• Kara Beauchamp

    Kara Beauchamp

    W.F. Johnston Professor of Physics and Engineering


Biographical Sketch

Kara Beauchamp, W.F. Johnston Professor of Physics and Engineering, has been teaching at Cornell College since 2001.  Kara is fascinated by the role of quantum mechanics in the electronic and magnetic properties of materials, as well as the interaction of light with atoms and molecules.  As a life-long learner, she continues to explore new areas of research and is currently focusing on properties of plasmas in the regions of space surrounding newly formed stars. Kara teaches Astronomy, Introductory and General Physics, Lab Physics, Modern Physics, and other upper-level physics courses. She has studied high-temperature superconductors, low-dimensional magnetic materials, wind energy production, and dye-sensitized solar cells.  She regularly collaborates with students during summer research, most recently on astronomical plasmas, and previously on dye-sensitized organic solar cells. Ph.D. in physics, University of Minnesota.

Link to Curriculum Vitae

Academic History

  • PhD in Physics, University of Minnesota, 1994
  • BA in Physics, Carleton College, 1987

Courses Taught

  • PHY 121: Astronomy
  • PHY 141: Introductory Physics I
  • PHY 142: Introductory Physics II
  • PHY 161: General Physics I
  • PHY 162: General Physics II
  • PHY 263: Laboratory Physics
  • PHY 303: Modern Physics
  • PHY 315: Astrophysics
  • PHY 334: Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

Faculty-Student Research

Working with collaborators at the University of Iowa, Kara and her students have been studying the impact of assumptions about the shape of the Rosette Nebula on the values of electron density that can be extracted from radio wave data. Electron density is an important characteristic of a plasma surrounding newly formed stars (H II regions), and more well-known values can contribute to a deeper understanding of magnetic field strength in the galaxy.

Prior Positions

  • Research Associate, University of Chicago, James Franck Institute, Chicago, IL (Oct 1993-May 1996)
  • Assistant Professor of Physics, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT (Aug 1996 – June 2001)

Publications and Presentations

Poster: "The Rosette Nebula's Magnetic Field for Different Nebular Shapes," K.M. Beauchamp, C. Horan, S.R. Spangler, A.H. Costa, American Astronomical Society Summer Meeting, Austin, TX, June, 2016.

"AC susceptibility of Sr3CuPtxIr1-xO6, a magnetic system with competing interactions and dimensionality," S.Irons, T.D. Sangrey, K.M. Beauchamp, M.D. Smith,  H.-C. zur Loye, Phys. Rev. B 61, 11594 (2000).

"Vortex Lock-In Deep in the Bose Glass," K.M. Beauchamp, T.F. Rosenbaum, U. Welp, G.W. Crabtree, and V.M. Vinokur, Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 3942 (1995).

"Local Probe of Vortex Pinning Energies in the Bose Glass," K.M. Beauchamp, L. Radzihovsky, E. Shung, T.F. Rosenbaum, U. Welp, G.W. Crabtree, Phys. Rev. B 52, 13025 (1995).

"Low Temperature Action in YBa2Cu3O7-x," G.T. Seidler, T.F. Rosenbaum, K.M. Beauchamp, H.M. Jaeger, G.W. Crabtree, U. Welp, and V.M. Vinokur, Phys. Rev. Lett.74, 1442 (1995).

"Pair-Breaking by Spin-Disorder Scattering at the Antiferromagnetic Transition of the Dy3+Sublattice of DyBa2Cu3O7-xFilms," K.M. Beauchamp, G.C. Spalding, W.H. Huber, and A.M. Goldman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 73, 2752 (1994).

"Anomalous Magnetoresistance of Ultrathin Films of DyBa2Cu3O7-xnear the Superconductor-Insulator Transition" T. Wang, K.M. Beauchamp, A.M. Mack, N.E. Israeloff, G.C. Spalding, and A.M. Goldman, Phys.Rev. B 47, 11619 (1993).