Department of Physics and Astronomy - Minnesota State University Moorhead

Department of Physics and Astronomy
College of Health, Science, & the Environment

Department SeminarSenior Project Presentations
by Mel Foley, Samuel Holen, and Andrew Louwagie Gordon

Friday, April 26 at 3:00 pm in Hagen 325
Modeling and Understanding the Conductivity of a Sodium-Based Glassy Solid Electrolyte by Mel Foley
A sodium-based glassy solid electrolytes are being investigated for possible future use as solid-state batteries. The data and the analytical methods for computing activation energies and conductivities in such electrolytes were taken from Excel and transferred into Python. The activation energies calculated in Python were found to be consistently in agreement with the Excel data whereas the conductivities calculated in Python were not. This difference may be due to errors in calculating correlation times and will be further investigated.
Modeling an Infinite Slot Potential by Samuel Holen
This talk will cover my attempt to model the resulting electric potential within a narrow slot of infinite length. We will discuss the setup of this problem along with the resulting analytic solution as predicted by electrostatics. From here, we will discuss my attempts to model this system both computationally and experimentally. Finally, we will discuss the results of the project.
Examining the Hall Effect on a Macroscopic Scale by Andrew Louwagie Gordon
The Ordinary Hall Effect (OHE) is a common phenomenon that tends to go unnoticed in daily life. Sensors that use the OHE are commonly found in industrial equipment and motors as wireless sensors and in magnetometers as a method to indicate the strength of magnetic fields. In this experiment, the author attempted to demonstrate the OHE on a macroscopic scale using common materials. This experiment examines how electrical current and magnetic field strength affect the OHE. The results are compared to a computational simulation and experimental results from another researcher attempting a similar demonstration.

Department News

Interested in Working for the Department?: We are looking for Learning Assistants (LA) for introductory astronomy, introductory physics, and lab courses as well as graders and planetarium assistants for Fall 2019. Positions are not limited to physics majors although you have to have performed well in the course before you can be an LA for it. Applications are due by Friday, April 26
Society of Physics Students wins national award: The Society of Physics Students (SPS) has been once again recognized by the SPS National Council for their quality and quantity of activities they do with the wider community. The SPS National Council awarded the Minnesota State University Moorhead SPS Chapter a 2017-18 Distinguished Chapter. This is the sixth consecutive year that the MSUM SPS Chapter has been recognized with a Distinguished or Outstanding chapter award. (Dec. 11)
Sherry Fieber-Beyer '03 awarded Distinguished Alumni Award: Physics and Astronomy alum Dr. Sherry Fieber-Beyer is currently "a research assistant professor at the University of North Dakota, [and] has devoted herself to teaching graduate students the art of scientific space research. She is the sole female faculty member in the department. Beyer also currently acts as the Space Studies Alumni Coordinator and has assisted in the establishment of their alumni website and many alumni events and communication." (June 25).

Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide excellent undergraduate instruction in physics and astronomy. In lower division courses, faculty use lecture demonstrations, cooperative learning methods, hands-on activities, and field trips to develop a broad working knowledge of physics. In upper division courses, in addition to the above methods, students learn through cooperative projects, research with faculty, and hands-on instrumentation and computation projects.

About the Department of Physics and Astronomy

The MSUM Physics and Astronomy program is a student-centered program. We provide students with educational opportunities in the classroom and outside it in order to improve their preparation for a career using physics.

We have facilities including a nanotechnology and robotics lab, a student-built NMR machine, and the Paul P. Feder observatory.

Our faculty have high quality research programs in space physics, robotics, extragalactic, galactic, and solar system astrophysics, and physics education. Our undergraduate students participate in these research programs and gain experience to prepare them for careers in physics and related fields.

Contact Information
Office: Hagen Hall 307
Phone: (218) 477-2141
Email: lindellj@mnstate.edu

Send ground mail to:
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Minnesota State University Moorhead
1104 7th Avenue South, Hagen Hall 307
Moorhead, MN 56563

An interactive campus map of Minnesota State University Moorhead is available to find Hagen Hall.