Lupus I Observations from the 2010 Flight of the Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope for Polarimetry

The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope for Polarimetry (BLASTPol) was created by adding polarimetric capability to the BLAST experiment that was flown in 2003, 2005, and 2006. BLASTPol inherited BLAST's 1.8 m primary and its Herschel/SPIRE heritage focal plane that allows simultaneous observation at 250, 350, and 500 μm. We flew BLASTPol in 2010 and again in 2012. Both were long duration Antarctic flights. Here we present polarimetry of the nearby filamentary dark cloud Lupus I obtained during the 2010 flight. Despite limitations imposed by the effects of a damaged optical component, we were able to clearly detect submillimeter polarization on degree scales. We compare the resulting BLASTPol magnetic field map with a similar map made via optical polarimetry. (The optical data were published in 1998 by J. Rizzo and collaborators.) The two maps partially overlap and are reasonably consistent with one another. We compare these magnetic field maps to the orientations of filaments in Lupus I, and we find that the dominant filament in the cloud is approximately perpendicular to the large-scale field, while secondary filaments appear to run parallel to the magnetic fields in their vicinities. This is similar to what is observed in Serpens South via near-IR polarimetry, and consistent with what is seen in MHD simulations by F. Nakamura and Z. Li

Graduates’ views on the undergraduate mathematics curriculum

In Winter 2011 we surveyed the views of 428 mathematics graduates from the 2008/9 graduating cohort. Each graduate was asked to reflect on the knowledge/skills they believed that they developed during their mathematical study, and to assess how useful these skills have been during their career to date. We were also able to benchmark these data against an earlier survey of incoming undergraduates’ expectations. Our overall goal was to determine whether the higher education mathematics syllabus adequately prepares students for the workplace. We found a mixed picture: • An overwhelming majority of graduates believed that they successfully developed generic cognitive skills during their studies (e.g. logical reasoning, critical thinking and problem solving). Furthermore, there was widespread agreement that these skills are useful in the workplace. • However, fewer students believed that their studies had developed generic non-cognitive skills such as making presentations, oral and written communication, team working or computer literacy. All these skills were considered to be useful in the workplace, but are apparently not well developed by studying undergraduate mathematics. Furthermore, we found that incoming undergraduates expected to develop these non-cognitive generic skills during their mathematical study, suggesting that there is a mismatch between students’ expectations and outcomes. • When asked to select what skill graduates wished they had had the opportunity to develop more during their mathematical studies, the most commonly selected was “applying mathematics to the real world”. Over 90% of incoming undergraduates expected to develop this skill, whereas only around 60% of graduates believed that they had. This report raises two issues to consider. First, whether the mathematical community is (or should be) satisfied with the range of skills that graduates perceive the current higher education curriculum to develop. And second, if the community is satisfied by the current situation, how the apparent mismatch we observed between incoming students’ expectations and graduates’ perceived outcomes can be addressed

High-accuracy waveforms for binary black hole inspiral, merger, and ringdown

The first spectral numerical simulations of 16 orbits, merger, and ringdown of an equal-mass non-spinning binary black hole system are presented. Gravitational waveforms from these simulations have accumulated numerical phase errors through ringdown of ~0.1 radian when measured from the beginning of the simulation, and ~0.02 radian when waveforms are time and phase shifted to agree at the peak amplitude. The waveform seen by an observer at infinity is determined from waveforms computed at finite radii by an extrapolation process accurate to ~0.01 radian in phase. The phase difference between this waveform at infinity and the waveform measured at a finite radius of r=100M is about half a radian. The ratio of final mass to initial mass is M_f/M = 0.95162 +- 0.00002, and the final black hole spin is S_f/M_f^2=0.68646 +- 0.00004.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures; New figure added, text edited to improve clarity, waveform made availabl

Planning for climigration: a framework for effective action

The phenomenon of ‘climigration’ is an emerging and increasing challenge to human settlements. Climigration refers to community relocation undertaken in response to climate change impacts. This paper adds to early but critical scholarly discussions by providing a land-use planning framework for organising and responding to the governance, policy, institutional and cultural implications of climigration. This paper argues that land-use planning will be increasingly required to manage climigration events over the coming decades and will rely on input and guidance from other disciplines to do so effectively. Climigration is conceptualised as an end-point of climate change adaptation in this paper. Empirical content derives from a multidisciplinary systematic quantitative literature review of international case studies of community relocations. Planning factors with critical, moderate or negligible influences on relocation success are synthesised. These are linked to the roles and functions of land-use planning systems to provide a framework for approaching climigration. The paper provides three interlinked conclusions. The first is that spatial planning systems have potential and capacity to respond to climigration as an extreme form of climate change adaptation. The second is that anticipatory policy frameworks offer the greatest advantages for successful climigration planning. The third conclusion is that maladaptation is a potential but avoidable threat connected to climigration planning

Engineering students understanding mathematics

ESUM (Engineering Students Understanding Mathematics) is a developmental research project at a UK university. The motivating aim is that engineering students should develop a more conceptual understanding of mathematics through their participation in an innovation in teaching. A small research team (the authors) has both studied and contributed to innovation which included small group activity, a variety of forms of questioning, an assessed group project and use of the GeoGebra medium for exploring functions. The main study took place in the academic year 2010-11, but development is ongoing

Using activity theory to make sense of differences in perspectives on mathematics teaching

We use Activity Theory to make sense of findings from the design and study of an innovative approach to teaching a mathematics module to first year (university) engineering studentsi. The innovation was designed to promote students’ conceptual understandings of mathematics and included use of inquiry-based questions and tasks, a GeoGebra medium for exploring functions, small group tutorial activity and a small group project (assessed). Significant in the findings were the differences between teaching aims in design of teaching and student perspectives on their experiences and learning goals (Jaworski, Robinson, Matthews & Croft, 2012). The teaching-research team designed tasks and approaches for lectures and tutorials to engage students and promote students mathematical meaning making, their conceptual understanding. The students engaged with tasks in lectures and tutorials and developed their own perceptions of this experience

An activity theory analysis of teaching goals versus student epistemological positions

A teaching innovation for first year engineering students’ was designed to involve inquiry-based questions, an electronic graphical medium, small group activity and modifications to assessment. The use of an inquiry approach was intended to encourage students’ deeper engagement with mathematics and more conceptual understanding. Data were collected from observations of teaching, ongoing teacher reflections, student surveys, interviews and assessment outcomes. Despite evidence of success in assessments, analyses revealed fundamental differences between students’ perceptions of the teaching they experienced and the goals of the teaching team. Activity theory was used to juxtapose contradictory perceptions and highlight issues in the wider sociocultural and institutional settings of the research

Engineering students understanding mathematics (ESUM): research rigour and dissemination

The Engineering Students Understanding Mathematics (ESUM) project was a developmental research project aimed at enhancing the quality of mathematics learning of students of materials engineering in terms of their engagement and conceptual understanding. The initial phase of the project consisted of an innovation in mathematics teaching-learning which was designed, implemented and studied, with feedback and concomitant modification to practice. Details are reported in Jaworski (2011b). The second phase of the project, reported here, focused more overtly on the analysis of data in relation to theoretical perspectives. In particular, Activity Theory (AT) was used to make sense of emerging findings. A literature review was undertaken and showed evidence of so-called ‘constructivist’ methods being introduced to the teaching of mathematics in higher education (HE). Dissemination has taken place both internally within the institution and externally and is still ongoing. It has generated interest and activity beyond the local setting. Findings from the project include students’ views on elements of the innovation, improved scores on tests and examinations compared with earlier cohorts and students’ strategic approaches to their studies and ways in which this creates tensions with lecturers’ aims in designing the innovatory approach. The gains from the projects can be seen in terms of developing knowledge of the complexities of achieving principles for more conceptual understandings of mathematics within the context and culture in which teaching and learning take place