The equipment will continue the development of the ultrasonics laboratory in the Physics Department at Millersville University. Pulses of very high frequency sound are used as a probe (analogous to SONAR) to study fundamental physics (the nature of high temperature superconductors), biophysics (properties of hemoglobin and of enzymes), and the nature of waves (phase and group velocity, reflection coefficients, Bragg scattering of light by sound, the Fourier uncertainty principle for pulse modulated waves, the Kramers-Kronig relation). These studies can be done on a bench top, at low cost, and are readily understood by undergraduate students. They provide physics majors fulfilling their required senior research requirement with an entry into research which is always interesting, and occasionally publishable. The instrumentation is unintimidating, and the process of generating and detecting sound is intuitively accessible. The award will purchase two plug-in electronics modules to cover the frequency ranges 10 to 90 MHz and 90 to 300 MHz. The institution will provide an amount equal to 135% of the award toward the cost of the project.
