Dr. Eric Ayars

Grants, Publications and Talks

J. M. Craven, E. Meeks, G. Delich, E. Ayars, H. K. Pechkis, J. A. Pechkis, "A low-cost shutter driver and arbitrary waveform generator for optical switching using a programmable system-on-chip (PSoC) device", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 93, 113002 (2022)

Eric Ayars, "KiCAD Basics", workshop presented at the AAPT national meeting, Grand Rapids MI, July 2022.

Eric Ayars, "Surface-Mount construction techniques", workshop presented at the AAPT national meeting, Grand Rapids MI, July 2022.

Eric Ayars, Shane Mayor, "Instrumentation for measurement of ground-level atmospheric pressure fluctuations" poster presented at the CSU Chico College of Natural Sciences Poster Session, May 2022

Sarah Smith, John Permann, Joseph Levine, Eric Ayars, "Driver for an Electromechanical Laser Shutter" poster presented at the CSU Chico College of Natural Sciences Poster Session, May 2022

Eric Ayars, Bene Justin, Shadia Habbal, Sage Constantinou "Development and Performance of a Stability Platform for Ocean-Based Total Solar Eclipse Observations" poster presented at the CSU Chico College of Natural Sciences Poster Session, May 2022

Shadia Habbal (PI) et al (Eric Ayars, Co-I), NASA Heliophysics Division "Quantifying the plasma properties of the coronal sources of different solar wind streams with multi-wavelength observations during the 2021 December 4 total solar eclipse", $224,000, funded.

Shadia Habbal (PI) et al (Eric Ayars, Co-I), National Science Foundation "RAPID: Multiwavelength Imaging and Spectroscopy of the Corona During the 2021 December 4 Total Solar Eclipse" $199,926, funded.

Nicholas Nelson and Eric Ayars, "Including Computation Everywhere in Upper-division Physics: ICE-UP", PICUP Stipend to Support Computation-Based Curricular Change grant, awarded April 2021

JaneAnne Arnone, Eric Ayars "Analysis of a Weakly-Coupled Oscillator Apparatus for Upper-Division Physics Labs", poster presented at the CSU Chico College of Natural Sciences Poster Session, April 2019

David Kagan, Eric Ayars, David Brookes, "The Problem with Some Problems", The Physics Teacher 57: 76, February 2019.

Eric Ayars, "Development of a high-resolution coincidence counter using the Cypress PSoC 5LE" poster presented at BFY III, Loyola College Maryland, July 2018. (Also presented at the CSU Chico College of Natural Sciences Poster Session, April 2018.)

Eric Ayars, "Development of a Mechanical Chaotic Oscillator", Invited talk presented at BFY III, Loyola College Maryland, July 2018.

Eric Ayars, Tori Goff, and Kirk Williams, "Things one can learn by putting a quadcopter in a vacuum chamber" The Physics Teacher 56: 344, May 2018.

Ty Coleman and Eric Ayars, "Characterizing the Time Sensitivity of a Coincidence Detector" poster presented at the CSU Chico College of Natural Sciences Poster Session, April 2018

Kyle Peterson and Eric Ayars, "Single-Atom Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Model" poster presented at the CSU Chico College of Natural Sciences Poster Session, April 2018

Eric Ayars, "Things one can learn by putting a quadcopter in a vacuum chamber" Seminar presentation at Sonoma State University, February 2018.

Eric Ayars, "Selecting Apparatus for the Advanced Lab", panelist at the American Association of Physics Teachers national meeting, San Diego CA, January 2018.

Eric Ayars, "Step away from the Arduino!", poster presented at the American Association of Physics Teachers national meeting, San Diego CA, January 2018.

Eric Ayars, Tori Goff, and Kirk Williams, "Quadcopter Yaw Control: Conservation of Angular Momentum or Atmospheric Drag?", poster presented at the American Association of Physics Teachers national meeting, San Diego CA, January 2018.

Jose Luis Baranda and Eric Ayars, "A demonstration of constructive interference using an ultrasonic rangfinder", poster presented at the American Association of Physics Teachers national meeting, San Diego CA, January 2018.

Eric Ayars, "A Flipped Modular Skills-based Introductory Electronics Course", invited talk presented at the APS March meeting, New Orleans LA, March 2017.

José Luis Baranda and Eric Ayars, "A demonstration of constructive interference using an ultrasonic rangfinder", poster presented at the Society of Physics Students Quadrennial Congress (PhysCon), San Jose CA, November 2016.

Eric Ayars, Brandon Thacker, Tucker Hartland "Chaotic Oscillation of a Magnetic Dipole", Invited talk presented at the AAPT National meeting, Sacramento CA, July 2016.

Eric Ayars, "Flipped Modular Skills-based Introductory Electronics Course: First-year Results", talk presented at the AAPT National meeting, Sacramento CA, July 2016.

Eric Ayars, "Beyond Blinking Lights: Real-world Lab Solutions Using Arduinos", Invited talk presented at the AAPT National meeting, New Orleans LA, January 2016.

Eric Ayars, "Flipping (and Scrambling) Introductory Electronics", poster presented at the AAPT National meeting, New Orleans LA, January 2016.

Eric Ayars and Brandon Thacker, "Microcontroller-based Mechanical Chaotic Oscillator", poster presented at the AAPT National meeting, New Orleans LA, January 2016.

Eric Ayars, "Flipping (and Scrambling) Introductory Electronics", poster presented at the 3^rd 'Beyond the First Year' (BFY) Conference, College Park MD, July 2015.

Eric Ayars, "Arduino in the Advanced Lab" 3-day workshop sponsored by Advanced Lab Physics Association (ALPhA), California State University Chico, June 15-17 2015

Eric Ayars, "Building Ideal Circuit Components Using Operational Amplifiers", Seminar for Physics/Chemistry Summer Research Institute, 6/11/15

Patrick McDougall and Eric Ayars, "Two-Dimensional Heat Flow Apparatus" American Journal of Physics 82: (6) 620-623 2014.

Eric Ayars, "Review of Hands-On Introduction to LabVIEW for Scientists and Engineers, 2nd ed. by John Essick", The Physics Teacher 52 318-319 May 2014.

Eric Ayars, "Finally, a Python-Based Computational Physics Text", review of "Computational Physics" by Mark Newman", Computing in Science and Engineering 16 (1) 6-7, 2014.

Eric Ayars and Steve Lindaas, "Sketch N' Etch" Workshop presented at the AAPT national meeting, Orlando FL, January 2014.

Eric Ayars, "3D Printing for the Undergraduate Lab", talk presented at the AAPT national meeting, Orlando FL, January 2014.

Eric Ayars, "The Sure-Fire Foolproof Guaranteed (non-existent) Project-Mentoring System", Invited talk presented at the AAPT national meeting, Orlando FL, January 2014.

Patrick McDougall and Eric Ayars, "Two-Dimensional Advanced Laboratory Thermodynamics Experiment", talk presented at the AAPT national meeting, Portland OR, July 2013.

Eric Ayars and Chris Kaneshiro, "Systematic Error in Ultrasonic Rangefinder Acceleration Measurements", poster presented at the AAPT national meeting, Portland OR, July 2013.

Eric Ayars, "Arduino Applications in the Lab and Classroom", Workshop presented at the AAPT national meeting, Portland OR, July 2013.

Eric Ayars, "Tweak your labs with Arduino Microcontrollers", Invited talk presented at the AAPT national meeting, New Orleans LA, January 2013.

Eric Ayars, "Arduino as a Gateway Drug", workshop presented at the ALPhA 'Laboratories Beyond the First Year' conference, Philadelphia PA, July 2012.

Eric Ayars, Daniel Lund, and Lawrence Lechuga "Real-Time Thermodynamic Experiments with High Resolution", poster presented at AAPT national meeting, Philadelphia PA, July 2012.

Eric Ayars, "Arduino Microcontrollers in the Physics Lab", workshop presented at the AAPT national meeting, Portland OR, July 2010. Repeated by popular demand at the national meetings in summer 2011 and winter 2012.

Eric Ayars, Daniel Lund, and Lawrence Lechuga "Apparatus for Quantitative Measurement of Heat Flow in Two Dimensions", apparatus submitted for the AAPT apparatus competition, July 2012. (Third place award)

Eric Ayars, Kyle Scully, and Alex Skeffington "Using a WiiMote to Track Multiple Objects in Two Dimensions", talk presented at the AAPT national meeting, Omaha NB, July 2011.

Eric Ayars, "Programmable Fan Cart", apparatus submitted for the AAPT apparatus competition, July 2011. (First place award)

Eric Ayars, "A Great Text for Matlab-Specific Computational Physics Courses (and a Good Text Otherwise)", review of "A first Course in Computational Physics" by DeVries and Hasbun, Computing in Science and Engineering 11. (2) 6-8, 2011.

Brian Bauman, Mark Masters, Jacob Millspaw (IPFW), and Eric Ayars (CSUC) "Helping Students Understand the Work-Kinetetic Energy Theorem", poster presented at AAPT national meeting, Jacksonville FL, January 2011.

Eric Ayars and Estella Lai "Using XBee transducers for wireless data collection" American Journal of Physics 78: (7) 778-781, 2010.
Our apparatus was featured on the cover of this journal issue.

E. Ayars "Applications of Arduino Microcontrollers in Undergraduate Laboratories", Invited talk presented at AAPT national meeting, Portland OR, July 2010

Eric Ayars "Arduino Microcontrollers in the Physics Lab", Workshop presented at American Association of Physics Teachers national meeting, July 2010.

Eric Ayars "Using Arduino microcontrollers as inexpensive dataloggers", Poster presented at American Association of Physics Teachers national meeting, February 2010.

Greg W. Lowe and Eric Ayars "Measuring the Flight Speed of Fire Bombers from Photos: An In-Class Exercise in Introductory Kinematics", The Physics Teacher 48: 106, 2010.

E. Ayars "Using XBee for Wireless Data Collection", Invited talk presented at AAPT national meeting, Ann Arbor MI, July 2009

Eric Ayars and Tim Erickson "Falsification Labs", Workshop presented at American Association of Physics Teachers national meeting, July 2006. Workshop repeated by popular demand, July 2008 and July 2009.

E. Ayars "Scrounging, Hacking, and Writing: Advanced lab at CSU Chico", Invited talk presented at joint AAPT/AAAS meeting, Chicago IL, February 2009

E. Ayars "Tips, Tricks, Successes, and Failures with Video Homework Solutions", presented at joint AAPT/AAAS meeting, Chicago IL, February 2009

E. Ayars "Producing and Publishing Video Podcasts for Your Class", presented at 14th Annual Conference on Excellence in Learning and Teaching, CSU Chico, October 2008

E. Ayars "Bandgap in a Semiconductor Diode", Workshop presented at American Association of Physics Teachers National meeting, July 20 2008.

E. Ayars "The Milli-Can Experiment", Workshop presented at American Association of Physics Teachers National meeting, July 19 2008.

Eric Ayars "A Versatile Text for the Introductory Computational Physics Course" Computing in Science and Engineering 9: (6) 60-61, 2007.

D. Bowen and E. Ayars "Quantitative measurements of non-Newtonian fluid properties", Poster presented at American Association of Physics Teachers National meeting, July 2007.

E. Ayars "Phonons in a One-Dimensional Crystal", Workshop presented at American Association of Physics Teachers National meeting, July 29 2007.

E. Ayars "Ruchardt's Measurement of Gamma Using A Ground-Glass Syringe", Workshop presented at American Association of Physics Teachers National meeting, July 28 2007.

E. Ayars "Tell Me Why: Electricity and Electrical Safety --- an illustration of the challenges facing physics educators" Physics department seminar, February 2007

E. Ayars Review of "Computational Physics (second edition)" Nicholas J. Giordano and Hisao Nakanishi; and "An Introduction to Computer Simulation Methods: Applications to Physical Systems (third edition)" Harvey Gould, Jan Tobochnik, and Wolfgang Christian. American Journal of Physics 74: (7) 652-653, 2006.

Tiara Norris, Brendan Diamond, and Eric Ayars "Magnetically coupled rotors" American Journal of Physics 74: (9) 806-809, 2006.

Tiara Norris, Brendan Diamond, and Eric Ayars "Modeling of Magnetically Coupled Rotors" Poster presented at American Association of Physics Teachers national meeting, January 2006.

Tim Erickson and Eric Ayars "Fake papers as investigation prompts" Physics Education 40: (6) 550--555, 2005

E. Ayars Review of Practical Interfacing in the Laboratory: Using a PC for Instrumentation, Data Analysis, and Control by Steven E. Derenzo The Physics Teacher 43: (6) 400, 2005.

E. Ayars "Use of Python in the Introductory Computational Physics Course" Presented at the American Association of Physics Teachers national meeting, August 2005.

J. Livingston, W. Murphy, E. Ayars "Acid mine Drainage and Metal Sulfate Minerals" Poster presented at CSUC College of Natural Sciences Annual Poster Session, April 2005.

E. Ayars "Analysis of the Vacuum Cannon" Presented at NCN-AAPT meeting, Palo Alto CA, November 2004.

E. Ayars "Vacuum Cannon Velocity Limit" Poster presented at the American Association of Physics Teachers national meeting, August 2004.

E. Ayars, L. Buchholtz "Analysis of the Vacuum Cannon" American Journal of Physics 72: (7) 961--963, 2004.

E. Ayars "Near-Field Raman Spectroscopy" in Dekker Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

H. D. Hallen, E. J. Ayars, C. L. Jahncke "The effects of probe boundary conditions and propagation on nano-Raman spectroscopy" Journal of Microscopy 210: 252--254, 2003.

"Spectroscopy gets up close and personal" (interview) Chemical and Engineering News, 30--31, April 30, 2001.

E. J. Ayars, C. L. Jahncke, M. A. Paesler, H. D. Hallen "Fundamental differences between micro- and nano-Raman spectroscopy" Journal of Microscopy 202: 142--147, 2001.

E. Ayars "Electric field gradient effects in NSOM-Raman spectroscopy" Invited talk presented at the American Chemical Society national meeting, April 2001.

E. J. Ayars, H. D. Hallen, C. L. Jahncke "Electric field gradient effects in Raman spectroscopy" Physical Review Letters 85: 4180--4183, 2000.

E. J. Ayars, H. D. Hallen, C. L. Jahncke "Surface enhancement in near-field Raman spectroscopy" Applied Physics Letters 76: 3911--3914, 2000.

E. Ayars "Recent developments in near-field Raman spectroscopy" Invited talk presented at the International Union of Microbeam Analysis Societies conference (IUMAS-2000), July 2000.

E. Ayars, D. Aspnes, P. Moyer, M. A. Paesler "Proximal electromagnetic shear forces" Journal of Microscopy 196: 59--60, 1999.

E. Ayars "Near-Field Enhancement of Raman Spectra" Presented at Southeast Section American Physical Society, Chapel Hill NC, November 1999.

E. Ayars "Some Interesting Effects in NSOM-Raman" Presented at American Physical Society, Atlanta GA, March 1999.

E. Ayars "Near-Field Effects in Nano-Raman Spectroscopy" Presented at American Physical Society, Los Angeles CA, March 1998.

E. J. Ayars "Non-Physical Results with the Electric-Field Mapping Experiment" The Physics Teacher 34: 344--345, 1996.

E. Ayars "Non-Physical Results with the Electric-Field Mapping Experiment" Presented at North Carolina American Association of Physics Teachers section meeting, March 1996.