2 research outputs found
NAVIGATING CHALLENGES: A SURVEY OF NON-SCIENCE STUDENTS’ EXPECTATIONS IN BASIC PHYSICS CLASSROOM
No full textThis study investigated the expectations and challenges of 18 non-science track students regarding introductory physics courses at the upper secondary level in Thai schools. We employed a survey research design using a validated questionnaire to gather descriptive data. A panel of three experts validated the questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics. The main findings revealed that most students (72.22%) found physics “enjoyable but sometimes not understanding,” and mathematical calculations were the most significant challenge (66.67%). Students highly preferred learning support in the form of clear explanations (M=4.11, SD=0.96) and step-by-step problem-solving (M=4.06, SD=0.87). This research is unique in its focused examination of physics learning expectations among non-science track students within the Thai educational context, an area that has been understudied. The findings contribute to the field by providing specific insights into the challenges and support needs of this distinct student population. The results suggest that physics instruction for non-science students should incorporate differentiated teaching strategies, focusing on clear, step-by-step problem-solving and real-world applications to enhance conceptual understanding and engagement. This study’s findings can serve as a valuable guideline for designing future physics curricula and professional development programs for teachers of non-science track students
EP241021a: A Months-duration X-Ray Transient with Luminous Optical and Radio Emission
No full textShu, Xinwen et al.-- Full list of authors: Shu, Xinwen; Yang, Lei; Yang, Haonan; Xu, Fan; Chen, Jin-Hong; Eyles-Ferris, Rob A. J.; Dai, Lixin; Yu, Yunwei; Shen, Rong-Feng; Sun, Luming; Ding, Hucheng; Zheng, WeiKang; Jiang, Ning; Li, Wenxiong; Sun, Ning-Chen; Xu, Dong; Zhang, Zhumao; Jin, Chichuan; Rau, Arne; Wang, Tinggui; Wu, Xue-feng; Yuan, Weimin; Zhang, Bing; Nandra, Kirpal; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Poidevin, Frédérick; Soria, Roberto; Kumar, Amit; Aguado, David S.; An, Fangxia; An, Tao; An, Jie; Andrews, Moira; Anutarawiramkul, Rungrit; Baldini, Pietro; Brink, Thomas G.; Butpan, Pathompong; Cai, Zhiming; Castro-Tirado, Alberto J.; Cheng, Huaqing; Cui, Weiwei; Farah, Joseph; Fu, Shaoyu; Fynbo, Johan P. U.; Gao, Xing; Han, Dawei; Han, Xuhui; Howell, D. Andrew; Hu, Jingwei; Jiang, Shuaiqing; Kumar, Brajesh; Lei, Weihua; Li, Dongyue; Li, Chengkui; Liu, Huaqiu; Liu, Xing; Liu, Yuan; Liu, Xiaowei; López-Oramas, Alicia; López Fernández-Nespral, David; Maund, Justyn R.; McCully, Curtis; Niu, Zexi; Newsome, Megan; O'Brien, Paul; Pan, Haiwu; Pan, Yu; Padilla Gonzalez, Estefania; Pérez-Fournon, Ismael; Silima, Walter; Sun, Hui; Sun, Shengli; Sun, Xiaojin; Terreran, Giacomo; Tinyanont, Samaporn; Wang, Junxian; Wang, Yanan; Wang, Yun; Wiersema, Klaas; Xu, Yunfei; Xue, Yongquan; Yang, Yi; Zhang, Fabao; Zhang, Juan; Zhang, Pinpin; Zhang, Wenda; Zhang, Yonghe; Zhao, Haisheng; Zhu, Zipei; Xin, Liping; Yao, Zhuheng; Cordier, Bertrand; Wei, Jianyan; Qiu, Yulei; Daigne, FrédéricWe present the discovery of a peculiar X-ray transient, EP241021a, by the Einstein Probe (EP) mission and the results from multiwavelength follow-up observations. The transient was first detected with the Wide-field X-ray Telescope as an intense flare lasting for ∼100 s, reaching a luminosity of L0.5‑4 keV ≈ 1048 erg s‑1. Further observations with EP's Follow-up X-ray Telescope reveal a huge drop in the X-ray flux by a factor of >1000 within 1.5 days. After maintaining a nearly plateau phase for ∼7 days, the X-ray flux decreases ∝t‑1.2 over a period of ∼30 days, followed by a sudden decrease to an undetectable level by EP and XMM-Newton, making it the longest afterglow emission detected among known fast X-ray transients. Bright counterparts at optical and radio wavelengths were also detected, with high peak luminosities in excess of 1044 erg s‑1 and 1041 erg s‑1, respectively. In addition, EP241021a exhibits a nonthermal X-ray spectrum, red optical color, X-ray and optical rebrightenings in the light curves, and fast radio spectral evolution, suggesting that relativistic jets may have been launched. We discuss the possible origins of EP241021a, including a choked jet with supernova shock breakout, a merger-triggered magnetar, a highly structured jet, and a repeating partial tidal disruption event involving an intermediate-mass black hole, but none can perfectly explain the multiwavelength properties. EP241021a may represent a new type of X-ray transient with month-duration evolution timescales; future EP detections and follow-up observations of similar systems will provide statistical samples to understand the underlying mechanisms at work. © 2025. The Author(s).This work was based on data obtained with Einstein Probe, a space mission supported by the Strategic Priority Program on Space Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with ESA, MPE, and CNES (grant XDA15310000), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant XDB0550200), and the National Key R&D Program of China (grant 2022YFF0711500).
The data presented in this Letter are based in part on observations made with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, the Very Long Baseline Array, the Australia Telescope Compact Array, MeerKAT, and XMM-Newton. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. The Australia Telescope Compact Array is part of the Australia Telescope National Facility (https://ror.org/05qajvd42), which is funded by the Australian Government for operation as a National Facility managed by CSIRO. The MeerKAT telescope is operated by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, which is a facility of the National Research Foundation, an agency of the Department of Science and Innovation. We acknowledge the use of the ilifu cloud computing facility (www.ilifu.ac.za) and the Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA), a partnership of the University of Cape Town, the University of Pretoria, and the University of the Western Cape. This work has made use of the “MPIfR S-band receiver system” designed, constructed, and maintained by funding of the MPI für Radioastronomy and the Max Planck Society. XMM-Newton is an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and NASA.
Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA; the observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. KAIT and its ongoing operation were made possible by donations from Sun Microsystems, Inc., the Hewlett-Packard Company, AutoScope Corporation, Lick Observatory, the U.S. NSF, the University of California, the Sylvia and Jim Katzman Foundation, and the TABASGO Foundation. Research at Lick Observatory is partially supported by a generous gift from Google, Inc. Mephisto is developed at and operated by the South-Western Institute for Astronomy Research of Yunnan University (SWIFAR-YNU), funded by the “Yunnan University Development Plan for World-Class University” and “Yunnan University Development Plan for World-Class Astronomy Discipline.”
X.S. is supported by the National SKA Program of China (2022SKA0130102) and the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) through grants 12192220 and 12192221. J.H.C. and L.D. acknowledge the support from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (HKU106220154, 109000722). C.J. acknowledges the National Natural Science Foundation of China through grant 12473016. Y.X. acknowledges the support of NSFC 12025303. P.O.B. acknowledges support from UKRI under grant ST/W000857/1. R.S. acknowledges INAF grant 1.05.23.04.04. A.K. and J.R.M. are supported by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) consolidated grant ST/V000853/1. F.P. acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICINN) under grant PID2022-141915NB-C21. F.X.A. acknowledges support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12303016) and the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20242115). T.A. acknowledges the support of the Xinjiang Tianchi Talent Program and FAST Special Program (NSFC 12041301). A.V.F.’s research group at UC Berkeley acknowledges financial assistance from the Christopher R. Redlich Fund, Gary and Cynthia Bengier, Clark and Sharon Winslow, Alan Eustace and Kathy Kwan, William Draper, Timothy and Melissa Draper, Briggs and Kathleen Wood, Sanford Robertson (W.Z. is a Bengier–Winslow–Eustace Specialist in Astronomy, T.G.B. is a Draper–Wood–Robertson Specialist in Astronomy, Y.Y. was a Bengier–Winslow–Robertson Fellow in Astronomy), and numerous other donors. B.K. acknowledges the support from the “Special Project for High-End Foreign Experts,” Xingdian Funding from Yunnan Province, the Key Laboratory of Survey Science of Yunnan Province (202449CE340002), and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (grant No. 2024YFA1611603).Peer reviewe
