APT Tunes

The Era of Multi Messenger Astronomy

Sreekanth Harikuma — 2024-07-07

Theoretical and technological developments in the last century paved the way for probing the universe using multiple cosmic messengers. The recent opening up of the previously inaccessible domains of messengers is providing us with a plethora of information that would revolutionize our fundamental understanding of the universe. In this article we explore two new messengers of the universe : Gravitational waves and Neutrinos, their cosmological origins and the methods of detection. Moreover, we explain the current and future observational facilities intended for exploring these aspects.

Editorial

Jijo P. Ulahannan — 2024-07-07

Bipolar Transistor Amplifier Designing

V. C. Suresh — 2024-07-07

No Abstract

Physics Education Research - The Time is Now!

Ravishankar Chatta Subramaniam — 2024-07-07

The main objective of this article is to provide insight into the field of Physics Education Research (PER) for readers who may be unfamiliar with it. My journey to graduate school after a 30-year career as a physics educator in India, where I established a home laboratory for designing physics experiments and conducted workshops for students and teachers, plays a central role in this narrative. Given this background, this article is, in part, a story of my lived experiences and personal evolution as a student, teacher, and now a researcher.

PER has now emerged as a distinct sub-field of Physics, drawing upon well-established methods of Educational Research. It is well-documented that adopting research-based strategies to education enhances learner experience in addition to furthering students’ academic success.

There exists a compelling need for physicists to engage with PER. This imperative extends to both educators, who primarily teach, and active researchers in the field of physics. Physics educators at various levels, from schools to universities, should continually reflect on their teaching methods, evaluate curriculum designs, and develop effective assessment strategies. In this context, I have labored into my own experiences, and elaborated on issues which physics educators may generally confront.

Furthermore, it is important to formulate policies to encourage school and college teachers, curriculum designers, educational institutes, policy makers in the government, and other stakeholders to collaborate and evolve systems that would improve the teaching-learning process.

Promoting specialized research within the field of education, particularly focusing on specific disciplines, and concurrently establishing valuable and pertinent professional development avenues for teachers can significantly boost the skill development of the nation's STEM workforce in the 21st century.

Why is Physics Hard? Reflecting on the Pedagogy of Derivations

K. K. Mashood — 2024-07-07

Derivations are a core component of physics education. In this article, we reflect on some issues and concerns pertaining to the pedagogy of derivations. We then present a teaching narrative and associated interactive learning systems that can potentially address these concerns.

Satya - a teacher par-excellence

Sivakumar Srinivasan — 2024-07-07

Prof. S V M Satyanarayana of Pondicherry University passed away on 16th September 2023. He succumbed to cancer despite medical intervention. Satyanarayana was born in 1970 in a small town called Uppalapadu in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. He studied at Nagarjuna University (BSc) and then at the Regional College of Education, Mysore (MSc Ed) before joining the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at Kalpakkam to pursue his doctoral studies. His research primarily focussed on nonlinear dynamics, chaos and related aspects in time-series analysis. Though his research did not involve any aspect of condensed matter, he often learnt many topics in condensed matter to help his fellow students with their research. The topics ranged from group theory for analyzing crystal structure to band structure calculations to data analysis for extracting meaningful information from experiments. It is not an overstatement to say that his contributions helped shape the lives of many individuals who have become professional teachers and researchers.

Satya Sir and APT

Harikrishnan G — 2024-07-07

No abstract

Professor S. V. M. Satyanarayana: A Great Teacher whose Legacy Continues to Inspire

Asweel Ahmed A. Jaleel — 2024-07-07

Professor S. V. M. Satyanarayana, affectionately known as "Satya" by his students and friends, was more than an academic mentor; he was a beacon of knowledge and a pillar of support. A true master of the art of teaching, a revered educator and a beloved father figure to countless students, including me. I had the privilege of completing my PhD under his esteemed guidance at Pondicherry University. Professor Satyanarayana passed away on 16 September 2023, leaving behind a legacy of wisdom, mentorship, and inspiration that will forever shape the lives of those he touched.

Sunday Class - A story of social justice in science

Joseph Prabagar — 2024-07-07

No Abstract

Hermite Polynomials: A Heuristic Approach

S.V.M. Satyanarayana — 2024-07-07

In this note, I present different aspects of Hermite Polynomials derived from a heuristic point of view. Firstly, I will present a derivation of the generating function of the Hermite Polynomials given first few polynomials.