Neil Bacon, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

Part-time Lecturer

Neil Bacon, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

Part-time Lecturer

Dr. Neil Bacon grew up in the UK and completed his undergraduate degree in Physics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University, followed by a master's at UCC, Cork, where he proved the nonexistence of Ricci-positive R3xS1 gravitational instantons — they are simply not a thing. For his Ph.D. project at UW, he designed and built an electrodynamic ice particle levitation chamber and used it to study the growth properties of ice crystals. His work in industry included designing a high-brightness electron source for atomic-resolution electron microscopes. His teaching draws on his diverse background, and he has a second career teaching and performing on the violin and is a certified presenter and mentor in Rolland String Pedagogy.

Education

  • University of Washington, Seattle, WA
    • Ph.D. – Physics
  • University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
    • M.Sc. – Physics
  • Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
    • B.A. – Physics & Theoretical Physics

Courses

  • B PHYS 117 General Physics Laboratory: Mechanics laboratory
  • B PHYS 118 General Physics Laboratory: Heat and electromagnetism laboratory
  • B PHYS 119 General Physics Laboratory: Sound, light, and modern physics laboratory
  • B PHYS 121 Mechanics
  • B PHYS 122 Electromagnetism and Oscillatory Motion
  • B PHYS 123 Waves

Teaching Interests

In our physics labs, we work in teams to understand the concepts and learn how to both work together and understand what our data is – is not– telling us. Bacon likes to use everyday experience to bring physics concepts to light. What does online shopping have to do with timing pendulum swings? How is setting the knobs on a power supply similar to filling up at the gas station?

Research and Scholarship Interests

Electron optics, crystal growth, light scattering, detector technology, acoustics

Creative Interests

Bacon uses Physics concepts to inform his violin teaching and playing, and believes strongly that physics helps us in many unexpected ways.

  • Neil J. Bacon, Brian D. Swanson, Marcia B. Baker, and E. James Davis, “Breakup of Levitated Frost Particles,” J. Geophys. Res. 103 13,763-13,775, 1998
  • Brian D. Swanson, Neil J. Bacon, E. James Davis, and Marcia B. Baker, “Electrodynamic Trapping and Manipulation of Ice Crystals,” Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc. 125 1039-58, 1999
  • Neil J. Bacon and Brian D. Swanson, “Laboratory Measurements of Light Scattering by Single Levitated Ice Crystals,” J. Atmos. Sci. 57 2094-2104, 2000
  • N.J. Bacon, M.B. Baker, and B.D. Swanson, “Initial stages in the morphological evolution of vapor grown ice crystals: a laboratory investigation,” Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc. 129 1903, 2003
  • Niklas Dellby, Neil J. Bacon, Petr Hrncirik, Matthew F. Murfitt, Gwyn S. Skone, Zoltan S. Szilagyi, and Ondrej L. Krivanek., “Dedicated STEM for 200 to 40 keV operation,” The European Physical Journal – Applied Physics 54, 33505, 2011
  • T.C. Lovejoy, N.J. Bacon, A.L. Bleloch, N. Dellby, M.V. Hoffman, O.L. Krivanek, “Ultra-High Energy Resolution EELS,” Microscopy and Microanalysis 23 (S1):1552-1553, 2017

Mentor, Paul Rolland String Pedagogy

Presenter of “Paul Rolland and the Science of Movement,” Paul Rolland String Pedagogy Workshop 2025 &2026