"My students and I agree that physics deals with very interesting questions, and that it has developed powerful tools for understanding nature at a deep level. We don’t pursue physics because it’s easy, or because it necessarily leads to lucrative careers, or because it’s trendy. We’re drawn to it because of the challenges it poses and because its success in describing the physical world is always exciting and, often enough, positively galvanizing."


 
 
Scott Heinekamp
 
 

Physics is an experimental science, driven by human interaction, backed up by provable and mathematically self-consistent theory. Professor Heinekamp tries to emphasize both aspects in his teaching. In his research, he strives to learn more about experimental techniques in collaboration with scientists doing x-ray diffraction work at Cornell University.

Education:
1975     B.S. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Physics
1979     M.S. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Physics
1985     Ph.D. Brown University, Physics

Select Publications:
Heinekamp, S. “Diffraction Patterns of Tilted Smectic Liquid Crystal Phases” (in progress).

Heinekamp, S. & Pelcovits, R. "Spin-Correlation Function in the Two-Dimensional XY Model." Physics Review B 32 (1985): 4528 – 4538.

Heinekamp, S. & Pelcovits, R. "Dynamics of the Smectic-C to -A Transition in Freely Suspended Thin Films." Physics Review A 32 (1985): 2506 - 2509.

Heinekamp, S., Pelcovits, R., Fontes, E., Chen, E.Y., Pindak, R., and
Meyer, R.B. "Smectic-C* to Smectic-A Transition in Variable-Thickness
Liquid-Crystal Films: Order-Parameter Measurements and Theory." Physics Review Lett. 52 (1984): 1017 – 1020.

Courses Taught:
Fundamentals of Physics I, II, & III (lecture and lab)
Principles of Electronics (lecture and lab)
Modern Physics
Introductory Astronomy (lecture and lab)
Classical Mechanics
First-Year Experience: Approaches to the Liberal Arts
Junior-Level Electricity & Magnetism (Cornell University)

Last updated: 10/04/2005

 


Professor of Physics

Mary Perley Wakeman ’23 Professor

Coordinator of 3/2 Engineering Program

Adjunct Professor of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University

scotth@wells.edu
315.364.3361
Stratton 202

aurora.wells.edu/~swh