April 27, 2026
Our students bridged almost a full school year’s worth of physics knowledge with a visit to a facility that is one of a kind to our nation. The Edwards Accelerator Laboratory at OU is a unique site, known for its 30 meter flight path and neutron research capabilities that don't exist anywhere else in North America. In the photos, you can see our students in the control room & on the observation catwalks getting a bird's eye view of the 4.5 million volt tandem accelerator (the large orange tank). They learned how this massive machine uses high voltage electricity and steering magnets to accelerate subatomic particles to a fraction of the speed of light.
In the nano-science lab, the students used a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to examine the microscopic world in detail. They discovered a gold-plated insect viewed at incredible magnification & the 3D internal wire-bonding of a vintage 1980s Texas Instruments calculator chip. They even got to see how physicists visualize the behavior of electrons using advanced imaging tools.
In the nano-science lab, the students used a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to examine the microscopic world in detail. They discovered a gold-plated insect viewed at incredible magnification & the 3D internal wire-bonding of a vintage 1980s Texas Instruments calculator chip. They even got to see how physicists visualize the behavior of electrons using advanced imaging tools.