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E-Newsletter
Congratulations to the 2006 Sigma Pi Sigma CSUN Chapter Inductees
The induction ceremony was held Friday, May 19, 2006 at 5:00 pm. Eight new members were inducted to the physics honor society. A dinner followed the ceremony as it is the tradition.
Professor Cadavid Is Elected Chair
Professor Cadavid has been elected by the faculty as chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. It is anticipated that her appointment will be effective August 14, 2006. Dr. Cadavid has served as the Graduate Advisor and the Associate Chair. The Department excels in academics and research and Dr. Cadavid will lead it with the full support of the faculty and the staff.
Professor Blanco Transfers to a New Position at CSUB
After 19 years of service as a professor of physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dr. Blanco will transfer to California State University Bakersfield as the Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. During the last five years, Dr. Blanco has served as the chair of the Department. The Department wishes him well and success in his new position.
Department Welcomes Three New Faculty Members
The Department is pleased to welcome three new faculty members. They will start their appointment in Fall 2006. Each of the three main areas of research will gain one new faculty member.
Alumnus Anthony Daniell Visits Department
Anthony (1991 B.S. Physics, 1995 M.S. Physics) visited the Department March 22, 2006. He presented the results of his work while at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at the Department colloquium series. His talked was titled "Imaging of Coronary Artery Calcium" and the work was recently published in the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR, 185, 1542, (2005)). Anthony earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Physics at UCLA in 2001. Currently, he is working at Northrop-Grumman in Van Nuys. Anthony shared his experiences with the SPS students and visited with the faculty. He was presented with an alumni sweat shirt. It is becoming a tradition to invite one member of the alumni to visit each semester and to tell about their success story.
Department Associate Chair Named
Prof. Ana Cristina Cadavid has been appointed as the Associate Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Dr. Cadavid has held numerous positions in the Department. She is currently the Graduate Advisor and the Assessment Coordinator. This new responsibility is very important to the Department and her willingness to serve is a great service for all. Congratulations.
Professor Choudhary Receives Award
Congratulations to Professor Debi Prasad Choudhary for his 2006 CAREER NSF Award. This prestigious award will provide funding to expand the solar physics research activities at the San Fernando Observatory.
Professor Jacobs Departs
Professor Donald J. Jacobs has relocated to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has joined the Department of Physics and Optical Sciences at UNCC. Don is planning to expand his research efforts in biophysics. We wish him success in his new position. Don can be reached by email at: djacobs1@email.uncc.edu.
Recognition of the Emeriti Faculty in the College of Science and Mathematics
The College unveiled a plaque to recognize the emeriti faculty on Friday, November 4, 2005. Emeriti faculty and guests attended the event. The plaque is located at the atrium of Live Oaks Hall. All the departments from the college are listed. There are 16 emeriti faculty from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
New Astronomy Laboratory
The Department of Physics and Astronomy opens a state-of-the-art "smart lab" for Astronomy in Fall 2005. The new facility will accommodate 48 students and provide access to the latest computer technology for studying introductory astronomy. The new Astronomy Laboratory will provide new educational opportunities to all CSUN students. This facility will help the students meet the new science laboratory General Education (GE) requirements starting Fall 2006. For the first time at California State University Northridge, students taking Astronomy (ASTR154L) will have the opportunity to simulate astronomical observations and do data analysis using computers and advanced software, such as Interactive Data Language (IDL) in its basic form, to analyze the observed data. This facility is an outstanding example of the cooperation that took place among several campus units within the framework of a Learning Center University. From design to implementation Physical Plant Management (PPM), Information Technology Resources (ITR), the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) Machine Shop, the staff in the Office of the Dean of the CSM, and the staff, students, and faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy all cooperated superbly to create a facility that will enhance student learning. Astronomical photographs are also displayed in a museum like environment within the facility. These photographs are related to the content of the course to be taught here. Pictures of the facility are shown. The Department thanks everyone for their cooperation.
Congratulations to the 2005 Sigma Pi Sigma CSUN Chapter Inductees
The 2005 Sigma Pi Sigma inductees for the CSUN Chapter of the Physics Honor Society are (from left to right) Andrew Shaw, Geoffrey DeJaynes, Nicholas Roueiheb, Benjamin Ett, Daniel McDonald, Farisa Morales and Dundar Karabay. Their names have been added to the chapter roster after the official induction ceremony. The smiling and proud new members are standing in front of the old Science 1 marquee. This makes this photograph an instant sought after memorabilia since the building has been renamed Live Oak Hall and the old signage no longer exists! Their names will be listed in the Fall 2005 issue of 'The Radiations", the society's official magazine.
Cottrell Award Recipients
Congratulations to Professors Debi Prasad Choudhary and Gang Lu for receiving the Cottrell College Science Award to support their research. They are in their first year of service and already are having great success.
IAU Discussion in 2006 at Prague
The proposal submitted by Professor Debi Prasad Choudhary for an International Astronomical Union (IAU) Discussion on solar magnetic field measurement and interpretation has been accepted as a day and a half session during the IAU General Assembly in 2006 in Prague. IAU General Assemblies are international gatherings held every three years, which cover all of astronomy, and it is a real honor to have a proposal for a discussion session accepted for one. The discussion will be international and include prominent researchers in solar magnetism from all over the world. Congratulations!
Alumnus Johnny Powell Visits Department
Johnny (1972 B.S. Physics, 1974 M.S. Physics) visited the Department May 18, 2005 and presented his research during the colloquia series. The title of his lecture was Phonons and the Core Complex. Johnny received a Ph.D. from Arizona State University in 1983. Later he joined the faculty in the Department of Physics at Reed College, Portland, Oregon. His area of interest includes neural biophysics, astrophysics, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. His website is located at www.reed.edu/~dna/. Johnny spent the day at CSUN and met with his professors and current students in the Society of Physics Students office. Everyone enjoyed very much his visit and we are very proud of his success.
Scholars at UC Santa Barbara
Professor Nicholas Kioussis was named a 2005-2007 scholar with the prestigious Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Professor Kioussis follows Professor Donna Sheng who was the first faculty member in our Department to receive this honor when she was named a 2002-2004 scholar. Congratulations for this high achievement.
Holiday Party: December 8, 2004
The following snapshots capture the spirit during the Department's Holiday Party. Everyone ate and was merry!
Congratulations to Prof. Gang Lu!
Prof. Gang Lu is invited to participate at a workshop entitled: "Multiscale Modeling in Solids", from April 27 to May 1, 2005 at the Centre de Recherches Mathematiques, Universite de Montreal (http://www.crm.umontreal.ca).
The main purpose of this workshop is to provide a forum for a thorough discussion on the most pressing issues in coupling atomistic and continuum models of solids, particular for studying the structure and dynamics of defects. Participants of this workshop will be experts in the area of multiscale modeling in solids and/or defects in solids. Other invited participants are from Princeton, Brown, Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern, Caltech, MIT, and other distinguished institutions.
We should also mention that the Lu family welcomed their first baby girl this month!
Congratulations to Prof. Choudhary!
Prof. Debi Prasad Choudhary is organizing a special session at the American Geophysical Union Spring General Assembly in 2005.
Session Title: Magnetic Fields in CME Source Regions
Description: Extensive observations by the coronagraphs on the Solar & Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) during the last decade have provided detailed insight into the dynamical nature of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). For many of these events the source could be traced to chromospheric heights, which are also associated with solar flares. The temporal and spatial properties of the magnetic field of these locations and their interaction with the large scale field structure are important to the understanding of the triggering mechanism of CMEs.
Based on the photospheric magnetic field observations and numerical modeling, there have been several studies to understand the CME trigger mechanism. The continuous measurements of the full disk magnetic field provide a unique opportunity to study the role of source region magnetic fields for the CMEs. The recent possibilities of observing chromospheric magnetic fields have opened up new directions of research in this field.
Our Department of Physics and Astronomy Highly Ranked
Report R-151,39 produced by the American Institute of Physics shows our Department as number two on a list of 13 Master's-granting departments (out of 72 in the USA) responsible for conferring 55% of the bachelor's from those departments during 1999-2001. Our Department produced 9 annual average physics bachelors in the same period. By contrast Harvard University produced 52, University of California Irvine 21, and California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo 15 physics bachelors during the same period.
The average size of physics bachelor's degrees granted by type of department in the class of 2001 was as follows:
External Program Reviewers October 6 and 7, 2004
The Department thanks Drs. Leung (right) and Papin (left) for helping us with our five-year program review. They spent two days in our campus interacting with everyone in the program. We truly appreciate the time they have dedicated to this important task. The outcome of the review will help plan the next five years for Physics and Astronomy. Dr. Blanco (far right) also appears in the picture.
Robert Romagnoli Physics Graduate Scholarship for 2004-2005
Professor Park Returns
The Department is pleased to welcome back Dr. Park. He served as the Associate Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics during the last seven years. After an excellent service in that capacity, he is ready to teach physics again. Dr. Park is recognized as an outstanding teacher and we are excited about his future contributions.
Two New Faculty Members
The Department welcomes Drs. Debi Prasad Choudhary and Gang Lu, our two new faculty members. Dr. Choudhary will compliment the solar physics group that is one of three major areas of research in the Department. Dr. Lu will add expertise to the condensed matter physics group, another key research group. Both professors will start their teaching career this Fall. A brief description of their background and interests follow.
Dr. Choudhary earned a Ph.D. in 1990 from Gujarat University, India. The title of his thesis is "High-Resolution Spectroscopic Study of Comets." In this work he studied the interaction of the solar wind with the cometary plasma using Fabry-Perot spectrometers. Subsequently he became a Fellow at the Max-Planck Institute fur Aeronomie in Lindau, Germany. In this period he used the large telescopes at Calar Alto, Spain to study the circum Jovian plasma torus. In 1992, he joined the faculty at the Physical Research Laboratory in India. There he became interested in developing instrumentation for solar observations involving high-resolution spectroscopy and polarimetry. Dr. Choudhary has more than 75 refereed and non-refereed publications. He was the recipient of the Research Associateship presented by the National Research Council in 1998 and 2003. In 2001, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan awarded him the Center of Excellence Fellowship. He is a member of several professional associations that include the American Astronomical Society, the American Geophysical Union, the American Association for Advancement of Sciences, the Astronomical Society of India and the International Astronomical Union.
Dr. Lu earned a Ph.D. in 1998 at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the premier research institution in China. Most of his Ph.D. thesis research was performed at CSUN under the supervision of Prof. Kioussis. The title of his Ph.D. thesis is "Ab initio calculations of physical and chemical processes in intermetallics and multilayers". By means of computer simulations, he predicted mechanical, chemical, and magnetic properties of intermetallic alloys and multilayer-thin-films from first-principles. After a brief stint as a Postdoctoral Fellow at CSUN, he joined the Department of Physics at Harvard University as a Research Associate. During his tenure at Harvard, he became interested in multiscale modeling of materials, and he is responsible for the development of several powerful multiscale modeling approaches. He has more than 25-refereed publications. He has been invited to give lectures at many national and international seminars and conferences. He is a member of several professional associations such as American Physical Society and Materials Research Society.
Nobel Laureate Visits CSUN
On March 30th, 2004, Dr. Alan J. Heeger, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000, visited our campus and delivered a public lecture titled "Gene Sensors": Detection of Specific Targeted Sequences on DNA. Dr. Heeger was a most gracious speaker and shared with the audience photographs of the 2000 Nobel Prize ceremony. A reception was held in his honor at the University Club. The Computational Materials Theory Center made this event possible and the Department of Physics and Astronomy acknowledges the financial support from the College of Science and Mathematics and the Office of Graduate Studies, Research and International Programs.
The Role of Women in Physics
The Fall 2003 issue of Gazette, Vol. 22, No.2, offers several articles about the role of women in physics. The Gazette is the newsletter of the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) of the American Physical Society.
The article "Letter from the Editor: An Inclusive Approach for Women in Physics" by Dongqi Li is reproduced here with permission from the Editor. Dongqi Li is at Argonne National Laboratory and is serving as the CSWP Chair.
In the same issue of the Gazette other thought provoking articles about this subject are also given. For example:
"Opinion: Induction Versus Deduction - Clues to Understanding Gender Differences in Approach to Science?" by Peter Foukal, Heliophysics, Inc., and a member of the Editorial Board of Solar Physics Journal and of the Corporation of Wheelock College, pp. 9-10.
"Teaching Physics at a Community College: Letter From a Teacher," by Geraldine Karpel, Professor Emerita of Physics, El Camino College, Culver City, CA, p. 8.
"Arrogance-A Dangerous Weapon of the Physics Trade?," by J. Murray Gibson, Associate laboratory Director of Argonne National Laboratory, pp. 1, 3-4.
Article
In Memoriam
Congratulations to Ken Cooper, Berrie Goldman, David Miccolis and Mayra Tovar
Prof. Peter Collas has retired after 36 years of service
A plaque recognizing the years of service by all the tenured faculty members is on display in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Stop by anytime and check it out.
Physicists Are Well Rewarded!
According to the 2001 Occupational Employment Statistics Survey that was conducted by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics here is a listing of the highest paying professions in the United States:
1. Surgeons
2. Obstetrician-gynecologists
3. Anesthesiologists
4. Internists
5. Pediatricians
6. Psychiatrists
7. Family doctors
8. Dentists
9. Chief Executives
10. Airline pilots
11. Podiatrists
12. Lawyers
13. Optometrists
14. Computer and Information systems managers
15. Physicists
16. Engineers and other scientists
So, if it is money that motivates you here is just one more reason to consider the rewarding field of physics!
From left to right: Thiago Halmer, Rohit Sharma, Shelley Green, Mark Kurban, Vince Tagliamonti, Andrew Wandenberg, and Trevor Leonard. (Absent: Chris Vergien)
Professor Cadavid has been elected by the faculty as chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. It is anticipated that her appointment will be effective August 14, 2006. Dr. Cadavid has served as the Graduate Advisor and the Associate Chair. The Department excels in academics and research and Dr. Cadavid will lead it with the full support of the faculty and the staff.
Professor Blanco Transfers to a New Position at CSUB
After 19 years of service as a professor of physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dr. Blanco will transfer to California State University Bakersfield as the Dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. During the last five years, Dr. Blanco has served as the chair of the Department. The Department wishes him well and success in his new position.
Department Welcomes Three New Faculty Members
The Department is pleased to welcome three new faculty members. They will start their appointment in Fall 2006. Each of the three main areas of research will gain one new faculty member.
In the area of condensed matter, Dr. Henk Postma joins the group and will expand its capabilities in experimental work. He will setup a new laboratory in the field of Nanoscience.
His expertise includes: Nanofabrication, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (SEM and STEM), electron beam lithography, low-noise RF and electronic measurements, low temperature techniques, vacuum technology and other interesting state-of-the-art experimentation.
Dr. Postma received a M.Sc. in 1997 at Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands and a Ph.D. in 2001 from Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
He is presently a Senior Postdoctoral Scholar at California Institute of Technology in the Applied Physics Laboratory.
His expertise includes: Nanofabrication, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (SEM and STEM), electron beam lithography, low-noise RF and electronic measurements, low temperature techniques, vacuum technology and other interesting state-of-the-art experimentation.
Dr. Postma received a M.Sc. in 1997 at Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands and a Ph.D. in 2001 from Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
He is presently a Senior Postdoctoral Scholar at California Institute of Technology in the Applied Physics Laboratory.
In the area of Solar Astrophysics, Dr. Deqing Ren will join the experimental group at the San Fernando Observatory (SFO). He will be helping to advance the imaging capabilities of the SFO using a variety of state-of-the-art techniques.
His expertise includes: 3-D image spectroscopy, high-contrast image coronograph, Spekle techniques, adaptive optics and the design and construction of optical instrumentation and techniques.
Dr. Ren received a B.S. in 1985 and an M.S. in 1988 from East China Institute of Technology in China and a Ph.D. in 2001 from Durham University, England.
He is presently a Research Scientist in the Department of Physics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
His expertise includes: 3-D image spectroscopy, high-contrast image coronograph, Spekle techniques, adaptive optics and the design and construction of optical instrumentation and techniques.
Dr. Ren received a B.S. in 1985 and an M.S. in 1988 from East China Institute of Technology in China and a Ph.D. in 2001 from Durham University, England.
He is presently a Research Scientist in the Department of Physics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
In the area of Bio-Chemical-Physics, Dr. Yohannes Shiferaw joins the experimental group and will expand its theoretical capabilities. He will add fibrillation research as an application of physics to biophysics.
His expertise includes: Computational biology, cardiac electrophysiology and arrythmias, nonlinear dynamics and pattern formation, statistical mechanics of disordered systems, stochastic processes in biological systems and applications to the medical field.
Dr. Shiferaw received a B.S. in 1995 from Franklin & Marshall College in Lacanster, Pennsylvania and an M.S. in 1997 and a Ph.D. in 2001 from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He is presently an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Cardiology at UCLA.
His expertise includes: Computational biology, cardiac electrophysiology and arrythmias, nonlinear dynamics and pattern formation, statistical mechanics of disordered systems, stochastic processes in biological systems and applications to the medical field.
Dr. Shiferaw received a B.S. in 1995 from Franklin & Marshall College in Lacanster, Pennsylvania and an M.S. in 1997 and a Ph.D. in 2001 from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He is presently an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Cardiology at UCLA.
Alumnus Anthony Daniell Visits Department
Anthony (1991 B.S. Physics, 1995 M.S. Physics) visited the Department March 22, 2006. He presented the results of his work while at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at the Department colloquium series. His talked was titled "Imaging of Coronary Artery Calcium" and the work was recently published in the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR, 185, 1542, (2005)). Anthony earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Physics at UCLA in 2001. Currently, he is working at Northrop-Grumman in Van Nuys. Anthony shared his experiences with the SPS students and visited with the faculty. He was presented with an alumni sweat shirt. It is becoming a tradition to invite one member of the alumni to visit each semester and to tell about their success story.
Anthony addresses the students in the Optics Laboratory.
Anthony is looking very professorial during the colloquium series presentation.
Department Associate Chair Named
Prof. Ana Cristina Cadavid has been appointed as the Associate Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Dr. Cadavid has held numerous positions in the Department. She is currently the Graduate Advisor and the Assessment Coordinator. This new responsibility is very important to the Department and her willingness to serve is a great service for all. Congratulations.
Professor Choudhary Receives Award
Congratulations to Professor Debi Prasad Choudhary for his 2006 CAREER NSF Award. This prestigious award will provide funding to expand the solar physics research activities at the San Fernando Observatory.
Professor Jacobs Departs
Professor Donald J. Jacobs has relocated to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has joined the Department of Physics and Optical Sciences at UNCC. Don is planning to expand his research efforts in biophysics. We wish him success in his new position. Don can be reached by email at: djacobs1@email.uncc.edu.
Recognition of the Emeriti Faculty in the College of Science and Mathematics
The College unveiled a plaque to recognize the emeriti faculty on Friday, November 4, 2005. Emeriti faculty and guests attended the event. The plaque is located at the atrium of Live Oaks Hall. All the departments from the college are listed. There are 16 emeriti faculty from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Provost Harry Hellenbrand (on the left) and Dean Jerry Stinner addressing the attendees before the unveiling of the plaque.
Group of Emeriti Faculty gathering in the area enjoying refreshments and meeting old acquaintances.
New Astronomy Laboratory
The Department of Physics and Astronomy opens a state-of-the-art "smart lab" for Astronomy in Fall 2005. The new facility will accommodate 48 students and provide access to the latest computer technology for studying introductory astronomy. The new Astronomy Laboratory will provide new educational opportunities to all CSUN students. This facility will help the students meet the new science laboratory General Education (GE) requirements starting Fall 2006. For the first time at California State University Northridge, students taking Astronomy (ASTR154L) will have the opportunity to simulate astronomical observations and do data analysis using computers and advanced software, such as Interactive Data Language (IDL) in its basic form, to analyze the observed data. This facility is an outstanding example of the cooperation that took place among several campus units within the framework of a Learning Center University. From design to implementation Physical Plant Management (PPM), Information Technology Resources (ITR), the College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) Machine Shop, the staff in the Office of the Dean of the CSM, and the staff, students, and faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy all cooperated superbly to create a facility that will enhance student learning. Astronomical photographs are also displayed in a museum like environment within the facility. These photographs are related to the content of the course to be taught here. Pictures of the facility are shown. The Department thanks everyone for their cooperation.
Congratulations to the 2005 Sigma Pi Sigma CSUN Chapter Inductees
Cottrell Award Recipients
Congratulations to Professors Debi Prasad Choudhary and Gang Lu for receiving the Cottrell College Science Award to support their research. They are in their first year of service and already are having great success.
IAU Discussion in 2006 at Prague
The proposal submitted by Professor Debi Prasad Choudhary for an International Astronomical Union (IAU) Discussion on solar magnetic field measurement and interpretation has been accepted as a day and a half session during the IAU General Assembly in 2006 in Prague. IAU General Assemblies are international gatherings held every three years, which cover all of astronomy, and it is a real honor to have a proposal for a discussion session accepted for one. The discussion will be international and include prominent researchers in solar magnetism from all over the world. Congratulations!
Alumnus Johnny Powell Visits Department
Johnny (1972 B.S. Physics, 1974 M.S. Physics) visited the Department May 18, 2005 and presented his research during the colloquia series. The title of his lecture was Phonons and the Core Complex. Johnny received a Ph.D. from Arizona State University in 1983. Later he joined the faculty in the Department of Physics at Reed College, Portland, Oregon. His area of interest includes neural biophysics, astrophysics, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. His website is located at www.reed.edu/~dna/. Johnny spent the day at CSUN and met with his professors and current students in the Society of Physics Students office. Everyone enjoyed very much his visit and we are very proud of his success.
Johnny remembered the Science Buildings as being Physics. Thus, for the day of his visit, we renamed Science I building `PHYSICS` and show two pictures of him: one on the building (as if looking out of the window) and the other by the grass (as if he were standing outside). We want Johnny to remember his CSUN days!
Scholars at UC Santa Barbara
Professor Nicholas Kioussis was named a 2005-2007 scholar with the prestigious Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Professor Kioussis follows Professor Donna Sheng who was the first faculty member in our Department to receive this honor when she was named a 2002-2004 scholar. Congratulations for this high achievement.
Holiday Party: December 8, 2004
The following snapshots capture the spirit during the Department's Holiday Party. Everyone ate and was merry!
Prof. Gang Lu is invited to participate at a workshop entitled: "Multiscale Modeling in Solids", from April 27 to May 1, 2005 at the Centre de Recherches Mathematiques, Universite de Montreal (http://www.crm.umontreal.ca).
The main purpose of this workshop is to provide a forum for a thorough discussion on the most pressing issues in coupling atomistic and continuum models of solids, particular for studying the structure and dynamics of defects. Participants of this workshop will be experts in the area of multiscale modeling in solids and/or defects in solids. Other invited participants are from Princeton, Brown, Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern, Caltech, MIT, and other distinguished institutions.
We should also mention that the Lu family welcomed their first baby girl this month!
Congratulations to Prof. Choudhary!
Prof. Debi Prasad Choudhary is organizing a special session at the American Geophysical Union Spring General Assembly in 2005.
Session Title: Magnetic Fields in CME Source Regions
Description: Extensive observations by the coronagraphs on the Solar & Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) during the last decade have provided detailed insight into the dynamical nature of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). For many of these events the source could be traced to chromospheric heights, which are also associated with solar flares. The temporal and spatial properties of the magnetic field of these locations and their interaction with the large scale field structure are important to the understanding of the triggering mechanism of CMEs.
Based on the photospheric magnetic field observations and numerical modeling, there have been several studies to understand the CME trigger mechanism. The continuous measurements of the full disk magnetic field provide a unique opportunity to study the role of source region magnetic fields for the CMEs. The recent possibilities of observing chromospheric magnetic fields have opened up new directions of research in this field.
Our Department of Physics and Astronomy Highly Ranked
Report R-151,39 produced by the American Institute of Physics shows our Department as number two on a list of 13 Master's-granting departments (out of 72 in the USA) responsible for conferring 55% of the bachelor's from those departments during 1999-2001. Our Department produced 9 annual average physics bachelors in the same period. By contrast Harvard University produced 52, University of California Irvine 21, and California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo 15 physics bachelors during the same period.
The average size of physics bachelor's degrees granted by type of department in the class of 2001 was as follows:
- Bachelor's-granting departments (514 in the USA): 3.7
- Master's-granting departments (72 in the USA): 4.4
- PhD-granting departments (182 in the USA): 10.6
External Program Reviewers October 6 and 7, 2004
The Department thanks Drs. Leung (right) and Papin (left) for helping us with our five-year program review. They spent two days in our campus interacting with everyone in the program. We truly appreciate the time they have dedicated to this important task. The outcome of the review will help plan the next five years for Physics and Astronomy. Dr. Blanco (far right) also appears in the picture.
Robert Romagnoli Physics Graduate Scholarship for 2004-2005
Physics graduate student Chaba Sandor (left) accepts congratulations from Professor Emeritus, Dr. Romagnoli (right).
The Robert Romagnoli Physics Graduate Scholarship was awarded for the first time in 2002. The scholarship is funded by a gift from Prof. Emeritus Romagnoli.
Dr. Romagnoli worked in the Department of Physics and Astronomy for 41 years. He served as the chair of the Department for several years. But his love was to promote and expand the graduate program. He served as the graduate advisor for many years.
Dr. Romagnoli has endowed the Department in the amount of $50,000. He is very dedicated to the mission of the University and cares deeply for the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
The scholarship that he started significantly helps graduate students succeed at CSUN. We are all grateful for his dedication and support.
The Robert Romagnoli Physics Graduate Scholarship was awarded for the first time in 2002. The scholarship is funded by a gift from Prof. Emeritus Romagnoli.
Dr. Romagnoli worked in the Department of Physics and Astronomy for 41 years. He served as the chair of the Department for several years. But his love was to promote and expand the graduate program. He served as the graduate advisor for many years.
Dr. Romagnoli has endowed the Department in the amount of $50,000. He is very dedicated to the mission of the University and cares deeply for the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
The scholarship that he started significantly helps graduate students succeed at CSUN. We are all grateful for his dedication and support.
Professor Park Returns
The Department is pleased to welcome back Dr. Park. He served as the Associate Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics during the last seven years. After an excellent service in that capacity, he is ready to teach physics again. Dr. Park is recognized as an outstanding teacher and we are excited about his future contributions.
Two New Faculty Members
The Department welcomes Drs. Debi Prasad Choudhary and Gang Lu, our two new faculty members. Dr. Choudhary will compliment the solar physics group that is one of three major areas of research in the Department. Dr. Lu will add expertise to the condensed matter physics group, another key research group. Both professors will start their teaching career this Fall. A brief description of their background and interests follow.
Dr. Choudhary earned a Ph.D. in 1990 from Gujarat University, India. The title of his thesis is "High-Resolution Spectroscopic Study of Comets." In this work he studied the interaction of the solar wind with the cometary plasma using Fabry-Perot spectrometers. Subsequently he became a Fellow at the Max-Planck Institute fur Aeronomie in Lindau, Germany. In this period he used the large telescopes at Calar Alto, Spain to study the circum Jovian plasma torus. In 1992, he joined the faculty at the Physical Research Laboratory in India. There he became interested in developing instrumentation for solar observations involving high-resolution spectroscopy and polarimetry. Dr. Choudhary has more than 75 refereed and non-refereed publications. He was the recipient of the Research Associateship presented by the National Research Council in 1998 and 2003. In 2001, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan awarded him the Center of Excellence Fellowship. He is a member of several professional associations that include the American Astronomical Society, the American Geophysical Union, the American Association for Advancement of Sciences, the Astronomical Society of India and the International Astronomical Union.
Dr. Lu earned a Ph.D. in 1998 at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the premier research institution in China. Most of his Ph.D. thesis research was performed at CSUN under the supervision of Prof. Kioussis. The title of his Ph.D. thesis is "Ab initio calculations of physical and chemical processes in intermetallics and multilayers". By means of computer simulations, he predicted mechanical, chemical, and magnetic properties of intermetallic alloys and multilayer-thin-films from first-principles. After a brief stint as a Postdoctoral Fellow at CSUN, he joined the Department of Physics at Harvard University as a Research Associate. During his tenure at Harvard, he became interested in multiscale modeling of materials, and he is responsible for the development of several powerful multiscale modeling approaches. He has more than 25-refereed publications. He has been invited to give lectures at many national and international seminars and conferences. He is a member of several professional associations such as American Physical Society and Materials Research Society.
Nobel Laureate Visits CSUN
On March 30th, 2004, Dr. Alan J. Heeger, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000, visited our campus and delivered a public lecture titled "Gene Sensors": Detection of Specific Targeted Sequences on DNA. Dr. Heeger was a most gracious speaker and shared with the audience photographs of the 2000 Nobel Prize ceremony. A reception was held in his honor at the University Club. The Computational Materials Theory Center made this event possible and the Department of Physics and Astronomy acknowledges the financial support from the College of Science and Mathematics and the Office of Graduate Studies, Research and International Programs.
Dr. Heeger is surrounded by members of the CSUN community at the reception.
Provost Linda Bain presents a gift to Dr. Heeger to commemorate his visit to CSUN.
The Role of Women in Physics
The Fall 2003 issue of Gazette, Vol. 22, No.2, offers several articles about the role of women in physics. The Gazette is the newsletter of the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) of the American Physical Society.
The article "Letter from the Editor: An Inclusive Approach for Women in Physics" by Dongqi Li is reproduced here with permission from the Editor. Dongqi Li is at Argonne National Laboratory and is serving as the CSWP Chair.
In the same issue of the Gazette other thought provoking articles about this subject are also given. For example:
"Opinion: Induction Versus Deduction - Clues to Understanding Gender Differences in Approach to Science?" by Peter Foukal, Heliophysics, Inc., and a member of the Editorial Board of Solar Physics Journal and of the Corporation of Wheelock College, pp. 9-10.
"Teaching Physics at a Community College: Letter From a Teacher," by Geraldine Karpel, Professor Emerita of Physics, El Camino College, Culver City, CA, p. 8.
"Arrogance-A Dangerous Weapon of the Physics Trade?," by J. Murray Gibson, Associate laboratory Director of Argonne National Laboratory, pp. 1, 3-4.
Article
In Memoriam
On December 31, 2002, Dr. Bela Lengyel died in his assisted care facility in Irvine. Dr. Lengyel took over the Department started by Mr. John Nagle and guided it through its adolescence, serving as Chairman until 1970. We lost a tremendous individual who set the tone for high standards in both teaching and research in our Department. An obituary appeared in the May 2003 issue of Physics Today.
They have become the latest members of Sigma Pi Sigma, the Physics Honors Society. Their names will be listed in the Fall 2003 "The Radiations" issue of SIGMA PI SIGMA. Click here for more information about the CSUN Sigma Pi Sigma Award.
Prof. Peter Collas has retired after 36 years of service
We wish him well in his new leisure life, though we hear that he may be back very soon to teach, General Relativity.
A plaque recognizing the years of service by all the tenured faculty members is on display in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Stop by anytime and check it out.
Physicists Are Well Rewarded!
According to the 2001 Occupational Employment Statistics Survey that was conducted by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics here is a listing of the highest paying professions in the United States:
1. Surgeons
2. Obstetrician-gynecologists
3. Anesthesiologists
4. Internists
5. Pediatricians
6. Psychiatrists
7. Family doctors
8. Dentists
9. Chief Executives
10. Airline pilots
11. Podiatrists
12. Lawyers
13. Optometrists
14. Computer and Information systems managers
15. Physicists
16. Engineers and other scientists
So, if it is money that motivates you here is just one more reason to consider the rewarding field of physics!