UTModPhy: Group Projects

	Group Projects
	Your group projects begin after spring break, on March 22. There will be four projects, exploring the physics of the Sun, Semiconductors, Nuclear Physics and Relativity, and Chaotic Dynamics. The Lasers group project will not be offered unless there is significant demand. (Not all of its experiments work).
	The projects are all open-ended: you are responsible for choosing the investigation and for setting the scope of the experiment. For each group, we put together a packet of papers which detail some experiments you should consider. You will have to do some research as well -- the packets are to get you started only. There is a lot to read; you should divide the papers up and discuss them as a group. Each experiment is new or redesigned for this year: you are expected to deal with the surprises and setbacks that will crop up as these experiments are performed for the first time. (In other words, it's like doing real physics!). The description of each lab contains several prelab questions which must be comleted by the first wednesday of the group project week; for Spring 199, this means the 24th of March: you will probably have to work on this over break. Feel free to meet and work on the prelab together (but you must each turn in your individual prelab). The lab will be open, as normal, Monday and Wedensday 2-5, and Tuesday 5-8. You are free to attend the session you are not normally in. It may not be necessary for every member of the group to show up every time; however, some segment of your group must be present each day the lab is open. Arrange a group schedule. When we place you in groups we will distribute a packet of literature dealing with your project. You are still expected to do research; the packet is simply to get you started. You should each individually prepare a prelab report, due on Monday, March 22. (As far as possible you should all show up for Monday lab that week; we will introduce the projects). You will turn in a rough draft of your report on April 23th (ten days after the last lab day), and we will return the report with our comments the next Monday. There's no grade for the rough draft, but it should contain all of the content you plan to include in your final paper. Your final draft is due on April 30th. The paper counts for two lab grades. One third of the grade is the report; another third is a subjective assesment of how well your group planned your experiment and worked together; and one third of the grade is from the abstract alone (so get it right!). These projects are interesting and hopefully fun, and so we're going to set aside one day of lecture so that each group can give a brief, informal oral presentation describing what they did, why it is interesting, and what they found out. The presentations are not graded; this is simply your chance to share the results of your work.