Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Search For Correlations Between Gamma-Ray Burst Variability And Afterglow Onset, Sarah A. Yost

Physics Faculty Publications

We compared the time (or time limit) of onset for optical afterglow emission to the γ-ray variability V in 76 gamma-ray bursts with redshifts. In the subset (25 cases) with the rise evident in the data, we fit the shape of the onset peak as well and compared the rising and decaying indices to V. We did not find any evidence for any patterns between these properties and there is no statistical support for any correlations. This indicates a lack of connection between irregularities of the prompt γ-ray emission and the establishment of the afterglow phase. In the ordinary …

How Does The Connectivity Of Open-Framework Conglomerates Within Multi-Scale Hierarchical Fluvial Architecture Affect Oil-Sweep Efficiency In Waterflooding?, Naum I. Gershenzon, Mohamad Reza Soltanian, Robert W. Ritzi, David F. Dominic, Don Keefer, Eric Shaffer, Brynne Storsved

Physics Faculty Publications

Understanding multi-phase fluid flow and transport processes within aquifers, candidate reservoirs for CO2 sequestration, and petroleum reservoirs requires understanding a diverse set of geologic properties of the aquifer or reservoir, over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. We focus on multiphase flow dynamics with wetting (e.g., water) and non-wetting (e.g., gas or oil) fluids, with one invading another.

Large-Eddy Simulation Of The Transient And Near-Equilibrium Behavior Of Precipitating Shallow Convection, Axel Seifert, Thijs Heus, Robert Pincus, Bjorn Stevens

Physics Faculty Publications

Large-eddy simulation is used to study the sensitivity of trade wind cumulus clouds to perturbations in cloud droplet number concentrations. We find that the trade wind cumulus system approaches a radiative-convective equilibrium state, modified by net warming and drying from imposed large-scale advective forcing. The system requires several days to reach equilibrium when cooling rates are specified but much less time, and with less sensitivity to cloud droplet number density, when radiation depends realistically on the vertical distribution of water vapor. The transient behavior and the properties of the near-equilibrium cloud field depend on the microphysical state and therefore on …

A Determination Of The Gamma-Ray Flux And Photon Spectral Index Distributions Of Blazars From The Fermi-Lat 3lac, Jack Singal

Physics Faculty Publications

We present a determination of the distributions of gamma-ray photon flux – the so-called LogN–LogS relation – and photon spectral index for blazars, based on the third extragalactic source catalogue of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope's Large Area Telescope, and considering the photon energy range from 100 MeV to 100 GeV. The data set consists of the 774 blazars in the so-called Clean sample detected with a greater than approximately 7σ detection threshold and located above ±20° Galactic latitude. We use non-parametric methods verified in previous works to reconstruct the intrinsic distributions from the observed ones …

Overlap Statistics Of Shallow Boundary Layer Clouds: Comparing Ground-Based Observations With Large-Eddy Simulations, G. Corbetta, E. Orlandi, Thijs Heus, Roel Neggers, S. Crewell

Physics Faculty Publications

High-resolution ground-based measurements are used to assess the realism of fine-scale numerical simulations of shallow cumulus cloud fields. The overlap statistics of cumuli as produced by large-eddy simulations (LES) are confronted with Cloudnet data sets at the Jülich Observatory for Cloud Evolution. The Cloudnet pixel is small enough to detect cumuliform cloud overlap. Cloud fraction masks are derived for five different cases, using gridded time-height data sets at various temporal and vertical resolutions. The overlap ratio (R), i.e., the ratio between cloud fraction by volume and by area, is studied as a function of the vertical resolution. Good agreement is …

Mid-Infrared Optical Frequency Combs Based On Difference Frequency Generation For Molecular Spectroscopy, Flavio C. Cruz, Daniel L. Maser, Todd Johnson, Gabriel Ycas, Andrew Klose, Fabrizio R. Giorgetta, Ian Coddington, Scott A. Diddams

Physics Faculty Publications

Mid-infrared femtosecond optical frequency combs were produced by difference frequency generation of the spectral components of a near-infrared comb in a 3-mm-long MgO:PPLN crystal. We observe strong pump depletion and 9.3 dB parametric gain in the 1.5 μm signal, which yields powers above 500 mW (3 μW/mode) in the idler with spectra covering 2.8 μm to 3.5 μm. Potential for broadband, high-resolution molecular spectroscopy is demonstrated by absorption spectra and interferograms obtained by heterodyning two combs.

Analyzing Major Challenges Of Wind And Solar Variability In Power Systems, Falko Ueckerdt, Robert Brecha, Gunnar Luderer

Physics Faculty Publications

Ambitious policy targets together with current and projected high growth rates indicate that future power systems will likely show substantially increased generation from renewable energy sources. A large share will come from the variable renewable energy (VRE) sources wind and solar photovoltaics (PV); however, integrating wind and solar causes challenges for existing power systems. In this paper we analyze three major integration challenges related to the structural matching of demand with the supply of wind and solar power: low capacity credit, reduced utilization of dispatchable plants, and over-produced generation. Based on residual load duration curves we define corresponding challenge variables …

Infographics And Mathematics: A Mechanism For Effective Learning In The Classroom, Ivan Sudakov, Thomas Bellsky, Svetlana Usenyuk, Victoria V. Polyakova

Physics Faculty Publications

This work discusses the creation and use of infographies in an undergraduate mathematics course. Infographies are a visualization of information combining data, formulas, and images. This article discusses how to form an infographic and uses infographics on topics within mathematics and climate as examples. It concludes with survey data from undergraduate students on both the general use of infographics and on the specific infographics designed by the authors.

Dynamics Of Optically-Generated Carriers In Si (100) And Si (111) Substrate-Grown Gaas/Algaas Core-Shell Nanowires, Ramon M. Delos Santos, Jasher John Ibañes, Maria Herminia Balgos, Rafael Jaculbia, Jessica Pauline Afalla, Michelle Bailon-Somintac, Elmer Estacio, Arnel Salvador, Armando Somintac, Christopher Que, Satoshi Tsuzuki, Kohji Yamamoto, Masahiko Tani

Physics Faculty Publications

GaAs/Al0.1Ga0.9As core-shell nanowires (CSNWs), with average lateral size of 125 nm, were grown on gold nanoparticle-activated Si (100) and Si (111) substrates via molecular beam epitaxy. Room temperature-photoluminescence (RT-PL) from the samples showed bulk-like GaAs and Al0.1Ga0.9As bandgap emission peaks at 1.43 and 1.56 eV, respectively. Higher PL emission intensity of the sample on Si (111) compared to that on Si (100) is attributed to uniform Al0.1Ga0.9As shell passivation of surface states on Si (111)-grown CSNWs. Carrier dynamics in two different temporal regimes were studied. In the sub-nanosecond time scale (300–500 ps), time-resolved radiative recombination efficiency of carriers was examined. …

Mechanical Properties Of A Primary Cilium As Measured By Resonant Oscillation, Andrew Resnick

Physics Faculty Publications

Primary cilia are ubiquitous mammalian cellular substructures implicated in an ever-increasing number of regulatory pathways. The well-established ciliary hypothesis states that physical bending of the cilium (for example, due to fluid flow) initiates signaling cascades, yet the mechanical properties of the cilium remain incompletely measured, resulting in confusion regarding the biological significance of flow-induced ciliary mechanotransduction. In this work we measure the mechanical properties of a primary cilium by using an optical trap to induce resonant oscillation of the structure. Our data indicate 1) the primary cilium is not a simple cantilevered beam; 2) the base of the cilium may …

Community Structure In Introductory Physics Course Networks, Adrienne L. Traxler

Physics Faculty Publications

Student-to-student interactions are foundational to many active learning environments, but are most often studied using qualitative methods. Quantitative network analysis tools complement this picture, allowing researchers to describe the social interactions of whole classrooms as systems. Past results in introductory physics have suggested a sharp division in the formation of social structure between large lecture sections and small studio classroom environments. Extending those results, this study focuses on calculus-based introductory physics courses at a large public university with a heavily commuter and nontraditional student population. Community detection network methods are used to characterize pre- and post-course collaborative structure in several …

Enriching Gender In Per: A Binary Past And A Complex Future, Adrienne L. Traxler, Ximena C. Cid, Jennifer Blue, Ramón Barthelemy

Physics Faculty Publications

In this article, we draw on previous reports from physics, science education, and women's studies to propose a more nuanced treatment of gender in physics education research (PER). A growing body of PER examines gender differences in participation, performance, and attitudes toward physics. We have three critiques of this work: (1) it does not question whether the achievements of men are the most appropriate standard, (2) individual experiences and student identities are undervalued, and (3) the binary model of gender is not questioned. Driven by these critiques, we propose a conception of gender that is more up-to-date with other fields …

Universal Far-From-Equilibrium Dynamics Of A Holographic Superconductor, Julian Sonner, Adolfo Del Campo, Wojciech H. Zurek

Physics Faculty Publications

Symmetry-breaking phase transitions are an example of non-equilibrium processes that require real-time treatment, a major challenge in strongly coupled systems without long-lived quasiparticles. Holographic duality provides such an approach by mapping strongly coupled field theories in D dimensions into weakly coupled quantum gravity in Dþ1 anti-de Sitter spacetime. Here we use holographic duality to study the formation of topological defects—winding numbers—in the course of a superconducting transition in a strongly coupled theory in a 1D ring. When the system undergoes the transition on a given quench time, the condensate builds up with a delay that can be deduced using the …

Electronic Structures Of Lanthanum, Samarium, And Gadolinium Sulfides, Lu Wang, Chris M. Marin, Wai-Ning Mei, Chin Li Cheung

Physics Faculty Publications

In this study, we report our efforts to elucidate the electronic structures of two lattice structures of lanthanide sulfides (LnS and Ln3S4) and for three lanthanides (Ln = La, Sm and Gd) using density functional theory calculations performed with the CASTEP code. A DFT+U method was used for the corrections of on-site Coulomb interactions with U = 6 eV. The calculated electronic structures show that both lanthanum and gadolinium sulfides have metallic properties, consistent with the available experimental results. However, the calculated electronic structure of Sm3S4 is considerably different from those of the La3S4 and Gd3S4 and is predicted to …

Correction: A Novel Approach For Detection And Quantification Of Magnetic Nanomarkers Using A Spin Valve Gmr-Integrated Microfluidic Sensor, J. Devkota, G. Kokkinis, T. Berris, M. Jamalieh, S. Cardoso, F. Cardoso, Hariharan Srikanth, Manh-Huong Phan, I. Giouroudi

Physics Faculty Publications

We demonstrate the application of a spin valve giant magneto-resistance (GMR) integrated microfluidic sensor for the detection and quantification of superparamagnetic nanomarkers. A microfluidic channel containing the magnetic fluid, micro-conductors (MCs) for collection of magnetic markers and a spin valve GMR sensor for detecting the presence of magnetic stray field were integrated into a single chip and employed for detection of various concentrations of Nanomag-D beads of 250 nm diameter. The results show that the sensor is capable of detecting concentrations as low as 500 pg μl⁻¹ of Nanomag-D beads and quantifying them in a linear scale over a …

A Model For The Force Exerted On A Primary Cilium By An Optical Trap And The Resulting Deformation, Ian Lofgren, Andrew Resnick

Physics Faculty Publications

Cilia are slender flexible structures extending from the cell body; genetically similar to flagella. Although their existence has been long known, the mechanical and functional properties of non-motile (“primary”) cilia are largely unknown. Optical traps are a non-contact method of applying a localized force to microscopic objects and an ideal tool for the study of ciliary mechanics. We present a method to measure the mechanical properties of a cilium using an analytic model of a flexible, anchored cylinder held within an optical trap. The force density is found using the discrete-dipole approximation. Utilizing Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, we then integrate this …

Boom Or Bust? Mapping Out The Known Unknowns Of Global Shale Gas Production Potential, Jérôme Hilaire, Nico Bauer, Robert J. Brecha

Physics Faculty Publications

To assess the global production costs of shale gas, we combine global top-down data with detailed bottom-up information. Studies solely based on top-down approaches do not adequately account for the heterogeneity of shale gas deposits and hence, are unlikely to appropriately capture the extraction costs of shale gas. We design and provide an expedient bottom-up method based on publicly available US data to compute the levelized costs of shale gas extraction. Our results indicate the existence of economically attractive areas but also reveal a dramatic cost increase as lower-quality reservoirs are exploited. At the global level, our best estimate suggests …

Reconciling And Validating The Cloud Thickness And Liquid Water Path Tendencies, Mohamed S. Ghonima, Joel R. Norris, Thijs Heus, Jan Kleissl

Physics Faculty Publications

A detailed derivation of stratocumulus cloud thickness and liquid water path tendencies as a function of the well-mixed boundary layer mass, heat, and moisture budget equations is presented. The derivation corrects an error in the cloud thickness tendency equation derived by R. Wood to make it consistent with the liquid water path tendency equation derived by J. J. van der Dussen et al. The validity of the tendency equations is then tested against the output of large-eddy simulations of a typical stratocumulus-topped boundary layer case and is found to be in good agreement.

How Does Dissipation Affect The Transition From Static To Dynamic Macroscopic Friction?, Naum I. Gershenzon, Gust Bambakidis, Thomas E. Skinner

Physics Faculty Publications

Description of the transitional process from a static to a dynamic frictional regime is a fundamental problem of modern physics. Previously, we developed a model based on the well-known Frenkel-Kontorova model to describe dry macroscopic friction. Here, this model has been modified to include the effect of dissipation in derived relations between the kinematic and dynamic parameters of a transition process. The main (somewhat counterintuitive) result is a demonstration that the rupture (i.e., detachment front) velocity of the slip pulse which arises during the transition does not depend on friction. The only parameter (besides the elastic and plastic …

Cost-Availability Curves For Hierarchical Implementation Of Residential Energy-Efficiency Measures, Roman Villoria-Siegert, Philip Brodrick, Kevin P. Hallinan, Robert J. Brecha

Physics Faculty Publications

Historical residential electricity data and natural gas consumption data were collected for, respectively, 1,200 and 178 residences in a small town in the USA. These data were merged with local building and weather databases, and energy consumption models were developed for each residence, revealing substantial variation in heating and cooling intensity. After estimating approximate physical building characteristics, energy profiles for each residence were calculated, and savings from adoption of the most cost-effective energy-efficiency measures for each residence were estimated. Effectively, we wish to leverage commonly available data sets to infer characteristics of building envelopes and equipment, without the need for …

Spectroscopic Needs For Imaging Dark Energy Experiments, Jeffrey A. Newman, Alexandra Abate, Filipe B. Abdalla, Sahar Allam, Steven W. Allen, Réza Ansari, Stephen Bailey, Wayne A. Barkhouse, Timothy C. Beers, Michael R. Blanton, Mark Brodwin, Joel R. Brownstein, Robert J. Brunner, Matias Carrasco Kind, Jorge L. Cervantes-Cota, Elliott Cheu, Nora Elisa Chisari, Matthew Colless, Johan Comparat, Jean Coupon, Carlos E. Cunha, Axel De La Macorra, Ian P. Dell'antonio, Brenda L. Frye, Eric J. Gawiser, Neil Gehrels, Kevin Grady, Alex Hagen, Patrick B. Hall, Andrew P. Hearin, Hendrik Hildebrandt, Christopher M. Hirata, Shirley Ho, Klaus Honscheid, Dragan Huterer, Željko Ivezić, Jean-Paul Kneib, Jeffrey W. Kruk, Ofer Lahav, Rachel Mandelbaum, Jennifer L. Marshall, Daniel J. Matthews, Brice Ménard, Ramon Miquel, Marc Moniez, H. W. Moos, John Moustakas, Adam D. Myers, Casey Popovich, John A. Peacock, Changbom Park, Mubdi Rahman, Jason Rhodes, Jean-Stephane Ricol, Iftach Sadeh, Anže Slozar, Samuel J. Schmidt, Daniel K. Stern, J. Anthony Tyson, Anja Von Der Linden, Risa H. Wechsler, W. M. Wood-Vasey, Andrew R. Zentner

Physics Faculty Publications

Ongoing and near-future imaging-based dark energy experiments are critically dependent upon photometric redshifts (a.k.a. photo-z’s): i.e., estimates of the redshifts of objects based only on flux information obtained through broad filters. Higher-quality, lower-scatter photo-z’s will result in smaller random errors on cosmological parameters; while systematic errors in photometric redshift estimates, if not constrained, may dominate all other uncertainties from these experiments. The desired optimization and calibration is dependent upon spectroscopic measurements for secure redshift information; this is the key application of galaxy spectroscopy for imaging-based dark energy experiments.

Hence, to achieve their full potential, imaging-based experiments …

Giant Magnetization Canting Due To Symmetry Breaking In Zigzag Co Chains On Ir(001), B. Dupé, Jessica E. Bickel, Y. Mokrousov, F. Otte, Kirsten Von Bergmann, André Kubetzka, Stefan Heinze, Roland Wiesendanger

Physics Faculty Publications

We demonstrate a canted magnetization of biatomic zigzag Co chains grown on the (5 × 1) reconstructed Ir(001) surface using density functional theory (DFT) calculations and spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) experiments. It is observed by STM that biatomic Co chains grow in three different structural configurations. Our DFT calculations show that they are all in a ferromagnetic (FM) state. Two chain types possess high symmetry due to two equivalent atomic strands and an easy magnetization direction that is along one of the principal crystallographic axes. The easy magnetization axis of the zigzag Co chains is canted away from the …

Understanding The Impact Of Open-Framework Conglomerates On Water-Oil Displacements: Victor Interval Of The Ivishak Reservoir, Prudhoe Bay Field, Alaska, Naum I. Gershenzon, Mohamadreza Soltanian, Robert W. Ritzi, David F. Dominic

Physics Faculty Publications

The Victor Unit of the Ivishak Formation in the Prudhoe Bay Oilfield is characterized by high net-to-gross fluvial sandstones and conglomerates. The highest permeability is found within sets of cross-strata of open-framework conglomerate (OFC). These cross-strata are preserved within unit-bar deposits and assemblages of unit-bar deposits within compound (braid)-bar deposits, and may form thief zones limiting enhanced oil recovery. We incorporate recent research that has quantified important attributes of preserved sedimentary architecture into high-resolution models. Waterflooding experiments using these models demonstrate the control that such architecture has on oil production rate, water breakthrough time, and spatial and temporal distribution of …

Large Scale Laser Crystallization Of Solution-Based Alumina-Doped Zinc Oxide (Azo) Nanoinks For Highly Transparent Conductive Electrode, Qiong Nian, Michael J. Callahan, Mojib Saei, David C. Look, Harry Efstathiadis, John Bailey, Gary J. Cheng

Physics Faculty Publications

A new method combining aqueous solution printing with UV Laser crystallization (UVLC) and post annealing is developed to deposit highly transparent and conductive Aluminum doped Zinc Oxide (AZO) films. This technique is able to rapidly produce large area AZO films with better structural and optoelectronic properties than most high vacuum deposition, suggesting a potential large-scale manufacturing technique. The optoelectronic performance improvement attributes to UVLC and forming gas annealing (FMG) induced grain boundary density decrease and electron traps passivation at grain boundaries. The physical model and computational simulation developed in this work could be applied to thermal treatment of many other …

Photocurrent-Voltage Relation Of Resonant Tunneling Diode Photodetectors, Andreas Pfenning, Favbian Hartmann, Mariama Rebello Sousa Dias, Fabian Langer, Martin Kamp, Leonardo Kleber Castelano, Victor Lopez-Richard, Gilmar Eugenio Marques, Sven Höfling, Lukas Worschech

Physics Faculty Publications

We have investigated photodetectors based on an AlGaAs/GaAs double barrier structure with a nearby lattice-matched GaInNAs absorption layer. Photons with the telecommunication wavelength λ = 1.3 µm lead to hole accumulation close to the double barrier inducing a voltage shift ΔV(V) of the current-voltage curve, which depends strongly on the bias voltage V. A model is proposed describing ΔV(V) and the photocurrent response in excellent agreement with the experimental observations. According to the model, an interplay of the resonant tunneling diode (RTD) quantum efficiency ƞ(V), the lifetime of photogenerated …

Scaling Of Geochemical Reaction Rates Via Advective Solute Transport, Allen Hunt, B. Ghanbarian-Alavijeh, Thomas E. Skinner, R. P. Ewing

Physics Faculty Publications

Transport in porous media is quite complex, and still yields occasional surprises. In geological porous media, the rate at which chemical reactions (e.g., weathering and dissolution) occur is found to diminish by orders of magnitude with increasing time or distance. The temporal rates of laboratory experiments and field observations differ, and extrapolating from laboratory experiments (in months) to field rates (in millions of years) can lead to order-of-magnitude errors. The reactions are transport-limited, but characterizing them using standard solute transport expressions can yield results in agreement with experiment only if spurious assumptions and parameters are introduced. We previously developed a …

Highly Transparent Conductive Electrode With Ultra-Low Haze By Grain Boundary Modification Of Aqueous Solution Fabricated Alumina-Doped Zinc Oxide Nanocrystals, Qiong Nian, Michael J. Callahan, David C. Look, Harry Efstathiadis, John Bailey, Gary J. Cheng

Physics Faculty Publications

Commercial production of transparent conducting oxide (TCO) polycrystalline films requires high electrical conductivity with minimal degradation in optical transparency. Aqueous solution deposited TCO films would reduce production costs of TCO films but suffer from low electrical mobility, which severely degrades both electrical conductivity and optical transparency in the visible spectrum. Here, we demonstrated that grain boundary modification by ultra-violet laser crystallization (UVLC) of solution deposited aluminium-doped zinc oxide (AZO) nanocrystals results in high Hall mobility, with a corresponding dramatic improvement in AZO electrical conductance. The AZO films after laser irradiation exhibit electrical mobility up to 18.1 cm² V^{−1 …}

Investigation Of Plasmon Resonance Tunneling Through Subwavelength Hole Arrays In Highly Doped Conductive Zno Films, Nima Nader, Shivashankar Vangala, Joseph R. Hendrickson, Kevin D. Leedy, David C. Look, Junpeng Guo, Justin W. Cleary

Physics Faculty Publications

Experimental results pertaining to plasmon resonance tunneling through a highly conductive zinc oxide (ZnO) layer with subwavelength hole-arrays is investigated in the mid-infrared regime. Gallium-doped ZnO layers are pulsed-laser deposited on a silicon wafer. The ZnO has metallic optical properties with a bulk plasma frequency of 214 THz, which is equivalent to a free space wavelength of 1.4 μm. Hole arrays with different periods and hole shapes are fabricated via a standard photolithography process. Resonant mode tunneling characteristics are experimentally studied for different incident angles and compared with surface plasmontheoretical calculations and finite-difference time-domain simulations. Transmission peaks, higher than the …

Equity Investigation Of Attitudinal Shifts In Introductory Physics, Adrienne L. Traxler, Eric Brewe

Physics Faculty Publications

We report on seven years of attitudinal data using the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey from University Modeling Instruction (UMI) sections of introductory physics at Florida International University. University Modeling Instruction is a curricular and pedagogical transformation of introductory university physics that engages students in building and testing conceptual models in an integrated lab and lecture learning environment. This work expands upon previous studies that reported consistently positive attitude shifts in UMI courses; here, we disaggregate the data by gender and ethnicity to look for any disparities in the pattern of favorable shifts. We find that women and students …

Effects Of Crab Cavities Multipole Content In An Electron-Ion Collider, A. Castilla, V. S. Morozov, T. Satogata, J. R. Delayen

Physics Faculty Publications

The impact on the beam dynamics of the Medium Energy Electron-Ion Colider (MEIC) due to the multipole content of the 750 MHz crab cavity was studied using thin multipole elements for 6D phase space particle tracking in ELEGANT. Target values of the sextupole component for the cavity’s field expansion were used to perform preliminary studies on the proton beam stability when compared to the case of pure dipole content of the rf kicks. Finally, important effects on the beam sizes due to non-linear components of the crab cavities’ fields were identified and some criteria for their future study were proposed.