Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 15 of 15

Full-Text Articles in Physics

Developing A Miniature Smart Boat For Marine Research, Michael Isaac Eirinberg Jun 2022

Developing A Miniature Smart Boat For Marine Research, Michael Isaac Eirinberg

Computer Engineering

This project examines the development of a smart boat which could serve as a possible marine research apparatus. The smart boat consists of a miniature vessel containing a low-cost microcontroller to live stream a camera feed, GPS telemetry, and compass data through its own WiFi access point. The smart boat also has the potential for autonomous navigation. My project captivated the interest of several members of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo’s (Cal Poly SLO) Marine Science Department faculty, who proposed a variety of fascinating and valuable smart boat applications.


Modeling Cherenkov Light Detection Timing For The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System, Keilan Finn Ramirez Dec 2021

Modeling Cherenkov Light Detection Timing For The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System, Keilan Finn Ramirez

Physics

The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) is an array of four 12-meter telescopes which use the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique to conduct high-energy gamma-ray astronomy. VERITAS detects magnitude and location information associated with Cherenkov light, and uses this information to indirectly observe gamma-rays through a software reconstruction process. VERITAS also records timing information corresponding to Cherenkov light detection, and this additional information could theoretically be incorporated into the reconstruction process to improve the accuracy of gamma-ray observations. The first step to including timing information is to understand when Cherenkov light detection would be expected from a known …


A Study Of The Design Of Adaptive Camber Winglets, Justin J. Rosescu Jun 2020

A Study Of The Design Of Adaptive Camber Winglets, Justin J. Rosescu

Master's Theses

A numerical study was conducted to determine the effect of changing the camber of a winglet on the efficiency of a wing in two distinct flight conditions. Camber was altered via a simple plain flap deflection in the winglet, which produced a constant camber change over the winglet span. Hinge points were located at 20%, 50% and 80% of the chord and the trailing edge was deflected between -5° and +5°. Analysis was performed using a combination of three-dimensional vortex lattice method and two-dimensional panel method to obtain aerodynamic forces for the entire wing, based on different winglet camber configurations. …


Simulating The Electrical Properties Of Random Carbon Nanotube Networks Using A Simple Model Based On Percolation Theory, Roberto Abril Valenzuela Jun 2018

Simulating The Electrical Properties Of Random Carbon Nanotube Networks Using A Simple Model Based On Percolation Theory, Roberto Abril Valenzuela

Physics

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been subject to extensive research towards their possible applications in the world of nanoelectronics. The interest in carbon nanotubes originates from their unique variety of properties useful in nanoelectronic devices. One key feature of carbon nanotubes is that the chiral angle at which they are rolled determines whether the tube is metallic or semiconducting. Of main interest to this project are devices containing a thin film of randomly arranged carbon nanotubes, known as carbon nanotube networks. The presence of semiconducting tubes in a CNT network can lead to a switching effect when the film is electro-statically …


Resistance Temperature Detectors In A Cryostat Refrigeration System, Kirsten Marie Manahan, Alice Callen Jan 2018

Resistance Temperature Detectors In A Cryostat Refrigeration System, Kirsten Marie Manahan, Alice Callen

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is a ground-based telescope that will survey the Southern sky every few nights. Located in the telescope will be a 3.2 gigapixel digital camera. To ensure proper instrumentation of the camera, there must be a monitored stable temperature. As part of my research, I assembled resistance temperature detectors and tested them to verify their reliability in measuring temperature in the camera’s cryostat refrigeration cooling system. Resistance temperature detectors function by the principle of thermal resistivity, in which their electrical resistances vary as temperature varies. Through testing, I was able to determine whether these particular …


Rogue Rotary - Modular Robotic Rotary Joint Design, Sean Wesley Murphy, Tyler David Riessen, Jacob Mark Triplett Dec 2017

Rogue Rotary - Modular Robotic Rotary Joint Design, Sean Wesley Murphy, Tyler David Riessen, Jacob Mark Triplett

Mechanical Engineering

This paper describes the design process from ideation to test validation for a singular robotic joint to be configured into a myriad of system level of robots.


Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion Of Photons Through Β-Barium Borate, Luke Horowitz May 2016

Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion Of Photons Through Β-Barium Borate, Luke Horowitz

Physics

An apparatus for detecting pairs of entangled 405nm photons that have undergone Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion through β-Barium Borate is described. By using avalanche photo-diodes to detect the low-intensity converted beam and a coincidence module to register coincident photons, it is possible to create an apparatus than can be used to perform quantum information experiments under a budget appropriate for an undergraduate physics lab.


Transition Orbits Of Walking Droplets, Joshua Parker Jun 2015

Transition Orbits Of Walking Droplets, Joshua Parker

Physics

It was recently discovered that millimeter-sized droplets bouncing on the surface of an oscillating bath of the same fluid can couple with the surface waves it produces and begin walking across the fluid bath. These walkers have been shown to behave similarly to quantum particles; a few examples include single-particle diffraction, tunneling, and quantized orbits. Such behavior occurs because the drop and surface waves depend on each other to exist, making this the first and only known macroscopic pilot-wave system. In this paper, the quantized orbits between two identical drops are explored. By sending a perturbation to a pair of …


Centered-Difference Applications For Schrödinger's Equation, Matthew Thomas Murachver Nov 2014

Centered-Difference Applications For Schrödinger's Equation, Matthew Thomas Murachver

Physics

This project enumerates methods utilizing discretized centered-difference approximations on the second order differential equation for quantum particles known as Schrodinger’s Equation. An eigenvalue-eigenfunction scheme is developed to sieve for valid solutions to The Time Independent Schrodinger Equation. Additionally the Crank-Nicolson method is applied to the Time Dependent Schrodinger Equation to describe wavefunction (eigenfunction) time evolution. The validity of these methods is discussed with applications to several fundamental pedagogical introductory quantum mechanic systems.


Smarticles: A Method For Identifying And Correcting Instability And Error Caused By Explicit Integration Techniques In Physically Based Simulations, Susan Aileen Marano Jun 2014

Smarticles: A Method For Identifying And Correcting Instability And Error Caused By Explicit Integration Techniques In Physically Based Simulations, Susan Aileen Marano

Master's Theses

Using an explicit integration method in physically based animations has many advantages including conceptual and computational simplicity, however, it re- quires small time steps to ensure low numerical instability. Simulations with large numbers of individually interacting components such as cloth, hair, and fluid models, are limited by the sections of particles most susceptible to error. This results in the need for smaller time steps than required for the majority of the system. These sections can be diverse and dynamic, quickly changing in size and location based on forces in the system. Identifying and handling these trou- blesome sections could allow …


Evolution Of Perturbations In Flow Field Mechanics, Samantha R. Bell, David Forliti, Nils Sedano, Kriss Vanderhyde Jan 2014

Evolution Of Perturbations In Flow Field Mechanics, Samantha R. Bell, David Forliti, Nils Sedano, Kriss Vanderhyde

STAR Program Research Presentations

This project explores the stability analysis of a given flow field. Specifically, where the peak disturbance occurs in a flow as this is the disturbance that is most likely to occur. In rocket combustion, it is important to understand where the maximum disturbance occurs so that the mixing of fuel can be stabilized. The instabilities are the results of frequencies in the area surrounding the flow field. The linear stability governing equations are employed to better understand the disturbance. The governing equations for continuity and momentum in the x and y directions are used to form an equation for the …


Viscosity Dependence Of Faraday Wave Formation Thresholds, Lisa Michelle Slaughter Dec 2013

Viscosity Dependence Of Faraday Wave Formation Thresholds, Lisa Michelle Slaughter

Physics

This experiment uses an electromagnetic shaker to produce standing wave patterns on the surface of a vertically oscillating sample of silicon liquid. These surface waves, known as Faraday waves, form shapes such as squares, lines, and hexagons. They are known to be dependent upon the frequency and amplitude of the forcing as well as on the viscosity and depth of the liquid in the dish. At a depth of 4mm and for various silicon liquids having kinematic viscosities of 10, 20, and 38 cSt, we determined the acceleration at which patterns form for frequencies between 10 and 60 Hz. For …


Characterization Of The Drilling Via The Vibration Augmenter Of Rotary-Drills And Sound Signal Processing Of Impacted Pipe As A Potential Water Height Assessment Tool, Nicholas Morris Aug 2013

Characterization Of The Drilling Via The Vibration Augmenter Of Rotary-Drills And Sound Signal Processing Of Impacted Pipe As A Potential Water Height Assessment Tool, Nicholas Morris

STAR Program Research Presentations

The focus of the internship has been on two topics: a) Characterize the drilling performance of a novel percussive augmenter – this drill was developed by the JPL’s Advanced Technologies Group and its performance was characterized; and b) Examine the feasibility of striking a pipe as a means of assessing the water height inside the pipe. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the possibility of using a simple method of applying impacts to a pipe wall and determining the water height from the sonic characteristic differences including damping, resonance frequencies, etc. Due to multiple variables that are relevant …


Field Control Of The Surface Electroclinic Effect In Liquid Crystal Displays, Dana Hipolite Aug 2013

Field Control Of The Surface Electroclinic Effect In Liquid Crystal Displays, Dana Hipolite

Physics

Liquid crystals (LCs) are a fascinating class of materials exhibiting a range of phases intermediate between liquid and crystalline. Smectic LCs consist of elongated molecules arranged in a periodic stack (along z) of liquid like layers. In the smectic-A (Sm-A) phase, the average molecular long axis (director) points along z. In the smectic-C (Sm-C) phase, it is tilted relative to z, thus picking out a special direction within the layers. Typically, the Sm-A* to Sm- C* transition will occur as temperature is decreased. In chiral smectics (Sm-*A or Sm-C*) it is possible to induce director titling (i.e. the Sm-C* phase) …


Paleomagnetism And Investigation Of 40 Ma Lavas, Liverpool Range, New South Whales, Australia, Nathan M. Padilla Oct 2011

Paleomagnetism And Investigation Of 40 Ma Lavas, Liverpool Range, New South Whales, Australia, Nathan M. Padilla

Physics

The main focus of this project is the continued study of a reversal of the earth’s magnetic field recorded from lavas in the Liverpool Range of New South Whales, Australia. This reverse-to-normal transition, recently dated at ~40 Ma, was first reported in Nature in 1986. [2] In March 2011 some 200+ cores were drilled from several sections about the volcanic range—Jemmy’s Creek, Bald Hill, Rock Creek, Yarraman, and Coolah Tops Road. Here we focus on paleomagnetic findings from samples drilled from the most extensive section, that being along the trail near Jemmy’s Creek. Results from alternating field demagnetization show the …