Highlights of the TEXONO Research Program on Neutrino and Astroparticle Physics

This article reviews the research program and efforts for the TEXONO Collaboration on neutrino and astro-particle physics. The ``flagship'' program is on reactor-based neutrino physics at the Kuo-Sheng (KS) Power Plant in Taiwan. A limit on the neutrino magnetic moment of \munuebar < 1.3 X 10^{-10} \mub} at 90% confidence level was derived from measurements with a high purity germanium detector. Other physics topics at KS, as well as the various R&D program, are discussedComment: 10 pages, 9 figures, Proceedings of the International Symposium on Neutrino and Dark Matter in Nuclear Physics (NDM03), Nara, Japan, June 9-14, 200

Cognitive Conflict Strategy and Simulation Practicum to Overcome Student Misconception on Light Topics

One way to reduce misconceptions can be overcome by cognitive conflict learning strategies with the help of simulation practicum instead of actual practicum. This study aims to determine whether there are differences in students' misconceptions before and after learning with cognitive conflict strategies as an effort to reduce misconceptions on light material. Research sample of 31 students. Data on the degree of misconception before the study was 0, 36 and after doing research was 0.17. The t-paired test results for the mean percentage of students' misconceptions on light material before and after learning differed at a significance level of 0.05. While, the results of N-Gain calculations to student achievement increase in overcoming misconceptions on light material were 0.3, that means the average students' achievement in dealing with misconceptions are in the medium category and cognitive conflict strategies combined with simulation practicum have a strong effect on reducing students' misconceptions on light material with a range of 2.91. Based on the results of the study it can be concluded that cognitive conflict strategies combined with simulation practicum can be used to reduce misconceptions that lead to increased student learning achievement. Further research is needed to explore students' misconceptions on other physics topics and can measure student misconceptions at each meeting so that students are more organized and developed in learning

Status of the ANTARES detector

ANTARES (Astronomy with a Neutrino Telescope and Abyss environmental RESearch) is currently the largest neutrino observatory in the Northern hemisphere. The detector has been designed to detect high energy muon neutrinos coming from both galactic and extra-galactic sources, via the identification of muons, produced as the final state of charged current interactions of muon neutrinos with the medium surrounding the detector. The main goal of the ANTARES experiment is the search for high energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin. Besides the search for point-like steady sources, other physics topics are relevant for a deep sea neutrino observatory. Some research topics that are presently pursued within the ANTARES Collaboration will be presented here