NUE: Linking Introductory Physics Laboratories with Modern Technology by Restructuring Service Courses Around Investigations at the Nanoscale

该奖项的建议是为了响应纳米级科学与工程教育(NSEE)的公告，NSF 03-044，纳米技术本科教育(NUE)。加州州立理工大学波莫纳分校的研究人员认识到，在入门服务课程中为学生提供一个独特的机会，让他们有机会使用工业级研究设备，以阐明纳米级的基本物理概念。物理服务课程服务于来自多个学科的大量学生，这些学科需要将物理作为他们的专业。这些服务课程将围绕原子力显微镜设计特定的模块，原子力显微镜是一种能够为原子成像的显微镜。每个模块都将被设计来说明在纳米尺度上对物理概念的测量或观察，这将补充学生在宏观尺度上对这些概念的调查。应用将跨越科学和工程的所有领域，例如：细菌细胞膜上的微观摩擦以补充现有的关于倾斜上质量的宏观摩擦的实验室；录像带上的磁条展示的微观磁性以补充现有实验室关于导线中的电流与螺线管磁场之间的磁力；光滑玻璃、粗糙玻璃、衍射光栅和蝴蝶翅膀的微观地形以补充现有实验室关于光的反射和干涉；微观电容和静电学以补充现有实验室绘制宏观电场图。一旦这些核心单元被实施到入门课程中，它们将被修订，以便能够在更高级的初级和高级课程和学生研究项目中实施。该奖项的资金由重大科学计划局的物理司和地球科学局的地球科学司提供。

The proposal for this award was received in response to the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education (NSEE) announcement, NSF 03-044, Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE).Investigators at California State Polytechnic University Pomona recognize a unique opportunity to offer students in introductory service courses the chance to use industrial grade research equipment in ways that will elucidate fundamental physics concepts at the nanoscale. Physics service courses serve large numbers of students from a multitude of disciplines that require physics for their major. Specific modules will be designed for these service courses around an atomic force microscope, a microscope capable of imaging atoms. Each module will be designed to illustrate the measurement or observation of a physics concept at the nanoscale that will complement student investigations of these concepts at the macroscale. Applications will span all areas of science and engineering and examples include: microscopic friction on bacteria cell membranes to complement existing labs on macroscopic friction of a mass on an incline; microscopic magnetism exhibited by magnetic stripes on videotape to complement existing labs on magnetic forces between currents in wires and the magnetic field of a solenoid; microscopic topography of smooth glass, rough glass, diffraction gratings and butterfly wings to complement existing labs on reflection and interference of light; microscopic capacitance and electrostatics to complement existing labs on mapping macroscopic electric fields. Once these core modules have been implemented into the introductory courses, they will be revised to allow implementation into more advanced junior and senior level courses and student research projects. Funding for this award is provided by the Division of Physics in the MPS Directorate and the Division of Earth Sciences in the Directorate for Geosciences.