Physics
Asymptotic analysis provides powerful insights into physical systems by examining their behavior in limiting cases. This paper explores how extending this advanced methodology to high school physics education can deepen conceptual…
Magnetic reconnection is a ubiquitous plasma phenomenon that plays a critical role in particle heating and energization. During reconnection, the topology of magnetic field rearranges, depositing energy into the surrounding plasma through…
We investigate the February 19, 2025, re-entry of a Falcon 9 upper stage using optical observations from 43 meteor cameras across central Europe together with radar detections of re-entry plasma obtained with the 32.55 MHz SIMONe Germany…
Some optical measurements require relative timing of intensity variations with accuracy much finer than the camera frame period. One motivating example is dynamic aurora, where different prompt emissions are expected to originate from…
Over the past several decades, a large body of research has shown that undergraduate science students learn more and more equitably in active learning classrooms; however, the term "active learning" lacks definition and little research has…
Measurements of interplanetary magnetic fields have long relied on spacecraft measurements, which provide only in-situ sampling and therefore cannot capture the global magnetic structure. Faraday rotation of radio signals extends in-situ…
Asymptotic methods are used to derive a geometrically nonlinear beam model for thermoelastic solids with a spatially localised heat source. The asymptotic reduction is based on collapsing the heated region to a point. Away from the point of…
Adiabaticity is a key concept in physics, but its applications in mechanical and control engineering remain underexplored. Adiabatic invariants ensure robust dynamics under slow changes, but they impose impractical time limitations.…
The Hong--Ou--Mandel (HOM) effect is often introduced through a single benchmark: coincidence suppression for \(\ket{1}\otimes\ket{1}\) at a balanced beam splitter. We present a classroom-oriented instructional module that broadens this…
We present a simple variational framework for planar elastica that enables distributed energies, such as gravitational loading or magnetic body torques, to be incorporated in a modular and unified manner. The formulation is based on…
After a brief history of the development of quality factor, useful expressions are derived for the robust input-impedance Qz(w) quality factor that accurately determines the VSWR fractional bandwidth of antennas for isolated resonances and…
This paper resolves a persistent ambiguity regarding the covariant formulation of electrodynamics in a vacuum, as well as of Minkowski's electrodynamics of moving isotropic media. By analyzing a recent debate, we demonstrate that current…
A rainbow is a captivating natural phenomenon resulting from the refraction, dispersion, and reflection of sunlight within water droplets. Traditional classroom demonstrations often focus on qualitative explanations of the formation of…
We show explicitly that radiation from a uniformly accelerating charge escapes outside Rindler wedge, while within Rindler wedge there is no flux through infinity, neither in the Minkowski frame nor in the Rindler frame. This remains true…
Forecasting aurora borealis visibility matters for space weather research and aurora tourism. Visibility at a site and night depends on two distinct factors: (1) whether aurora is physically occurring, driven by solar wind-magnetosphere…
A growing number of introductory physics instructors are implementing active learning methods in their classrooms, and they are modifying the methods to fit their local instructional contexts. However, we lack a detailed framework for…
We present an elementary, symmetry-first derivation of the Lorentz transformation together with a methodological clarification of the linearity step. Starting from the Principle of Relativity, supplemented by spacetime homogeneity,…
The motion of a simple pendulum in a uniform gravitational field can be described by the solution of a second-order differential equation, nonlinear differential equation. In practice we solve this equation using the small angle…
A famous and thoroughly investigated instability set-up, susceptible to wrinkling and creasing, consists of an elastic half-space being prestressed under a dead load, applied at infinity and, possibly, on its surface. We consider the case…
We present an adoption-ready instructional module for introducing quantum superposition in a two-state system. The package combines a five-activity classroom sequence with grading-ready assessment materials organized around six conceptual…