* Los Angeles Physics Teachers Alliance Group Walter Gekelman (UCLA) and: W. Layton, (UCLA/Palisdes HS.), J. Wise (New Roads H.S.), N. Rodriguez (SMC), Mike Buck (Chaminade H.S.), Bob Baker (University H.S.), S. Cooperman (Milken H.S.), Richard Buck (Louisville H.S.) R. Griffen (Campbell Hall H.S.), J. Altonji (Sylmar H.S.), F. Carrington (Grant H.S.), B. Coutts (Van Nuys H.S.), K. Barker (Royal H.S.), C. Spahn (Monroe H.S.) *funded by DOE
High school physics teachers from the entire Los Angeles area. It was formed in 1993. (Over the years, between twenty and thirty schools have participated). Website is at http://coke.physics.ucla.edu/laptag
Tours arranged by LAPTAG for teachers and their students. In order to encourage high school students to consider continuing their studies in science related fields, LAPTAG has arranged many tours for students and their teachers. The following are examples of some of the major labs that have been visited: General Atomics in San Diego Mount Wilson Telescope The San Diego Super Computer Facility USC laser laboratories Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Occidental College Physics dept. The Brain Research Laboratory at UCLA The Virtual World Data Server at UCLA Frequent visits to the Plasma Physics Facility at UCLA Mars Laser (Beat Wave Accelerator) UCLA
Meetings where LAPTAG members have given presentations: October 2001 APS-DPP Long Beach California November 2000 AAPT SCS Santa Monica California November 1999 DPP Expo. Seattle Washington January 1999 AAPT National Meeting Los Angeles April 1998 APS Condensed Matter Session (Seismometers) Los Angeles Yearly since 1993 Eagle Rock, Calif. Occidental Physics Teachers Meeting Yearly since 1993 Southern California AAPT meetings. 1994 UCLA Networking Day. A special event organized by LAPTAG to introduce teachers, school administrators and parents to the internet. Presentations by UCLA professors, Pac Bell and Sun Microsystems. 1993 LAPTAG forms as a result of an APS effort to organize local teacher alliances. Held at Cal Poly Pomona.
Projects 1: Seismometer Project With grants from the University of California Office of the President 10 seismometers were purchased and distributed to high schools Lectures by geologists Web based data distribution Data Presentation at APS condensed matter meeting (5 posters)
Wrote two proposals to the University of California Office of the president (both funded) Wrote two proposals to the National Science Foundation (both failed) Wrote two proposals to DOE (both funded) Had many discussion on Science cirriculum Published a letter on the California standards in Physics today Hosted Network day at UCLA Host high school websites. Had summer web-based astronomy course (re-discovered a variable star)
Funded by DOE
Helicon 13.6 Mhz RF source Vacuum system (base pressure 3X10-7 Torr) Argon Plasma, n 10 9 cm -3 Computer Based data Acquisition Gage 100 Mhz 2 channel digitizer Labview software Computer Controlled Stepping Motor Tone Burst generator Langmuir probe PV-wave software for data analysis
Computer Controlled steeper motor probe drive Constructed and programed by the Laptag students (summer 01)
Computer Data Acquisition
Sound wave in air
Sound Measured to be 350 m /sec. This is used to calculate temperature of air in the tube (88 degrees F) An ion acoustic wave is launched and the electron temperature is measured (Te 3 e.v) Ion acoustic wave experiment Making a movie from data
Ion Acoustic Wave Experiment
LAPTAG Plasma Laboratory Manual The laptaggers wrote a lab manaul which is given to all Students who take the lab and is online as a pdf file Bob Baker Michael Buck Richard Buck Bob Coutts Walter Gekelman Bill Layton Lance Rush Christopher Spann Christine Walker Debbie Walker Joe Wise http://coke.physics.ucla.edu/laptag
6 4 ion wave dx = 1.4 cm ion wave amplitude 2 0-2 -4-6 -8 red/blue 4.4 usec apart speed = 1.4 cm/4.4 X10-6 = 3.18 X107 m/sec = 31,800,000 m/sec -10 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 position (cm)