Synchrotron and its applications

PD Events, Resources, Classroom Activities,
 Assessment Ideas, IT Applications

PD Events

Application form for the half day In-service held in 2006 and again in 2007 at Monash Science Centre. The program included: a tour of the Synchrotron site, hands on practical activities including the microwave Bragg Diffraction kits, teaching advice and a briefing on the operation and uses of the Synchrotron. The event is expecetd to run again in 2008.

Text Resources

Teaching program linking the Detailed Study to the Unit 4 Areas of Study "Interactions of light and matter" and "Electric Power".

Document linking the DS, Einstein's relativity, to the DS "Synchrotron and its applications".

Synchrotron Notes prepared by Steve Treadwell for the 25th July PD event at Monash Uni.

Audiovisual Resources

It is recommended that teachers should view any video before purchase. Thre is also a CDROM available from the AIP Education Committee. See IT applications below.

VEA: Synchrotron- An Introduction

Powerpoint presentation (7 MB) by Dr Greg LeBlanc, Lead accelerator physicist at the Australian Synchrotron for the 25th July, 2006 PD event at Monash Uni.

Powerpoint presentation (4.5 MB) by Helen Lye on Modelling synchrotron radiation using visible light.

Classroom Activities

Five pages of practical activities ranging from simple exercises with everyday materials to effective demonstrations of Bragg Diffraction. (updated 11th August 2005)

A Bragg Diffraction Experiment with microwave apparatus. The pdf file includes a full page protractor to measure angles. Teacher notes for the experiment.

Microwave kits for Hire from the AIP for $50 for one week's use. The document describes the contents of the kit and how to book one. The file, current bookings, of the kits shows the schools that have already booked kits and the weekly slots that are still available. A booking of a kit can be reserved by email to Dan O'Keeffe at danok@bigpond.com and then confirmed by either faxing a school order form to (03) 9561 7602 or by posting it to the AIP Education Committee, PO Box 304, Glen Waverley, VIC 3150. As schools will have the kit for a week, it is hoped that a school near to a school that had made a booking, could ask to borrow the kit for a day.

If a school already has a microwave kit, a "foam crystal" to do the Bragg Diffraction experiment can be purchased for $20. See details above.

A set of X-ray diffraction graphs that students can analyse to determine the crystal spacing from a supplied X-ray wavelength. Answers are included. The spreadsheet described below was used to generate these graphs.

A media article on an example of a use of synchrotron radiation. Questions and answers included.

Assessment Ideas

A statement of expectations of the students for the SAC.

A synchrotron test with a question matrix and a copy of the test with answers.

A set of test questions with answers.

IT Applications

The CDROM "Exploring matter with synchrotron light" is available from the AIP Education Committee for $50. To order a copy, send a cheque with the order form, made out to the "AIP (Vic Branch) Education Committee", to the AIP Education Committee, PO Box 304, Glen Waverley, 3150. Also available is a summary showing the table of contents of each of the five sections of the CDROM.

An Excel file for generating X-ray Diffraction Graphs for different crystals. The file includes instruction on how to use the spreadsheet as well as a weblink to a site containing an extensive list of crystal spacing data that is used to generate the graphs

Useful Websites

Resources about The Australian Synchrotron on the DIIRD website

The Victorian Government's Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development (DIIRD) is overseeing the development of the Synchrotron being built at the Monash site in Clayton. They have established a well resourced website that contains within its links all that teachers and students will need to know about the Synchrotron. To go to the site click here. When this site comes up one of the options displayed is a "Discussion Forum" which offers sections for everyone from the general public to physics teachers to research scientists specialising in a particular use of synchrotron radiation. You are welcome to join any of these sections and see what is being discussed.

Their website also features an extensive set of resources available in pdf form. There are 11 files of explanatory notes, 6 files of activities, a file of video and multimedia resources and a file of useful websites.

The Department sends out regular news bulletins by email, if you want to be on the mailing list, Send an email to Australian Synchrotron Project

The Australian Academy of Science runs the website Nova: Science in The News. For each news item they provide "key text", "Glossary", "Activities", "Further reading" and "Useful Sites". There is a news item on the Synchrotron, posted in November 2002.

Booster synchrotron, Center for X-ray Optics, Contemporary Physics Education Project, Cornell University: Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, How stuff Works: Klystrons & the 'buncher', Linac design & operation, Synchrotron Radiation, Testing Beethoven’s hair

Dr Peter Hammond of the University of Western australia has a website of useful images and animations.

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