Physics Commons^™

Energy Extraction From Black Holes, Alexandra Chanson

Student Research Symposium

I will discuss some background on black hole magnetohydrodynamics and then explore some recent results in higher-dimensional monopole power extraction

Characteristics Of Mesospheric Temperature And Gravity Waves Over Chile In 2020-2021, Damien Devitt

Student Research Symposium

Atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) that propagate up into the mesospheric region break and transfer energy into the region. This energy process affects seasonal temperatures in the mesosphere and has important implications for rocket launches and GPS satellites. Using the Utah State University (USU) Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (MTM) located at the Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO) in Chile (30°S), wave activity and seasonal temperature changes were studied over the Andes Mountain Range from Jan 2020 to the first few months of 2021 for this study. The primary goal of the whole project was to continue the long-term data collection and analysis (since …

Gpu Accelerated Preconditioning Of The Plasma Kinetic Equation, D. Caleb Price

Student Research Symposium

Solving the plasma kinetic equation provides higher-order moments to better approximate an accurate time evolution of plasma behavior contained in a tokamak. NIMROD seeks to produce code to simulate and model these macroscopic dynamics. Essential to this code’s efficiency is the preconditioning of matrices. I studied how compiling a GPU-enabled third-party library, SuperLU, would improve this preconditioning time for a test version of NIMROD's code. We found that the time of preconditioning decreased significantly when GPUs were allocated versus when only CPUs were, which provides understanding for the future utilization of GPUs by the NIMROD code directly.

Preparation And Characterization Of Highly Insulating Granular Samples For Electron Yield Measurement, Heather Allen

Student Research Symposium

This experiment focuses primarily on the preparation and characterization of granular samples for the eventual purpose of electron yield measurements. Highly insulating granular samples are notoriously difficult to prepare and present a myriad ofcomplications from both experimental and practical frameworks. A famous example of this was during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission when electrostatically adhered lunar dust damaged the equipment and astronauts suits and led to purported health effects. The electrical properties of this dust for charging and discharge is essential to preventing these effects. In this study, particles of varying size, shape, and composition are used to create multilayered …

Hidden Symmetries In Black Holes, Luis Fernando Temoche

Student Research Symposium

Our objective is to show the existence of conformal symmetries in rotating black hole solutions near its event horizon. To do so, we are going to study the cases of both Kerr BH and 5D Myers-Perry BH. In particular, by applying certain coordinate transformations, we will be able exploit this conformal invariance from its geometry as well as the dynamics of scalar fields propagating on this particular background. The invariance allows as to describe strongly coupled systems, conformal field theories to be specific, in lower dimensions.

Seasonal Variations In Global Ionospheric Total Electron Content (Tec), Jason Knudsen

Student Research Symposium

As the Sun ionizes atoms and molecules in the Earth’s ionosphere, the region of atmosphere above approximately 100 km in altitude, the created ionization in this region affects many of the systems that we rely on in daily life. This includes cellular service, GPS navigation, weather forecasting, and credit card data. A good measure for the level of ionization in the ionosphere is the total electron content (TEC), which is the number of electrons in a one square meter column above a given location. The TEC over a geographic location influences the propagation of radio waves that traverse that section …

Does Cannabidiol Affect The Physical Properties Of Anhydrous Milk Fat And Palm Kernel Oil?, Joseph Cooney

Student Research Symposium

As cannabidiol (CBD) is added to more and more foods, it becomes increasingly important to study the effects that this CBD has on the physical properties of the lipids in which they are dissolved, which is the objective of this study. The viscosity, hardness, melting profile, crystal size, and solidification over time are studied for anhydrous milk fat (AMF) and palm kernel oil (PKO). Concentrations by mass of 1% and 2.5% CBD are added to each lipid, and these concentrations are tested against a pure lipid control. AMF is crystallized at 26 C, and PKO is crystallized at 22 C …

Small-Scale “Atmospheric Perturbations” With A Horizontal Scale Of A Few Tens Of Meters, Jonas Hamrick

Student Research Symposium

The objective of this investigation isto identify and understand the small-scale atmospheric perturbations with a horizontal scale of a few tens of meters, based on a novel Na imager. These extremely small perturbations in this altitude range are believed to contribute considerably to the dynamics in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere, ranging between ~ 80 to 110 km. By changing the intensity of these Na images to mesospheric Na number density, we can derive the amplitudes of these perturbations based on the Na mixing ratios that provides a direct measure of the perturbation magnitudes. The perturbations of such scale …

Rayleigh Scattering Is The Reason The Sky Is Blue, Samuel Monson

Student Research Symposium

In this experiment what is examined is light scattering. What was done was taking a spectrometer and taking in the sunlight over long periods of time. The goal here is to both identify and determine when Rayleigh or Mie Scattering is taking place. In Rayleigh scattering what should appear is blue light, and in Mie other kinds of light should be observed.

Simultaneous Simulation Of Microgravity And Ionizing Radiation In A Laboratory Environment, Achal Duhoon

Student Research Symposium

A novel system was developed to simulate the combined effects of reduced gravity and ionizing radiation present during spaceflight on biological and particulate samples. The miniature rotary cell culture system (mRCCS) was designed to synchronously rotate up to five independent vessels containing particulate samples suspended in fluid media, constructed using radiation tolerant, biocompatible, and vacuum compatible materials. Reduced gravity conditions were achieved when suspended particles (e.g., 200 μm polystyrene microcarrier beads with or without adhered cell clusters) were suspended inside the vessels moving near terminal velocity in viscous neutral-buoyant fluid media with densities matched to the suspended particles to achieve …

Icon Satellite Measurements, Uncertainty, And Error Calculations, Benjamin Bradshaw

Student Research Symposium

NASA's satellite the Icon (Ionospheric Connections Explorer) is a satellite launched in 2019 to better understand the connection between Earth's atmosphere and the space environment. Though its systems were tested before launching further validation of its measurements are needed. This is accomplished through using USU's NA Lidar systems measurements over similar regions. USU's Na Lidar is a robust instrument that has been shown to be valid for many years. Through this comparison Icon's measurements have been shown to not be very precise at its lower measurements regions as it fails to measure a distinct temperature fluctuation around 92 km.

Detonation Of A White Dwarf Star: Simulations Of The Sub-Chandrasekhar Type 1a Supernovae, Melissa Rasmussen

Student Research Symposium

A type Ia supernova can result from the double detonation of a white dwarf star below the Chandrasekhar mass limit. Using the hydrodynamics code Castro, we simulate this detonation by perturbing a carbon/oxygen white dwarf with an accumulated shell of helium, with a small amount of nitrogen-14. In this work, we investigate the robustness of the model. Adjusting the location of the perturbation affects whether detonation occurs. Changing the composition of the helium shell affects the speed at which it burns. The size of the reaction network used affects whether the star's core burns immediately or from a shock wave …

The Effects Of Absorbed Water On Electrostatic Breakdown Testing, Megan Loveland Dewaal

Student Research Symposium

A critical property of electrical insulators is the breakdown voltage. When exposed to a high enough voltage, the insulator will be permanently damaged and unable to block significant current flow which can lead to the compromise of important electrical equipment. This becomes a concern for applications like spacecraft missions, high voltage direct current power, and microelectronics, as well as many others. Recent preliminary tests suggested that water vapor on the surface of insulators may increase their breakdown voltage and influence phenomena observed during breakdown testing, such as partial discharges, partial breakdowns, and surface flashovers. In this study, thin film PEEK …

The Effects Of Moisture On The Conductivity Of M55j Carbon Fiber Composites, Crystal Tingle

Student Research Symposium

In this research, we studied the effects that humidity (moisture) can have on M55J Carbon Fiber Composite samples.

Application Of Acceleration Data To Inertial Navigation, Eric Eastham

Student Research Symposium

In many fields, there exists a need for knowing the precise location of an object. In many cases, the Global Positioning System can be used to determine the precise location of an object, and even its speed and acceleration, to an accuracy of within 10 to 30 feet. In some cases however, such as in applications in space exploration, this is unavailable. Without reference to exterior points, inertial navigation can be a useful tool to determine an object's current location based on the prior movement and rotational changes made. The position is determined by taking the accelerations throughout the course …

Giant Earthquakes' Effects On The Ionosphere, Aaron Houston

Student Research Symposium

The ionosphere is a part of the Earth’s atmosphere that stretches from 80 – 600 kilometers. Gases in this area are ionized which creates a range of free electrons that make up the plasma of the ionosphere. Integrating the electron density along a line between two points will give you the Total Electron Content (TEC), which is responsible for signal delays between satellites in orbit and their GPS receivers on the surface. Using this delay, the TEC in a specific region can be calculated which helps in GPS error analysis. During the earthquake in Japan on March 11, 2011, there …

When Should Young Married Couples Have Children?, Morgan Anderton

Student Research Symposium

There are many young married couples who are trying to plan out their lives; one thing they’re deciding is the best time to have children. There are many things to consider when planning for a family, such as, finances, fertility rates, mental preparedness and many others. This research aims to break down these aspects of planning for a family to decide when the best time, for young married couples, is to have children. Research was studied from academic databases, interviews from mothers, therapists, and parenting blogs that provided many points of views on when to start a family. From this …

Simulation Of The Nonlinear Dynamics Of A Spherical Magnet In The Field Of A Second Stationary Magnet, Luke Price

Student Research Symposium

We developed a 4th order Runge-Kutta program for the problem of two uniformly magnetized spheres, one sphere orbiting a second stationary sphere, by means of their magnetic fields. There are four coupled ordinary differential equations that describe the motion of the orbiting magnet. We graphed the solutions to these equations for a range of initial conditions and determined the chaotic indicator called the Lyapunov exponent (LE) in each case. A graph of the potential energy was also made. We look at the numerical values and graphs of the four equations and see how much they differ for a range of …

The Effect Of Temperature Fluctuation On Magnetometer Readings, Brittany Payne

Student Research Symposium

The SAM-III is a 3-axis, simple aurora magnetometer that can be used to sense and study geomagnetic fluctuations. These fluctuations can provide information about auroras, solar flares, geomagnetic storms, or radio waves, among others. In line with the manufacturer’s goals of expanding a worldwide, amateur magnetometer network, one of these magnetometers is being stationed at Utah State University. This experiment specifically looks at how temperature fluctuations affect the accuracy of the magnetometer’s measurements. These results will help determine to what extent the magnetometer can be used to gather useful data and as well as decide where it should be stationed …

Electron Yield Decay Curves For Analysis Of Sample Charging And Neutralization, Matthew Robertson

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Excess charge on a material will affect the electron yield of the material. Electron yield is an attribute of materials which describe how the material behaves when irradiated with electrons. It is the ratio of the number of electrons going into the material over the number of electrons leaving the material. Understanding how a sample charges is important in both how it affects the electron yield and how it can be neutralized.

Comparing P-11b To D-3he Fusion For Direct Drive Fusion Rockets, Christopher Hooper

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Direct Fusion Drive (DFD) is a theoretical configuration that uses a magnetically confined fusing plasma to provide thrust for a rocket. In the words of the original authors, Princeton Satellite Systems (PSS) and Razinet al., it is “...a compact, anuetronic fusion engine [which] will enable more challenging exploration missions in the solar system.” DFD is proposed as a theoretical alternative to chemical and ion propulsion rockets – as seen in Table 1, it has clear advantages over both in exhaust velocity (specific impulse) and mass ratio, and a large advantage over ion propulsion in thrust and thrust-to-weight ratio. Despite being …

A Study Of Oxidation In Thin-Film Uranium-Niobium Alloys, Logan C. Page

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Uranium, a nuclear fuel material, can oxidize and degrade in reactor conditions. Previous studies have shown oxidation resistance in a uranium-niobium alloy, U-6Nb (six weight percent niobium in uranium). The nature of the oxides that form on sputtered U-6Nb thin films after long exposure to air was previously explored using neutron diffraction at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In the present work, we deposited thin films of uranium-niobium alloys for oxidation studies. We used ellipsometry to quantify the oxide growth over time as a function of niobium content. We found that the oxide thickness increases linearly with the logarithmic of time. …

Comparison Of Rayleigh-Scatter Lidar Temperature Climatologies In The Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere Between The Traditional Reduction Method And The New Optimal Estimation Method, Jonathan Price

Utah Space Grant Consortium

An optimal estimation method (OEM) was used to obtain all-night temperature profiles from Rayleigh-scatter lidar (RSL) observations obtained by the original and updated lidar systems at Utah State University (USU). These data were used to produce annual climatologies of temperatures above USU. The climatology of temperatures from the original lidar, which operated from late 1993 through 2004, was compared with the climatology produced using the widely used Hauchecorne-Chanin method (HC). This comparison highlights the similarities at lower altitudes and differences, which start between 70 km and 80 km and extend to the top altitudes with the OEM temperatures warmer on …

Seeking The Origin Of Electromagnetic Signatures Of Black Holes, Alexandra B. Chanson

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Relativistic-jet formation in astrophysical black holes lacks a rigorously understood mechanism of energy extraction in the high-energy regime although, in recent years, progress has been made in extending the non-linear equations of Force-Free Electrodynamics (FFE) into the high-spin regime. In particular, M. J. Rodriguez and A. Strominger were able to show, using the Near Horizon Extremal Kerr spacetime, that the near horizon FFE solutions have an additional scaling symmetry which allows the construction of a pseudo-analytical infinite tower of solutions. These families of solutions stand in stark contrast to the relatively few full Kerr solutions found analytically: this tension can …

Electron Yield Of A Carbon Fiber Composite, Matthew Robertson

Utah Space Grant Consortium

As electron yield models continue to evolve and improve, a study of carbon fiber materials was conducted to try and understand more complex nanoscale structures and their influence on electron yield.

Using Geologic And Geodetic Analyses To Define The Location, Slip Rate, And Geometry Of Off Fault Deformation, Hidden Spring Fault Zone, Southern California, Rebekah Riemann, Andrea Donnellan, Jay Parker

Utah Space Grant Consortium

A strain deficit of about 10 mm/yr exists across the San Andreas Fault system on the boundary between the North American and Pacific plates. We investigate the role of the Hidden Spring Fault Zone, east of the Salton Sea in Southern California, and related structures in accommodating some of this slip. We compile data from historic and current aerial and satellite imagery, coupled with UAVSAR and LiDAR data have allowed us to identify and map hundreds of new fault segments in the region. Where possible, we correlate some of these data with geologic evidence for the faults. These data emphasize …

Byu Rocketry, Joseph Andrews, Bradley Buttars, Mark Johnson, Zachary Lawless, Jodi Pham, Harris Rothaermel, Mark Sweeney

Utah Space Grant Consortium

BYU Rocketry competed in the 2019 Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition at the 3^rd Annual Spaceport America Cup in Las Cruces, NM by building an 8-foot High Power rocket to send an 8.8 lb. CubeSat payload 10,000 ft. above ground level. Over 100 collegiate teams from around the world will competed.

Applying Real-World Learning Through Amusement Parks To Help Teach The Upcoming Changes To Utah Core Standard, Phil Lundgreen, Amanda Otterstrom

Utah Space Grant Consortium

To assist educators in satisfying the Science with Engineering Education (SEEd) Standards the Utah State University (USU) Physics Department has developed a curriculum centered around USU Physics Day at Lagoon.

With an upcoming change to Utah's core standards and a shift to more hands-on learning styles, the use of real-world learning offered by amusement park applications is analyzed in its ability to satisfy the Utah State Bureau of Education’s (USBE) SEEd standards. Amusement park learning allows educators a vehicle to capture students’ attention in the classroom by discussing science principles in a fun and exciting manner with a promise of …

Leveraging Commercial Nuclear Reactors To Power Space Exploration, Ben Johnson

Utah Space Grant Consortium

This study is aimed at exploring the adaptation of commercial nuclear reactors as an alternative to NASA’s current high-power fission reactor systems, particularly with respect to applications on the surface of Mars. The study concludes that while the Kilopower architecture is brilliantly poised to provide affordable, near-term power in the 1-10 kilowatts electric (kWe) range, the financial barrier to higher power scaling of such systems is significant. This financial barrier adds risk to the development of greater than 10kWe systems and is likely to result in the failure to successfully scale the technology to higher powers for space exploration applications. …

Internal Waves Generated From Asymmetric Topographies, Kyle Hakes

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Internal waves are a key part of the energy budget of the ocean and atmosphere. The generation of internal waves in the ocean from tides is dependent on the frequency of oscillation, the profile of the underwater mountain range, and the density of water in the surrounding ocean. A study of the effect of an asymmetric mountain range, with varying pro-files, on the generation of internal waves is presented. Results begin to indicate that the wave is mostly similar when generated on either side of the topography, but might extend to higher wavenumbers in Fourier space when generated on the …