The Department of Physics and Astronomy currently has several research programs which are open to student involvement at all levels. If you are interested in participating, feel free to contact the faculty members involved for more information.

Astronomy:

The current astronomical research programs at UW Oshkosh are centered on stellar spectroscopy and photometry. Both are used to gather abundance and population data from both cluster and field stars, which serve as probes of the fossil record of galaxy formation. Many important questions remain unanswered about the chemical and dynamical history of our Milky Way galaxy, and the processes which shape its present characteristics. A detailed knowledge of the properties fo the stellar populations throughout the galactic disk, halo, and globular clusters can place significant constraints on many of the possibilities. With recent improvements in detector technology, theoretical models, and large aperture telescopes, we may finally be in a position to address these issues.
There are several research projects which are either ongoing or in the planning stage, most of which have openings for student contributions.
Contacts: Nadia Kaltcheva and Michael Briley

Computer Instrumentation:

Undergraduates in the computer and instrumentation emphasis are working on computer-interfaced equipment for data acquisition and experiment control. Included are a system in which operator eye motion is monitored by video cameras and controls robot arm motion (John Floyd), digital filtering of frequency multiplexed signals (Gary Zehms), and computer interfacing of a gas chromatograph for use in high school science laboratories (Don Macaulay).
Contact: Roy Knispel

Magnetic Resonance:

Nuclear magnetic resonance (nmr) and electron paramagnetic resonance (epr) are used to study molecular motion and structural changes in non-metallic solids. Materials under study include ferroelectric and ferroelastic materials, plastic crystals, and superionic protonic conductors.
Contact: Roy Knispel

Surface Physics:

Currently, this research centers around an off-campus collaboration with Hartmut Höchst at the University of Wisconsin's Synchrotron Radiation Center. Right now, we are interested in geometric, thin-film effects that are predicted to modify the magnetic circular dichroism signals from ferromagnetic materials. If you find that tantalizing and want to know more check out Hartmut's tutorials.
Contact: Dennis Rioux

Physics Education Research:

The physics education research group at UW Oshkosh seeks a deeper understanding of how students learn introductory topics in physics.  Currently, we are engaged in a series of systematic studies to identify mechanisms or “triggers” for learning the Newtonian force concept.  These studies are leading us in two directions:  (1) a critical re-examination of the history of mechanics, especially ancient Greek, Islamic, and French-Renaissance texts, and (2) the development of a novel description (“model”) of cognitive processes necessary for understanding Newtonian mechanics.  Certain aspects of this model are being studied empirically in UW Oshkosh classrooms.  Modern student reasoning is used to clarify interpretations of the historical literature, and vice versa.  This approach extends studies by Jean Piaget (1893-1980) on the relation between psychogenesis and the history of science (published almost a decade after his death!)  Recent advances in classroom technology allow us to pose and answer many new research questions in this area.

The Physics Education Group meets once per week and is welcome to all interested students.  Contact:  Mark Lattery