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Physics Table
Yep, it’s another week. Come eat with Physics Pholk! LDC, Tuesday noon.
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Correction to “Interesting Spring Course”
There was an announcement that read thus: “Cowling Distinguished Professor Laura Ruetsche, a Carleton alum who is now the chair of philosophy at Michigan and the author of this book will be teaching a 300-level seminar in the Philosophy department during Spring term, 2/3c.”
I’m not sure why the announcement was made because this course won’t be offered until SPRING 2021! Sorry for anyone that got really excited about it for this spring….
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Upcoming Comps Presentation Abstracts
Grae Betz
Wednesday, Feb 26th 2020
3:10 pm in Anderson 036The Physics of Spacecraft
Ever since the first successful launch of a rocket into orbit in 1957 and the establishment of NASA in 1958, the science of rocketry has been shrouded in an ambiguous sense of uncertainty by the American people. The phrase “It’s not rocket science” is often used to show a task or subject is not as difficult as something so complicated as rocketry, which shows the American view of the subject quite clearly. Through this presentation, I hope to convince you that the physics of spacecraft isn’t as intimidating or ominous as it seems. I will begin by explaining some of the physical requirements for flight and introduce the two main types of engines used. I will then transition into the physics of the launch itself by explaining the forces and the calculation derivations required to understand the necessary amount of thrust. Once we have a basis for understanding the launch, I will then explain the required physics of ascension into orbit, mainly focusing on the ascent trajectory, escape velocity, and will touch on booster staging. Lastly, I’ll explain some of the complications presented by the environment in orbit and some of the steps taken to ensure a rocket can survive sustained exposure. This will touch on such things as the Sloshing Effect, atomic oxygen erosion effect, and artificial space debris. By the end, I hope to be able to leave the audience with less foreboding and a more transparent perception of the physics of spacecraft.
Anthony Bouza
Friday Feb 28th 2020
3:30 pm in Anderson 036Photovoltaics
Photovoltaic (PV) technologies convert sunlight directly into electricity without any moving parts or chemical fuels. Using simple p-n junctions, we can generate free electrons from visible photons. While the fundamental operating principle may be simple, the complexities of the Shockley-Queisser (SQ) Limit dictate just how much electricity a given PV technology can generate from a given amount of sunlight. In this talk I will introduce the world of PV solar energy, explain the operating principles of PV, and evaluate current PV generation technologies using the SQ limit. I will also discuss the viability of PV solar energy and provide a simple method to return on investment for a rooftop solar array.
Lawrence Lin
Monday, Mar 2nd 2020 8:30 am in Anderson 036 -
Spring term department work
Last week an email went out with a link to a survey– if you are interested in working for the department next term, you should fill this survey out ASAP. If you missed the email, here’s how to get to the survey!
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Prefect needed for Spring Term intro course
The department is looking for looking for 1-2 student(s) interested in up to 10 hours of work in Physics 143 with Problem-Solving during Spring Term. These students would help out with in-class group problem-solving, PSF-ing, and possibly individual tutoring. Interested students must be available to attend class 1a MTuWF. If you think you might be interested in pursuing teaching or tutoring after Carleton, this is a great way to get started. If you’d like to chat about this more or are interested in the position, talk to Chris (cwest@carleton.edu) or Trenne.