Wabash College Physics Template
Author
Martin John Madsen
Last Updated
8 years ago
License
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0
Abstract
This is a LaTeX template for writing papers for the Wabash College Physics Department Advanced Laboratory.
%The Advanced Laboratory Research Paper Draft Submission Template
%
% Dr. Martin John Madsen
% July, 2014
%
%This example paper should be used as a basic template for work on research paper drafts for the Advanced Laboratory.
%
\documentclass[aps,onecolumn,12pt,letterpaper,amsmath,amssymb,floatfix,pra]{revtex4-1}
%
% TO-DO: ***Use the approprate numbering system for the draft numbers: The first number is the paper number for the year (1-4). The number after the decimal place is the draft number (which should increment by one for each draft).***
%
\def\PhysicsClass{PHY381}
\def\DraftNumber{1.0}
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%The usepackage command tells the compiler to use some additional macros that help the formatting of the paper. The following three packages are very useful and are often included in physics papers.
\usepackage{graphicx}% Include figure files
\usepackage{dcolumn}% Align table columns on decimal point
\usepackage{bm}% bold math
\usepackage{fancyhdr} %add headers to WJP pages
%page layout parameters
\topmargin -0.65in
\headsep 20.0pt
\def\theYear{\the\year}
%This puts the appropriate header on the Title Page for each article
\fancypagestyle{titlepage}{
\fancyhf{}
\headheight 14.0pt
\fancyhead[L]{{WJP, }{\bf \PhysicsClass} (\theYear)}
\fancyhead[C]{\sffamily{Wabash Journal of Physics}}
\fancyhead[R]{{v\DraftNumber, }{p.\thepage}}
\renewcommand{\footrulewidth}{0pt}
}
%This puts the header on each subsequent page
\fancypagestyle{wjp}{
\fancyhf{}
\headheight 14.0pt
\fancyhead[L]{{WJP, }{\bf \PhysicsClass} (\theYear)}
\fancyhead[C]{\sffamily{Wabash Journal of Physics}}
\fancyhead[R]{{v\DraftNumber, }{p.\thepage}}
\renewcommand{\footrulewidth}{0pt}
}
%This command tells the compiler that you are going to start the actual body of the document. Every \begin{} command must have a correpsonding \end{} command. The \end{document} command is found at the very bottom of this file.
\begin{document}
%this command enables the correct header/footer for the pages
\pagestyle{wjp}
\setcounter{page}{1}
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%
% TO-DO: ***You must put in the appropriate title, and author information.***
%
% The title of a scientific paper holds several purposes: the first is to communicate in as few words as possible the general point of the paper. The title also should help a reader decide whether or not they want to pursue further information. Typically a reader will scan a list of titles of papers and, based on their assessment of the titles, move on to read a few abstracts and then read just a few of the papers. The title will often contain key words that will help the reader understand the background and context of the paper. The title may often contain buzz words to help draw attention to important research.
\title{Manuscript Title}
% You should determine how you want your name to appear in all scientific papers and be consistent in your name usage. For example, I am M.J. Madsen in all of my papers and should be listed as a co-author as such. Most journals use initials for first and middle names, then full last name. Check your name on the Web of Science to see if anyone else is using it and what they do. It is usually ok to have duplicate names as long as they are in a different research field.
\author{Author 1 in Alphabetical Order}
\author{Author 2}
\author{Research Advisor Name}
\affiliation{Department of Physics, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN 47933}
\date{\today}
% TO-DO: ***You must update the abstract.***
%
% The abstract is used as the next level of filtering when a reader approaches a group of scientific papers. In the old days (before full-text searches), the abstracts were organized by key words and were often the only part of the paper that was indexed to search engines. Although this role is no longer applicable, the role of the abstract used by the reader still applies. The abstract contains further key words that place the paper in the broader research context. It also reports the key findings of the paper. These findings will depend on the type of research that is being reported, but in the case of a measurement, for example, the key findings will be the numerical value of the measurement along with the uncertainty in that value.
% One of the hardest parts of the abstract is describing *what* you did in one sentence. This is different from describing *how* you did it (which involves describing lab equipment and your experiment setup). For example: Consider an experiment where you measured the spectrum of light coming from a gas discharge tube using an Ocean Optics fiber-optic coupled digital spectrometer. *What8 you did was measure the difference in energy levels of electrons in the gas atoms. *How* you did it was by turning on the gas discharge tube, turning on the computer, plugging in the USB spectrometer, etc.
% Abstract Checklist
% 1st Sentence: What is the problem/goal/measurement described in the paper?
% 2nd Sentence: What did you do (not how you did it)?
% 3rd Sentence: What did you find (with 95% CI if appropriate)?
\begin{abstract}
The abstract should summarize the paperÕs contents as concisely as possible. It should make the goals of the paper clear, and state the main results or conclusions directly (not merely allude to them vaguely). The abstract should be written so that any physicist, regardless of area of specialization, can read and understand it.
Abstracts must be self-contained. They may not contain references to endnotes.
\end{abstract}
\maketitle
%
% TO-DO: ***The body of the paper begins here. You must type your text below.
%
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% TO-DO: ***Write your introduction***
%
% Once a potential reader has narrowed down the long list of titles of papers and has read through the list of abstracts, they will choose a few papers to browse. This next stage involves scanning the paper for relevant information for their research or interests. The first place the reader will begin is, naturally, at the beginning of the paper. The first section is therefore very important to communicate the key ideas and context of the paper. The reader will often then jump to the figures and data graphs, ending with the conclusion. If the paper seems interesting enough, the reader will start back at the beginning and read the entire paper.
%
% Does it:
% 1) Introduce the key ideas and concepts of the paper?
% 2) Cite prior work related to this paper?
% 3) Describe the context and background of the paper?
%
The {\bf introduction} begins with the key concepts addressed by the paper. In a measurement experiment, this means a review of the meaning measurements in written English (there are typically no equations or symbols in the introduction). The historical context of the measurement should be addressed, reminding the reader about why this experiment is important. You should cite prior work and describe how your paper is connected to it. This piece is important for connecting your research to the body of established work and will be vital for putting your research into a broader context \cite{Dyson}. Citations in our format should appear before the period at the end of a sentence and multiple, related papers may be cited together \cite{Berkeland,Post}.
% TO-DO: ***Write the model portion of the paper***
%
% Have you:
% 1) Started with basic physics concepts and models?
% 2) Arrived at a formula which describes your experiment?
% 3) Defined all parameters?
% 4) Included any figures necessary for understanding the model (including defining parameters)?
%
The next piece of the paper is to introduce the specific {\bf model} or physics concepts relating to your experiment. You should begin with concepts that would be familiar to any undergraduate student and work from there to the concepts needed to understand the experiment. The driving force behind the theory explanations should be to help the reader understand the methods and results of the experiment.
As you introduce equations, you should first define all variables, such as the mass $m$ of an object, its acceleration $\vec{a}$ and the net force applied to the object that causes the acceleration, $\vec{F}_\textrm{net}$. Then, introduce the equation that relates them together, known as Newton's second law:
\begin{equation}
\vec{F}_\textrm{net} = m\vec{a}.
\label{eq:n2}
\end{equation}
Furthermore, any time you reference an equation in the text, like Eq.~(\ref{eq:n2}), make sure you include the appropriate formatting around the equation reference so that it is clear what you are referring to. It is possible to reverse this order and present the formula first, then describe the symbols, though I prefer that you introduce the symbols first.
The model section often includes a figure that helps define the parameters or describe the experiment. All figures should be described in the body of the paper and you should reference the figure in the text. The model figure (see Fig.~\ref{fig:model}) should help describe your experiment schematically. The figures are automatically placed on the page using the code \verb1 [htpb] 1. This tells the compiler to put the figure ``here'', ``at the top of the page'', ``at the bottom of the page'', or ``on its own page''. You should use that code for all your figures. It is almost always better to use a line drawing than to show some kind of picture (which is often harder to understand).
% TO-DO: ***Develop a model figure***
%
% Does the figure:
% 1) Define dimensions or other key parameters?
% 2) Clearly describe the relationship between the model components?
% 3) Have a descriptive caption that defines all elements in the figure?
% 4) Include a reference in the text to the figure?
%
\begin{figure}[htbp]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=8cm,keepaspectratio]{model_figure.pdf}
\caption{Model figures must be clearly labeled with a descriptive caption. The caption should describe the meaning of the parameters shown in the figure (such as $z_0$ and $R$ in this figure). The graphics file must be saved as a PDF with no extra white space. Figures can be drawn in Adobe Illustrator, the page can be set to slightly larger than the drawing, and the file can be saved as a PDF. Note that if you choose to use color in your figures, you should make sure that they still print clearly in grayscale - most journals charge hundreds of dollars extra to print in color (though the color may appear in the digital versions for free).}
\label{fig:model}
\end{figure}
% TO-DO: ***Write the methods portion of the paper***
%
% In your methods portion of the paper:
% 1) Do you describe the setup, included identifying all important pieces of equipment?
% 2) Schematic figure of the experiment methodology included?
% 3) Do you describe all important procedures while omitting trivial details?
After defining your model for the reader, you next describe the specific experiment {\bf methods } you used to make the measurement. In this part of the paper, you are making the transition from the model formula to the specific details of your actual measurement procedure and equipment. The methods section is not a lab manual, describing a step-by-step reiteration of everything that you did, but is rather an overview of the different parts of the experiment from a conceptual point of view. By reading the methods section, a general reader should be able to gather up equipment that does the same things, begin with the same initial conditions, and be able to repeat your measurements. The methods section will often include diagrams and illustrations that show, in graphical form, key experiment setups as shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:method}. Each diagram should be an integral part of the description. Each variable and symbol in the diagrams are described in detail in both the methods figure caption as well as in the body of the text.
% TO-DO: ***Develop a methods figure***
%
% Does the figure:
% 1) Define dimensions or other key parameters?
% 2) Clearly describe the relationship between the experiment components?
% 3) Show how the experiment was carried out and the measurement made?
%
\begin{figure}[htbp]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=8cm,keepaspectratio]{method_figure.pdf}
\caption{Method figures must be clearly labeled with a descriptive caption. The caption should describe the action or purpose of the equipment shown in the figure. Include axes and dimensions as necessary. Again, these figures are typically drawn in Adobe Illustrator and saved as PDF files. There should be a clear relationship between your model figure and your methods figure. A reader will often jump from one figure to the next, reading the captions as a quick way of scanning the paper.}
\label{fig:method}
\end{figure}
% TO-DO: ***Present your data***
%
% 1) Have you reported all important measurement results with 95% CIs with PDFs?
% 2) Are the axes properly labeled on the data graph?
Once the reader has a good idea of the methods used to take the data, the {\bf data} are then presented, giving the reader the opportunity to assess the quality and validity of the data. The data are presented in what is determined to be the most honest method. This could mean presenting the raw data as well as data that has been processed. It is helpful to the reader to present the data as in Fig.~\ref{fig:data} (or a sample of the data) in the format that follows from the methods section. All data figures should be referenced in the text. Any data processing should be fully explained in the introduction as part of the theoretical background of the experiment. All data in a physics paper must have uncertainties associated with them and these are reported following the standard conventions. Data can often be presented graphically, with error bars. These data graphs provide the reader with a good, visual interpretation of the results of the experiment.
\begin{figure}[htbp]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=12cm,keepaspectratio]{data_fit_graph.pdf}
\caption{Data files must also be clearly labeled, axes must be labeled, there must be units on the axes, the data must be in discrete, point form, any fits must be in line form, and if multiple graphs are shown together, there must be a legend (internal on the graph). If a legend does not fit, the different graphs must be identified in the caption. This type of figure can be produced using Mathematica and exported as a PDF. Note: do {\bf NOT} use Logger Pro or Microsoft Excel to produce data figures. The quality of the figures produced by these apps is unacceptable for publication.}
\label{fig:data}
\end{figure}
% TO-DO: ***Present your analysis of your data***
%
% 1) Have you used your data to test the model formula described in the model section?
% 2) Do you state clearly whether your results agree or disagree with the model?
% 3) If you found disagreement, do you discuss reasons for the discrepancy?
The next section is the {\bf analysis} of the data. This often includes the experimentalist's interpretation of the meaning of the data. If there are multiple stages of data processing, these will often be described in the analysis section. The physical source and meaning of the uncertainties in the measurements are described in this section.
% TO-DO: ***Present your analysis of your data***
%
% 1) Have you summarized your work?
% 2) Do you make suggestions for future work?
A scientific paper ends with a {\bf conclusion}. This is a summary of the key concepts covered in the paper, along with a conceptual analysis of the findings of the experiment (no numbers). The conclusion section is also the place to make suggestions for possible improvements on the experiment and suggestions for possible follow-up experiments. Remember that a scientific paper becomes part of an on-going dialog between scientists and will be used by others as a launching point for further studies.
\begin{thebibliography}{}
%The citations in your paper should be formatted using the American Journal of Physics format style. This is: Author(s), ``Title'', Journal Abbreviation, {\bf Volume}, (issue number), page range, (Year).
\bibitem{Dyson} Freeman J. Dyson, ``Feynman's proof of the Maxwell equations,'' Am. J. Phys. {\bf 58} (3), 209Ð211 (1990).
\bibitem{Berkeland} D. J. Berkeland, J. D. Miller, J. C. Bergquist, W. M. Itano, and D. J. Wineland, ``Minimization of ion micromotion in a Paul trap,'', J. Appl. Phys. {\bf 83}, 5025--5033 (1998).
\bibitem{Post} E.R. Post, G.A. Popescu, and N. Gershenfeld, ``Inertial measurement with trapped particles: A microdynamical system,'' Appl. Phys. Lett. {\bf 96}, 143501-1--3 (2010).
\end{thebibliography}
\end{document}