Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Regional Vs. Local Impact Of Wind On Glaciers In The Andes Mountains, Derek Ferris

Undergraduate Review

Northern Peru will face critical water resource issues in the near future as permanent ice in the Andes Mountains continues to rapidly melt. Ironically, the melt-water from these glaciers supports the culture of 100s of thousands of people living at lower elevations, particularly during the dry season, and predictions suggest some glaciers may be gone in less than 100 years. The impact of local warming of “U” shaped valleys running down the dryer western slope of the Andes range is largely disregarded in current climate model predictions because of the complexity of simulating the complex topography. Studies that compare the …

EΠi + 1=0: The History & Development, Dawne Charters-Nelson

Undergraduate Review

I have on occasion run across the equation in books, articles and in conversation with other mathematicians. In each of these encounters the person alluded to a fascination with this equation which links the five most important constants in the whole of analysis:

• 0 = The additive identity
• 1 = The multiplicative identity
• π = The circular constant
• e = The base of the natural logarithms
• i = The imaginary unit

Being a novice mathematician, I wondered how all these fundamental constants could end up in one equation and what it meant. Along with this thought came the realization that …

Solar Observations During A Solar Minimum Using A Small Radio Telescope, Gary Forrester

Undergraduate Review

The Sun is currently in a quiescent phase called solar minimum. We used Bridgewater State College’s (B.S.C.’s) Small Radio Telescope (SRT) to observe solar radio emission during this quiet phase and correlated our data to solar X-ray data readily available through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Previous observations made during a period of high solar activity (solar maximum) using one of M.I.T.’s SRTs showed that some solar radio and X-ray events were correlated, while others were not. We made observations during solar minimum and found one event where there was a correlation between radio and X-ray emission.

A Two-Dimensional, Linear–Elastic Model To Explain Radial Extensional Fractures, Pantheon Fossae, Caloris Basin, Mercury, Brianne Mcdonough

Undergraduate Review

In this study, two-dimensional linear elasticity theory is used to model the lithospheric stress field that produces radial extensional fractures observed at Pantheon Fossae in the Caloris Basin of Mercury. These fractures were imaged by the MESSENGER mission flyby of Mercury on January 14, 2008 and show radial fractures extending outward from a 40-kilometer impact crater named Apollodorus. Recent studies have proposed several different mechanisms to explain these fractures, including magmatic processes, central basin uplift, and stresses produced by the formation of the impact crater itself.