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Nov 2004

Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1367-1455

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Comment on “Connecting thermodynamics to students’ calculus,” by Joel W. Cannon [Am. J. Phys. 72 (6), 753–757 (2004)]

Athanassios A. Tsekouras

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1367

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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© 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.30.-y Physics literature and publications
01.50.-i Educational aids
01.40.-d Education
05.70.-a Thermodynamics
02.30.Jr Partial differential equations

Parallel universes in the statistics literature

Christopher Tong

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1367 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.40.-d Education
06.20.Dk Measurement and error theory
02.70.Rr General statistical methods
02.50.-r Probability theory, stochastic processes, and statistics
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AJP Reviewers

Jan Tobochnik and Harvey Gould

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1368

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Below is a listing of the 673 individuals who have reviewed manuscripts for the American Journal of Physics from July 1, 2003 to July 1, 2004. If you have reviewed for AJP during this time and are not on the list, we apologize and hope that you will let us know so that we can correct our records. If you are interested in reviewing for AJP and have not done so recently, please fill out the questionnaire at www.kzoo.edu/ajp/referees.html. The thoughtful and expert advice offered by the reviewers is essential for maintaining the quality of the journal. On behalf of all AJP authors and readers, we thank those listed below who have served as reviewers.
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01.30.-y Physics literature and publications
01.40.-d Education
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Understanding Heisenberg’s “magical” paper of July 1925: A new look at the calculational details

Ian J. R. Aitchison, David A. MacManus, and Thomas M. Snyder

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1370 | Cited 4 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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In July 1925 Heisenberg published a paper that ushered in the new era of quantum mechanics. This epoch-making paper is generally regarded as being difficult to follow, partly because Heisenberg provided few clues as to how he arrived at his results. We give details of the calculations of the type that Heisenberg might have performed. As an example we consider one of the anharmonic oscillator problems considered by Heisenberg, and use our reconstruction of his approach to solve it up to second order in perturbation theory. The results are precisely those obtained in standard quantum mechanics, and we suggest that a discussion of the approach, which is based on the direct calculation of transition frequencies and amplitudes, could usefully be included in undergraduate courses on quantum mechanics. © 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.40.-d Education
03.65.-w Quantum mechanics

A simple design for an electronic speckle pattern interferometer

Thomas R. Moore

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1380 | Cited 6 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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An electronic speckle pattern interferometer suitable for use in an undergraduate laboratory is described. This interferometer can be built for a small fraction of the cost of a commercial version and is simple and inexpensive to build and understand. The interferometer is useful for visualizing the normal modes of vibrating objects as well as changes in index of refraction. © 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
07.60.Ly Interferometers
42.30.Ms Speckle and moiré patterns

Quantum mechanical description of linear optics

Johannes Skaar, Juan Carlos García Escartín, and Harald Landro

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1385 | Cited 5 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Linear optical networks with any number of modes are described quantum mechanically. We reformulate the conventional formal description based on input–output operator relations and obtain an intuitive description based on the possible paths taken by the photons. The effect of a linear optical network on localized photons is treated within the same formalism. The potential and limitations of linear optics for application in quantum information processing are briefly discussed. © 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.40.-d Education
42.50.-p Quantum optics
42.30.-d Imaging and optical processing
03.67.Lx Quantum computation architectures and implementations

Analytic, graphical, and geometric solutions for photonic band gaps

Frank Szmulowicz

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1392 | Cited 4 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Photonic band gap (PBG) structures consisting of alternating layers of two dielectric materials exhibit PBGs—regions of the electromagnetic spectrum where light propagation is forbidden. The edges of these gaps are found from the Kronig–Penney relation. It is shown that the conditions for the band edges can be visualized using the sides and angles of a triangle. It also is shown that the wavelength at the band edges scales with the layer widths. Photon wavelengths at the band edges are found analytically as a function of PBG parameters for the technologically important cases of quarter-wave/half-wave and eighth-wave/half-wave PBG stacks; in a general case, a pedagogically transparent graphical solution is provided. © 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
42.70.Qs Photonic bandgap materials

New views of the solar wind with the Lambert W function

Steven R. Cranmer

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1397 | Cited 21 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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This paper presents closed-form analytic solutions to two illustrative problems in solar physics that have been considered not solvable in this way previously. Both the outflow speed and the mass loss rate of the solar wind of plasma particles ejected by the Sun are derived analytically for certain illustrative approximations. The calculated radial dependence of the flow speed applies to both Parker’s isothermal solar wind equation and Bondi’s equation of spherical accretion. These problems involve the solution of transcendental equations containing products of variables and their logarithms. Such equations appear in many fields of physics and are solvable by use of the Lambert W function, which is briefly described. This paper is an example of how new functions can be applied to existing problems. © 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.40.-d Education
96.60.Vg Particle emission, solar wind
96.60.P- Corona
95.30.Lz Hydrodynamics
95.30.Qd Magnetohydrodynamics and plasmas

Analysis of asymptotic projectile motion with air resistance using the Lambert W function

R. D. H. Warburton and J. Wang

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1404 | Cited 12 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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We calculate the range of a projectile experiencing air resistance in the asymptotic region of large velocities by introducing the Lambert W function. From the exact solution for the range in terms of the Lambert W function, we derive an approximation for the maximum range in the limit of large velocities. Analysis of the result confirms an independent numerical result observed in an introductory physics class that the angle at which the maximum range occurs, θmax, goes rapidly to zero for increasing initial firing speeds v0≫1. We show that θmax∼(ln v0)/v0. © 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
01.40.-d Education
45.05.+x General theory of classical mechanics of discrete systems

Spin and statistics in classical mechanics

J. A. Morgan

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1408 | Cited 3 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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The spin–statistics connection is obtained for classical particles. The connection holds within pseudomechanics, a theory of particle motion that extends classical physics to include anticommuting Grassmann variables, and that exhibits classical analogs of both spin and statistics. Classical realizations of Lie groups are constructed in a canonical formalism generalized to include Grassmann variables. The theory of irreducible canonical realizations of the Poincaré group is developed in this framework, with particular emphasis on the rotation subgroup. The behavior of irreducible realizations under time inversion and charge conjugation is obtained. The requirement that the Lagrangian retain its form under the combined operation of charge conjugation and time reversal leads directly to the spin–statistics connection by an adaptation of Schwinger’s 1951 proof to irreducible canonical realizations of the Poincaré group of spin j: Generalized spin coordinates and momenta satisfy fundamental Poisson bracket relations for 2j even, and fundamental Poisson antibracket relations for 2j odd. © 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
11.10.-z Field theory
02.50.-r Probability theory, stochastic processes, and statistics
02.20.Qs General properties, structure, and representation of Lie groups
02.30.Uu Integral transforms

Basic principles of celestial navigation

James A. Van Allen

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1418 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Celestial navigation is a technique for determining one’s geographic position by the observation of identified stars, identified planets, the Sun, and the Moon. This subject has a multitude of refinements which, although valuable to a professional navigator, tend to obscure the basic principles. I describe these principles, give an analytical solution of the classical two-star-sight problem without any dependence on prior knowledge of position, and include several examples. Some approximations and simplifications are made in the interest of clarity. © 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
95.10.Ce Celestial mechanics (including n-body problems)
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Comment on “What happens to energy and momentum when two oppositely-moving wave pulses overlap?,” by N. Gauthier [Am. J. Phys. 71 (8), 787–790 (2003)]

David R. Rowland

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1425 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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© 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
41.20.Jb Electromagnetic wave propagation; radiowave propagation

Comment on “The role of dynamics in the synchronization problem,” by Hans C. Ohanian [Am. J. Phys. 72 (2), 141–148 (2004)]

T. C. Choy

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1430

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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© 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.40.-d Education
04.20.Gz Spacetime topology, causal structure, spinor structure
04.20.Cv Fundamental problems and general formalism

Erratum: “On Mach’s critique of Newton and Copernicus” [Am. J. Phys. 71 (11), 1163–1169 (2003)]

Herbert I. Hartman and Charles Nissim-Sabat

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1431 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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© 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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99.10.Cd Errata
01.50.-i Educational aids
01.70.+w Philosophy of science
04.20.Cv Fundamental problems and general formalism
98.80.Jk Mathematical and relativistic aspects of cosmology
03.30.+p Special relativity
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Investigation of students’ reasoning regarding heat, work, and the first law of thermodynamics in an introductory calculus-based general physics course

David E. Meltzer

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1432 | Cited 14 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Students in an introductory university physics course were found to share many substantial difficulties related to learning fundamental topics in thermal physics. Responses to written questions by 653 students in three separate courses were consistent with the results of detailed individual interviews with 32 students in a fourth course. Although most students seemed to acquire a reasonable grasp of the state-function concept, it was found that there was a widespread and persistent tendency to improperly over-generalize this concept to apply to both work and heat. A large majority of interviewed students thought that net work done or net heat absorbed by a system undergoing a cyclic process must be zero, and only 20% or fewer were able to make effective use of the first law of thermodynamics even after instruction. Students’ difficulties seemed to stem in part from the fact that heat, work, and internal energy share the same units. The results were consistent with those of previously published studies of students in the U.S. and Europe, but portray a pervasiveness of confusion regarding process-dependent quantities that has been previously unreported. Significant enhancements of current standard instruction may be required for students to master basic thermodynamic concepts. © 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
05.70.Ce Thermodynamic functions and equations of state
01.40.Di Course design and evaluation

Using an online homework system enhances students’ learning of physics concepts in an introductory physics course

K. Kelvin Cheng, Beth Ann Thacker, Richard L. Cardenas, and Catherine Crouch

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1447 | Cited 2 times

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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We report the results of a comparison of student understanding of physics concepts with and without online homework, as measured by the force concept inventory. We compared students in large introductory courses taught by interactive engagement and noninteractive engagement methods and with ungraded homework and with online homework. We also compared the understanding of students in different grade subgroups. The increase in the average force concept inventory normalized gain was statistically significant for all students taught with online homework, indicating that graded homework increases student understanding of physics concepts. The gain was significantly higher for those students taught with interactive engagement methods together with online homework. The C grade subgroup taught by interactive engagement methods benefited more from the implementation of online homework than the other subgroups. © 2004 American Association of Physics Teachers.
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01.50.ht Instructional computer use
01.40.-d Education
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Mathematical Methods for Scientists and Engineers

Donald A. McQuarrie, Author and Donald Spector, Reviewer

American Journal of Physics -- November 2004 -- Volume 72, Issue 11, pp. 1454

Online Publication Date: Sep 2004

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Abstract Unavailable
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01.30.Vv Book reviews
01.40.-d Education
01.50.-i Educational aids
02.10.Ud Linear algebra
02.30.Hq Ordinary differential equations
02.60.Lj Ordinary and partial differential equations; boundary value problems
02.50.-r Probability theory, stochastic processes, and statistics
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