Opportunities for Physics Majors
Students have many opportunities for collaborative on-campus and off-campus research. You can take advantage of enhanced opportunities to study astronomy through the Winfree Observatory, which is equipped with a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD), a camera that captures images and projects them onto a computer screen.
Physics and astronomy seniors cap their major by researching and presenting topics to faculty and students. Recent topics have included:
- Measuring the Variable Star VZ Cancri
- Design and Construction of a Nitrogen Laser
- Scripting Interactive Physlets for Use as Teaching Tools
- Cellular Automata as a Means of Modeling Physical Phenomena
- Monte Carlo Modeling of JLab Spectrometers
- Adsorption Isotherm of Nitrogen on a Nuclepore Surface at 77K
Many students participate in internships, summer research programs, or study-abroad programs. Students have participated in summer research programs at:
- Lehigh, Bucknell, and Kansas State Universities
- NASA Langley Aerospace Summer Scholars Program
- National Institute of Standards & Technology
- Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory
Research topics have included "Host Galaxies of Active Galactic Nuclei," "Monte Carlo Simulations of Electron Cascades in Solids," and "Surface Adsorption of Polymers."
Another way to increase your experience in the field is to join together with other students. The College has an active chapter of the Society for Physics Students. Recent activities included attending the 100th anniversary conference of the American Physical Society.
In addition, many Randolph College students participate in summer research projects.
