The joint spring meeting of the Appalachian and Chesapeake Sections of the AAPT will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at Concord University in Athens, WV.
Local area physics are science teachers are especially encouraged to attend.
Please email me to RSVP (racheledominguez@rmc.edu.)
See our website for more information and details about contributing talks, demonstrations, or posters.
Invited lecture: Astrophysical Hoyle State Enhancement, Dr. Richard H. Cyburt, Concord University
Abstract: In 1954, Sir Fred Hoyle predicted the position of an excited state in carbon-12 needed to explain the preponderance of carbon in the universe and our own existence. Under laboratory and normal astrophysical conditions, this state spontaneously decays via electromagnetic radiation into the carbon-12 ground state, releasing a total of 7.65 MeV in energy. This energy is responsible for powering stars during later stages of stellar evolution. We consider the possibility of hadronic collisional de-excitement of the Hoyle state as a means of enhancing the rate of carbon production. Calculations and their comparison to experimental data will be presented. The overall enhancement can be significant under certain astrophysical conditions, such as exploding stars or in the crusts of neutron stars.
Invited Workshop: Women and Minorities in the History of Physics, Role Models for Today, Dr. Gregory Good, The Spencer Weart Director, Center for History of Physics American Institute of Physics
Abstract: Teachers will be introduced to the teaching materials on the AIP website related to the history of women and minorities in the physical sciences. The purpose of these materials is to help students appreciate that not only white males have contributed to the development of physics, astronomy, and other physical sciences. On the flip side, there have been many more women than Marie Curie and many more African Americans than Benjamin Banneker and Jim Gates who have had successful careers in the physical sciences. We will explore several of the lesson plans in each group and explore games and other activities to bring these lessons to life.