Major Award for Schools Project

Over the course of the 2008/9 academic year, Dr Julian Dean, Dr Matt Bryan and Dr Dan Allwood have been spending Wednesday afternoons with Physics A-level students at King Edward VII School (KES). They have been involving the students in performing finite element simulations of nanomagnetic systems. The first few weeks involved using a freely-available bridge-building computer game to demonstrate the principles of finite element modelling, followed by a competition to building bridges to the modelled designs. The group then moved on to learning about basic magnetics and magnetisation dynamics before designing finite element meshes to investigate `exchange-spring´ magnetic grains. These are relevant to the next generation of magnetic hard drive data storage media. The students have been able to learn the underlying physics behind various magnetisation processes by seeing the outcome of their own models. Different groups of students investigated different conditions so that a global picture emerged as the students communicate their results to each other. The afternoon sessions also included experimental demonstrations and brief research talks on various subjects. The results of the students´ research have been submitted as a research paper with the school students included as authors. An on-line presentation on the research is available through the Global Education Outreach website hosted by the Kroto Research Institute.

On 17th June, the team members were awarded the Kroto Prize for Excellence in the Science Education of Young People by Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Harry and Lady Margaret Kroto.

This project was supported by the University's Departmental Widening Participation Development Fund.

For further information about Outreach activities and Schools Liaison, please contact Dr Russell Goodall.

email: r.goodall@sheffield.ac.uk