About physics
Physics is the science of matter and energy and of interactions between the two. In older terms it is the study of the natural or material world and phenomena; natural philosophy.
In Germany we started to study physics in fifth grade. I was intrigued by fascinating experiments and thought exercises that my teacher, Heiner Platzbecker, presented to us between 7th and 13th grade; in regular class as well as in extracurricular meetings. So I decided to study physics in college, I wanted to understand the basic principles that govern our universe. I studied at the University of Cologne and at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I received a diploma in physics in September 1997 and a Ph.D in physics in August 2002.
Please also visit my page about Teaching. On there I have links about Physics Education Research and my Teaching Philosphy. There are other, non-physics writings scattered across my webpages, too.
Below on this current page, I provide links to my curriculum vitae, my diploma thesis, and my dissertation. Other information, such as my publications, and papers I wrote during my physics studies, as well as outside physics links are on the following pages:
Curriculum vitae
In the US version, in good scientific tradition I compiled every membership, award, publication, and accomplishment in my life in one large file. The latin name for it is 'curriculum vitae', which you can find here in the March 2008 version. A short German version, also from March 2008, is available, too.
- US version (March 2008): lebenslauf.pdf
- German version (March 2008): lebenslauf-short-german.pdf
Diploma thesis
In Germany we don't have a bachelors degree. Our first degree is a 'Diplom'. For a diploma, you study, then you have to pass four oral tests (Math, Chemistry, Experimental Physics, Theoretical Physics), which make up 2/3's of your grade, and then you work with a professor on a one-year research project in a specific field. So the requirements are very similar to a masters degree in the US. The research project yields a Diploma thesis, which you can download here in PDF. Well, it's in German, so if you don't know my native language, you should only download it, if you want to look at pretty math formulas...
- My
Diploma thesis:
Uwe Muench:
Über teleparallele Gravitationstheorien;
125 pages.
PDF format: diplom.pdf -
Here are
the slides of my diploma presentation. Again, it's in
German (Diplomkolloquium):
Uwe Muench: Über
teleparallele Gravitationstheorien, Diplomkolloquium, Sept
24, 1997; 15 pages.
PDF format: folien.pdf
Dissertation
For a Ph.D. in the US, you study, you take a qualifying exam (that was a surprise to me), then you start a research project, report on the status and your plans in a comprehensive exam, you finish your research, write it up in a dissertation, and then you defend it. You can find my dissertation here in PDF. Its title is 'Studies in the physical foundations of gravitational theories', and, yes, it's in English...
- My Ph.D. thesis,
or dissertation: Uwe Muench: Studies in the physical
foundations of gravitational theories; 145 pages
PDF format: phd.pdf - The slides
for my comprehensive exam: Uwe Muench:
Gauge Theories of Gravity: Teleparallelism and
Nonlocality; September 26, 2000; 22 pages
PDF format: comprehensive-exam.pdf - The slides for my Ph.D. defense: Uwe Muench: Studies in the Physical Foundations
of Gravitational Theories; July 10, 2002; 28 pages
PDF format: phd-defense.pdf