Caltech Physics League
Introduction and terms
Spring 2013
meeting times: Mondays, 5:45PM, E. Bridge 114.
(again...)
May 13th: space debris I - debris size
Question for next meeting: Could you think up a theory for the 1/L^2 rule of debris size distribution?
Problem 1: Magentic field and Einstein challenge. (will be discussed on May 13th)
April 29th: magnetic fields of stars
. (notes to come)
April 22nd: Black hole batteries (click for notes)
Black-hole batteries paper
April 8th, 15th: Slowing light (class notes)
and - more elaborate notes discussing QM dyamics
Slowing light paper
Winter 2013
Meeting times: Mondays, 5:45PM, E. Bridge 114.
Optical solitons notes
Photonic crystals notes
Challenge 2: Motorcycles: crash and jump
Challenge 1: Flats and jets
jet solution:
notes from meeting discussion
Winter 2012
Organizational meeting : 10/1/2012(Tuessday), 6PM, Bridge 114.
Weekly meeting : Tuessday, 6PM, Bridge 114.
Challenge 1: Earthquake!
Challenge 2: Altitude sickness
Challenge 2: Mathematica notebook
Challenge 3: Black Hole Battery
Fall 2011
Organizational meeting : 10/11/2011(Tuessday), 6PM, Bridge 114.
Weekly meeting : Tuessday, 6PM, Bridge 114.
Challenge 1: From diffraction patterns
Challenge 1: Mathematica notebook
Challenge 2: Quasicrystals form an odd angle
Challenge 2: Mathematica notebook
Challenge 3: Dispersion of Graphene
Game Show!
Spring 2011
Organizational meeting : 1/6/2011(Thursday), 6PM, Bridge 114.
Tidal Speed note
Desert Chimney note
Tokamak note
Fall 2010
CPL meeting times: Thursday, 6pm - 7:30pm, Bridge 114.
meeting 1:
Earth rotation induction generator notes
superconducting critical field example experiment
Challenge 1: Magnetic-breaking
Challenge 2: Speed of the tide
Here's the tidal energy note by Gil
Spring 2010
Last meeting:
Memorial day, 6pm, bridge 114. Featuring:
Clockwise-counterclockwise.
First challenge - Hanburry Brown - Twiss and Sirius
Noise correlations:
- Hanbury Brown-Twiss
Sirius Nature paper
- Correlations in BEC's and Mott insulators:
Ketterle's webpage:
http://cua.mit.edu/ketterle_group/
Ian Spielman's noise measurements:
http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0606216
Winter 2010
Second challenge - Magnetic pinball
Solution
winners: John Forbes and Tony Baojia
First challenge - Atmosphere vs. Astronomy
due: extension made till monday Feb 15th.
Solution
winner:
John Forbes
2/11/10 meeting: slowing light. (17m/s!)
nature-paper
3/4/10 meeting:
Aurora slide show
Fall 2009
Second challenge - Electric images
Preparation problem:
The imperfect electric mirror
Challenge 2 Problems
Solutions
winners: John Forbes and Tony Baojia
First challenge - Mars elevator under fire
Challenge 1 Problems
Preparation problem:
Mars space elevator
(not handed in or graded)
also see
Notes on waves in ropes
Solutions
taken from: http://www.myreviews101.com/tag/space-elevator-on-green-mars
Spring 2009 challenges:
Challenge 1: Space wars with leftovers
Winners
:
John Schulman and Eric Stansifer.
Challenge 2: Sonic booms
Winners:
John Schulman and Tong (Tony) Boajia
Useful Links:
International Physics Olympiad Webpage - Archive of past olympiads
David Morin's Webpage (includes the 'problem of the week' list
Leaguemaster info:
Gil Refael
164 W. Bridge
M-C 149-33
tel.: (626)-395-4705
fax: (626)-683-9060
refael
...caltech.edu