Physics Commons^™

An Investigation Of The Alkali Metals In The Fcc Structure Using An Embedded-Atom-Method (Eam) Model, Marcus Jackman

Physics Capstone Projects

Embedded-atom-method models have been used in the calculation and prediction of many vibrational and thermal properties of materials. In 2012 Wilson and Riffe constructed a model that predicts dispersion relations and frequency-moment Debye temperatures of the alkali metals with a greater degree of accuracy than previous models. The Wilson-Riffe model was implemented using MATLAB code. Here that model is extended to model alkali metals in the close-packed fcc structure. Code development is discussed, and results are presented for dispersion relations, density of states, Debye temperatures and free energy. The vibrational free energy combined with a suitable constant representing the electronic …

Measuring And Modeling The Conductivity Of Highly Insulating Materials, David King

Physics Capstone Projects

Satellites and other spacecraft must be able to withstand hazardous conditions in order to be viable in their expected operating environments. One specific hazard that occurs due to incident radiation is spacecraft charging. Insulating materials, frequently used in spacecraft and other electrical equipment, while very good at preventing charge flow, also store charge very well. This can create problems; specifically, “if the charge decay time exceeds the orbital period, not all charge will be dissipated before orbital conditions act again to further charge the satellite. As the insulator accumulates charge, the electric field will rise until the insulator breaks down” …

Investigating The Weddell Sea Anomaly Using Tie-Gcm, Daesean K. Jones

Physics Capstone Projects

The ionosphere is a region of Earth’s upper atmosphere that is embedded in the thermosphere and parts of the exosphere and mesosphere. The ionosphere is a layer of electrons and electrically charged atoms and molecules that are created by atmospheric absorption of solar radiation. It is subdivided into many layers but for this report, only the F-layer will be of interest. In the F-layer, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) solar radiation ionizes atomic oxygen and in this layer, an intriguing feature occurs. This feature involves an anomalous evening phenomenon over a fixed geographic location, where the electron density during the nighttime is …

The Use Of Plenoptic Cameras In Astronomy, James R. Hamilton

Physics Capstone Projects

Since light-field imaging cameras are starting to become more in the world today, the question that arises is, “Could these cameras help advance the science when they are used in conjunction with telescopes and microscopes?” With their use in microscopy having been partially settled and no information about their use with telescopes, this experiment was setup to start the ascertainment of the use of light-field imaging cameras with telescopes. With the use of an older plenoptic camera, it was ascertained that a new light-field imaging camera might compare with the conventional digital camera of today.

Rayleigh-Lidar Observations Of Mid-Latitude Mesospheric Densities, Brandon S. Hustead, Lucas R. Priskos, Jonathan L. Price, Joshua P. Herron

Physics Capstone Projects

This research is an analysis of absolute densities throughout the mesosphere (45 km to 90 km). Although much research has gone into the study of temperatures and their variations occurring in our atmosphere, little has been done to research the densities and their variations. Due to the remoteness of the middle atmosphere there is a high degree of difficulty in making observations in the mesosphere. There are currently three major types of ground-based instruments used to sense the mesosphere remotely. They are atmospheric radars, LIDARs and optical spectrometers. As far as measuring density in the mesosphere LIDAR is the most …

Wormholes: Gates To The Stars?, Samuel Shreeve

Physics Capstone Projects

One of the most consistently fascinating results of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity is the prediction of wormholes – astronomical objects which are, among other things, capable of serving as a connection between two distant regions of space. The simplest class of wormholes are Schwarzschild wormholes – wormholes that behave as non-rotating, non-charged black holes, except that the event horizon serves as a connection to another wormhole elsewhere, instead of a point of no return.

This research presentation analyzes the attributes that make a Schwarzschild wormhole unsuitable for human travel, and examines the conditions that would have to hold …

Rayleigh-Lidar Observations Of Mesospheric Densities, Lucas R. Priskos, Brandon S. Hustead, Jonathan L. Price, Joshua P. Herron

Physics Capstone Projects

The goal of this project is to take relative densities of the mesosphere (altitude 45-90 km) from data that has been collected and convert them into absolute densities. It is then possible to look at how these densities vary with altitude and season. The data was collected using a Rayleigh-scatter LIDAR at the Atmospheric LIDAR Observatory. This is a part of the Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences and is located on the Utah State University Campus. It spans a total of 11 years beginning in 1993 and ending in 2004. The collected data is used to create a composite …

Arduino And Raspberry Pi In A Laboratory Setting, Dustin Johnston

Physics Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research project was to study the use of Arduino and Raspberry Pi’s and investigate the practicality of integrating them into the intermediate and advance laboratory classes. After purchasing diverse types of sensors to use with Arduino and Raspberry Pi, the sensors were then performance tested. The types of sensors that were characterized were an accelerometer, altimeter, barometric pressure, gyroscopic, humidity, magnetic, temperature, and vibrational sensors. Using this analysis, the existing labs can be upgraded and their manuals can be updated and improved to use these sensors where appropriate. This will allow students to learn valuable programming …

Tilt Classifications In Perfect Fluid Cosmology, Bryant Ward

Physics Capstone Projects

We classify all known perfect fluid cosmological solutions of the Einstein equations according to whether they are tilted or non-tilted. A non-tilted universe will have observers who see a homogeneous, isotropic universe with matter at rest with respect to them. A tilted universe will have observers who see matter moving relative to them. These classifications are useful when considering fluid models of the universe in that the Hubble parameter and expansion are observer dependent and can be different in a tilted versus a non-tilted universe. This gives more insight when fitting these models with observations of our real universe. We …

Reducing The Contact Time Of Bouncing Droplets Using Macro-Textured Surfaces, Andrew Merritt

Physics Capstone Projects

This study was designed to investigate the possibility of using visible surface features to decrease the amount of time a droplet remains in contact with a hydrophobic surface. Hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces have long been a focus for scientists studying fluids. However, a majority of studies have focused on surfaces with hydrophobic properties rooted in their chemical makeup or other features invisible to the naked eye. In this study, the contact reduction induced by a simple needle protruding from a hydrophobic surface is investigated.

Uv Degradation Of Polycarbonate, Katie Gamaunt

Physics Capstone Projects

The decrease in visible and ultraviolet transmission spectra of polymeric and glass spacecraft materials has been measured to determine the extent of degradation due to high-energy UV radiation similar to the solar spectrum (both above and below the stratosphere, which is where most of the UV radiation is absorbed). This project looked at the effects that the atmosphere has in regards to blocking UV radiation and thus, slowing down the UV degradation process. A polycarbonate sample was exposed to radiation from a focused high intensity deuterium lamp source, which generates radiation in the UVA and UVB spectrum. A particularly severe …

Explorations In Hybrid Rocket Technology: Arc-Track Ignition In 3d-Printed Rockets, Richard Harvey

Physics Capstone Projects

A new rocket ignition mechanism developed at Utah State University, arc-track ignition, is very promising, but its underlying physics are poorly understood. An engineering/physics joint team was formed to investigate the process and suggest avenues for improvement of the technology. The objectives of the team evolved over the course of seven months of research. By the nature of this approach, understanding was extended in many ways, but few results were conclusive.

Two accomplishments overshadow the others: the discovery of a new arc-track ignition method, and cataloging of materials compatible with arc-track ignition technology. Thin film arc-track ignition has the promise …

Growing Bores At The South Pole, Mikaela Ashcroft

Physics Capstone Projects

Bores in the South Pole have been monitored for over ten years, and, until the year 2012, they were found to be relatively rare. Bores start with relatively large intensity and develop additional waves behind them depending on their movement and stability. The data from the South Pole was gathered from the US Admundsen-Scott South Pole station. A photo was taken every 30 seconds from the months of April to August with a wide-angled lens. The data was then processed and analyzed in multiple programs to determine wavelength, duration of event, relative velocity over time, and direction of propagation. Studies …

Microcontroller Survivability In Space Conditions, Windy Olsen

Physics Capstone Projects

The Utah State University (USU) Materials Physics Group (MPG) is interested in the performance of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) microcontrollers in space conditions. Microcontrollers are commonly used on CubeSats, small relatively inexpensive satellites that are flown in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes of ~160 km-2000 km. There is a large area of interest in COTS microcontrollers because they provide a more cost-effective on-board computer for CubeSats. This experiment focused on the functionality of an ATmega328 microcontroller on an Arduino Uno board inside the MPG’s Space Survivability Test (SST) Chamber. A diagnostic program was used to try to detect …

Analysis Of Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotope Levels In Side-Blotched Lizards ( Uta Stansburiana ) Fed Varying Diets, Kati Mattinson

Physics Capstone Projects

When attempting to determine the diet of wild animals, a limited number of techniques currently exist. Often, biologists look at the stomach contents or feces of an animal, if they cannot observe what it is eating directly. However, these techniques often cannot be used with reptiles because they may not eat often or may have an empty stomach when the contents of their stomach are examined. Many ecologists have begun to use stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen to determine what an animal has eaten. Stable isotopes are useful because unlike radioactive isotopes, stable isotopes do not decay and thus …

The Global Positioning System, Brendon Baker

Physics Capstone Projects

This research study explores the Global Positioning System (GPS), its history, and the process of discovery needed to create the most accurate GPS possible, as well as the contemporary applications of GPS technology. Starting with the first satellite in space, GPS has been a work in progress. Originally pursued by the military for improvements to military tactics, GPS has become integrated into the everyday lives of millions of people around the world. How GPS determines location is a dichotomy, with simplistic theory and complex application. Many factors go into GPS to provide a consistent, accurate location. The orbital planes the …