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Reflective Freewriting As A Strategy To Improve Pre-Service Teacher’S Physics Content Knowledge And Overall Attitude Toward Physics And Physics Teaching, Kali Ann Shoaf-Laughlin

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

A pilot study conducted in the pre-service teacher (PST) physics classroom at Missouri State University sought to validate a tool for learning. A writing treatment, in which students were asked to participate in reflective freewriting exercises over the course of the semester was administered to one lab group. The Physics Attitude Scale was used to determine whether a positive impact was made on pre-service teacher attitudes about physics and teaching physics. Classroom exams and lab reports were used to determine whether or not aptitude was affected. This action research study used qualitative data to assess content knowledge and overall shift …

Direct Parameter Fitting Of Action Potentials In Skeletal Muscle Cells Which Include Longitudinal Segments, Tyme Suda

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Excitation of skeletal muscle cells triggers a large voltage spike known as an action potential (AP), leading to muscle contraction. Modeling of an AP is typically done using the method developed by scientists Hodgkin and Huxley (HH). In the HH method, voltage and time gated Na+ and K+ ionic currents are simulated, along with a positive “Leak” ionic current and capacitive current. Due to the complexity and the computational time required for simulation, direct fitting of HH parameters to experimental APs has rarely been attempted. A previous thesis at Wright State performed direct fitting for the case of a single …

Charged Track Reconstruction With Artificial Intelligence For Clas12, Gagik Gavalian, Polykarpos Thomadakis, Angelos Angelopoulos, Nikos Chrisochoides

Computer Science Faculty Publications

In this paper, we present the results of charged particle track reconstruction in CLAS12 using artificial intelligence. In our approach, we use neural networks working together to identify tracks based on the raw signals in the Drift Chambers. A Convolutional Auto-Encoder is used to de-noise raw data by removing the hits that do not satisfy the patterns for tracks, and second Multi-Layer Perceptron is used to identify tracks from combinations of clusters in the drift chambers. Our method increases the tracking efficiency by 50% for multi-particle final states already conducted experiments. The de-noising results indicate that future experiments can run …

Quantum Efficiency Enhancement In Simulated Nanostructured Negative Electron Affinity Gaas Photocathodes, Md Aziz Ar Rahman, Shukui Zhang, Hani E. Elsayed-Ali

Physics Faculty Publications

Nanostructured negative electron affinity GaAs photocathodes for a polarized electron source are studied using finite difference time domain optical simulation. The structures studied are nanosquare columns, truncated nanocones, and truncated nanopyramids. Mie-type resonances in the 700–800 nm waveband, suitable for generation of polarized electrons, are identified. At resonance wavelengths, the nanostructures can absorb up to 99% of the incident light. For nanosquare columns and truncated nanocones, the maximum quantum efficiency (QE) at 780 nm obtained from simulation is 27%, whereas for simulated nanopyramids, the QE is ∼21%. The high photocathode quantum efficiency is due to the shift of Mie resonance …

Gluon Transverse-Momentum-Dependent Distributions From Large-Momentum Effective Theory, Ruilin Zhu, Yao Ji, Jian-Hui Zhang, Shuai Zhao

Physics Faculty Publications

We demonstrate that gluon transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions (TMDPDFs) can be extracted from lattice calculations of appropriate Euclidean correlations in large-momentum effective theory (LaMET). Based on perturbative calculations of gluon unpolarized and helicity TMDPDFs, we present a matching formula connecting them and their LaMET counterparts, where the latter are renormalized in a scheme facilitating lattice calculations and converted to the MS ¯ scheme. The hard matching kernel is given up to one-loop level. We also show that the perturbative result is independent of the prescription used for the pinch-pole singularity in the relevant correlations. Our results offer a guidance for …

Machine Learning-Based Jet And Event Classification At The Electron-Ion Collider With Applications To Hadron Structure And Spin Physics, Kyle Lee, James Mulligan, Mateusz Płoskoń, Felix Ringer, Feng Yuan

Physics Faculty Publications

We explore machine learning-based jet and event identification at the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). We study the effectiveness of machine learning-based classifiers at relatively low EIC energies, focusing on (i) identifying the flavor of the jet and (ii) identifying the underlying hard process of the event. We propose applications of our machine learning-based jet identification in the key research areas at the future EIC and current Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider program, including enhancing constraints on (transverse momentum dependent) parton distribution functions, improving experimental access to transverse spin asymmetries, studying photon structure, and quantifying the modification of hadrons and jets in …

Teaching Physics While Female : A Phenomenological Study Of Female High School Physics Teachers, Hope Strickland

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The lived experiences of female high school physics teachers were researched in this study with the aim of gaining a better understanding of their decisions to remain in the classroom or to leave the teaching profession. To allow the participants to describe their background and teaching experiences, as well as the meaning they found in them, a transcendental phenomenological approach was used during this research. To create a richer representation of the phenomenon, fourteen women ranging from 0-31 years of experience teaching high school physics were interviewed for this study. The data from the interviews was analyzed through the lens …

Methods For Analyzing Physics Student Retention And Physics Curricula, John Darrell Hansen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Retention of students in college has been a concern of academic institutions for many years. In the last two decades, the focus on student retention in STEM fields has intensified. The current graduation rate of students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields is well below that required to fill the projected need of STEM professionals. The work presented in this dissertation investigates the problem of student retention in physics programs. Four studies were performed. The first identifies the relationships between student retention and pre-college and early-college academic factors at an eastern U.S. university using logistic regression and Bayesian …

Using Machine Learning To Predict Student Outcomes, Saba Fatima

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Predicting students’ performance to identify which students are at risk of receiving aD/Fail/Withdraw (DFW) grade and ensuring their timely graduation is not just desirable but also necessary in most educational entities. In the US, not only is the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) major becoming less popular among students, the graduation rate of STEM students is steadily declining. The lack of STEM graduates in the US is a serious problem that will place this country at a disadvantage as a competitor in international technological advancement. In order to secure its status as a technological leader internationally, the US institutions …

Strong Homotopy Lie Algebras And Hypergraphs, Samuel J. Bevins, Marco Aldi

UROP Posters

We study hypergraphs by attaching a nilpotent strong homotopy Lie algebra. We especially focus on hypergraph theoretic information that is encoded in the cohomology of the resulting strong homotopy Lie algebra.

Rapidity-Only Tmd Factorization At One Loop, Ian Balitsky

Physics Faculty Publications

Typically, a production of a particle with a small transverse momentum in hadron-hadron collisions is described by CSS-based TMD factorization at moderate Bjorken x_B ~ 1 and by k_T-factorization at small x_B. A uniform description valid for all x_B is provided by rapidity-only TMD factorization developed in a series of recent papers at the tree level. In this paper the rapidity-only TMD factorization for particle production by gluon fusion is extended to the one-loop level.

First Measurement Of Hard Exclusive 𝛑⁻Δ⁺⁺ Electroproduction Beam-Spin Asymmetries Off The Proton, S. Diehl, N. Trotta, K. Joo, P. Achenbach, Z. Akbar, W. R. Armstrong, H. Atac, H. Avakian, L. Baashen, N. A. Baltzell, L. Barion, M. Bashkanov, M. Battaglieri, I. Bedlinskiy, F. Benmokhtar, A. Bianconi, A. S. Biselli, F. Bossù, K.-T. Brinkman, M. Zurek, Et Al., Clas Collaboration

Physics Faculty Publications

The polarized cross-section ratio σLT′/σ₀ from hard exclusive π⁻Δ⁺⁺ electroproduction off an unpolarized hydrogen target has been extracted based on beam-spin asymmetry measurements using a 10.2  GeV/10.6  GeV incident electron beam and the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Lab. The study, which provides the first observation of this channel in the deep-inelastic regime, focuses on very forward-pion kinematics in the valence regime, and photon virtualities ranging from 1.5  GeV² up to 7  GeV². The reaction provides a novel access to the d-quark content of the nucleon and to p→Δ⁺⁺ transition generalized parton …

Full Treatment Of The Thrust Distribution In Single Inclusive E⁺E⁻ → H X Processes, M. Boglione, Andrea Simonelli

Physics Faculty Publications

Extending the transverse momentum dependent factorization to thrust dependent observables entails a series of difficulties, ultimately associated to the behavior of soft radiation. As a consequence, the definition of the transverse momentum dependent functions has to be revised, while preserving (and possibly extending) their universality properties. Moreover, the regularization of the rapidity divergences generates non trivial correlations between rapidity and thrust. In this paper, we show how to deal with these correlations in a consistent treatment of the thrust dependence of e⁺e⁻ → h X cross section, where the hadron transverse momentum is measured with respect to …

Electron Scattering And Neutrino Physics, A. M. Ankowski, A. Ashkenazi, S. Bacca, J. L. Barrow, M. Betancourt, A. Bodek, M. E. Christy, L. Doria, S. Dytman, A. Friedland, O. Hen, C. J. Horowitz, N. Jachowicz, W. Ketchum, T. Lux, K. Mahn, C. Mariani, J. Newby, V. Pandey, A. Papadopoulou, E. Radicioni, F. Sánchez, C. Sfienti, J. M. Udías, L. Weinstein, L. Alvarez-Ruso, J. E. Amaro, C. A. Argüelles, A. B. Balantekin, S. Bolognesi, V. Brdar, P. Butti, S. Carey, Z. Djurcic, O. Dvornikov, S. Edayath, S. Gardiner, J. Isaacson, W. Jay, K. S. Mcfarland, A. Nikolakopoulos, A. Norrick, S. Pastore, G. Paz, M. H. Reno, I. Ruiz Simo, J. E. Sobczyk, A. Sousa, N. Toro, Y. D. Tsai, M. Wagman, J. G. Walsh, G. Yang

Physics Faculty Publications

A thorough understanding of neutrino–nucleus scattering physics is crucial for the successful execution of the entire US neutrino physics program. Neutrino–nucleus interaction constitutes one of the biggest systematic uncertainties in neutrino experiments—both at intermediate energies affecting long-baseline deep underground neutrino experiment, as well as at low energies affecting coherent scattering neutrino program—and could well be the difference between achieving or missing discovery level precision. To this end, electron–nucleus scattering experiments provide vital information to test, assess and validate different nuclear models and event generators intended to test, assess and validate different nuclear models and event generators intended to be used …

Symbolic Computation Of Squared Amplitudes In High Energy Physics With Machine Learning, Abdulhakim Alnuqaydan

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

The calculation of particle interaction squared amplitudes is a key step in the calculation of cross sections in high-energy physics. These complex calculations are currently performed using domain-specific symbolic algebra tools, where the computational time escalates rapidly with an increase in the number of loops and final state particles. This dissertation introduces an innovative approach: employing a transformer-based sequence-to-sequence model capable of accurately predicting squared amplitudes of Standard Model processes up to one-loop order when trained on symbolic sequence pairs. The primary objective of this work is to significantly reduce the computational time and, more importantly, develop a model that …

Characterizing & Mitigating Interstellar Scattering In Radio Observations Of Pulsars, Jacob E. Turner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit concentrated beams of radiation from their magnetic poles. Measuring the arrival of these pulses via pulsar timing is a powerful tool in efforts to detect low frequency gravitational waves (GWs). However, the interstellar medium (ISM) presents a significant source of timing uncertainty that must be mitigated to improve the sensitivity of pulsar timing efforts to these GW signals. By examining the effects of pulsar emission interactions with this medium, we can properly correct for the resulting effects in pulsar timing efforts, as well as study the astronomical unit-to-parsec scale structure and behavior …

Examining The Relations Among Academic And Non-Cognitive Factors And Student Achievement, Dona Sachini Hasanjalie Hewagallage

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since the 1980s, Physics Education Research (PER) has explored the factors influencing students' success in college. This manuscript reports three different studies to understand the impact of different factors on students' college physics achievement. The first study explored several academic (high school physics preparation, high school preparation, math readiness, and ACT or SAT verbal and mathematics scores) and non-cognitive (self-efficacy, personality, belonging, grade expectation, and demographic) factors using correlation and linear regression analysis to understand their relation to students' physics conceptual understanding measured by the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE). High school preparation was found to be the most …

[Preview Of] How To Solve A Problem: Insights For Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, And Success In College, Kelling J. Donald

Bookshelf

This concise and accessible resource offers new college students, especially those in science degree programs, guidance on engaging successfully with the classroom experience and skillfully tackling technical or scientific questions. The author provides insights on identifying, from the outset, individual markers for what success in college will look like for students, how to think about the engagement with professors as a partnership, and how to function effectively in that partnership toward achieving their pre-defined goals or markers of success. It is an ideal companion for science degree prospects and first-generation students seeking insight into the college experience.

• Offers transferable …

Invisible Women: Gender Representation In High School Science Courses Across Australia, Kathryn Ross, Shanika Galaudage, Tegan Clark, Nataliea Lowson, Andrew Battisti, Helen Adam, Alexandra K. Ross, Nici Sweaney

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The visibility of female role models in science is vital for engaging and retaining women in scientific fields. In this study, we analyse four senior secondary science courses delivered across the states and territories in Australia: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Physics. We compared male and female representation within the science courses by examining the mentions of male and female scientists along with the context of their inclusions in the syllabuses. We find a clear gender bias with only one unique mention of a female scientist. We also find a clear Eurocentric focus and narrow representation of scientists. This bias …

Classical Mechanics, Mark D. Shattuck

Open Educational Resources

Syllabus for Classical Mechanics

Is The Kalam Cosmological Argument's Second Premise Defendable?, Mark Karapetyan

Masters Theses

Contrary to the skeptic's rejections, the second premise of the cosmological argument can be defended via scientific and philosophical arguments.

Ds2 As Excitation Of Ads2, Florian Ecker, Daniel Grumiller, Robert Mcnees

Physics: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Title- dS₂ as excitation of AdS₂

We introduce a family of 2D dilaton gravity models with state-dependent constant curvature so that dS₂ emerges as an excitation of AdS₂. Curiously, the strong coupling region corresponds to the asymptotic region geometrically. Apart from these key differences, many features resemble the Almheiri–Polchinski model. We discuss perturbative and non-perturbative thermodynamical stability, bubble nucleation through matter shockwaves, and semiclassical backreaction effects. In some of these models, we find that low temperatures are dominated by AdS₂ but high temperatures are dominated by dS₂, concurrent with a recent proposal …

Fall/Winter 2022: Fund Of Knowledge, Trisha Lawless

St. Norbert College Magazine 2019-2023

A magnanimous total of five National Science Foundation grants are among multiple sources currently financing cutting-edge research at St. Norbert. The thrill of discovery is an essential part of the educational journey for students and faculty at St. Norbert College. It’s a journey in which the college finds willing partners – among them the National Science Foundation (NSF). SNC currently has five active research grants from the influential federal agency.

Investigating D-Dimensional Behavior Of The Mixed Condensate In Qcd, Jason N.E. Ho, Tong Mu

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

In the context of QCD sum-rules, hadronic properties are related to QCD correlation functions of composite operators. These QCD correlation functions are evaluated using an operator product expansion, where the non-perturbative contributions to the correlation function are parameterized by local nonzero vacuum expectation values multiplied by perturbatively-calculated Wilson coefficients. We present here an updated calculation of the Wilson coefficient of the mixed QCD condensate calculated in d-dimentions up to $O(m^3)$ in quark mass.

Bistable Neural Dynamics Underlying Cognition And Spontaneous Activity: Computational Modeling And Empirical Analysis, Daming Li

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Characterizing the spatiotemporal patterns of neural dynamics is crucial to understanding many brain functions and psychiatric disorders. A commonly observed dynamic pattern is bistability, where the neurons switch between a high and a low firing state over the course of time. However, the origin of bistable dynamics and its role in cognitive functions and spontaneous activity remain unclear. In this thesis, we combined empirical data analysis and dynamical systems modeling approaches to quantitatively study brain dynamics. Statistical analysis allowed discovering various patterns of interest hidden in the experimental data, while dynamical systems modeling allowed us to causally test different hypotheses …

Classification Of Pixel Tracks To Improve Track Reconstruction From Proton-Proton Collisions, Kebur Fantahun, Jobin Joseph, Halle Purdom, Nibhrat Lohia

SMU Data Science Review

In this paper, machine learning techniques are used to reconstruct particle collision pathways. CERN (Conseil européen pour la recherche nucléaire) uses a massive underground particle collider, called the Large Hadron Collider or LHC, to produce particle collisions at extremely high speeds. There are several layers of detectors in the collider that track the pathways of particles as they collide. The data produced from collisions contains an extraneous amount of background noise, i.e., decays from known particle collisions produce fake signal. Particularly, in the first layer of the detector, the pixel tracker, there is an overwhelming amount of background noise that …

Investigating D-Dimensional Behavior Of Higher-Order Qcd Vacuum Condensates, Tong Mu

Student Work

In the context of QCD sum-rules, hadronic properties are related to QCD correlation functions of composite operators. These QCD correlation functions are evaluated using an operator product expansion, where the non-perturbative values multiplied by perturbatively-calculated Wilson coefficients. We present here an updated calculation of the Wilson coefficient of the mixed QCD condensate calculated in d-dimensions, up to $O(m^3)$ in quark mass.

A Situational Analysis Grounded Theory Study Of University Inclusive Physics Learning Environments, Tali Hairston, W. Tali Hairston, Wilford T. Hairston

Education Dissertations

Different teaching and learning strategies have informed physics educators on addressing the cultural meanings and practices of physics that have sustained homogeneity within university programs. However, literature evidence physics learning environments are under-theorized in dismantling homogeneity and conceptually changes physics student learning for those struggling to learn physics. The purpose of this situational analysis grounded theory study was to explain a theoretical construct of inclusive physics learning environment strategies of eighteen college and university faculty, collected from interview data in a 2017 study. The research question guiding this study was to describe the sociocultural theoretical structure emergent in the inclusive …

Improved Constraints On The Standard Model Higgs Self-Interaction Using A Search For Hh → 4b Via The Vector-Boson Fusion Production Mode At √S = 13 Tev In 126 Fb^-1 Of Data Collected By The Atlas Experiment, Christopher Milke

Physics Theses and Dissertations

A search for di-Higgs production via the Vector Boson Fusion mechanism decaying to 4 bottom quarks is performed using 126 fb−1 of data from Run 2 of ATLAS at √s = 13 TeV. The search was performed in the non-resonant regime, finding an upper bound on the production cross-section for the Standard Model VBF→HH→4b of about 200 times the Standard Model. Constraints are placed on both the HHVV coupling (which determines the W/Z-higgs four-point interaction strength) and HHH Higgs self-coupling scale factors at 95% confidence. The HHVV coupling scaling factor (κ2V ) is constrained to an observed interval between 0.09 …

Resonant Energy Exchange In Ultracold Rydberg Atoms, Samantha Grubb, Alan Okinaka

Physics and Astronomy Summer Fellows

Ultracold Rydberg atoms serve as good systems in which resonant dipole-dipole interactions can be observed. The goal of our work is to design a simulation in which energy exchange among many nearly evenly spaced energy levels is observed. These observations are useful for understanding the time evolution of complicated quantum systems, and have applications in quantum computing and simulating. We are utilizing a supercomputer to run our simulation as well as studying the system experimentally. Once we obtain simulated results, we plan to compare them with the results obtained in a lab.