Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Effect Of Geomagnetic Activity On Radio Propagation In The 14 And 18 Mhz Range, Stuart Barney

Student Research Symposium

The purpose of this experiment was to discover if the magnitude of a geomagnetic event has a notable effect on the reliability of the reception of a radio transmission given the location of origin.

Automatic Aurora Detection, Cameron Eggleston

Student Research Symposium

Aurorae happen when particles in the earth’s magnetosphere become excited and emit visible light. Below is a picture that shows this process more meaningfully:

The colors of each aurora is determined by these electrons as well. Below is a diagram showing where the different colors of aurora come from. In addition to being nice to look at, aurorae can be caused by Coronal Mass Ejections(CMEs). CMEs can affect radio communication, power grids, GPS systems, and more.

Expressing And Purifying Homologs Of Crispr Systems, Gabe Parrish

Student Research Symposium

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeat)-Cas (CRISPR- associated) is a protein-nucleic acid adaptive immune system in Bacterial and Archaeal organisms that defends against invading foreign genetic material.

Earthquakes In Creeping Fault Zones? Mineralogic And Grain Size Controls On Frictional Behavior, Ainsley Macdonald

Student Research Symposium

1. Motivation

• Faults can creep or be locked to produce earthquakes.

• This behavior may be influenced by minerology and grain size

• Serpentine minerals and clay are known to promote creep along faults

• Does mineralogy promote creep along the Bartlett Springs Fault, CA?

Does Exercising With A Romantic Partner Improve Physical, Emotional, And Relational Well-Being?, Abbie Whitehead

Student Research Symposium

While exercise is known to benefit both physical and mental health, working out with a partner may amplify those benefits. Could exercising with a romantic partner further enhance these outcomes---while also improving relationship quality?

Are Rotating Black Holes Rigid?, Luis Fernando Temoche

Student Research Symposium

What is rigidity for a black hole?

2017 Seasonal Variation Of Atmospheric Gravity Waves Above Rothera Station, Antarctica, Elijah Kroeber, Zhao Yucheng, Pautet Dominique, Taylor Michael

Student Research Symposium

As a part of the international Antarctic Gravity Wave Instrument Network (ANGWIN), Utah State University operates an infrared (IR) all-sky imager at the British Rothera Station in Antarctica (67°34’S, 68°07’W) which observes several hydroxyl (OH) emission bands.

Electron-Phonon Coupling In Copper, Joseph Pigott

Student Research Symposium

The behavior of metals is all about the motion and behavior of the metal's electrons. When interactions between the electrons and vibrations in the crystal lattice (phonons) are considered, the electrons act as if they are "heavier" than they otherwise would be. This is accounted for by introducing the mass- enhancement parameter λ, which represents the strength of electron- phonon interactions. This study explores whether λ can be accurately calculated by comparing literature data for two known quantities: the electronic coefficient of specific heat and the density of states at the Fermi energy.

The Applicability Of A/B Testing In Clinical Trials, Carlie Prinster

Student Research Symposium

• A/B Testing is a study method that allows researchers to compare two different options in a variety of different contexts, most usually in a business context (i.e.: font color).

• A/B Testing is starting to used in biostatistical application, such as for clinical trial recruitment improvement.

• A study done by previous researchers aimed to apply A/B Testing to clinical trial recruitment improvement.

• My goal was to build a model that used the data from this study but implement a dependent structure.

Ion-Induced Electron Yield Database Development Through Data Mining For Exploratory Data Analysis And Predictive Analytics, Trace Taylor

Student Research Symposium

• What is ion yield and what affects it?

• Why create a database?

• Status of the database

• Ion yield data comparisons

• Conclusions

• Future work

Gravity Wave Activity During The 2024 Sudden Stratospheric Warmings Observed By Atmospheric Waves Experiment (Awe), Jiarong Zhang, Yucheng Zhao, Pierre‐Dominique Pautet, Ludger Scherliess, Michael J. Taylor, Hanli Liu

All Physics Faculty Publications

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) instrument, launched in November 2023, provides direct observation of small‐scale (30–300 km) gravity waves (GWs) in the mesosphere on a global scale. This work examined changes in GW activity observed by AWE during two major Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSWs) in the 2023 and 2024 winter season. Northern Hemisphere (NH) midlatitude GW activity during these events shared similarities. Variations in mesospheric GW activity showed an evident correlation with the magnitude of zonal wind in the upper stratosphere. NH midlatitude GW activity at ∼87 km was reduced following the onset of …

An Ai-Driven Framework For Assessing Intersection Infrastructure And Accessibility, Logan Liddiard, Joel Pierson, Brent Chamberlain, Keith Christensen, Xiaojun Qi

Computer Science Student Research

Background: Intersections serve as vital nodes within transportation networks, facilitating the movement of pedestrians. However, their effectiveness often hinges on the quality of their infrastructure and accessibility. Furthermore, it is expensive and time-consuming to collect infrastructure data, yet is crucial for creating a safe and efficient urban landscape.

Objective: Develop an AI-driven model that leverages Google Street View to provide detailed information about intersections, helping city planners identify infrastructure and accessibility issues and supporting improvements to create safer, more accessible intersections for people of all abilities.

How Potential Is Potential Evapotranspiration For Representing Droughts In The Western U.S.?, Adison Davis, Grace Affram, Cody Ratterman

Student Research Symposium

The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) identifies areas in drought and labels them by severity.

Modulation Of The Pacific Meridional Mode On The Dipole Pattern Of The Conus Summertime Precipitation, Grace Affram

Student Research Symposium

Historically, the precipitation trend over the past few decades in the Contiguous United States (CONUS) exhibits a "Dry-West Wet-East" pattern; this is manifested by recent droughts/floods in the western/eastern US. However, it remains elusive what atmospheric phenomenon has potentially driven such a remarkable, and impactful precipitation pattern. Here we found that a coupled climate mode—the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM) exerted strong impacts on the precipitation pattern over the CONUS during the summer season. We discovered a significant association between the PMM index and precipitation across the CONUS; this was manifested as a zonal dipole pattern—negative correlations in the western U.S. …

Characterizing The Hydrology Of Rock Glaciers And Other High-Mountain Stream Types In The Intermountain West, Usa, Jace Kjar, Anna Shampain

Student Research Symposium

Rock glaciers are high mountain landforms composed of an ice core covered and insulated by unconsolidated talus (Figure 1). Rock glaciers—like other forms of mountain snow and ice (e.g., surface ice glaciers)—are vital water sources in high mountain ecosystems. However, the relevance of rock glaciers for mountain hydrology has been largely overlooked. For this project, I helped to collect and analyze stream flow data from 17 sites across the Wasatch, Teton, and Northern Rockies mountain ranges including rock glacier and non-rock glacier streams. By including multiple sources, our goal was to place rock glacier streams in context.

Physical Interpretation Of The Dynamic Dual-Defect Model Of Radiation Induced Conductivity, Tyler Heggenes, Jenny Whiteley

Student Research Symposium

• Spacecraft charging is the main source of spacecraft anomalies [A]
• Spacecraft are often made of resistors
• Arcing can end a project early

Mitigation Of Lunar Dust Charging Issues Using Electron Yield, Christopher Vega

Student Research Symposium

What is Electron Yield?

• Electron Yield(EY): Ratio of electrons in over electrons out

On Mach's Principle In General Relativistic Cosmological Models, Zach Zito

Student Research Symposium

General Relativity

1. Gravity is the mechanism by which matter influences inertia
2. This influence happens across a spacelike hypersurface
3. Geometrodynamic equations mathematically describe this influence

Exploring The Geometry Of Einstein's Field Equations: Understanding The Mathematics Behind Curved Spacetime, Morgan Maxwell

Student Research Symposium

Einstein's equations describe how spacetime bends in response to mass and energy:

Fiber Bundles Of The Complex Projective Space And Their Relation To Quantum Physics, Emily Wessman

Student Research Symposium

The complex projective space CPⁿ is the space of lines through the origin in Cⁿ⁺¹ with an equivalence relation defined by Z ~ λZ' for λ ∈ C*. We define the points under the equivalence relation as homogeneous coordinates, represented by [Z₀ : Z₁ : ... Z_n]. Since all Z,sub>i cannot equal zero, we can find a unique set of n coordinates (z₁,...,z_n) such that [Z₀ : Z₁ : ... : Z_n] ~ [1 : z₁ : ... : z_n] where z …

Solving The Structure Of An Ancestral Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Natalie Turcsanski, Edna Armah

Student Research Symposium

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) regulate cell signaling by removing phosphate groups from tyrosine residues. Malfunction of these enzymes can lead to diseases such as diabetes and cancer. A conserved feature among PTPs is the catalytic acid loop, essential for phosphate removal. Computational analysis of PTP structures revealed that ancestral PTPs have considerable variation in conformations of this loop, sparking interest in their further study. The Asgard group, identified as ancestral to eukaryotic PTPs, was successfully expressed and purified under optimized conditions. Current efforts focus on optimizing crystallization to obtain larger crystals for structural analysis. This project will investigate the allosteric …

Determining The Function Of Type Iv-B Crispr-Cas Systems, Eric Jenkins, Brendon Guinn

Student Research Symposium

CRISPR-Cas systems are a diverse group of prokaryotic adaptive immune systems that defend against Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs) such as bacteriophages and plasmids. CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins bind to guide RNAs (crRNAs) transcribed from a DNA repeat array (CRISPR array) containing spacers complementary to MGEs. Upon infection by a MGE, the Cas protein-crRNA complex binds to the target sequence in the invaders genome and cleaves the nucleic acid.

Synthesis Of Pristine Graphene On Cu Substrates Within A 3d Parameter Space, Max Haehnel

Student Research Symposium

We designed a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition system wherein the toluene combines with the carrier gas flow to contact with the substrate within the quartz tube. As toluene is a liquid at room temperature, we froze the toluene using liquid nitrogen before pumping down the chamber to low pressure. Substrate cleanliness and preparation proved to be essential in the synthesis process.

Sdl Optomechanical Engineering Discussion, Tyrel Rupp

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

• About SDL
• SDL Manufacturing Capabilities
• Optomechanical Example-AWE
• Optomechanical Example – AWE Telescope Design
• Optomechanical Example – AWE Telescope Fabrication
• Optomechanical Example – AWE Optomechanical Assembly
• AWE Infrared Radiance of OH Layer Above Hurricane Helene
• Current Challenges in Optomechanics for SDL
• Precision Manufacturing IR&D (ongoing)
• Low CTE Moldable Composite IR&D: Athermal Design Background
• Low CTE Moldable Composite IR&D: Overview
• Low CTE Moldable Composite IR&D: Lens Tube Fabrication
• Low CTE Moldable Composite IR&D: Lens Tube Fabrication

“Synchronized Parenting Is Like Mixing Oil And Water”: Reimagining Parental Control For Co-Parenting In The Divorced Households, Prakriti Dumaru, Audrey Flood, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

Children from divorced households are granted access to devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets), helping them to maintain meaningful contact with both parents. However, regulating their device usage across two households presents unique co-parenting challenges, which are little studied in the existing literature on parental mediation. As we begin to address this gap, we used low-fidelity prototype designs, guided by the principles of fostering open communication and instilling self-regulation. We evaluated those designs (presented in the form of storyboards) through semi-structured interviews with 23 divorced parents, whose children are active Internet users and aged 13 years or below. Based on our analysis, …

Exploring Biostimulant Efficacy Under Limited Fertilizer And Water In Utah's Watermelon Production, Evan Christensen, Milena Maria Tomaz De Oliveira, Prakriti Nepal, Youping Sun

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

The western U.S. has recently experienced some of the driest conditions on record, and Utah has been in a multi-year drought (2019-2023) that affected the agricultural sector, including vegetable producers. While vegetables are not a primary agricultural crop in Utah, they are still an important part of the horticultural economy with 763 farms growing 6,138 acres. As the fourth largest acreage vegetable crop in Utah (almost 10% of the acreage) watermelon and related crops in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae (nearly 36% of total vegetable acreage) are important to vegetable growers. Watermelon is a water-intensive crop and requires an adequate supply …

Improving Wetland Revegetation In The Intermountain West: Wetland Manager And Native Plant Vendor Insights And Challenges, Annie L. Henry, Rae Robinson, Kate Sinnott, Mark W. Brunson, Emily E. Tarsa, Adrienne Ernst, Karin M. Kettenring

All Current Publications

Diverse native vegetation supports the many ecosystem services that wetlands provide to society. In degraded wetlands, the native vegetation often needs to be reseeded or replanted as part of the restoration process. However, such wetland revegetation practices of managers are relatively undocumented and the availability of native plants for wetland restoration from vendors has been unclear. We conducted surveys of wetland managers and wetland native plant vendors in the Intermountain West in 2023 to understand their practices, challenges, and perspectives. We found that wetland managers in the Intermountain West revegetate diverse habitats for important ecosystem services despite very limited budgets …

Bear Lake Water Quality And Chemistry: 114 Years Of Water Management, Connely Baldwin

Spring Runoff Conference

Motivation: Fall 2024 Bear Lake Sediment-Nutrient Reduction Workshop (Bear Lake Watch) motivated deeper dive into water quality and chemistry status and trends

Development Of A Low-Cost Stem Dendrometer For Irrigation Scheduling In Fruit Trees, Anderson Luiz Dos Santos Safre, Alfonso Torres-Rua, Brent Black

Spring Runoff Conference

Motivation 

• Irrigation scheduling in water scarce regions. 
• Water stress evaluation in tart cherry orchards.
• Plant-based methods more suitable for tree crops. 
• Elevated cost of commercial dendrometers (> 1,000 USD). 

Parrotfeather (Myriophyllum Aquaticum): Biology And Management Options In Utah, Francielli S. De Oliveira

Spring Runoff Conference

Parrotfeather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)

• Invasive weed from South America.
• Heterophilic perennial dioecious plant (female in the US).
• Forms dense mats, blocks waterways, and outcompetes native species
• Spreads via rhizomes, stolons, and stem fragments.