In January 2004, North Carolina A&T State University was awarded a grant “CAPACITY BUILDING PARTNERSHIP for RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN SPACE SCIENCE (CB-PRESS)” under MUCERPI-2003; OMB Approval No. 2700-0087, NRA 03-OSS-03 with Prof. Abebe Kebede as PI. One of the features of this proposal was the creation of a space sciences specialization within the Department of Physics.
We have been developing a curriculum and phase-in plan, and we have a need for scientists and engineers with an interest in space science education to serve under an IPA assignment to A&T to help develop and teach courses in this curriculum. The table below provides the teaching activities that we anticipate for the period January 6, 2005 through May 15, 2006 for which an IPA faculty participant is highly desirable:
| Semester Offered | Spring Semester - 2005 | Fall Semester - 2005 | Spring Semester - 2006 |
|---|
| Course Listing 1 | Orbital Dynamics | Introduction to Plasma Physics | Space Plasma Physics |
| Course Listing 2 | Introduction to Remote Sensing | Advanced Remote Sensing | Orbital Dynamics |
Table 1. Course Teaching Schedule for IPA Assignment Personnel
IPA personnel will have the opportunity to teach one or more of the courses listed above as well as developing the actual course materials for A&T. A minimum of one to two persons are desired during this period to ensure that we develop and put in place a quality curriculum that is attractive to students and that meets the objectives of the CB-PRESS proposal. A more complete set of course descriptions is listed below.
| PHYS 6xx Orbital Dynamics (initially listed as PHYS 500.01 and 760.01) - 3 credits |
|---|
| Prerequisites: PHYS 400 or MEEN 337 |
| Description: This course provides the foundations of basic gravitation and orbital theory. Topics include coordinate and timekeeping systems, the two-body problem, particle dynamics and motion under inverse square forces, particularly as applied to spacecraft orbit determinations, trajectories, time of flight and maneuvers. Please note the URL for a model course (http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~fringwal/sps3030.html). |
| PHYS xxy Introduction to Remote Sensing - 3 credits |
|---|
| Prerequisites: Physics 242 |
| Description: The course will begin with rocket and satellite science, to be followed by lectures on space weather and remote sensing. Interspersed within these lectures we hope to include guest lectures from staff in other Departments that have current research interests in Space Science. |
| PHYS 481 Introduction to Plasma Physics - 3 semester credits |
|---|
| Prerequisites: Physics 242 |
| Descriptioin: The course will begin with a review of electrodynamics, the physics of ionized gases, including orbit theory, guiding center motion, adiabatic invariants, and the ionization balance description of plasmas by fluid variables and distribution functions. In addition it will cover magnetohydrodynamics, linear solutions of the Vlasov equation, and the kinetic theory of plasmas. |
| PHYS 6xx Advanced Remote Sensing - 3 semester credits |
|---|
| Prerequisites: Physics 406 or PHYS-? Introduction to Remote Sensing |
| Description: The course will begin with sensing using rocket and satellite science, followed by space weather and remote sensing. Interspersed within these lectures will be guest lectures from faculty and visiting experts on current research in space science & sensing. A independent student project may be required in this course. |
| PHYS 582 Space Plasma Physics - 3 semester credits |
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| Prerequisites: Physics 415 or Introduction to Plasma Physics |
| Descriptino: This course deals with a description of the Earth\'s plasma environment followed by a derivation of single particle motions in electromagnetic fields with applications to the Earth\'s magnetosphere. Other topics include: the origin and effects of collisions and conductivities, formation of the ionosphere, magnetospheric convection and dynamics, and solar wind-magnetosphere coupling. |
Table 2. Descriptions of the Courses in Table 1
This assignment could include the same one to two persons for the entire time, or it could include a combination of personnel resident on campus for at least one entire semester at a time. In addition to course development and teaching, the successful IPA assignee may wish to become involved in research in her/his area, or in representing NASA in developing joint proposals as part of a research team. Please share this with potential candidates, and encourage them to apply. The details of the assignment are negotiable among North Carolina A&T State University, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), and the IPA applicant.
Please encourage qualified and potentially interested NASA personnel to apply. Applicants should have an earned doctorate in an appropriate area and an interest in teaching and research. Please also direct questions about the assignment to either of us at:
Abebe Kebede
Associate Professor of Physics
NC A&T State University
Greensboro, NC 27411
Tel: 336-334-7646
Fax: 336-256-0815
Email: gutaye@ncat.edu
(for questions about CB-PRESS activities) | Solomon Bililign, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Department of Physics
North Carolina A&T State University
Greensboro, NC 27411
Tel: 336-334-7733
Fax: 336-334-7423
(for questions about the teaching assignment) |
As a point of interest, we have attached the draft curriculum developed as part of the CB-PRESS undergraduate Space Science Specialization as an attachment. It will clarify the development of this opportunity further. Either of us will be available to visit NIA and LaRC in Hampton if it will help expedite the process of finding personnel interested in our opportunity.
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