Bates College

In addition to introductory and advanced physics courses, Professor Smedley enjoys teaching musical acoustics and the physics of electronic sound for non science majors. He also teaches in the Environmental Studies program at Bates, with particular interest in energy policy and atmospheric processes.

His primary research interests lie in atomic collisions. Professor Smedley's students use lasers to excite atoms and detect time- and wavelength-resolved atomic emission to measure collision rates and radiative lifetimes. Most recently, he has been working on projects involving collision-induced absorption in a barium metal/rare gas vapor, and collisions of rare gases with barium atoms in the 5d7p 3D1 fine-structure state.

Where teaching is concerned, one of his favorite courses is Physics 103, Musical Acoustics. This is an introductory course with laboratory. The course begins with waves and vibrations, and studies the production, propagation and perception of sound. This provides a framework for understanding different classes of instruments, including strings, woodwinds, percussion, brass, the piano and pipe organ.