Our conference started with a talk about quantum mechanics, and ended with a talk about birds. Professor Allen Landers of Auburn University spoke about work being done in his laboratory to better understand the quantum mechanical dynamics of electrons and ions when molecules fragment. In a presentation from the Auburn University Raptor Center, guests were able to see various birds of prey, including one of our very own War Eagles, and learn about their traits and habitats.

In between we heard from other Auburn University professors, who gave talks about their research on the structure of Earth’s magnetosphere and magnetic confinement fusion experiments. Professor Francis Robicheaux from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, spoke about the difficulty of stably capturing antihydrogen formed from antiprotons and positrons at CERN. He described his theoretical work and the experimental apparatuses used to capture the antiatoms, as well as the impact this work could have on understanding why the universe is primarily composed of matter instead of antimatter. Ten students also presented posters detailing their research that were judged by faculty members.

The conference was very enjoyable. Students from all across zone 6 had the opportunity to learn about different aspects of physics, tour Auburn’s beautiful campus, and see many ongoing research projects at the university (including our tandem particle accelerator and Auburn’s Compact Toroidal Hybrid experiment). //

Get in the Zone

Learn more about upcoming zone meetings and how to host one of your own at www.spsnational.org/meetings/zone-meetings.