Topics

Here is last year's list of possible topics (with small modifications); suggestions for additions to the list are welcome.

• Materials science related topics:
  • Superconductors - magnetic levitation (MAGLEV trains).
  • Superconductors - medical applications (SQUIDS).
  • Fast semiconductors (such as GaAs) and devices.
  • Quantum engineering - quantum wells, quantum wires, quantum dots.
  • Photonics.
  • Materials issues in prosthetic design.
  • Liquid crystals and liquid crystal displays.
  • Physics of earthquakes. Earthquake prediction.
• Communications and communications technology :
  • Fiber optic communications.
  • Physics and applications of the GPS.
  • Technology of high definition TV.
  • Geomagnetism. The earth's magnetic field. Dynamo models.
  • Physics and technology of compact disks.
  • Very long baseline interferometry and applications in astronomy.
• Nuclear physics:
  • Nuclear power.
  • Disposal of nuclear waste.
  • Novel reactor designs (e.g., breeder reactors).
  • Radiation therapy, treatments, and dosimetry.
  • Bone and organ imaging using radioactive tracers.
• Astrophysics:
  • Status of cosmological theories after COBE.
  • Controversy surrounding the value of the Hubble constant.
  • Physics of compact objects - neutron stars, black holes, etc.
• Medical imaging/biological physics:
  • High resolution MRI methods.
  • PET scans.
  • Tomography - mathematics and computational issues.
  • Optical "tweezers" for probing biological systems.
  • Biological effects (or lack thereof) of low frequency EM radiation

If you can't decide on a topic from this list, I'm happy to consider alternatives. Also, you will probably want to refine the topics somewhat after you've dome some research.