In late May, Dr. Victor Paperny sent a letter to phys-l, asking if there
were individuals who were interested in sharing information on physics
education reform activities undertaken in the United States. Because of my own
involvement with astronomy laboratory software, I responded with a letter
giving my own background and asking for more information on Dr. Paperny's
activities in physics and astronomy education reform. The following letter was
his response to me.
If any of you have an interest in Dr. Paperny's activities, please
correspond with him directly. His address is the second in the To: line of
the header to this letter.
Please note that Dr. Paperny and his colleagues are interested in
receiving the WWW and ftp addresses of physics resources you have found useful
in your educational activities. In the next several weeks, I will be sending
him a long list of such sites for astronomy that I have been accumulating in
the past several years.
***********************Begin Paperny Letter*************************
Dear Physics and Astronomy Colleagues,
We are interested in your programs simulating astronomical and physical
phenomena. We are engaged in developing inquiry-oriented astrophysical
programs, too. We are ready to demonstrate our programs, described below.
We'd like to get acquainted with yours.
During the last few years, our department ("Physics and Astrophysics")
completed a project entitled "Update to Methods of Physics and Astrophysics
Education". The following work has been carried out under this project:
1) The original course of lectures in "Basic Physics" at Irkutsk University has
been changed. In this course physics is presented as a unity of a few
fundamental ("primary") principles. Using these primary principles, a whole
picture of physical knowledge is created. Such an approach permits
establishing a "hierarchy" of physical laws, validity ranges and assumptions in
which they had been obtained. The main goal of these lectures is to develop an
integrated scientific world view. At present, this course is being adapted for
secondary school teachers to introduce up-to-date scientific ideas in secondary
school education.
2) A set of computer programs for modeling a number of problems of physics and
astrophysics have been created. These are inquiry-oriented, interactive and
visually oriented, by means of which the user studies some physical phenomena.
The programs have a convenient graphical interface that makes it possible to
solve a set of problems. Each investigation is completed by writing a report
that is checked by an instructor.
3) A number of experimental setups that use computer have been worked out. A
computer is used to process the experimental data in situ and to control the
experiment. Use of a computer enhances the research possibilities and reveals
effects that might otherwise be ignored. A brief description of these programs
follows.
A. "The Star: birth, life and death" (applied to Astrophysics and Physics).
A model of a self-graviting cloud is created using the method of
"Particles-In-Cell". The user visually follows the variation of temperature,
density and velocity of the gas for problems 1) of a gravitational
condensation, 2) of the dynamic equilibrium state of the forming star and 3) of
gravitational collapse resulting from depletion of nuclear fuel. The threshold
radius (Jeans length ), the rate of condensation, the time required for star
birth and other parameters may be estimated.
B. "The Satellite" (applied in Astronomy and Theoretical Mechanics).
The movement of a point in a gravitational field is investigated. The program
works in two modes: with a homogeneous field and with a central field. It
presents all the sorts of orbits for which all parameters are estimated.
Kepler's law and the law of conservation of energy are studied. The movement
may be presented by an animation picture (as a real flight and with speed and
acceleration vectors) and as a path. Included is the ability to change the
scale of image.
C. "Ohm's law" (applied in Physics, Plasma and Accelerator Physics).
The movement of an electron in a homogeneous electric field with random
collisions with ions (in plasma or in solids) is modeled. The strength of
field, the initial velocity of an electron, the coefficient of velocity loss
and inter-ion distance are entered by an user. The picture of electron
movement in situ is observed. The parameters ranges when Ohm's law is valid
and when electrons "run away" (the "TOKAMAK" effect) are determined. The
collisional cooling of electron beams similar to that observed in a particle
accelerator is demonstrated.
D. "Electric field of a set of charges" (applied in Electrostatics and
Electronics).
This program depicts the lines of force and the equipotential lines for an
arbitrary set of charges and calculates the work when a probe charge is
transferred on an arbitrary path. Identity of description of field in terms of
lines of force and in terms of equipotential lines is illustrated. Gauss'
theorem may be obtained. Complicated charge system field pictures may be
studied. The field of a continuous distribution of charges is constructed as a
sum of fields of unit charges. The program requires Microsoft Windows and is
controlled by the mouse.
E. "Wave optics".
This program depicts a three-dimensional picture of a wave field for a set of
coherent sources. The configuration and size of a system as well as the area
of observation are varied. Both Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffractions are
investigated. The transition between these diffractions and the transition to
geometric optics may be researched.
F. "Elements of Quantum Theory: a model of atoms" (applied in Atomic
Physics and Quantum Mechanics).
The one-dimensional Schroedinger equation is solved for a particle in a
potential well. The depth and width of the potential well are variable. A set
of energy eigenvalues is determined. Corresponding wave functions are plotted.
The change of eigenvalue spectrum and eigenfunctions are studied when a
potential well is transformed. The Heisenberg indeterminacy principle and a
transition to a quasi-classical approximation are investigated. A relation
between a volume of a "particle" and a volume of a potential well in phase
space is demonstrated.
G. "Propagation of electromagnetic wave in light fiber" (applied in Optics
and Optoelctronics).
A wave equation solution for a planar fiber is studied. The refractive index
and thickness of the fiber are variable parameters. The program generates a
picture of the electric field, both inside and outside of the fiber. A
spectrum of permissible eigenmodes and permissible input angles are obtained.
The Heisenberg indeterminacy principle for photons, the transition to
geometrical optics, the phenomena on the the boundary and the relation between
the volume of a mode and of the fiber in phase space are investigated.
We would also like to inform you that our department collaborates with the
Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics which operates several astrophysical
observatories. We also carry out investigations in elementary particle physics
with the Neutrino Telescope located in Lake Baikal. We are ready to arrange a
workshop to discuss problems of basic physics education.
We would appreciate obtaining detailed information about your activity in
this field.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Victor Paperny
Post graduate student Marina Lukovnikova