Expert: Daniel Mazur - 7/3/2010

Question
Hi
     What are the various fields in experimental physics? what exactly does a typical experimental physicist do?

Answer
Hi Garry,

fields in experimental physics are numerous and each branch has further specializations... At the school that gave me my Masters they have 10 departments and 6 institutes all focusing at a different branch of physics and each had 2-6 divisions within it that were specialized still further. To give you a taste: there is Materials Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Surface Ph, Plasma Ph, Low-temperature Ph, Chemical Ph, Macromolecular Ph, Optics, Geophysics, Meteorology, Metrology, Particle Ph, Theoretical Ph, Astronomy... My old field of Surface Physics divided into Surfaces and Interfaces group, Vacuum group and Thin Films group. The "neighboring" field of Plasma Physics divided into Cosmic Physics, Computational physics and Cold Plasma physics (Hot plasma was studied still elsewhere). So, there is a physics field for everything that can be somehow measured "exactly".

An experimental physicist at work assembles, modifies and troubleshoots his/her scientific instrument, takes measurements of any kind one feels suitable, analyzes the resulting data, searches for or fabricates theoretical models that might explain the data... and after one is confident about one's findings, one tries to publish the results in a refereed journal in an article form. As other scientists one also spends time reading other scientists' publications to constantly learn more, one goes to conferences and meets colleagues and competitors. As one climbs the career ladder, one also starts writing scientific grant proposals to get money for the research that one wishes to undertake, whites progress reports, takes up functions one's institutions (group leader, head of this, chair of that, deacon etc...) and take part in popularization of science - presenting the advances to the general public and (importantly) to politicians, who repeatedly decide on countries' budget and spending on science.

I hope this answers your question.

Cheers!
Daniel