Physics 111; Fall 2008
Group Project Assignments

On this page, you will find the group assignments. Make sure that you have been assigned to a group; if you haven't, please contact me as soon as possible or you won't get a grade for the project. The person listed just below the group number is the leader (two names indicate coleaders).

PLEASE NOTE: I typed these names in rather quickly from the questionnaire that you filled out the first day of class. If you find any error (my apologies), please let me know, and I can make the necessary changes.

The Assignment

Each group is assigned to research its topic and answer the question that it poses (you may use the library, the Web, whatever. Here's some good advice: start with your textbook and the text website!). The group is then to construct a Web page detailing what they have found and citing references and links as appropriate. The group leader is to act as a coordinator for group meetings and it is his/her responsibility to see that the Web page is submitted by the due date. In addition, one of the goals of this exercise that those members of the group who are not experienced at using the Web for research, learn from both the leader and the other members who have more experience.

First Assignment:

Details of the Web Page

The topics listed below cover areas of astronomy that we have (or will have) mentioned only briefly in class this semester. I have tried to select questions from planetary science, stellar astronomy, galactic astronomy, and cosmology that we don't have time to study in detail in class. In most cases, these topics represent active areas of research, and many questions remain to be answered.

Please Note: If you aren't sure exactly what I want you to research for your topic, I would be happy to discuss it with the group either directly or through email. (For example, in the past, I assigned a group the topic about the Hubble Constant, and they reported on the Hubble Space Telescope! Needless to say, their grade suffered!)

The Web page that your group constructs does not have to be fancy - - I am more interested in content and completeness. You may link to outside Web sites and use images and other media if you like. The content should reflect a standard research paper: introduction, body, and conclusions. MOST IMPORTANT: Your audience is your fellow classmates, not me. Write your Web page so that the other members of Physics 111 will read it and learn something from it.

A word of caution about URL's: make sure to type the URL exactly; one wrong character renders the URL useless. It is good practice to electronically copy the URL directly from the browser to your page. A faulty link in your page will reduce your grade.

You may submit your web page in three different ways:
  1. (Very Preferred) Construct your page and make it accessible on a server. Then just email me the URL for your page, and I will link to it from here. (If you post your page on a server, leave it there until after the final exam for the course.)
  2. (Very Unpreferred!) Email me all of the necessary files for your page and I'll post them on this server.
  3. (Very Unpreferred!) Same as #2 except bring me the files on a memory stick or CDROM.

Some Ground Rules (more may added at a later date)

  1. The Web page is due by 5:00 pm on the designated date (Wednesday, December 10) - you can submit it earlier if you have it ready. Late reports will receive a 50% reduction in grade for each day after the due date.

  2. Everyone in the group receives the same grade; however, if a group member does not make an adequate contribution, it is the leader's responsibility to notify me of this and the grade for that person will be reduced.

  3. Group leaders will receive 3 points extra credit; however, the rest of the group should evaluate their leader's performance, and on their unanimous reccommendation, the amount of extra credit may be reduced.

One Last Remark . . . This all has some pupose.

I will link to all of the groups' pages from this page. Some of the better ones will be nominated for the highly coveted Hubble-Bubble award. The information from the reports from those Nominees will be fair questions on the final exam.

Groups and Topics

Group 1

David O'Horo
Samantha Wheeler
Megan Schaar
Matt Figas
Curtis Waugh
Brad Federick

Topic: What are the mission and goals of the Dawn Mission?

Group 2

Matt Molinaro
Ali Whitmore
Kevin Deal
Adam Sharp
Brian Gallagher
Maura Ehmer

Topic: What has the Huygens Probe revealed about Titan?

Group 3

Derek Biesinger
Lauren Hattara
Patrick O'Donnell
Sarah Acus
Rangit Rege
Jamie Mason

Topic: What are we learning from the Mars Spirit and Opportunity Rover missions?

Group 4

Adam Helsley
Katie Strauss
Craig Haring
Greg Hoffmann
Tasha Likins
Austin Halsey

Topic: What has the Cassini Spacecraft revealed about Saturn's rings?

Group 5

Adam Chambers
Jennifer Seyl
Peter Lindman
Brenna Anderson
Brittany Molnar
Adam Harris


Topic: What Space Transportation Systems will come after the Shuttle?

Group 6

Brian Vazquez
Kirsten Waggamon
Joan Hany
Scott Christie
Michael Polichuk
Patrick Murphy

Topic: Can we terraform Mars?

Group 7

Austin Schurley
Caroline Watson
Colette Sisofo
Charlotte Stauffer
Brad DeFauw
Stephen Coppel

Topic: What are the plans and goals for New Horizons mission to Pluto?

Group 8

Matthew "Graham" Kenworthy
Emily Vanek
Kristina Flynn
Ben Jarvis
Patrick Shaw
Scott Pfisterer

Topic: Were other mass extinctions (besides the K/T event) caused by impacts, and are we in danger?

Group 9

Austin Fast
John McFarlin
Alyssa Corrova
Malia Jones
Steve Cripe
Evan Allen

Topic: What have we learned from the Deep Impact Comet Mission?

Group 10

Jasmine Longshore
Steven Nagy
Barbara Ehnat
Kevin Hayes
Kevin Duvall
Laura Middleton

Topic: Extrasolar Planets: What have we found so far?
(Use Internet Explorer)

Group 11

Sarah Schill
Robert Marsh
Jackie Hemsworth
Ben Genise
Mike Chase
Anna Sampson

Topic: Extrasolar Planets: How will we ever be able to detect Extrasolar Earth-Sized Planets?

Group 12

Matt Brandewie
Andrew Gutierez
Stephanie Baeder
Emily DeGennaro
Emilie Carroll

Topic: What are we learning from the SOHO Mission?

Group 13

Mackenzie Rolls
Will Conroy
Zach Hardy
Hailin Huang
Colleen O'Donnell
Meagan Fasbinder

Topic: What is the Dark Matter Problem, and can WIMPS or MACHOS solve it?

Group 14

Robert Marlowe
Jimmy Kinney
Kyle Brown
Lisa Richardson
Kristina Gordin
John Popson

Topic: What Are Gamma-Ray Bursts, and Do We Understand Them?

Group 15

Peter Boyer
Nathan Zwayer
David Vanchina
Rachel Bellman
Haley Biel
Adam Schmucker

Topic: Is there a Black Hole at the center of the Milky Way and other galaxies, and where did they come from?

Group 16

Jason Sta. Ana
Brittany Sanders
Matt Higgins
Tyler Berry
Rachel Senger
Jacob Peters

Topic: What were the first stars in the Universe like?

Group 17

Isaac Walker
Abby Harris
Walt Crosby
Taylor Fenech
Robert Elias

Topic: How do We think Galaxies formed, and does the central black hole have a role?

Group 18

Ian Merkel
Will Thomas
Joe Bellino
Alex Dannemiller
Kathryn Werner
Chris Peterson

Topic: What Happens When Galaxies Collide?

Group 19

Michelle Lazzara
Andrew Thiele
Brett Pelsey
Gabby Garcia
Andrew Combess
Timothy Barr

Topic: What is Dark Energy, and is the Expansion of the Universe Accelerating?

Group 20

Linda Flaherty
Marianne Maczko
Andrew Maggard
Bryan Monroe
Garrett Scala
Bennett Schwartz

Topic: What is Inflationary Cosmology, and what does it mean?

Group 21

Briana Johnson-Sims
John Lavelle
William Begley
Matt Brooks
Jenny Lehmann
Jordan Biagini

Topic: Are There Fluctuations In The Cosmic Microwave Background, and What Does This Mean?

Group 22

Sean Riordan
Allison Whitney
Courtney Sheaks
Scott Bartlett
Eric Palm
Sean Jacobson

Topic: What Is A Wormhole?

Group 23

Rebecca Hertz
Scott Hovest
Logan Swingle
Jessie Brougher
Mark Fellows
Lance Armstrong

Topic: What are the latest Strategies and Prospects for SETI?
This document was last modified on Friday, 12-Dec-2008 12:40:06 EST ;
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