Galway's Imbusch Observatory, which was officially opened this week, has put the fun back into physics, writes Dick Ahlstrom.
Galway has a new window on the universe, a dedicated observatory with optical and radio telescopes sharp enough to spot planets orbiting distant stars outside our solar system. It sits not atop Connemara's Twelve Bens mountains, however, but a short walk from Eyre Square, in the middle of the city.
The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, visited NUI Galway on Monday to officially open the Imbusch Observatory. The facility serves students taking the university's dedicated physics and astronomy degree and delivers a very practical edge to the course work, says Prof Mike Redfern of the department of experimental physics.
"We regard this as an interesting and very exciting way to teach physics," he says. "We have to make use of the dedication and enthusiasm of the kids."
The university launched its four-year physics and astronomy degree four years ago; this summer will see the first graduates, seven women and two men. It has proved a very effective way to attract students back into physics, says Redfern.
The numbers of students choosing physics has fallen steadily over the past decade, so anything that stems this exodus must be welcomed. The Galway programme has helped, as have similar programmes under way or about to be started at other universities. More than 60 students signed on for physics astronomy degree programmes in the last CAO intake, says Redfern, more than the total for conventional physics degrees.
This fresh interest taps into the broad appeal that things astronomical hold for most people, he believes. It also relates to the very practical dimension to Galway's programme. Second years, for example, are taken for a five-day trip to the Bologna Observatory, in Italy, where they conduct a series of observations and experience first hand what being an astronomer entails.
When Redfern first proposed the four-year degree programme NUI Galway had no observatory, but now it has two small instruments, an optical and a radio telescope. The city might not be the best place to site an observatory, but quality work can be done, he says."This is a dreadful place to put a telescope, but you can make real scientific measurements," he says. "We have an emphasis on practical work. Getting a measurement, analysing it, calibrating it, understanding what it means: I think this is a very useful transferable skill. It is not easy." Students acquire many mathematical, computational and problem-solving skills, useable in a wide range of areas, not just the sciences.
Although the astronomy element gives the physics a focus, the degree is still strongly grounded in physics. "The emphasis we put on it was having aspects of astronomy in all four years," Redfern says. "We do not compromise on the physics."
The optical telescope, which has a 30-centimetre mirror, reaches only amateur standards. An upgrade to 40 centimetres is planned, however; this would push it up to professional standards. The radio telescope has a three-metre dish, compact but still able to make credible readings. "It is sufficiently large that you can detect the hydrogen in the galaxy and the Doppler shift in the hydrogen." Students can observe the transit of "exoplanets", planets orbiting distant stars.
The programme currently takes up to 20 students a year and involves three academics, with two more lecturers expected to join this year. Women every year make up a large proportion of the total intake.
The observatory is dedicated to Prof Frank Imbusch, recently retired professor of experimental physics and long-term stalwart of the subject nationally. Imbusch has also generously given his time as a judge in the RDS/Irish Times Boyle Medal competition.