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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Investigating Signs Of Orbital Decay In The Tres-1 Exoplanetary System, Amanda F. Wester Jan 2022

Investigating Signs Of Orbital Decay In The Tres-1 Exoplanetary System, Amanda F. Wester

Honors Theses and Capstones

Transit observations of exoplanetary systems can be used to investigate orbital decay. TrES-1b is an exoplanet hypothesized to be experiencing orbital decay due to observed transit timing variations (TTVs) [12]. Numerous transits must be observed to establish a long term pattern to conclusively determine if the planet’s orbit is decaying. Measurements were made using the UNH Observatory where 2 transits were observed of the TrES-1b transiting system on February 27, 2022 and March 5, 2022. A CCD camera was used to image the transit and capture calibration images. The software AstroImageJ (AIJ) was used to calibrate the images and perform …


Development Of A Fluxgate Magnetometer Model, Eleonora Olsmats Jan 2022

Development Of A Fluxgate Magnetometer Model, Eleonora Olsmats

Honors Theses and Capstones

As a part of the UNH SWFO-L1 mission to monitor space weather and the sun’s behavior, the fluxgate magnetometer is an important component to measure external magnetic fields. The basic principle of a fluxgate magnetometer is to detect changes in the ambient magnetic field by inducing a magnetic field in a ferromagnetic material via a drive winding. Each magnetometer is unique due to the ferromagnetic properties of the core material which can be seen in the hysteresis loop which is a relationship between the magnetic field strength (H) and the induced magnetic field (B). Measuring the hysteresis of a fluxgate …


Searching For The Common Suprathermal Power Law Tail In Parker Solar Probe's Isois Data, Asher S. Merrill Jan 2020

Searching For The Common Suprathermal Power Law Tail In Parker Solar Probe's Isois Data, Asher S. Merrill

Honors Theses and Capstones

Results from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and the Ulysses spacecraft suggested the existence of a pervasive power-law spectrum of suprathermal ions in the solar wind with a spectral index of -3/2. This distribution is of particular interest to humanity because the suprathermal ions it describes can serve as the seed population for large, destructive events that can harm ground- and air-based equipment. It has been suggested that various statistical mechanisms can produce the observed spectrum, however the underlying physical phenomena are not yet known. The spectrum of suprathermal ions is relatively unstudied closer to the Sun than 1 au. …


Improving Photometry And Astrophotography By Eliminating Dark Frames And Flat Fields, Tom C. Ireland Jan 2019

Improving Photometry And Astrophotography By Eliminating Dark Frames And Flat Fields, Tom C. Ireland

Honors Theses and Capstones

I report on the efforts to improve the dark frames and flat fielding procedure for the charged-coupled device (CCD) camera for the Celestron C14 telescope at the UNH observatory. Dark frames are images taken while the shutter of the camera is closed so that only electronic and dark noise and other internal inconsistencies are recorded. These are important because they allow astronomers to subtract out interference from dark current. Additionally, flat fields are images of the entire field of the telescope so that the brightness in the pixels of the telescope’s field of view is uniform. Flat fields are vital …


Determination Of Multi-Messenger Signals From Matter Outflows Of Merger Systems, Ronny Nguyen Jan 2019

Determination Of Multi-Messenger Signals From Matter Outflows Of Merger Systems, Ronny Nguyen

Honors Theses and Capstones

In 2017, LIGO detected gravitational waves from GW170817. This presented for the first time, gravitational waves originating from a neutron star - neutron star merger. Studies of neutron star mergers are significant because the multi-messenger signals in the form of gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves can inform us on the nuclear physics of neutron stars and the creation of heavy elements in the universe. Matter is ejected in the merging process and forms the outflow which provides a neutron-rich environment for rapid neutron capture (r-process) to occur leading to the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements. What we detect on Earth are …


Analysis Of Autoguiding For Exoplanet Transit Research At The Unh Observatory, Anthony Cappuccio Jan 2019

Analysis Of Autoguiding For Exoplanet Transit Research At The Unh Observatory, Anthony Cappuccio

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper will discuss the proper calibration technique for an autoguider of a CCD camera and the results that follow from successful exoplanet transit observations. A brief background on exoplanets, the transit method, and the analysis of their parent stars through photometry will be examined. The results will be presented in a before and after framework that will visually represent the data improvements from autoguiding as graphical Light Curves (LC). The addition of being able to autoguide at the UNH observatory will work towards providing future students with the possibility of performing follow-up ground-based observations and archiving their work online …


Charged Particle Filter For Entrance Of Imap-Lo, Daniel Abel Jan 2019

Charged Particle Filter For Entrance Of Imap-Lo, Daniel Abel

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.


Unh Observatory Exoplanet Transit Depth Limit, Nicholas R. Larose Jan 2019

Unh Observatory Exoplanet Transit Depth Limit, Nicholas R. Larose

Honors Theses and Capstones

Using the University of New Hampshire Observatory, we performed multiple exoplanet transits observations on a variety of systems. Of these transits, those performed with ideal weather conditions were chosen to do extensive analysis on. The transit chosen for initial analysis was HAT-P-56b. We then used Z-Score values, along with the average mean and standard deviation collected from multiple transits to determine a minimum possible transit depth of 7.4 +/- 0.6 mmag. This value will allow UNH to access exoplanet transit observation and / or confirm potential exoplanets, thus making the UNH Observatory more research capable. A follow up threshold transit …


Normalization Of Leadville Neutron Monitor To Climax Neutron Monitor, Brian J. O'Connor Jan 2019

Normalization Of Leadville Neutron Monitor To Climax Neutron Monitor, Brian J. O'Connor

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.


Relationship Between Interplanetary Conditions And Changes In The Geomagnetic Field To Understand The Causes Of Geomagnetically Induced Currents, Cameron P. Maillet Jan 2018

Relationship Between Interplanetary Conditions And Changes In The Geomagnetic Field To Understand The Causes Of Geomagnetically Induced Currents, Cameron P. Maillet

Honors Theses and Capstones

Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) are electrical currents induced in ground-level conductive networks, like power lines and pipelines, which can cause costly damage to infrastructure. GICs are induced in response to fast changes in the geomagnetic field (GMF) according to Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic Induction. The purpose of this study was to identify the parameters of the solar wind and interplanetary shocks which are most strongly correlated with large, fast changes in the magnitude of the GMF. GMF data is 1-min averaged time series of mid- and high-latitude magnetometer measurements in the Sym/H and AL indices, respectively. For solar wind data, …


Observations Of Ion Density And Temperature Around The International Space Station During Two Geomagnetic Storms, Alex M. Wright Jan 2018

Observations Of Ion Density And Temperature Around The International Space Station During Two Geomagnetic Storms, Alex M. Wright

Honors Theses and Capstones

The International Space Station (ISS) is a low Earth orbit research facility and host to an international crew. Geomagnetic storms cause changes in the Earth’s magnetic field and affect the ion density and temperature in the ionosphere which could pose a hazard to ISS crew. This hazard is measured by the Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) which measures ion density, ion temperature, and the charge differential of the ISS relative to its surrounding environment. I analyzed data collected by Narrow Sweep Langmuir Probe for two storms in 2015. Ion density and temperature were affected by geomagnetic storms, but the effects …


A Statistical Analysis Of Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (Emic) Waves And Their Correlation To The 11-Year Solar Cycle, Erik A. Lindgren Apr 2013

A Statistical Analysis Of Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (Emic) Waves And Their Correlation To The 11-Year Solar Cycle, Erik A. Lindgren

Honors Theses and Capstones

This thesis presents a statistical analysis of EMIC waves measured at Halley Research Station from 2008 through 2012. An introduction covering the origin of and theory behind EMIC waves is provided, along with a background covering previous statistical research regarding EMIC waves. Guidelines regarding EMIC wave definition and analysis are described along with examples of how they were used. The data shows an increase in the total number of EMIC waves as well as the number and percentage of EMIC waves with maximum frequency above 1 Hz during the 5-year period. The results suggest that the total number of EMIC …