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Astronomy Education Review / Volume 8 / Issue 1 / RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS

2009, AER, 8 (1), 010102, doi:10.3847/AER2009013

Advanced Undergraduate and Early Graduate Physics Students’ Misconception About Solar Wind Flow: Evidence of Students’ Difficulties in Distinguishing Paradigms

Published 12 March 2009

Nicholas A. Gross

Department of Astronomy, Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215

Ramon E. Lopez

Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, 76019

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Anecdotal evidence has suggested that advanced undergraduate students confuse the spiral structure of the interplanetary magnetic field with the flow of the solar wind. Though it is a small study, this paper documents this misconception and begins to investigate the underlying issues behind it. We present evidence that the traditional presentation of this concept can lead to this misconception and that it persists into graduate school. Two consistent models of plasmas that apply under different circumstances are presented during the course. Evidence suggests that students attempt to apply the models to inappropriate circumstances, which leads to a misconception. There is also evidence that a fundamental mechanics misconception contributes to students’ difficulties. Finally, we argue that many of the broad conclusions of the research done at the introductory undergraduate level are applicable to upper division and graduate students. In particular, we conclude that direct instruction at this level through lecture-demonstration can leave students with misconceptions and even unintentionally reinforce those misconceptions.

© 2009 by The American Astronomical Society.

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

education, interplanetary magnetic fields, solar wind, teaching, College majors, Solar system

PACS

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN:

1539-1515 (online)

Publisher:

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef by The American Astronomical Society.

ARTICLE DATA

History
Received 07 April 2008
Published online 12 March 2009
Permalink
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2009013

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