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Articles 1 - 30 of 114
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Non-Destructive Thickness Uniformity Measurement Of Photosensitive Gelatin Film, Clayton Halper
Non-Destructive Thickness Uniformity Measurement Of Photosensitive Gelatin Film, Clayton Halper
Physics Capstone Projects
Volume phase holographic gratings (VPHG’s) depend on dichromate gelatin of which uniform thickness is vital. The photosensitive nature of the film makes current thin film measurement devices not viable for production means. This project attempts to create a non-destructive measurement of photosensitive gelatin film used in VPHG production. Application of thin film interference at chosen wavelengths enable analysis of uniformity by comparison between the thin film inference patterns at different wavelengths. An initial proof of concept was established and a path towards a production ready device is outlined.
Radon In Utah Homes, Madison Mackay
Radon In Utah Homes, Madison Mackay
Physics Capstone Projects
Radon gas can be found nearly everywhere. It is formed by the decay of radium, which is found in rocks, soil, plants, and animals. Radon gas can become trapped in buildings and is dangerous at high levels. It is particularly known to be high in many areas of the state of Utah. It is important for the average citizen in Utah to understand more about radon and what levels they may be exposed to. An experiment was done to try an alternate, faster method of testing for radon gas. This experiment was performed in several different locations in Utah. While …
Preparation, Characterization And Electron Yield Analysis On Highly Insulating Granular Particles, Heather Allen
Preparation, Characterization And Electron Yield Analysis On Highly Insulating Granular Particles, Heather Allen
Physics Capstone Projects
This study focuses on obtaining reliable electron yield measurements of highly insulating granular particles of various shape, size, and composition. Measurements of this kind have long been considered too difficult to collect on granular samples due to experimental complexities leading to a critical knowledge gap in the fundamental electrostatic behaviors of dust. A significant portion of this study was spent on preparing and characterizing granular samples before any type of measurement took place. Particles of varying sizes ranging from ~1 μm to ~100 μm, shapes including cubical, spherical, and angular, and composition including NaCl, MgO, Al2O3 and …
Engineering Lab Building Telescope Manual, Aidan L. Tueller
Engineering Lab Building Telescope Manual, Aidan L. Tueller
Physics Capstone Projects
In partnership with Dr. Jan Sojka, head of the Physics Department, a plan was created to make the telescope on top of the Engineering Lab building operational again for either staff, students, classes, or labs to use. The telescope was purchased through funds by Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium. This paper will contain basic information about how to operate the telescope and use its equipment. There is an online manual from Meade that is much longer but goes into much more detail about individual pieces and specific parts of the telescope.
Metasurfaces For Holography, Scott Howell
Metasurfaces For Holography, Scott Howell
Physics Capstone Projects
Holography uses the interference of light waves to store information about an object, which can then be seen from different angles to create a partial 3D view. A simple experiment can be done using a laser diode, photographic plate, and a set of dice to create a holographic image. The holographic film is thin and can only hold a single image. Reflection holography can create a 3D diffraction pattern and allows more information to be packed into a single medium. Computer generated holograms can be designed to create holograms without a real object to be used in augmented reality. High …
The Kp Index And Behavior Of Quiet Periods, Collette Walbeck
The Kp Index And Behavior Of Quiet Periods, Collette Walbeck
Physics Capstone Projects
The Kp-index quantifies the electromagnetic effects in the Earth’s atmosphere and is used in a variety of scientific fields. Higher Kp values tend to be the focus in these fields as they relate to high solar activity and geomagnetic storms. This study aimed to examine the significance, if any, of lower Kp indices. A simple data analysis was performed on continuous sequences of low Kp values, deemed Quiet Periods. Both the daily average of the values and the full set of Kp data were used. A decaying exponential relationship was discovered between the length of these periods and their frequencies …
High Frequency Radio Communication, Tyler Larsen
High Frequency Radio Communication, Tyler Larsen
Physics Capstone Projects
High frequency radio communication has been the most reliable form of communication for many decades. Over that period, we have learned and experienced times of enhanced signals along with complete radio blackouts. The purpose of this research is to collect and analyze radio signal data to see the evidence of various reasons as to why these phenomena occur. A radio antenna was set up at USU campus to retrieve the signals from beacon networks across the globe that transmit signals every 15 minutes. By tracking a few of these signals we can locate the times of discrepancies in the signals …
Effectiveness Of Multilayer Graded-Z Forms Of Radiation Shielding, Brinley Packer
Effectiveness Of Multilayer Graded-Z Forms Of Radiation Shielding, Brinley Packer
Physics Capstone Projects
This study explored how different forms of radiation shielding were more or less effective than standard single-layer shielding. Beta and gamma radiation sources were used and measured using a Geiger counter to determine how well the various forms of shielding protect against the radiation. The shielding effectiveness of standard homogeneous materials (e.g., graphite, carbon/epoxy composites, aluminum, and lead) of various thicknesses for different radiation sources was measured to provide standards for comparison. Once a basis of effective shielding was established, the study can go into greater depth into how to use shielding materials to be more effective, to better shield …
Effects Of Exposure To Atmospheric Humidity On Breakdown Field Strength Measurements Of Polymers, Megan Loveland Dewaal
Effects Of Exposure To Atmospheric Humidity On Breakdown Field Strength Measurements Of Polymers, Megan Loveland Dewaal
Physics Capstone Projects
This study investigates the effects of absorbed water introduced via exposure to atmospheric humidity on electrostatic breakdown field strength measurements of polymers. Conducting breakdown tests under sample conditions appropriate for different applications is essential. If the breakdown field strength is overestimated for an application, an insulator may be used inappropriately in high electric fields where they are more likely to break down. Comparisons are made between: sets of pristine samples, samples that underwent a thorough vacuum bake out to remove absorbed water, and samples subject to subsequent incremental prolonged atmospheric exposure. These investigated the effects of absorbed water and determined …
Large Earthquakes' Effect On The Ionosphere, Aaron Houston
Large Earthquakes' Effect On The Ionosphere, Aaron Houston
Physics Capstone Projects
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. A group of these electrons is known as 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. This helps in GPS error analysis. During the earthquake in Japan on March 11, 2011, there was allegedly a noticeable jump in …
Improving The Efficiency Of The Preconditioning Of Iterative Solutions To The Kinetic Equation, D. Caleb Price
Improving The Efficiency Of The Preconditioning Of Iterative Solutions To The Kinetic Equation, D. Caleb Price
Physics Capstone Projects
To achieve the reality of fusion, a greater understanding of plasma is required. The kinetic equation can be evolved simultaneously alongside the fluid equations to solve for kinetic closures. NIMROD performs this with numerical solvers where the General Minimum Residual (GMRES) solver becomes more efficient with a preconditioning matrix as input. Using a GPU-enabled library, the efficiency of GPU offloading to the preconditioning step was tested. A significant decrease in the factoring time of preconditioning matrix was observed. This suggests that the allocation of GPUs is worth investigating for NIMROD’s own benefit, but also anyone seeking to improve the efficiency …
Seasonal Variations In Global Ionospheric Total Electron Content, Jason Knudsen
Seasonal Variations In Global Ionospheric Total Electron Content, Jason Knudsen
Physics Capstone Projects
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 total electron content (TEC), which is the number of electrons in a square column above a given geographic location. The TEC over a geographic location influences the propagation of radio waves that traverse that section of the …
Characteristics Of Mesospheric Temperature And Gravity Waves Over Chile In 2020-2021, Damien M. Devitt, Kenneth Zia
Characteristics Of Mesospheric Temperature And Gravity Waves Over Chile In 2020-2021, Damien M. Devitt, Kenneth Zia
Physics Capstone Projects
Gravity waves (GWs) are often confused with gravitational waves in the fabric of space time. However, there is a clear distinction between them. Gravity wave is a term used by the atmospheric research field to describe perturbations in the atmosphere. Gravity pulls the perturbations down and causes oscillations, these present in the form of waves. The best visualization is to think of ripples on a pond, as the ripple reaches its peak gravity pulls the ripple down and creates an oscillating effect.
Phase-Space Dynamics Of Runaway Electrons In Tokamaks, Gavin Held
Phase-Space Dynamics Of Runaway Electrons In Tokamaks, Gavin Held
Physics Capstone Projects
Nuclear fusion converts the rest mass energy of ions like the deuteron and triton into kinetic energy. In theory, this energy can be harvested from a thermonuclear reactor to provide power outputs on the scale of 500 MW. High temperatures are needed for significant fusion to occur, hence the tokamak (a modern fusion confinement device) employs strong magnetic fields to keep the ionized gas (plasma) away from the tokamak wall. However, a problem that occasionally arises in a tokamak is that during a disruption an inductive electric field is created which can accelerate electrons to relativistic speeds (these electrons are …
Comparisons Of Mesospheric Temperatures Between 70 And 110 Km: Usu Lidar, Nasa's Timed Satellite, And The Msis2 Empirical Model, David M. Collins
Comparisons Of Mesospheric Temperatures Between 70 And 110 Km: Usu Lidar, Nasa's Timed Satellite, And The Msis2 Empirical Model, David M. Collins
Physics Capstone Projects
Earth’s atmosphere can be characterized by its temperature structure, dividing the atmosphere into natural discrete regions. The mesosphere (50 to ~100 km) has been the least studied. Rayleigh-scatter lidars (RSL) and rockets can obtain local, high-resolution measurements above one spot, while satellites looking almost horizontally obtain global measurements. These two methods of measuring atmospheric conditions are compared using the USU RSL and the SABER instrument on NASA’s TIMED satellite. These measurements were graphed to show four sets of temperatures from several sources in the atmospheric region 70 km to 110 km above USU. The results show similar temperatures for many …
The Effects Of Materials And Profiles Of Gratings On Diffraction Spectra, Brock Halling
The Effects Of Materials And Profiles Of Gratings On Diffraction Spectra, Brock Halling
Physics Capstone Projects
Diffraction patterns can be made either by transmitting or reflecting light from a grating which is an array of parallel lines (rulings) with a fixed periodicity. Elementary optical treatment of diffraction gratings only describes diffraction angles as a function of periodicity of the grating. However, we have observed that the profile and materials of the grating do affect the diffraction pattern. In this study, I investigated the correlation between the grating profiles obtained by scanning electron microscopy and the materials of the grating (polymer and silicon dioxide) and the spectra as a function of the diffraction angle. An optical spectrometer …
Developing Electron Beam Lithography At Nanoscale Device Laboratory, Din Pašić
Developing Electron Beam Lithography At Nanoscale Device Laboratory, Din Pašić
Physics Capstone Projects
At the Nanoscale Device Laboratory, we can routinely create patterns with a minimum linewidth of 800 nm using photolithography. However, to create photonic devices, the pattern size must be smaller than the wavelength of visible light (400 to 800 nm). Dedicated electron beam writers can achieve a sub-10 nm linewidth, but this system is beyond our reach. In this project, we plan to use a Nanometer Pattern Generation System connected to a Quanta 650 scanning electron microscope to perform e-beam lithography. After setting up a computer to run the NPGS system, and establishing communications with the SEM, we experimented with …
Improving Skills In Computer Methods: Introductory Toolkit To Python For Undergraduate Physics Majors, Erin O'Donnell, Melissa Rasmussen
Improving Skills In Computer Methods: Introductory Toolkit To Python For Undergraduate Physics Majors, Erin O'Donnell, Melissa Rasmussen
Physics Capstone Projects
The computer-based curriculum for undergraduate physics students before 2019 struggled to stay current and applicable. When the course was created in the early 2000s, MathCad was used daily by many physicists. As computer’s and their computational abilities have grown exponentially, so have programming languages and applications. Now in the late 2010s/early 2020s, Excel, Python, and Mathematica are some of the most common computer appliques. To address this, we created toolkits to give undergraduate physicists the experience for future classes, careers, and graduate school. This paper focuses on the process for creating the Python toolkit and overall class setup. Run on …
Traveling-Wave Electrophoresis: 1d Model, Austin Green
Traveling-Wave Electrophoresis: 1d Model, Austin Green
Physics Capstone Projects
A 1D model of traveling-wave electrophoresis predicts that molecular diffusion raises the trapping threshold and that other physical properties of the species effect the trapping threshold as well. Small concentrations, below 5μM, raise the trapping threshold for high diffusivity species, resulting in a lower efficiency. Species with a mid-range electrophoretic mobility and diffusivity have their trapping threshold slightly lowered with an increase in concentration, leading to more particles traveling with the wave.
National Security And Climate Change, Madison Moran
National Security And Climate Change, Madison Moran
Physics Capstone Projects
Certain scientific subjects are often divisive or technical, which makes those topics difficult to discuss with audiences outside the scientific sphere. One way of getting around this obstacle is to cater scientific communication to different target audiences to cut through any audience biases. In order to accomplish that, a communicator needs to understand the relationship between audiences’ worldviews, and what they know, feel, and do regarding the subject at hand, and then how that relationship influences the types of media audiences trust and to which they respond positively. The following study investigates the worldviews of a military audience with respect …
Hodographic Analysis Of Na Lidar Data To Measure Atmospheric Gravity Wave Parameters, Jeffrey Ormsby
Hodographic Analysis Of Na Lidar Data To Measure Atmospheric Gravity Wave Parameters, Jeffrey Ormsby
Physics Capstone Projects
The Utah State University Sodium lidar observatory, hosted in Science and Engineering Research building at Logan campus, measures the winds and temperature near the boundary of eddy diffusion dominated upper atmosphere between 80 and 110-km, where various atmospheric internal waves, especially atmospheric gravity waves (buoyancy waves), play important roles in the dynamics and chemistry. In this study, using a hodographic algorithm, the lidar data were analyzed to extract critical parameters of these gravity waves detected in this region, such as horizontal propagating phase velocity and wavelength. Results were compared with the independent Advanced Atmospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM) observations, co-located at …
Fabrication Of Suspended Microbolometers On Soi Wafers, Isaac Maxfield
Fabrication Of Suspended Microbolometers On Soi Wafers, Isaac Maxfield
Physics Capstone Projects
A bolometer is a device to measure radiation energy by converting photon energy into heat on an isolated absorber. We plan to use carbon-nanotube (CNT) based absorber to enhance the photon absorption. The absorber is a few microns in size and is suspended with micron-sized bridges which also support metal lines for electrical measurements.
Synthesis Of Graphene By Liquid Precursors At Lower Temperatures, Clayton Hansen
Synthesis Of Graphene By Liquid Precursors At Lower Temperatures, Clayton Hansen
Physics Capstone Projects
Benzene, toluene, and xylene can be liquid precursors for graphene and carbon nanotube synthesis. However, the growth mechanisms can have greater variances for different carbon allotropes. In the case of graphene, Cu can be the catalyst for dehydrogenation and provides a weakly-coupled substrate for 2-dimensional graphene nucleation and growth. In the case of carbon nanotubes, Fe nanoparticles are essential to catalyze the C-C bonds breaking and dissolve carbon before the precipitation of a graphene cap over the catalyst particle where a tube forms. Controlling the precursor feed rate is crucial for a successful synthesis. In this research, we developed a …
Waves Over Mcmurdo Station, Robert Johnson
Waves Over Mcmurdo Station, Robert Johnson
Physics Capstone Projects
Atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) are generated by gravity acting on weather systems effectively causing them to oscillate. These waves can then propagate upwards into the upper atmosphere, where they are observed as they pass through glowing layers of gas, called airglow, in the upper atmosphere at approximately 87 kilometers altitude. Using Physics and a little bit of chemistry we can observe the properties of these waves with special infrared cameras. Combining the data between images taken at the same time but with different filters, we can determine the temperature amplitudes of the waves, important for improving our understanding of their …
Material Outgassing Kinetics: The Development Of A Testing Capability, Alex Kirkman
Material Outgassing Kinetics: The Development Of A Testing Capability, Alex Kirkman
Physics Capstone Projects
Contamination due to outgassing of materials can cause the degradation of critical hardware of a spacecraft. Using outgassing rates, kinetic expressions can be developed and used in models to predict the evolution of molecules and migration of contaminants for specific materials. These models could be used in the selection process of materials to help mitigate the amount of contamination of mission critical hardware for the expected life of the spacecraft. By using the ASTM E1559 test standard this can be achieved. This standard uses the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) collection approach. A temperature-controlled effusion cell, containing the sample material, impinges …
Determining The Phase Of The Diurnal, Solar Thermal Tidal Wave In The Upper Atmosphere Using Nighttime Na Lidar Measurements, Trevor Harshman
Determining The Phase Of The Diurnal, Solar Thermal Tidal Wave In The Upper Atmosphere Using Nighttime Na Lidar Measurements, Trevor Harshman
Physics Capstone Projects
Solar thermal tidal waves play a critical role in the dynamics of the mesosphere and thermosphere. Obtaining measurements of the diurnal tidal wave above 100 km is difficult. This could be solved using a physics-based empirical model. To derive this model requires knowing the phase at different points along the tidal wave. In this study, I determine the phase at multiple points along the thermal diurnal tidal wave using measurements taken by a fluorescence lidar in the range of 80 to 100 km. A simple calculation of the phase based on the zeroes and extrema of the wave is demonstrated.
Clustering And Classifying Geophysical Rock Properties Of The San Andreas Fault, Jared Bryan
Clustering And Classifying Geophysical Rock Properties Of The San Andreas Fault, Jared Bryan
Physics Capstone Projects
Borehole geophysical data provide important in situ observations for identifying and characterizing geologic and structural features in the subsurface. We perform an unsupervised classification of geophysical logs from the Sand Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) borehole in order to define intervals of distinct geophysical properties. We focus on borehole geophysical data collected during Phase 3 drilling operations from 3.0-3.3 km measured depth, which encompasses the active trace of the San Andreas Fault. We use dimensionality reduction to increase the interpretability of the retrieved clusters, and we compare the performance of distance- and density-based clustering techniques. K-means clustering produces highly …
Optical Relaxation Of Defects In Kapton Caused By Irradiation, Ashlan Keeler Swainston
Optical Relaxation Of Defects In Kapton Caused By Irradiation, Ashlan Keeler Swainston
Physics Capstone Projects
Radiation can create atomic-scale defect states in polymers, leading to changes in their optical, electrical and mechanical properties. Recent studies of polymers have shown that these defect states are sensitive to oxygen or air exposure. It is believed that air cause the number of defect states to decrease and the polymers to revert to their original states. However, the time scale of this regression is not known. This experiment quantified the time that it takes one polymer to recover and the extent of said recovery; polymide (PI). In order to study the regression, optical transmission data were taken using a …
Understanding Noether’S Theorem By Visualizing The Lagrangian, Seth Moser
Understanding Noether’S Theorem By Visualizing The Lagrangian, Seth Moser
Physics Capstone Projects
By approaching Lagrangian mechanics from a graphical perspective the implications of Noether’s Theorem can be made easier to understand. Plotting the Lagrangian for classical single particle systems for one coordinate onto a position-velocity phase space along with the corresponding equations of motion can demonstrate how a system is invariant under continuous transforms in that coordinate. This invariance can be shown to be associated with a quantity in the system that’s conserved via Noether’s Theorem. The relationship between the symmetry of the system and conserved quantities can then be extended to fields. Invariance in this case is extended to include invariance …
Determing The Chaotic Nature Of Periodic Orbits, Bo Johnson
Determing The Chaotic Nature Of Periodic Orbits, Bo Johnson
Physics Capstone Projects
The determination of the long-term behavior of periodic orbits is considered. Different numerical techniques, including the Lyapunov Exponent, the Smaller Alignment Index, and the Generalized Alignment Index are used. Because of the discontinuous nature of the system under consideration, these methods are found to be insufficient and a more simplistic approach is utilized. The simplistic approach determines long-term behavior up to 500 periods of an orbit. It is found that in-phase periodic modes result in the largest amount of stable modes. Future work will look at the common characteristics of the in-phase modes to better understand why they are more …