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Full-Text Articles in Physics
Polarizing Majorana Fermions, William Miyahira
Polarizing Majorana Fermions, William Miyahira
Summer Research
Classically, a spin-1/2 fermion can interact electromagnetically via four methods: its charge, electric and magnetic dipole moments, and anapole moment. One can polarize a collection of these particles, such that their spins align, by applying an external field or current. The particle experiences a torque that aligns its spin with the direction of the applied field or current. A Majorana fermion is a particle that is its own antiparticle, which means that it can only interact with currents via its anapole moment. These particles are natural candidates for dark matter particles given their electromagnetic properties. One could indirectly observe dark …
Radiation Reaction: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love E&M, Alexander R. Kaufman
Radiation Reaction: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love E&M, Alexander R. Kaufman
Summer Research
Here we present some approaches to understanding the Abraham-Lotentz-Dirac equation and their features. And a behavior found in numerical solutions to the 1-dimensional ALD in a co-moving reference frame for a single charged particle in a Coulombic field.
The Acoustics Of Harmon Mutes, Zachary T. Armstrong
The Acoustics Of Harmon Mutes, Zachary T. Armstrong
Summer Research
The acoustic properties of trumpets have been studied thoroughly, but little to no previous work has been done regarding the acoustics of trumpet mutes. Harmon mutes have a distinctively "buzzy" sound when they are used in performance and it is the opinion of a large number of trumpet players who use Harmon mutes that they should be dented before they are used in performance. The work presented here is an attempt to determine the acoustical properties of Harmon mutes and how they change when the mute is dented. If Harmon mutes are better understood, then a more informed decision as …
Vibrational Patterns In Curved Metal Plates, Samuel D. Berling
Vibrational Patterns In Curved Metal Plates, Samuel D. Berling
Summer Research
This summer, I investigated the factors affecting the vibrational patterns of curved metal plates. This research was inspired by the musical saw instrument which is played by bending a large handsaw into an s-curve and then bowing it like a violin. In our results, we identified the local confinement of the vibrational patterns due to the plate's curvature, the variation of resonant frequencies due to the geometry of the plate, and we determined that the stress in the metal created by bending the plate into its shape has a negligible effect on the resonant frequencies.
Scattering Of A Point-Like Anapole, Kyle Whitcomb
Scattering Of A Point-Like Anapole, Kyle Whitcomb
Summer Research
Majorana fermions, being elementary particles with half-integer spin which are their own antiparticle, are a hypothetical class of particle that are not currently in the Standard Model of particle physics. This research investigates the properties of Majorana fermions by calculating the scattering angle due to electromagnetic interactions between Majorana fermions and electrons. Since Majorana fermions interact solely via an electromagnetic term called the anapole moment, which is relatively weak compared to other terms, this problem was solved in the framework of quantum electrodynamics modeling the Majorana fermion as a point-like anapole. Additionally, since there is no restriction on the mass …
Experimental And Numerical Analysis Of Coupling Between Musical Drumheads, Ben Boe
Experimental And Numerical Analysis Of Coupling Between Musical Drumheads, Ben Boe
Summer Research
The low frequency vibrations of two-headed musical drums are known to couple. However, little is known regarding the factors that determine the degree of coupling at higher frequencies. In this study the effects that depth, diameter and head tension have on the tendency of the drumheads to couple are investigated. Commercial finite element software was used to model a wide range of drums and to identify trends of coupling according to these factors. The numerical results were used to guide which parameters should be tested in the lab. Experimentally, two oppositely facing Electronic Speckle-Pattern Interferometry systems were used to optically …