Quantum Mechanics and Keyboarding
Meet physics major Leopold Grossman.
Hometown: Mill Valley, California
Thesis adviser: Professor Darrell Schroeter [physics]
Thesis: “A Numerical Approach to the Stern-Gerlach Experiment”
What it’s about: The Stern-Gerlach experiment was conducted 100 years ago, and it demonstrated that quantum particles have a quantized property we call spin. Some researchers set up a magnet and sent a stream of particles through. If you’re looking at classical mechanics, you expect the particles to fly all over. But quantum mechanically, what emerged were two distinct streams of particles. That was an early demonstration of the fact that there is this quantized feature of these particles. For my thesis, we’re using the Schrödinger equation to numerically reproduce the Stern-Gerlach experiment. So far, we’ve discovered some subtle yet intriguing physics not discussed in any existing literature on the experiment!
What it’s really about: Quantum mechanics is weird!
In high school I was: A high-velocity missile but my trajectory was off by about one or two degrees.
Influential professor/class: Darrell’s Intro to Physics and Quantum Mechanics I & II courses. His lectures are insanely engaging. They’re just so fluid and his board work is really good. My friends and I often tried to reproduce his chalkmanship in our thesis offices, with little success.
Outside the classroom: I’m the keyboardist in the band Orange Cat IQ Test. We put on this show called Lawn Fest on the Great Lawn. We had like 100 Reedies out there under the moonlight. Now we try to play a lot of shows—it’s been really fun.
Cool stuff: I’ve been doing research at Kansas State University measuring calcium carbonate growth rates and figuring out how to enhance those growth rates. I wanted to extend what we were doing from controlled solutions to doing an experiment in soil or in a natural setting. Professor Jennifer Heath [physics] was willing to assist me by getting me a lab space at Reed. In the physics subbasement, she had a microscope set up for me, a monitor set up for me. Jay Ewing, the machine shop supervisor, helped me set up the actual physical configuration. Reed has all these resources to offer.
Help received along the way: Ry Malloy, the A/V technician—what a freaking cool guy. So knowledgeable. He helped record our band, because we have some originals and want to make an album. He set up this really nice recording space in the Performing Arts Building for us. Look us up on Spotify!
Advice to freshmen: You’re here for academics. Take them seriously. Get to know your professors, and do what I did. Look around for resources, because there might be somebody who’s willing to record your band for free.
What’s next: Going to UC Davis for a physics PhD, studying experimental condensed matter physics, and fixing up a Rhodes piano.
Tags: Academics, Students, Thesis, What is a Reedie?