1. Professor John Harries, Space and Atmospheric Physics group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London, UK 3 rd Year U/G Laboratory (3YL) Briefing for Demonstrators October 1 2008 1

2. Aims and Objectives To teach UG how to undertake experimental projects, with more autonomy than earlier in their careers. To ensure this is done safely, in accord with H&S guidelines: we are all responsible for H&S of the students, and you must continually enforce these guidelines. To develop the range and quality of experiments available. 2

3. The 3YL Team Head of Lab: Prof John Harries Deputy Head of Lab:Dr Alasdair Campbell Head of Projects: Dr John Tisch Chief Technician of the Teaching Labs:Geoff Green Senior Technician, 3YL:Lee Parker Administrator, 3YL:Graham Axtel 3

4. RAs:- Colin Belton George Bendo David Clements Rachele Fermani Paul Green Gordon Kennedy Elise Laird Barry Macevoy Anne-Marie Magnan Stuart Mangles James Moore Robert Nyman Adrian Ratnapala Diana Shaul Andrew Singleton Yannick Sonnefraud Khadija Tahir PGs:- Christopher Arrell Simon Chard Angela Demetriadou Dominic Farrell Alex Guite Marisa March Thomas Wall Academics: John Harries Alasdair Campbell David Clements Ned Ekins-Daukes Costas Foudas John Hassard Ji Seon Kim (Tm 2 only) Chris Phillips Sergei Popov 4 The Demonstrators

5. Demonstrators duties Largely spelled out in excellent web site Emphasise: -Know your experiment….practice it; -Meet with the students starting your experiment at the beginning, and discuss the experiment; - At this initial meeting, we must go through the Risk Assessment with the students. -ALWAYS meet with the students at the end to give feedback….this is the principal way they will learn. 5

6. Procedures - Lab hours: Monday 10-12 Monday 2-4 Thursday 2-5 Friday 9-12 - Students can work out of these periods, but ONLY during normal college hours, and ONLY if there is a demonstrator or technician present in the lab at the same time. - Reports: full details on the web pages. 1 st and 2 nd marking. Forms and cover sheets available on web. 6

7. Procedures - No food or drink, INCLUDING WATER, to be brought into or consumed in 3YL. Demonstrators lead by example! - Risk Assessments for each experiment are provided at the experiment. Demonstrators are responsible for ensuring students read and understand. - Talk on Errors by Prof Richard Thompson, Thursday 23 October at 5pm. - Talk on Report Writing by Dr Alasdair Campbell, Thursday 30 October at 5pm. 7

8. Procedures: Lab Structure. Standard (short) experiments (3 per ½ course unit) and many (long) projects (1 per ½ course unit), covering a very broad range of physics. A short course and experimental work on microprocessors A half course unit typically = 3 short experiments, a full course unit = 3 short experiments + 1 long project. 8

9. Procedures: What Lab Options Must You Take ? - BSc and BSc Year in Europe.  1 unit of lab, 2 terms (term 1 & 2) including a 1 term long project. - BSc and BSc Year in Europe.  1 term long project organised by 3 rd year lab. - MSci and MSci Year in Europe.  ½ unit of lab, 1 term in either term 1 or term 2. No project in 3 rd year. - BSc Theory Students.  No lab, Theory project - BSc Physics with Music.  1 term project. - Occasional Students.  Projects or short experiments as required by your home institute. You may do 1 term or 2 term long projects as required. Plenty of flexibility. 9

10. Final comments: - We need to allocate experiments. - Introduction meeting at 5pm on Thursday 9 October, in LT1 - I would like our emphasis to be: Feedback and contact between teacher and students, and Safety (READ the excellent and extensive links at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/physicsuglabs/general/safety) - Now, chance for Q&A. 10

11. Safety Safety In The Lab Safety Information For Staff And Students Imperial College Safety Department Risk Assessment Forms 11