If you are doing research through Phys 90r this semester, this google form replaces the old paper form:
https://forms.gle/YgQhmxz4f54CvAT8A
Please fill this out as soon as your 90r research plan is settled. This is just an internal physics form, so don’t forget to officially sign up for 90r in your crimson cart. Let me know if you have any questions.
For the SENIOR Physics and Chem/Phys concentrators among you (but also for non-seniors, for future reference):
I checked through all of the seniors' records and emailed you of any remaining concentration requirements. But just as a double check, in case I missed anyone, here are some general comments and caveats:
1. Even though I checked through things, you should also check through the requirements listed in the Handbook.
2. Ignore the "Advising Report" in my.harvard, as far as the Physics concentration reqs go. It may very well say that some requirements aren't satisfied when in fact they are. The information I emailed to you supersedes the Advising Report. (However, the Gen Ed part of the Advising Report is probably correct, so you _should_ pay attention to that.)
3. Students who skipped 15b and/or 15c (and took an approved substitute instead) are still required to do the labs, on a pass/fail basis. (But no need to do the 15b lab if you took AP50b or PS12b.)
4. The secondary-field information isn't recorded in the system, so I didn't take that into account in my assessment of any remaining requirements. If you are doing a secondary, be aware that only one course can double count for concentration and secondary. (In contrast, there is unlimited double counting in joint concentrations.)
5. Similarly, for the very few students doing the AB/AM program, the system sometimes doesn't show which courses are bracketed. Be aware that bracketed courses can't count for the undergrad part of the degree.
This email is a reminder about the Physics Department's rule for the 15b and 15c labs. This rule applies to Physics concentrators, Chem/Phys concentrators, and students completing a Physics secondary:
If you skip 15b and/or 15c and satisfy the E&M and/or waves requirement by taking an alternative course (approved by Prof. Georgi or me), then you must still complete the 15b and/or 15c labs at some point, on a pass/fail basis. (However, you don't need to do the 15b lab if you took AP50b or PS12b.)
You can complete the labs in a future semester if you wish, but my recommendation is that you do them at the same time you take the alternative course. (Students in 15b and 15c must of course do the lab when taking the course.)
To schedule your lab time, please email, as soon as possible:
15b: Dr. Carey Witkov (witkov(a)fas.harvard.edu)
15c: TF Kristine Rezai (kristinerezai(a)gmail.com)
Please let me know if you have any questions.
We are very grateful to all of you who completed the Spring 2021 Undergraduate Physics Survey. We promised that we would read the responses carefully and respond. This took a while because the end of the term is a busy time, but here is the response. We are pleased to be able to respond positively to as many of your suggestions as possible. As you will see below, there are sometimes complicating constraints, but even there your suggestions will help to move the department in the right direction. If you have further thoughts, comments, or suggestions, please let us know. Thanks again and have a great summer.
Howard Georgi, David Morin, and Hannah Belcher
Topic: A calendar of all SPS/WiP/Polaris/etc events.
Action: This is an excellent idea, and we will set it up. We'll try to get as many things listed as possible by the start of the semester, although inevitably new events will be added as time goes on. There will be no shortage of events organized by the new SPS committees!
Topic: Many students expressed a desire for a "Mathematical Method for Physics" course.
Action: Another excellent idea. The Dept will offer such a course in Spring '23. (There isn't time to get it organized and substituted into the schedule for the upcoming academic year.) The course will be designed for sophomores, but can also very well be taken by students in any other year.
Topic: An "Intro to Physics Research" course.
Action: A course that will partially fill this role is the new Phys 113 course that will be offered this coming spring. It will be an electronics course with an emphasis on skills that are applicable to physics laboratory work.
Topic: Most students find the culture of the Physics Dept to be welcoming and inclusive, but there are some who do not.
Action: Many other action items in this document address this issue directly or indirectly, but as an additional concrete action, we will create (with student input) a document that will be required reading (part of the first hmwk assignment(s)) for all students in the intro physics courses. This will help everyone get started on the same page. Reading such a document won't fix everything, of course, but it will help. We view this as a necessary, but certainly not sufficient, tool. Additionally, the Polaris mentoring program will be particularly helpful in bringing students together. The return of in-person Physics Night should also help (see below under free food).
Topic: There are many "Hidden Curriculum" topics (course strategies, finding a lab, using office hours, collaborating effectively, etc.) that students aren't aware of.
Action: This is definitely an issue. Polaris held a "Hidden Curriculum" event last year. We will write up a document based on that and (as with the preceding item) make it required reading (part of a hmwk assignment) for all students in the intro sequence.
Topic: The 15a/b/c series was described by some students as too fast-paced, and a trial-by-fire.
Action: Things have improved on this front, due to a number of changes, but two items in particular: (1) This past January, the Physics Dept offered an 8-day non-credit Zoom prep course (2 hours per day) for students panning on taking 12a or 15a (it consisted of roughly half math review, and half physics). It was extremely helpful for the students who did end up taking 12a or 15a. We plan on offering the prep course (as a 1-week course) every August and January.
(2) Students often find 15b a bit intense. In the future, it will proceed at a somewhat more reasonable pace, due to the removal of the three lectures of stat mech at the end. This will average out the overall pace of the semester a bit. (The stat mech was an experiment with good intentions. We wanted to give you a little taste of the wonderful world of stat mech without having to wait until 181. It seemed like a reasonable idea, since the stat mech simply replaced Chapters 10 and 11 in the book, which were always a bit rushed and never too productive. However, we finally realized that the correct choice is to do neither Chapters 10/11 nor stat mech.)
Topic: General course operations.
Action: Some aspects of courses occasionally proceed in a non-optimal fashion. For example: psets/lectures/exams/sections not all matching up, lack of study groups, too many long derivations in lectures, not enough office hours, etc. There is no uniform quick fix for these, but we will do our best to ensure that faculty are aware of the issues, and to provide them with the resources necessary to correct any problems that exist.
Topic: More events with free food!
Action: We couldn't agree more. We made it through the Zoom year, and now (fingers crossed) things should return to normal. The fall will surely (and appropriately) start off slow on the food front, as the college assesses how the return to a residential campus plays out. Hopefully everything goes well and normalcy returns in a timely manner, with lots of events with food. Note: there is a very large supply of funds for snacks at events (by "large" we mean we've never hit it, so we don't actually know what it is). For meals, on the other hand, there is some money. There can certainly be pizza/etc. get-togethers now and then, but one such event will chew up the budget far quicker than numerous snack events. We also look forward to the return of Physics Night in a House Dining Hall as soon as circumstances permit and hope that the Dean of Science will continue to contribute to an expanded brain break.
Topic: A course-planning tool, to see which courses will be offered in future years, and who will be teaching them.
Action: It would be great if such a tool could work, but there are two issues. First, there are some absolute definites (such as: 15a/b/c/143a will always be taught both semesters, 181 will always be in the spring, 143b will always be in the fall, etc.), so a list of those won't help much, since the information is already known. But second (and more importantly), there are other things that simply aren't known (such as: will 143b also be offered in the spring, who will teach 143a two years from now, etc.). There are simply too many moving parts and last-minute changes to know things for sure, or in many cases even partially. For this coming year's schedule, we had five changes in the teaching roster in the last few weeks (after we thought everything was finalized). Even a partial list of the things that we know are probably true could be very misleading. Our view is therefore that the best route is to simply ask us if you have any questions. We can then share any information we have (along with the associated probabilities) with you.
Topic: More opportunities to meet professors.
Action: There will be a number of SPS events this year that will bring students and faculty together. Additionally, we will propose to the department that each professor offer a few open office hours each semester where anyone in the physics community can stop by to chat. There will be a calendar of all the times.
Topic: Facilitating research.
Action: Although professors have a great deal of information on their websites, it can sometimes be difficult to get a sense of their research if you aren't already familiar with the subfield. We will propose that each professor create a one-page entry-level summary of their research (along with any links to readable resources), for students with minimal background. These documents will be static and will NOT contain a listing of research opportunities, because (a) it is impossible to keep such lists current, and (b) virtually all experimentalist professors have undergraduates working in their lab. So you can consider all of them to be "fair game." As in the past, any specific research opportunities that professors want to advertise will be sent to the SPS list.
We will also create a list of students who are working (or have worked) in labs and are open to being contacted for information. Additionally, there was a suggestion to put together a list of tips, common questions, conversation starters, things to consider, etc., to help when talking with professors about potential lab work. We will draft such a document.
Topic: There should be an Ombudsperson for the Physics Department.
Action: We agree. The department (the Equity & Inclusion Committee in particular) is working on this. In the meantime (more precisely, in all times!) we can't stress enough that we very much want you to come talk with the advising team (Howard Georgi, David Morin, Hannah Belcher) at any time about any issue. That's what we're here for. If the issue turns out to be one where we can't directly help, we can definitely point you to the right person.
Topic: More information on non-physics career paths.
Action: There are a number of panels throughout the year on this. Additionally, we will try to gather names of alums who are open to being contacted. We will also publicize the excellent resources that the APS maintains.
Topic: Some sophomores last year lamented (quite justifiably!) the fact that they weren't given the customary new physics toy when they signed up to be a Physics or Chem/Phys concentrator.
Action: We will correct this unfortunate occurrence! A shipment of new toys will arrive sometime in September for the (now) juniors. Stay tuned.
Topic: More URM outside speakers.
Action: The Dept's colloquium committee actively seeks URM speakers. Additionally, the SPS's Chilloquium series regularly features URM speakers. And as a bonus, one of the purposes of the Chilloquia is for the speakers to share a bit about their life trajectory, which doesn't normally happen in a standard colloquium.
Topic: At least one female Prof/TF in all courses.
Information: We try very hard to do this, but there are many constraints, so it isn't always possible. But be assured that the Dept very much takes this into consideration when making the teaching assignments.
Topic: Concentration advisors.
Information: Sophomores submit a list of advisor preferences (most students get their first choice, sometimes second if a given prof is booked up). You can base your preference on whatever you wish; you don't need to have met the prof. If you'd rather that we just pick someone for you, that's fine too. Or we can help you choose. It's all quite informal. If you eventually find that your advisor isn't a good match, you can switch at any time. Regular meetings (at least twice a semester) should take place. Scheduling these meetings is the responsibility of both the students and the advisor.
Topic: Some students felt that there was a culture of "If you don't take Phys 16, your physics path will be limited."
Information: This is most certainly not the case. Students from the various intro courses end up going in all of the various directions. By the end of 143a, everyone is on the same page. If you're worried about missing a specific topic like Lagrangians, you can simply take Phys 151 later on, which will wash out any differences between the intro courses.
Topic: Concern about a standardized curriculum and consistent teaching in the 15a/b/c sequence.
Information: In recent years, 15a and 15b have become essentially fully standardized, and 15c has become reasonably standardized. The material in 15c-type courses varies greatly from school to school. There isn't a standard textbook for it, so there will inevitably be some variation in our offerings. Roughly 80% of the material is a "must" to cover, while 20% can be material that a professor can put a personal touch on. We view that as a good thing.
Concerning the consistent teaching in the 15 series, there is a core group of 2 to 4 professors who switch off in each course (since they're taught both semesters). And based on Q data/comments along with anecdotal evidence, students seemed to find the 15 series more successful this year than in any other year we can remember. That's great news, and even more so, given the challenges of remote teaching. We hope to keep up the momentum when we're back in person this coming year. There is of course always room for improvement, and we will continue to identify issues that should be addressed. But it seems like things are headed in the right direction.
Join us at Chilloquium this week with Eric Heller!
Important: please note the *change of Zoom ID*, as well as the return to
our normally-scheduled *Monday, 4:30 pm EDT Chilloquia!*
This week: Professor Eric Heller and Time-Dependent Wave Mechanics
<https://forms.gle/jBs8yvqH8fvbk1D59>
<https://harvard.zoom.us/j/2704884384>
Meet our Speaker
*Professor Eric Heller* is currently the Abbott and James Lawrence
Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics at Harvard University,
where he works on subjects related to *time-dependent wave mechanics*. He
received his BS from the University of Minnesota in 1968, and his PhD in
Chemical Physics in 1973 from Harvard University, where he worked with
William Reinhardt. After receiving his PhD, he was a postdoc at the
University of Chicago with Stuart Rice, after which he joined the faculty
at the University of California, Los Angeles. Professor Heller is also
known for his work on time-dependent quantum mechanics, as well as for
producing digital art based on the results of his numerical calculations.
Professor Heller is an elected member of the International Academy of
Quantum Molecular Science, the National Academy of Sciences, the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, and the American Philosophical Society. He has
received the American Chemical Society Award in Theoretical Chemistry
(2005), the Astor Fellowship at Oxford (2005) and the Joseph O.
Hirschfelder Prize (2003). He has been a Sloan Fellow, a Humboldt Fellow, a
fellow of the American Physical Society, and a Guggenheim Fellow, and is
the coauthor of over 280 publications.
*About the science:*
Professor Heller is interested in a broad range of subjects that depend on
time-dependent wave mechanics in one form or another. Particular points of
interest include *acoustics, branched flow, graphene, quantum scars,
quantum scattering and multiple scattering, mesoscopic physics,
semiclassical methods and applications, and atomic physics and few body
collisions*. He pioneered a *time-dependent wavepacket picture* of quantum
mechanics, which allowed the excited-state dynamics of large quantum
mechanical systems to be understood without calculating eigenstates.
Professor Heller's work laid the foundations for a theoretical
understanding of femtochemistry, and he is also known for his work on *quantum
chaos*, particularly on *scar theory*.
*Cool publications to check out:*
- Quantum Lissajous scars:
https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.214101
- Scarring effects on tunneling in chaotic double-well potentials:
https://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.64.016204
- Controllable quantum scars in semiconductor quantum dots:
https://journals.aps.org/prb/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevB.96.094204
Chilloquium is the virtual colloquium for *every* physics student.
These weekly talks:
- lie somewhere between a conversation and a lecture
- highlight each speaker's personal journey as well as their work
- are designed with undergrads in mind
To those joining us for the first time this week, welcome! Note that RSVPs
are not required but help us plan and let you pre-submit questions.
<https://forms.gle/jBs8yvqH8fvbk1D59>
<https://harvard.zoom.us/j/2704884384>
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Harvard-Radcliffe Society of Physics Students · 17 Oxford St · Cambridge,
MA 02138-2933 · USA
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Dear Physics Community,
The Equity and Inclusion Committee is inviting you to a Town Hall tomorrow, Thursday, June 3, at 3pm to give you an update on the group's activities over the past few months and plans for the future, and to answer any questions you may have.
Agenda
Welcome [Erica Mantone]
- Expectations of meeting
- Update on APS IDEA
- Sub-groups' reports
· Building naming [Mary McCarthy]
· Code of Conduct [Madelyn Leembruggen]
· Physics ombuds office [John Huth]
· Engagement Survey [Madelyn Leembruggen]
· Incentive and Reward [Justina Yang]
· Recruitment and Retention [Justina Yang]
- General invitation for participation [Mary McCarthy and Madelyn Leembruggen]
- Communication tools [Mary McCarthy]
· Website [Jolanta Davis]
- Suggestions for activities and readings for Juneteenth [Justina Yang]
- Contact information for the EIC [Madelyn Leembruggen]
- Pride month and AAPIHM reminder [Madelyn Leembruggen]
# # #
Topic: Physics Equity and Inclusion Committee Town Hall
Time: Jun 3, 2021 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
To join the Zoom meeting go to
https://harvard.zoom.us/j/97362319354?pwd=ZGpGZDhQUTdnd0hOOEFncnQyd2F5dz09
Password: 048864
Join by telephone (use any number to dial in)
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