Information sheet - University of Cape Town

Experimental high energy physics, comprising:
(a) Research within the UCT-CERN Research Centre; (b) Relativistic heavy ion collisions within the ALICE
collaboration at CERN; (c) High energy proton-proton collisions within the ATLAS collaboration at CERN.
Nanophysics and solid state physics comprising:
(a) Research within the Nanosciences Innovation Centre; (b) Structural and electrical properties of thin
films; (c) X-ray diffraction studies of strain fields and residual stress analysis; (d) Single electron transport
and interactions.
Applied Physics comprising:
(a) Positron Emission Particle Tracking at PEPT Cape Town, iThemba LABS; (b) Particulate flow and
interaction characterization in engineering and biological systems by computational and mechanistic
modelling; (c) Radiation transport modelling in industrial and medical systems; (d) Applied nuclear physics
using neutrons; (e) Geo-neutrino detection (EARTH collaboration).
Tertiary physics education comprising:
(a) Curriculum design and evaluation; (b) Role of language; (c) Understanding of measurement and
uncertainty; (d) Modelling and visualization.
The opportunities that the Square Kilometre Array might provide the department are also recognised. The
independent Department of Astronomy are neighbours in the RW James Building.
Research funding may be applied for from university sources and from the National Research Foundation
(NRF) of South Africa. Academics are strongly encouraged to apply for an NRF research rating which
provides automatic basic funding to be awarded. Funding is also available for ATLAS and ALICE researchers
through the SA-CERN programme. See http://www.sa-cern.ac.za/
Teaching
Undergraduate teaching
The department teaches Physics in a curriculum which leads to a major in Physics in the three year BSc
degree. There are large first year service courses where Physics is taught to engineering, medical and other
non-physics students. An average teaching load is around 90 lectures a year, ranging from first year courses
to honours level courses. In addition, usually one afternoon a week will be assigned to supervising
laboratory activities. All staff, both experimentalists and theorists, will be expected to supervise first year
laboratory classes, where graduate students act as the demonstrators and tutors. Usually the
experimentalists run the senior undergraduate laboratories.
Honours teaching and project supervision
Students may go on to take physics in the one year BSc (Honours) degree, which follows the 3 year BSc
degree. This course contains a research project which a student completes under supervision of a member
of the Physics staff. The level of the coursework in the Honours degree is similar to that in the first year in a
graduate school programme in Physics in the United States.
Post-graduate (MSc and PhD) supervision
Staff members are encouraged to supervise postgraduate students at both MSc and PhD level. The average
number of post grads per staff member is around four.
Administration
All academics share in some of the administrative load of the department, supported by a departmental
administrator and two senior secretaries. A set of portfolios has also been designed to provide academics
with opportunities to contribute positively to the operations of the department.