retina as does staring directly at the Sun.  It is wise to terminate a laser beam with a diffuse absorber so that the beam does not reflect around the room.  Never examing the performance of an optical system with a laser by viewing the beam directly with your eye or reflector.

Cryogenic Safety

Liquid nitrogen is chemically inert, but it can cause severe frostbite.  Wear gloves and protective glasses when transferring or transporting liquid nitrogren.

Radiation Safety

Radiation safety at ODU is under the Environmental Health and Safety Office.  The radiation safety officer can be reached at 683 5834.  Before handling radioactive materials, you will be instructed in the safe use and handling of radioactive material. 

PHYSICS 413W, Methods of Experimental Physics

TABLE OF EXPERIMENTS

(subject to change)



Introduction
 Length
 Prereq
I1
 Introduction to Computer Analysis s
 none
I2
 Introduction to Computer Data Acquisition and Control (Labview tutorial)
 m

Nuclear

N2
 Spectroscopy of Gamma Radiation(doc or pdf) m
N3
 Muon lifetime (file1, addendum)
 l
 none
N4
 Cosmic Ray distribution (word)
 m
 none
N5
 Radioactive Half-life (TBD)

N6
 The Statistics of Counting Random Events (TBD)
none
N7
 Absorption of beta and gamma rays (Geiger Counter lab) (file1 and file2)
 m
 none

Quantization

Q1
 Specific Charge of the Electron (pdfor word)
 s
 none

Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics

O1
 Index of Refraction (word) s
 none
O2
 Franck-Hertz experiment
ODU expt instructions (TBD)
Wash U expt page
Franck Nobel lecture
Hertz Nobel Lecture
 m
O3
 Rubidium Saturated Absorption
U Florida lab instructions 		l

Mechanics

M1
 Magnetic Torque
 m
 none
M2
 Damped Digital Pendulum (doc or pdf)
 l
 none

Superconductivity


Superconductivity
ODU expt instructions
1987 Nobel Prize
 m
 none

Accelerator Physics

A1
 Slotted Line (2007 only)
 m
 none

(Length: short = 1 week, medium = 2 weeks, long = 3-4 weeks)