Raleigh NC 27607

Abstract Deadline: March 8, 2004

Check out our Web site http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/ncsaapt/

Highlights

Friday 7:00 PM: The First Man Made Nuclear Explosion, Worth Seagondollar, former Head of the Physics Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695-8202

After the discovery of the neutron in 1932, and the discovery of artificial radioactivity in 1934, Enrico Fermi at the University of Rome embarked on a program to create heavy elements via neutron capture on uranium - element 92. He made element 93, now called neptunium, and also other activities which he erroneously attributed to elements 94, 95,96. Ida Noddack, a German chemist, thought Fermi had caused fission and attributed the activity to lighter elements. But her paper was not widely read and only when Hahn and Strassman repeated Fermi¹s experiments in 1939 was it understood that the intense radioactivity was due to fission. Quickly, it was discovered that the Q-value was a gigantic 200 Mev and that free neutrons were also emitted, making a chain reaction possible. The possibility of a tremendous energy source came at a time when World War II was just starting. Information reached the British that the Germans were working on a nuclear weapon. Soon the Manhattan Project was started in the USA that culminated in the development of the first atomic bomb. I was a junior scientist at Los Alamos and helped determine the critical mass for plutonium. I was 9 miles away from the first man-made nuclear explosion in New Mexico. I will talk about some of my experiences during that time.

Saturday 10:00 AM: TBA, Karen Palasek, John Locke Foundation, kpalasek@nceducationalliance.org

Policy analyst and publications coordinator for JLF’s North Carolina Education Alliance. She is also an adjunct professor of economics at Peace College in Raleigh. Dr. Palasek has written several articles and book reviews related to education and home schooling for the magazine of the Foundation for Economic Education, Ideas on Liberty, and the North Carolina Education Alliance.

Dr. Palasek holds a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University, an MA in economics from the University of Connecticut, and a Bachelor of Music Education from the Hartt School of Music.

Saturday: NCS-AAPT Plans for the World Year of Physics, Chuck Stone, Department of Physics, North Carolina, A&T State University, 1601 East Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27411, (336) 334-7646, Fax: (336)256-0815, mailto:cstone@ncat.edu

The AAPT challenges its local sections to come to the Sacramento summer meeting ready to discuss their outreach plans that their members are committed to pursuing for the World Year of Physics in 2005. During this presentation, I would like to moderate an open, interactive discussion where we will make commitments to lead physics outreach programs in 2005 either as individuals, separate departments, or as a statewide group of physics teachers. Some ideas you may consider include community-based events (movie night, meet a physicist, host a public discussion, science trivia night, tours of your facility, placing science facts in local shops, physics demonstration shows, etc.); teacher-led events (hold a physics day, host family science events, start a science club, run a science Olympics, host a scientist-in-residence, etc.); and department-led events (host an open house, feature a series of science speakers, SPS activities, etc.). More ideas can be found at http://www.physics2005.org/ and in the January 2004 issue of The Physics Teacher. Come share the outreach programs you are willing to initiate and lead.

Warning

If your mailing label reads earlier than 2001, this will be your last. Dues are $5.00 per year or $100 lifetime.

Election

An election will be held for the positions of Vice-President (John Hubisz has been nominated), Two-Year College Representative (Joe Heafner has been nominated), and Secretary-Treasurer (Mary Creason has been nominated.) Self-nominations accepted!

Abstracts

Format: 1. Title 2. Presenter(s) 3. Affiliation 4. Address 5. Phone & FAX Numbers 6. e-mail address 7. Short description of paper

Papers are typically 15 minutes. List any special equipment that you may need. Overhead projectors will be available. Send abstracts to Hubisz@unity.ncsu.edu using Word or as a text file. You will immediately be notified if there is a problem. U.S. Mail is certainly acceptable, but the secretary needs time to get the program put together.

Workshops

NONE YET SUBMITTED

Awards

There is a $100 prize for the best undergraduate student paper, a $100 prize for the best graduate student paper, and a prize of $150 towards expenses to present a similar paper at a national meeting suitably noting the support of the NCS-AAPT for the best pedagogical paper. Please keep notes and make recommendations to any section officer to aid in their choice. Mario Belloni is chairman of the Awards Committee. A new award designed to recognize superior undergraduate students has been established that carries with it an award of $100. There is also the Walter C. Connolly Award ("An award to recognize outstanding pre-college teachers in the Section.") There is also the John L. Hubisz Award (An award to recognize an individual for significant service and contributions to the Section.) Please check out these awards on the Web site and send your nominations to Mario and/or Bo Wessell. We thank our sponsors for contributing to support these awards.

At the last Fall Meeting in Wrightsville Beach the prize of $100 for the Best Undergraduate Student paper went to Bryan Nelsen of Georgia Southern University for “Index of Refraction Profile in a Highway Mirage.” The prize for the Best Pedagogical Paper went to Harlan Devore of Cape Fear High School for “Interactive Excel for the Science Classroom.” (For a copy of his CD, send a note to him at mailto:Hdev48@aol.com.) He will receive $150 toward expenses to attend a national meeting to present a similar paper.

Business

The NCTYCPA will be holding elections at lunch-time as part of their business meeting. At the NCS-AAPT business meeting we will be voting on the changed wording of the Constitution and Articles of Incorporation, which will set the times of newly-elected individuals taking office.

Sharon Schulze is interested in developing a Physics Teacher Alliance for the Triangle in which physics teachers and physical science teachers could meet occasionally to share ideas and generally interact. Contact Sharon Schulze, Ph.D., Associate Director, The Science House, Suite 1200, 909 Capability Drive, NC State University Centennial Campus, Box 8211, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8211, http://www.science-house.org 919-515-9403 Fax: 919-515-7545

Next Meetings

We meet on October 29^th and 30^th this Fall at Davidson College where our hosts will be Mario Belloni, Larry Cain, and Wolfgang Christian.

We need a volunteer location for the Spring 2005 Meeting.

We meet in the Fall of 2005 at University of north Carolina – Pembroke where our host will be José d’Arruda.

Meredith College Campus Map

http://www.meredith.edu/visitors/campus-map.htm

Local Arrangements

Coffee and doughnuts will be available. Lunch is an all-you-can-eat menu ranging from simple soup, salad, and sandwiches to grilled items and dinner foods. We will meet in a separate room near the kitchen area where we will also have our business meeting, including the election.

There will be overhead projectors for Power Point presentations in all the session rooms as well as DVD/VCR/CD audio and visual capabilities.

The Ramada Inn/Blue Ridge at 1520 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh NC 27607, (919)832-4100 will probably be the recommended motel. Ask for the discount, but so far no special arrangements have been made.