Page 7 - Eureka! Spring 2010

Tong Xu, Assistant Professor of Physics,
in his state-of-the-art laboratory.

LHC, first-year enrolment in Car-
leton’s Physics Department doubled
this year over last.”
About half of the department’s fac- Research news

Prof. Tong Xu’s innovative work in
medical physics is being advanced
Physics showcases the Photo: Wade Hong ulty have joined since 2003.
by the establishment of his research
facility on image guided therapy and
spectrum of science surgery techniques. The laboratory,
renovated in January, includes a
state-of-the-art X-ray imaging system
and a 3-D real-time tracking system
By Susan Hickman based on the novel positron emission-
based tracking (PeTrack) technology.
his spring, physics researchers and supporting theoretical work address Says Kalyniak, “Our medical phys-
Tstudents at Carleton are joining questions identified by the global ics group is an important component
hundreds of others from around the particle physics community as funda- of Carleton’s goal of establishing
globe at the European Organization for mentally important, such as under- ‘health’ as a pillar of strength. This
Nuclear Research (CERN), one of the standing the origin of mass.” is physics applied to issues of hu-
world’s largest scientific research labo- The Carleton ATLAS team was man health and, through our Ottawa
ratories, as its Large Hadron Collider responsible for constructing com- Medical Physics Institute, the group
(LHC) particle accelerator re-opens. ponents of the detector and now the engages with the community.”
Carleton has been involved with the group is perfecting its operation. Earlier this year, the department’s
ATLAS experiment, which employs a Some team members are exploring medical physics doctorate program
6000-ton detector 100 metres under- ways to look for the Higgs boson was the first in Ontario to be formally
ground in the LHC tunnel, since 1998. particle, required for the study of the accredited by the Commission on the
Today, 14 faculty members, research origin of mass; others are upgrading Accreditation of Medical Physics Edu-
associates and graduate students detectors for future LHC operation. cational Programs.
from the Physics Department are part For more on their work, see www. “Our Physics Department is at the
of the ATLAS collaboration. physics.carleton.ca/research/atlas/ forefront of innovation and engages
The project is one of a spectrum “In November 2008,” says Kalyniak, students in research at the gradu-
of scientific endeavours engaging “we hosted Rolf-Dieter Heuer, now the ate and the undergraduate levels. We
Carleton’s Physics Department, a de- director general of CERN, for the Her- span the full range,” Kalyniak says,
partment its chair, Pat Kalyniak, says zberg lecture. Also, our PhD student “contributing to fundamental science
is barely recognizable from several Louise Heelan delivered a wonderful projects and to issues of profound
years ago. public lecture in May to coincide with importance to human health.”
Notes Kalyniak about the ATLAS the release of the film, Angels and
research, “This is not just playing on Demons. With all this positive public- For more on the Physics Department,
the fringes. This experiment and the ity about Carleton’s researchers at the visit www.physics.carleton.ca.

Chemistry professors don’t believe in magic By Daniel Reid

cience and magic are contrary From making a small candy spon- giant fireball, people are in complete
Ssubjects by their very nature. One’s taneously combust to liquefying iron awe, says Manthorpe.
principal aim is to explain the nature with a mixture of aluminum powder “At the end of the show we’re just
of the world through experiments. The and iron oxide, the scientific stunts swarmed by kids and parents too.
other relies on tricks and deception. are aimed at igniting scientific curios- We’ve had kids actually come up and
But a handful of Carleton profes- ity in young minds. ask for our autographs.”
sors are exploiting the unusual inter- “It’s educational but it also has that The show of flames, explosions and
section between the two disciplines. wow factor,” says Manthorpe of the colour changes will be back next year
They call it Chemistry Magic. annual show on Feb. 20. “We think in mid-February. For more informa-
“These aren’t research level experi- it’s important to have people excited tion, please visit http://http-server.
ments but they serve to demonstrate about studying science.” carleton.ca/~jmanthor/Magic_Show/
basic chemical principles,” says Jef- Audience reactions say it all. From Chemistry_Magic_Show.html
frey Manthorpe, assistant professor the opening moment, when a nitro-
of synthetic organic chemistry. cellulose stage curtain explodes in a

EUREKA 7