The study of physics took on a new meaning when Doug Granger and Michael Stewart stepped off the C1-41 plane onto a sheet of ice in McMurdo, Antarctica, last semester.
Granger and Stewart, both LSU physics graduates, took part in the Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter scientific experiment with faculty members in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
The ATIC experiment studies invisible cosmic rays using a helium gas balloon large enough to fill Tiger Stadium at LSU.
These rays are the only samples of matter from other regions of the galaxy that can be directly observed by experiments in the solar system, the ATIC Web site stated.
The scientists conduct the experiment in Antarctica because polar winds set up a circular pattern around the South Pole during the southern hemisphere’s summer months between November and January, said physics and astronomy professor John Wefel.
The balloon, launched to a height of 120,000 feet, follows the air around the continent and comes back close to where it started. The balloon’s flight last semester lasted about 19 days, Wefel said.
The trip last semester was Granger and Stewart’s second trip to Antarctica. They helped assemble the measuring equipment the balloon carried. They made the trip for the experiment’s first launch in 1999.
      Wefel, who worked with professor Greg Guzik to secure the project funding from NASA, made his first trip last November.
“It’s the only place I’ve ever been where it’s completely white,” Wefel said.
Granger, a systems and network administrator for the project, said the cold weather in Antarctica was not as bad as he thought it would be.
“On nice, calm days, it’s 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, but it’s really dry,” Granger said. “I walked around in tennis shoes, jeans and a windbreaker.”
On other days it could drop to 60 degrees below zero, he said.
Stewart, a computer analyst for the project, said the dry air made visibility extremely clear.
“A mountain 200 miles away looked like 30 miles away,” he said.
Stewart said the wildlife that dominated Antarctica’s landscape also impressed him.
Penguins, seals and scavenger birds called “scuas” are the three types of wildlife.
International law prevent humans from interacting with the animals, he said. The animal should not have to react to the human’s presence.
“It’s hard because the seals are so damn cute,” Stewart said. “You want to pet them.”
Despite the physical beauty, the demands of life in Antarctica create a tough environment, Granger said.
One main adjustment is that during summer months, the continent is subjected to 24 hours of sunlight, Wefel said.
He said also the community is totally dependent on aircraft and ships for their food and water supply.
Stewart said McMurdo is like a small mining community.
“It’s interesting, and it’s beautiful, but you’re isolated and limited as to what you can do,” he said.
In the city, there is a fully functional galley that cooks lasagna, pizza, pork chops and eggs, Granger said. There are a couple of bars to give the students a semblance of nightlife.
Wefel said the community lives on the edge.
“If something breaks, you don’t go down to the hardware store,” Wefel said. “You have to go to New Zealand.”