November 2026
Volume 94, Issue No. 11
Special issue on motivating physics learning through research applications
This special issue of AJP highlights how undergraduate physics topics are applied in physics research. Our goal is to provide compelling examples that instructors can teach in class or turn into exercises for students. Linking classroom instruction to current research topics is a valuable tool to make our courses more interesting to students. The cover is comprised of a collage of images from the following articles: An image charge problem and the diocotron mode in non-neutral plasmas; Experimental visualization of a Fermi gas; Blazars: A laboratory for exploring modern physics; and Learning about learning: A path from spin glasses to artificial intelligence.
EDITORIAL
In this issue: Special issue on motivating physics learning through research applications by Harvey Gould; Jennifer T. Heath; Jesse Kinder; Claire A. Marrache-Kikuchi; Beth Parks; Todd Springer; Jan Tobochnik; Keith Zengel. DOI: 10.1119/5.0363752
PAPERS
Connecting the dots between fundamental classical mechanics and microscopic particle dynamics by Nabila Tanjeem. DOI: 10.1119/5.0320653
Editor's Note: Students studying mechanics normally see examples involving inclined planes, rolling wheels, and falling objects, making them think that the subject is disconnected from current physics research. Why not share examples related to current research topics? This paper applies Newton's laws to microscopic systems that display interesting properties such as self-assembly, and it provides links to current research that makes use of these properties.
An image charge problem and the diocotron mode in non-neutral plasmas by Matthew R. Stoneking. DOI: 10.1119/5.0315259
Editor's Note: Upper-level courses in electromagnetism teach how image charges can be used to solve problems in electrostatics including point charges in the presence of conducting planes or spheres. This paper shares another image charge problem that of a line charge parallel to the axis of a conducting cylinder and shows how it is used in research to characterize plasmas via the diocotron mode.
Determining electric charge from atomic force microscopy by Fredy R. Zypman. DOI: 10.1119/5.0316445
Editor's Note: The method of images—a classic topic in introductory E&M—is often presented as a calculation trick with no connection to real-life situations. If you are looking for a compelling example to illustrate it and make a connection to advanced materials science and nanotechnology, you should go through this article. The author explains how this method can be applied to determine the force between a conductive AFM tip and a charged particle. This approach enables the calculation of the local charge distribution on the sample, making it one of the few techniques capable of achieving sub-micrometer resolution in charge imaging.
Applications of undergraduate electricity and magnetism in the MIST-1 and MIST-2 ion sources by Eleanor A. Winkler. DOI: 10.1119/5.0322190
Editor's Note: This paper describes ion beam optics using concepts typically covered in undergraduate electricity and magnetism, and provides several sample problems. The experimental design at the heart of this paper allows for analysis of ion beam shape, uniformity, and purity. It is employed in an analysis beamline used to test new ion beam sources for the Isotope Decay-at-Rest experiment at Yemilab.
Liénard–Wiechert potentials and the electromagnetic memory effect by Níckolas de Aguiar Alves; Bruno Arderucio Costa. DOI: 10.1119/5.0319859
Editor's Note: A shock wave or a tidal wave leaves obvious evidence of its passage. Even if you did not observe the wave, you can observe a difference in the system before and after. But what about an electromagnetic wave? Or a gravitational wave? According to general relativity, a transient gravitational wave can permanently change the separation of two freely falling objects: the system has a “memory” of its passage. More recently, a similar “memory effect” was discovered in classical electrodynamics, hiding in Maxwell's equations for well over a century. In this paper, the authors develop the physics of electromagnetic memory through an example accessible to undergraduate students. Using the Liénard–Wiechert potentials of a single charge, they demonstrate how the electromagnetic pulse of an accelerated charge imparts a transverse impulse to distant charges, leaving a permanent record of the wave's passage. The analysis connects familiar topics like gauge transformations and radiation fields to contemporary research in gravitational physics and quantum field theory. Even without this connection, the calculation reveals a surprising and little known prediction of classical electrodynamics, not yet tested by experiment.
Ultralight dark matter: Undergraduate physics in modern cosmology by Timothy D. Wiser. DOI: 10.1119/5.0320615
Editor's Note: Students often think of dark matter as one of the great mysteries of the universe. I don't disagree. Imagine how excited they'll be to discover that the physics they are learning in their modern physics, mechanics, and electromagnetism courses can set important bounds on the particles that could make up dark matter. Instructors will appreciate the carefully crafted problems with solutions.
Experimental visualization of a Fermi gas by Inna M. Vishik. DOI: 10.1119/5.0320045
Editor's Note: This paper helps instructors connect the simple particle-in-a-box model from quantum mechanics to the research field of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Instructors in modern physics and solid state physics courses will be able to use this paper to bring research results into the classroom and to help students see how what they are learning in the classroom is connected to current research areas.
Blazars: A laboratory for exploring modern physics by J. L. Christiansen; O. Hervet. DOI: Am. J. Phys. 94, 996–1003 (2026) https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0324211
Editor's Note: This paper highlights introductory undergraduate physics underlying astrophysical research on blazars. It vividly demonstrates how critical these topics are in current research and provides example exercises for instructors to incorporate into their courses.
From the frontier of new particle search at the large hadron collider to the fundamental physics principles by Siqi Yang; Minghui Liu; Zhenyu Zhao; Zihan Zhao. DOI: 10.1119/5.0320528
Editor's Note: Physicists working at particle colliders search their detector data for evidence of new particles. While the full theoretical description of the Standard Model and the predictions of supersymmetric models are based on nuanced quantum field theory concepts beyond the grasp of most undergraduate physics students, much of the day-to-day work of collision analysis is based on a simple relativity picture accessible to students in Modern Physics courses. In this article, the authors show simple tricks the pros use to infer missing information about undetectable ghost particles and unlock the secrets of the underlying, possibly supersymmetric decays at the heart of the detector.
A qubit as a bridge between statistical mechanics and quantum dynamics by Manmeet Kaur; Somendra M. Bhattacharjee. DOI: 10.1119/5.0287197
Editor's Note: This paper uses a two-level system—a single qubit—to explore a connection between statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. The authors compare the partition function of classical thermodynamics and the Loschmidt amplitude of a quantum system: the overlap of an evolving wave function with its initial state. For a two-level system, these two descriptions are analytic continuations of a single underlying mathematical function. At short times ( ) and high temperatures ( ), the partition function and Loschmidt amplitude approach the same limiting point, revealing a similar structure in the short-time evolution of quantum systems and the high-temperature limit of classical systems. The paper uses only machinery from the undergraduate curriculum, and yet offers a route into subjects from contemporary research: quantum speed limits and dynamical quantum phase transitions.
1D chain with “rattling” guest atoms by Matt Beekman; Finn Tangeman; Matthew Jenkins; Trevor Loe. DOI: 10.1119/5.0310738
Editor's Note: Clathrates are crystalline materials where a host framework, composed of atoms or molecules such as silicon or water, forms cage-like structures that encapsulate loosely bound "guest" atoms or molecules. This article builds on the standard monotonic and diatomic 1D chain models introduced in solid-state physics textbooks with a 1D chain toy model to explore the lattice dynamics of such guest-host systems. The model reproduces the avoided crossing in acoustic phonon branches, a phenomenon linked to the low-energy vibrations of weakly bound guest atoms. This article, including the homework suggested at the end, illustrates how simple toy models can yield insights into the physics observed in materials that are currently of interest in research.
Entropy and multiplicity in a spin system: An example demonstrating the correspondence between thermodynamics and statistics by Ashwin Mohan. DOI: 10.1119/5.0317335
Editor's Note: Spin ices are geometrically frustrated ferromagnets, which are of interest to condensed matter physicists. This paper points out that published data on these systems allow students to directly see the correspondence between entropy as calculated from thermodynamics (via specific heat) and entropy as calculated from statistical mechanics (via configurational multiplicity).
Jones calculus and polarized optical microscopy research by Yuxuan Bai; Peter J. Collings. DOI: 10.1119/5.0319934
Editor's Note: Students often learn Jones calculus in an introductory optics course to track how optical devices affect the polarization of light. An additional motivation for learning this technique is that it can be applied to understand the behavior of liquid crystal devices, including liquid crystal drops. These drops have interesting tunable properties; for example, they can be used to switch glass between transparent and opaque. This paper will be useful to optics instructors who want to create examples and problems that introduce students to current research.
COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS
Learning about learning: A path from spin glasses to artificial intelligence by Denis D. Caprioti; Matheus Haas; Constantino F. Vasconcelos; Mauricio Girardi-Schappo. DOI: 10.1119/5.0322042
Editor's Note: The authors discuss how the Hopfield model of associative memory is connected to statistical mechanics, dynamical systems, computational physics, and linear algebra so that the model can be included in the standard undergraduate curriculum.
Additional Resources
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