Professor of Physics Emeritus Philip Pearle published “Simple Derivation of the Lindblad Equation” in the July issue of European Journal of Physics.

Six members of the Hamilton faculty were recognized for their research and creative successes with the Dean’s Scholarly Achievement Awards, presented by Dean of Faculty Patrick Reynolds at Class & Charter Day on Friday, May 4. The Awards recognize individual accomplishments, but reflect a richness and depth of scholarship and creative activity across the entire faculty.  The awards were made in three categories: Career Achievement, Early Career Achievement and Notable Year Achievement.

Professor of Physics Ann Silversmith presented a talk and a poster at the annual spring meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS) in San Francisco.

Professor of Physics Emeritus Philip Pearle published a paper titled “Cosmogenesis and Collapse,” in the January edition of the journal Foundations of Physics. The article presents a quantum theory way of creating the universe out of a state of nothingness.

Assistant Professor of Physics Natalia Connolly recently participated in a summer outreach program with four high school students and their physics teacher, Jeff  Rodriguez, at Anderson High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity changed the way we understand the world. Now, Abrar Ahmed ’13 is working with Associate Professor of Physics Seth Major on thought experiments that would modify Einstein’s Special Relativity.

Sarah Fobes’12 presented a poster at the International Conference on Luminescence, held in Ann Arbor, Mich., June 26- July 1. Her poster was titled “Post-annealing immersion study of sol-gel silicate glasses containing rare earth dopants.”

Fluorescent materials have important implications for modern technologies. However, the study of fluorescence can be a complex and precise matter. This summer, Erin Bessette-Kirton ’12, a physics major with minors in math and geology, will work with Professor of Physics Ann Silversmith to investigate the structure of terbium in doped sol-gel glass and the terbium concentration’s effect on fluorescence decay.

Solar cells hold the potential to provide an efficient and environmentally-clean energy source. With the recent interest in alternative forms of energy, solar power is gaining importance, and so is research on solar cell efficiency. Over the summer, Sarah Fobes is working on an innovative method of improving solar cell efficiency using rare earth elements. She is collaborating with Professor of Physics Ann Silversmith on their project, “Quantum Cutting to Enhance Solar Cell Efficiency.”

Two groups of local third-grade students recently enjoyed some hands-on science learning with the help of Hamilton’s science faculty. For about 20 years, Professor of Biology Dave Gapp has organized “Science Exploration Days” which bring classes of elementary school students to Hamilton for guided tours and short lessons in various areas of science.