Digital Commons Network^™

Turbulent Plenum Jet-Crossflow Validation Via Subgrid Scale Model Variation And Upstream Forcing Under Dynamic Hybrid Rans-Les, Cole W. Mccallum

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In modern gas turbine design, film cooling has become ubiquitous as a method for limiting heat transfer between high temperature gases post-combustion and the surface of downstream blades. This paper validates the use of various computational fluid dynamics techniques in recreating an experiment measuring adiabatic effectiveness over a surface downstream of a compound-angle N2 plenum jet incident on a turbulent-air boundary layer [1]. To do this, both RANS and Dynamic Hybrid RANS-LES (DHRL) methods are implemented and compared to previous research [2]. The latter method is then modified through implementation of a different subgrid scale (SGS) model and through addition …

Designing Enhanced Nonlinearity In Plasmonic Devices With Epsilon-Near-Zero Films, Kevin Tran Le

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (MS) Theses

The growing demand for energy-efficient optical information processing motivates compact nonlinear photonic devices that can operate at low power. Silicon photonics is a mature platform for linear optical functions, but nonlinear operation remains challenging because of its weak Kerr response, two-photon absorption at telecommunication wavelengths, and limited compatibility with deeply subwavelength plasmonic confinement. This thesis computationally investigates epsilon-near-zero thin films integrated into plasmonic waveguide architectures as a route toward stronger light–matter interaction in compact nonlinear devices.

Two waveguide geometries are examined: a hybrid metal-insulator-metal plasmonic slab waveguide incorporating an ultrathin indium tin oxide epsilon-near-zero layer (5–50 nm), and a dielectric-loaded …

The Trouble Of Energy: Theoretical Foundations Of Loop Quantum Gravity, Hallie Gift

Senior Honors Theses

While general relativity and quantum mechanics have proved to be successful theories with elegant explanations of special cases, an underlying theory is needed to harmonize their copious discrepancies. Popular theories to reconcile the two are broadly termed “quantum gravity,” which refers to theories that introduce a discretized component of gravity either by directly suggesting gravitational quanta or attempting to discretize spacetime geometry. Loop quantum gravity falls under the latter category; it respects the background independence intrinsic to general relativity while attempting to provide an explanation of underlying quantum behavior via Planck-scale-level geometrical discretization. This thesis aims to provide a primer …

Volume 17, Christian O’Neill, Kyara Greene, Savva Sidorov, Laura Bisaillon, Luke Clemmer, Hannah Gordon, Kitt Benson, Taylor Blount, Rachel Danzitz, Nicholas Duellman, Chase Gionis, Hima Fernando, Seth Franzyshen, Onyx Gonzalez, Bryan Lin, Samantha Start, Ysabel Wells, Maggie Duncan

Incite: The Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

Introduction Dr. Amorette Barber, Director, Office of Student Research

From the Editor Dr. Hannah Dudley-Shotwell

Cover Artist’s Statement Maggie Duncan

On Mentoring Dr. Yulia Uryadova

Ukrainian Resistance in the Face of Russification: Nestor Makhno and Anarchism

by Christian O’Neill

Life Vest by Kyara Greene

Isolation and 16S rRNA Identification of Bacteria from Fire Department Connection Pipe by Savva Sidorov

The Effectiveness of Planned Exercise in Reducing ADHD Symptoms in Children by Laura Bisaillon & Luke Clemmer

Linguistic Analysis on Confidence and Communication Strategies with Disparities Between Sign Fluency and Hearing Impairment by Hannah Gordon

Freedmen in Indian Territory by Kitt …

Bioshock: An Objectivist Counter Discourse On Ayn Rand’S Atlas Shrugged, Tucker M. Hurst

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The aim for this thesis is to discuss the themes and story structure of Bioshock with respect to Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged by deconstructing the relationship between both pieces of media as Bioshock representing a counter discourse to Rand’s objectivism. This will be done by examining both stories under a philosophical and economic lens to determine the main pillars of objectivism presented in Atlas Shrugged, then moving on to Bioshock’s dissection of these ideals when enforced on a secluded society. In doing so, not only is a better understanding of Rand’s philosophy obtained by presenting a form of case study …

Implementation Of A Droplet Interface Lipid Bilayer System For Electrical Characterization, Olivia J. Ziemer

Honors Theses

Lipid bilayers are the fundamental structural framework of cell membranes, providing cells with both protection from the environment and interaction with the surrounding environment. Experimental investigation of lipid bilayers and embedded protein channels often involves the formation of an artificial membrane within an electrical circuit. The focus of this project is to implement and verify the functionality of a lipid bilayer characterization technique known as the droplet interface bilayer (DIB), with emphasis on cost-effective system design. To achieve this, the amplifier and software from the ELEMENTS black lipid membrane (BLM) kit were repurposed to reduce the cost of implementing a …

Search For Slow-Moving Magnetic Monopoles With An Improved High-Energy Event Removal Algorithm, Reeshi N. Gihosal

Honors Theses

Fermilab’s NOvA (NuMI Off-axis 𝑣𝑒 Appearance) experiment focuses on understanding the behavior of neutrinos and how they affect the cosmos. A sub-focus of the NOvA experiment is the search for magnetic monopoles. These elusive particles have not yet been observed in nature, leaving their behavior to be mysterious. The Far Detector, located in Ash River, MN, is integral in the search for these particles. This project is on simulated magnetic monopoles with speeds thousandths the speed of light, with focus on the role of slicing algorithms in event reconstruction using the NOvA experiment’s reconstruction algorithm. Using sample data, analysis occurred …

Measurements And Scaling Of Ion Propulsion Impulse During Driven Magnetic Reconnection, Fatima Ebrahimi, Nicholas A. O'Gorman, Kush Maheshwari, Jongsoo Yoo, Alexandre Sainterme, Hantao Ji

Faculty Publications

Impulse scaling during magnetic reconnection, the magnetic energy conversion to kinetic energy, via direct Mach probe measurements in Magnetic Reconnection Experiment is examined. Ion exhaust velocity and impulse scalings with reconnecting magnetic field during the push phase of driven reconnection are presented. The outflows and impulse measurements are compared with global MHD simulations. Both measurements and simulations reveal a favorable scaling, greater than linear, of impulse with reconnecting field. These scaling results establish that magnetic reconnection could be utilized for plasma propulsion.

Collective Dissipative Charging And Energy Extraction In Quantum Batteries, Sagar Pokhrel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we investigate the charging and discharging dynamics of a quantum battery composed of a collectively driven ensemble of $N$ identical two level systems coupled to a structured electromagnetic environment. The system is described using collective angular momentum operators in the Dicke basis, which provides a compact and physically transparent framework for analyzing collective light-matter interactions. Rather than treating dissipation as an unwanted source of loss, we explicitly use it as a mechanism for energy storage and work extraction. Starting from a coherently driven ensemble coupled to common reservoirs, we derive a master equation in Lindblad form under …

Strain Engineering Of Excitonic And Vibrational Properties In Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides, Sneha Minesh Patel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mechanical strain represents a robust and non-invasive method for tuning the electronic and vibrational properties of two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). This work examines homogeneous biaxial strain as a symmetry-preserving control parameter that governs excitonic and interlayer dynamics in atomically thin TMDs. In monolayer MoSe2, biaxial tensile strain is intrinsically generated during high-temperature physical vapor deposition due to thermal expansion mismatch with amorphous substrates. Optical spectroscopy demonstrates substantial and tunable excitonic energy shifts exceeding 100 meV per percent strain. Polarization-resolved second harmonic generation confirms the retention of lattice symmetry under biaxial deformation. The investigation is further extended to bilayer MoS2, where …

College Of Natural Sciences Spring Newsletter, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

[Page 1] Dean's Message
[Page] 2 Awards & Recognitions // Student Spotlights
[Page] 3 Zhang Named to Landsat Science Team // The Power of Teaching
[Page] 4 “Science as Art” Competition Welcomes High School Artists
[Page] 5 Testing for “Forever Chemicals” in Surface Water // New Faculty Spotlight
[Page] 6 Ambassador Initiated Outreach
[Page] 7 57th Annual Geography Convention
[Page] 8 Twice the Impact on On Call with the Prairie Doc
[Page] 9 Making Staple Foods Healthier // Halaweish & Cole-Dai Retire
[Page] 10 Drone Day 2026
[Page] 11 Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Day (SRSCAD)
[Page] 12 Ceremony …

Between Chronicle And Legend: A Two-Scene Environment And Visual Effects Examination Of Physical Accuracy And Emotional Exaggeration On The Honey Creek Bridge Collapse, Alison R. Gaddy

All Theses

This thesis explores how truth and dramatization intersect in digital storytelling by comparing realistic and stylized simulations of the Honey Creek bridge collapse within the context of the Kate Shelley animated short. At the core of storytelling lies a tension between factual accuracy and dramatic stylization. We investigate that tension by examining how narrative truth is conveyed, distorted, or enhanced through visual dramatization by focusing on the psychology of audience perception and the motivations behind creative embellishment. The practical contribution of this research is the development of two distinct digital scene setups depicting the same Honey Creek bridge collapse event. …

Optical Counterparts To X-Ray Sources In Lsst Dp1, Yuankun David Wang, Eric Bellm, Robert I. Hynes, Yue Zhao, Poshak Gandhi, Liliana E. Rivera Sandoval, Sandro Campos, Neven Caplar, Melissa Delucchi, Konstantin Malanchev

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present a crossmatch between a combined catalog of X-ray sources and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Data Preview 1 (DP1) to identify optical counterparts. The six fields targeted as part of DP1 include the Extended Chandra Deep Field South (E-CDF-S), the Euclid Deep Field South, the Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy (Fornax dSph), 47 Tucanae (47 Tuc), and science validation fields with low Galactic and ecliptic latitude (SV_95_-25 and SV_38_7, respectively). We find matches to 2314 of 3830 X-ray sources. We also compare our crossmatch to DP1 in the E-CDF-S field to previous efforts to identify optical counterparts. The probability …

Membrane Organization Of Rheb And Rhoa: Roles In Function And Allosteric Druggability, Chase M. Hutchins

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Small GTPases of the Ras superfamily are membrane-bound molecular switches that regulate nearly all major cellular processes, and their dysregulation drives cancers, neurological disorders, and metabolic diseases. While anchored to cellular membranes, the catalytic domains of small GTPases undergo orientation dynamics, adopting distinct configurations that can occlude or expose effector-binding surfaces and modulate signaling output. These dynamics have been characterized in the Ras oncoproteins, but whether they extend across the superfamily and influence allosteric druggability has remained unknown.

In this dissertation, I address these questions through Rheb and RhoA, two small GTPases with complementary differences in subfamily lineage, membrane localization, …

Impaired Tunability Of Brain State And Motor Dysfunction In A Mouse Model Of Rett Syndrome, Victoria Kindler Norman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare neurological disorder, caused by disrupted function of the MECP2 gene, resulting in impaired cognitive and motor functions. Previous studies suggest that although MECP2 has important functions throughout the body, the etiological origins of RTT-related dysfunction should be sought within the brain. However, it remains a mystery how neural population dynamics are altered in the RTT brain and how these alterations relate to motor dysfunction. Previous studies using an RTT mouse model point to abnormal correlations among firing rates of neurons. Here we hypothesize that such disrupted neural activity correlation could be caused by abnormal …

First-Principles Study Of Uranium Mononitride, Roy Noe Herrera Navarro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis presents a first-principles investigation of uranium mononitride (UN), withemphasis on the connection between uranium 5f electron correlation and defect stability. Electronic-structure calculations were performed within density functional theory using the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package. Exchange-correlation effects were treated within the generalized gradient approximation, and a Hubbard correction was applied to the uranium 5f manifold. The adopted Hubbard parameter was motivated by first-principles linear-response analysis and considered in the broader context of DFT+DMFT descriptions of correlated uranium systems, including recent interpretations of UN as a Hund-metal system. Bulk UN was studied in unit-cell and 2 x 2 x …

Design And Simulation Of Anti-Resonant Hollow-Core Fiber For Sensing Applications, Pravallika Kante

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the design and simulation of an 8-tube single-ring anti-resonant hollow-core fiber for sensing applications, with particular emphasis on methane gas detection at the fundamental absorption wavelength of 3.3 µm. Conventional solid-core silica optical fibers exhibit strong multi-phonon material absorption beyond 2.5 µm, rendering them fundamentally unsuitable for efficient light guidance and direct gas sensing at mid-infrared wavelengths. Anti-resonant hollow-core fibers overcome this limitation by guiding light predominantly through an air-filled hollow core via the anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguide mechanism, in which the thin silica glass walls of the cladding tubes act as Fabry-Pérot etalons that confine the …

Taking A Deeper Look: Attributing Tonal Values Of Photolumens To Their Emulsions Using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Anna M. Moore

All Theses

This thesis examines whether tonal variation in photolumens made with historic silver gelatin photographic papers can be linked to differences in elemental composition. Photolumens are cameraless photographic images created by placing objects directly on light-sensitive paper and exposing them to ultraviolet light. Because expired and historic darkroom papers often produce unpredictable colors and tones, this study asks whether visually defined tonal groups also show measurable chemical differences.

Twenty historic paper samples were exposed, documented, and sorted into five tonal groups based on visible image characteristics. Each sample was then analyzed using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) …

Optimisation Of Photosensitive Recording Materials For Broadband Holographic Optical Elements, Michael Murray

Doctoral

The introduction of broadband (white) LED outdoor lighting has led to significant energy savings. However, this has come at the cost of increased light pollution which has negative impacts both on ecological systems and human health. This light pollution is largely the result of the lack of control measures for the directionality of the light emitted by outdoor LED lighting. The lack of directionality also results in higher energy consumption in order to compensate for the light scattered to the atmosphere and sufficiently illuminate the target area. In this thesis holographic optical elements (HOEs) are proposed as a complementary technology …

Structural Relaxation In Glass-Forming Liquids At Extreme Pressure: Photon-Correlation Spectroscopy And Constrained Thermodynamic Surface Modeling, Kevin Wayne Lyon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Structural relaxation in glass-forming liquids is strongly dependent on both temperature and pressure, yet direct measurement of structural α-relaxation under multi-gigapascal compression has remained experimentally challenging. This work extends depolarized photon correlation spectroscopy (DPCS) to pressures approaching 5 GPa in a diamond anvil cell, representing the highest-pressure implementation of this technique and enabling direct measurement of the structural α-relaxation in a pure liquid at extreme compression. This capability provides access to dynamical regimes previously unexplored by photon correlation spectroscopy and establishes a platform for probing glassy dynamics at high pressure. To describe these measurements, a constrained relaxation-time surface framework is …

A Catalogue Of Orbital Periods Of Cataclysmic Variables And Candidates From Tess Observations, Meryem K. Dag, Simone Scaringi, Kieran O’Brien, Martina Veresvarska, Nikita Rawat, Yusuke Tampo, Santiago Hernández-Díaz, Liliana Rivera Sandoval, Wendy Mendoza, Ryan J. Oelkers, Jan Kára

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present a systematic analysis of 2544 cataclysmic variable systems and related candidates observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), with the aim of compiling a comprehensive catalogue of orbital periods. Using 2-min photometric time-series data, we applied an automated algorithm to generate Lomb–Scargle periodograms and identify the most significant coherent periodic signals, which were subsequently verified through visual inspection. This process yielded a confident sample of 910 sources exhibiting at least one periodic signal, hereafter referred to as the Cataclysmic Variable Confident Catalogue (CCC). For each object, we report the most likely orbital period together with …

From Vibration To Visualization: Building An Real-Time Audio Visualization System For Learning And Exploration Using Pyqt5, Aidan Roach

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This paper presents the design, development, and analysis of my real-time audio visualization system created entirely in Python using PyQt5, called WaveCatcher. The system captures live audio input from a microphone and provides simultaneous visual feedback through multiple signal representations: including a time-domain waveform, a frequency-domain FFT spectrum, a scrolling spectrogram, harmonic peak visualization, dynamic range, amplitude envelope, spectral centroid, and spectral bandwidth. These features offer insight not just into the raw structure of sound, but into how humans perceive its qualities–like timbre! This terminology may seem intimidating—it certainly was when I first began learning it—but I’ll explain all of …

Form And Fusion: The Art And Science Of Ceramics And Glass, Juniper J. Bauroth-Sherman, Kaleigh Evans

Interdivisional Studies Presentations

The first Ceramics & Art class (IDS-110-F: ST: Ceramics) has completed an immersive, interdisciplinary exploration of stained glass and we’re excited to showcase it now. Through hands-on studio work, experiments, and design projects, we combined artistic expression with the science of glass—learning how physics and chemistry shape everything from color to strength and light interaction. The students have developed practical skills in cutting, grinding, foiling, soldering, and assembling stained-glass pieces, while also experimenting with thermal stress, light transmission, and color chemistry. Glass is now understood as not just as an art form, but as a dynamic material grounded in scientific …

What Do Black Holes Teach Us About Wigner’S Friend?, Emily Adlam

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Recently, Hausmann and Renner have pointed out that several famous paradoxes relating to black holes have a similar character to various Extended Wigner’s Friend paradoxes. In this paper I consider what the connection between these things could teach us about the Wigner’s Friend scenarios. I argue that if we take the analogy between these cases seriously, the black hole paradoxes appear to favour a certain class of response to the Wigner’s Friend scenario - specifically, those which posit intrinsic relationality, rather than effective and emergent relationality, and also those which posit some kind of retrocausality.

Reproducibility Of Carbon Quantum Dots, Liliana De Salas, Kyah Smalley, Nicholas Whiting

STEM Student Research Symposium Posters

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are semi-conducting, carbon- based, spherical nano-crystals known for their photo-luminescent properties and biocompatibility, making them intriguing candidates for nano fertilization of crop plants. Green synthesis of CQDs utilizes hydrothermal solvation. Synthesis of CQDs from agricultural wastes is a sustainable, low-cost alternative to other synthesis pathways

Intermediate-Scale Outflow Dynamics Of Eta Carinae, Edmund J. Garcia, Matthew C. Fleenor

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

η Carinae (η Car) is a binary system, with the larger star being an extremely massive, luminous blue variable (LBV) beyond the Eddington Limit. Surrounding the η Car system, numerous multi-wavelength imaging campaigns reveal axisymmetric structures with the expanding bipolar Homunculus Nebula (¡1 pc). In combination with the episodic eruptive history of the η Car system, our initial intermediate-scale imaging revealed further axisym- metric structures (1-5 pc). To gain a more expansive view of how the small scale structure connects to panoramic imaging of the η Car region, we constructed a deep, optical, narrowband mosaic of 189 images utilizing the …

Theoretical Study Of Electronic Properties Of Functionalized Monolayers: Cu, Ag, Au, And Pt Atomic Wires On Graphene, H-Bn Monolayer, Silicene, And Phosphorene, Mythreyee T. Aasuri, Mukesh K. Choudhary, Narender Kumar, Ravindra Pandey

Michigan Tech Publications

The structural and electronic properties of graphene, h-BN monolayer, silicene, and phosphorene monolayers functionalized with Cu, Ag, Au, and Pt atomic wires were investigated using van der Waals─corrected density functional theory. These atomic wires form stable, functionalized monolayers that exhibit physisorption on planar monolayers and chemisorption on nonplanar ones. This results in either linear or bent configurations of the atomic wires, depending on the interface strength, leading to distinct electronic states. A weaker interface induces metal-induced gap states near the Fermi level, whereas a stronger interface results in covalently hybridized states farther from the Fermi level. Analysis of the electron …

Exactly Solving One-Dimensional Models For The Fractional Quantum Hall Effect, Joseph R. Cruise

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Nearly fifty years after its experimental debut, the quantum hall effect has produced perhaps more unique descriptions than any other subject of condensed matter physics. From topological band theory to non-commutative geometry, topological and conformal field theories, random matrix models and more, each approach captures a subset of the essential features, and compliments the others to produce a beautiful mosaic description. In this thesis, we revisit the fractional quantum hall (FQH) effect from its oldest vantage point, that of the trial wavefunctions and the parent Hamiltonians which stabilize them. Laughlin's observation of the importance of the theory of holomorphic functions …

Isolation, Identification And Antibiotic-Resistance Profiling Of Bacteria Isolated From Mobile Phone Surfaces In Karbala., Kawkab Abdullah Alsaadi, Zahraa Raheem Murshidy, Dhuha Ali Hussein, Sura Abd Ali Kadhim, Kawakib Aboudi Hanoon

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Due to the diverse environments that mobile phones are exposed to via human handling they become reservoirs of microorganisms. The objective of the current study was to determine the level and character of bacterial contamination on mobile phones by identifying bacterial strains, and the degree of antimicrobial susceptibility. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to July 2025 where phones belonging to 115 individuals were randomly chosen from various departments and units at Kerbala University and swabbed. The VITEK 2 automated system was used to identify bacterial taxa and test for antimicrobial susceptibility, and 50 of the swabs exhibited bacterial …

All-Sky Search For Long-Duration Gravitational-Wave Transients In The First Part Of The Fourth Ligo-Virgo-Kagra Observing Run, A. G. Abac, I. Abouelfettouh, F. Acernese, Teviet Creighton, Mario C. Diaz, Raul A. Espinosa, J. Lawrence, Francisco Llamas Villarreal, Soma Mukherjee, Volker Quetschke, Miriam Ramos Arevalo, Wenhui Wang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present an all-sky search for long-duration gravitational waves (GWs) from the first part of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA fourth observing run (O4), called O4a and comprising data taken between May 24, 2023, and January 16, 2024. The GW signals targeted by this search are the so-called “long-duration” ( ≳1  s) transients expected from a variety of astrophysical processes, including nonaxisymmetric deformations in magnetars or eccentric binary coalescences. We make minimal assumptions on the emitted GW waveforms in terms of morphologies and durations. Overall, our search targets signals with durations of ∼1–1000  s and frequency content in the range 16–2048 Hz. In …