Publications
Check out the latest in SPS, AIP and Student Publications: |
- Student Publications
- The SPS Observer
- JURP
- Physics Today
What is Involved in Getting a Ph.D. Abroad?
 Find out first-hand from SPS member Anna Quider, a third year graduate student in astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, UK. Anna is blogging about her experiences as an American-trained student working towards a physics Ph.D in the United Kingdom. Her goal is to give US physics students an idea of what it’s like to study abroad for a graduate degree, as she knew very little about life as an international grad student before she became one.
Meet Anna | Read the Blog | More student publications
Celebrating Laserfest: What is Light?
by Gary White, SPS Director
 Everything about a laser screams physics—from its humble origins as a “solution looking for a problem,” to its myriad uses today, both practical and in pure research; from its contorted acronym to the convoluted history of its invention— but nothing speaks so loudly as the mere fact that it is light, purified, synchronized, and amplified, yet still light. And yet what, exactly, is light?
Read more | Laserfest website | SPS 2010: Exciting the Imagination
New Paper Published in JURP:
Simulation of a Metallic Structure in an Electric Field
By Calvin Wylie and Dr. James H. Taylor, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO
Abstract
 We explore a question about how the structure and strength of a metal is affected by an electric field. Specifically: Is the metal weakened in the presence of an electric field? Using a computer simulation we calculate the positions of metal ions based on some initial conditions. The simulation is set up to calculate this in two ways: a Coulomb force calculation and a Monte Carlo method. In electromagnetic theory, we treat the valence electrons in a metal as free particles within a conducting-material ion lattice. The metal is held together by interactions between these ions and electrons. When an electric field is put into place, the electrons can move relatively freely due to the force from the electric field. If a strong enough electric field were applied, we would have an under-abundance of electrons in one area of the metal and an over-abundance elsewhere. Since the structure of the metal relies on the electron-ion interactions, if we change the ratio of ions to electrons in a given area, we expect it to affect the strength of the metal's structure near the surface as well as a small increase in separation between the ions along the direction of the field. We tested this hypothesis via computer simulation.1
Physics Today: June 2010
 In this experiment performed at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), 18 laser beams delivered more than 5 kJ to a target in 1-ns pulses. The extraordinary pressure and temperature produced in the target's layers of plastic and foam caused the material to behave like a supernova. The LLE is just one of several -facilities whose high-energy-density experiments may both shed light on astrophysical systems and lead to practical applications. To learn more, turn to the article by Paul Drake beginning on page 28. (Photo courtesy of Eugene Kowaluk.)
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The SPS Observer
Each issue of The SPS Observer contains interesting feature articles, physics problems, society news, announcements, meeting information, and breaking news in physics and related sciences. It is published on paper and mailed three times per year (Fall, Winter, and Spring) and published online once per year (Summer). Subscriptions are included with your annual SPS national membership dues.
The Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics (JURP)
The Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics (JURP) is a peer-reviewed, online journal of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) and Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society. JURP is devoted to archiving research conducted by undergraduate students in physics and its related fields, and is a vehicle for the exchange of ideas and information by undergraduate students. Papers in experimental physics, theoretical physics, or educational research in physics are welcome.
Physics Today
A one year subscriptions to Physics Today is included in your annual national membership dues. Physics Today, the flagship publication of The American Institute of Physics, is the most influential and closely followed physics magazine in the world. Physics Today Online (PTOL) extends the magazine's coverage with links to articles and news from around the web. PTOL also features an online research center, bringing together the latest articles from a growing number of online publishing platforms including Scitation and arXiv.
SPS & Sigma Pi Sigma Information Handbook
This annual publication provides local, regional and national contact information; program information; and procedures and forms for organizing and running SPS and Sigma Pi Sigma chapters, meetings and events.
Landing Your First Job: A Guide For Physics Students
If you've recently received your degree and are looking for the most complete and up-to-date information on career and employment opportunities, get Landing Your First Job: A Guide for Physics Students. The volume contains information on the job search, including cover letters, resume writing, interview preparation, and salary negotiation. It also includes the latest employment statistics and glimpses of physicists in the workplace. Landing Your First Job is designed exclusively for physics-educated individuals and represents a resource whose practical value is unparalleled. Written for Students and Recent Graduates in Physics.
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Student Publications
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Call for Papers
JURP is a peer-reviewed journal of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) for archiving research conducted by undergraduate physicists. Papers in experimental physics, theoretical physics, or educational research in physics are welcome. Whether you performed cutting-edge research that led to new discoveries, cultivated insights that deepen our appreciation of well-established physics, or asked serious questions about physics education, you have something original to contribute to the ongoing conversation about physics.
The research must have been performed while the student authors were undergraduates, although the paper may be submitted soon after graduation. The primary authors of papers submitted to JURP should be the undergraduates who conducted the work, but faculty mentors are encouraged to be listed as co-authors if their contributions merit such acknowledgment.
There are no submission deadlines, as JURP is published online.
Send a PDF of your manuscript to:
Dr. Dwight E. Neunschwander, Editor
E-mail (preferred): DNeuensc@snu.edu
-OR-
Dr. Dwight E. Neunschwander, Editor
The Journal of Undergraduate Research in Physics
Southern Nazarene University
Department of Physics
6729 NW 39th Expy
Bethany, OK 73008
More details on submissions can be found here. All JURP submissions are peer-reviewed. Reviewing manuscripts for journals forms part of one’s responsibility as a member of a community of scientists. As an SPS member, you may be asked to review a JURP submission.
• Statement of ethics and responsibilities of authors submitting to AIP Journals |
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