Department of Physics & Astronomy

Most of the Department's facilities are located in the Physical Science Building. We have well-equipped physics laboratories and excellent astronomy observational facilities.

Teaching Facilities

Teaching facilities include:

• Three laboratories for introductory physics and astronomy courses.
• One well-equipped computer based laboratory for both introductory and upper level courses. The lab contains software relevant for both numerical analysis and computer aided design.
• Four laboratories for upper-level courses which include specialized capabilities in optics, atomic and nuclear physics, electronics, and photonics/holography. 

Astronomy has observational facilities at the College Camp, located a short distance from the campus. These include a 12-inch Cassegrain telescope, a computer-controlled 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, a spectrograph, electronic cameras and a microcomputer for image processing, an 8-inch Schmidt camera, photoelectric photometers, an image intensifier, and six smaller telescopes. 

Additional physics and astronomy facilities include a darkroom, machine shop, planetarium, and access to a computer laboratory with both PC-compatible and MacIntosh computers. In addition, a computer classroom is located in the Physical Science Building.

Research Facilities

The faculty of the Physics & Astronomy Department also operate a number of research laboratories including:

Astronomical and Geophysical Observatory

The Astronomical Observatory located at the College Camp includes a 12-inch Cassagrain telescope and a computer controlled 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope housed under separate domes. Also present is a complete computerized astronomical CCD image acquisition and analysis system, an 8-inch Schmidt camera, photoelectric photometers, an image intensifier, and a darkroom with full film hypersensitization facilities.

Magnetic Observatory, also located at the College Camp, is equipped with a Narod Geophysics long period digitally recording magnetotelluric system with three component ring-core magnetometer sensors.

Student surveying the heavens.

The network of geophysical sensors that observatory participates in.

Infrared Laser Laboratory

Infrared Laser lab equipped with a high power axial flow carbon dioxide laser. This laser is frequency tunable and it can be configured for pulsed or continuous output.

The carbon dioxide laser in the Infrared Laser Lab burning through plywood.

The full length of the carbon dioxide laser.

Students operating the carbon dioxide laser in the Infrared Laser Lab.

Magnetic Measurement Laboratory

The Magnetism and Magnetic Materials lab is equipped with a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer. This VSM uses a 1.0 Tesla water-cooled electromagnet, a mechanism for sample vibration, and a signal detection system that utilizes a Stanford Research SR530 lock-in amplifier. Currently this VSM is configured for a variable temperature range from room temperature to about 900 K using a Lakeshore model 330 temperature controller. Data is acquired by a PC with an IEEE-488 interface.

Students investigate the magenetic properties of materials.

Students investigate material properties.

Thin Film Laboratory

The Thin Films/High Vacuum lab is equipped with two thermal evaporation units, Norton NRC-3115 and Denton DV-502. One of these (DV-502) is fitted with a precise Coatings Monitor System. The AFRL at Rome, NY, is in the process of purchasing a Spin Coater for Polymer Waveguides to be housed in this lab. This purchase is enabled by the CRDA agreement that exists between the two institutions.

Thin film evaporation unit.

Other Facilities

While primarily an undergraduate institution, there is a strong research and related-program emphasis and support structure at SUNY Oneonta, including clerical, grant writing, post-award management and accounting staff. The two departments (Physics & Astronomy and Chemistry & Biochemistry) are both housed in the Physical Science Building and maintain a fully equipped machine shop for fabrication and design of specialized apparatus. Additional resources available to the physical sciences programs include:

The College Camp . The College Camp is located approximately 1 mile from the main campus of SUNY-Oneonta. Located on 180 acres of former farm and woodland, its purpose is to provide recreational, social, and educational opportunities for the members of our college community.

The Science Discovery Center. Housed in the basement of the Physical Science Building, the Science Discovery Center is a free, public resource center for hands-on science. This center, with over 80 exhibits, caters to general public that includes people of all ages, as well as the local student body.

The PR2EPS Walk-In Tutoring Center. The is located in room 122 of the Physical Science Building. The center operates Tuesdays and Wednesdays 5:30pm to 8:30pm. The program is run jointly between the physics & astronomy and the chemistry departments.