Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons^™

Δ−Scuti Star Hr 1170, Salman A. Nejad

Aquila: The Journal of Embry-Riddle Observatory

HR 1170, a variable star in the constellation Perseus, exhibits multi-periodic pulsations consistent with its classification as a δ−Scuti star. Through photometric and spectroscopic observations using the 1-meter ERAU telescope and the SARA-RM telescope, this study investigates its variability and spectral characteristics. Photometry conducted over several nights reveals pulsation periods that closely align with previously reported values. Time-resolved spectroscopy highlights prominent absorption features, including Balmer lines and metallic elements, offering further insights into the star’s atmospheric dynamics.

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Measuring Cosmic Rays With Muon Detectors (Quarknet), Jack W. Maseberg

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

We report measurements of atmospheric muon particles originating from cosmic rays. Using four QuarkNet project scintillators in a stacked geometry, we recorded muons in coincidence with each other. We observed a change in the muon flux due to a solar Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) event on Jan 19, 2026.

Strong Gravitational Lensing Of Balart-Vagenas Regular Black Holes, Akif Pervez, Hassan Moin Ud Din, Handika Satrio Ramdhan

Makara Journal of Science

Gravitational lensing is an integral part of Einstein general theory of relativity. The existence of singularity in standard black holes is a hurdle for understanding the properties of black holes. The introduction of nonlinear electrodynamics (NLED) offers an intriguing possibility of constructing non-singular black hole. Gravitational lensing by the photon sphere probes the physical properties of lens objects such as black holes. This work presents a strong deflection limit analysis in a general asymptotically flat, stationary, spherically symmetric spacetime. We extend the analysis of the light deflection around the photon sphere-complete capture, and set a strong field limit that is …

Galaxy Zoo: A Catalog Of ~1000 Occulting Pairs In The Desi Legacy Survey For Dust Studies, Trevor A. Butrum, Benne Holwerda

The Cardinal Edge

Occulting pairs of galaxies, where a foreground galaxy partially overlaps a background galaxy, are becoming increasingly valuable for studying dust attenuation and other dust properties in galaxies. These occulting systems present a unique opportunity to derive attenuation measurements by modelling the light from both galaxies and inferring the missing light in the overlapping regions, leaving only the light attenuated by dust remaining. However, the current master catalogue of these pairs is still relatively limited in number, and expanding such a catalogue will provide significant advantages. To achieve this, we use galaxies classified as "overlapping" from Galaxy Zoo DECaLS (GZD-1, 2, …

High Polarization In Narrow Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy Iras 1239.7+3333, Bryn Connelly, Dirk Grupe Phd

The Cardinal Edge

IRAS 1239 is a narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxy discovered with the ROSAT All-Sky survey. It is interesting because it shows very high polarization, but very little cold X-ray absorption, potentially revealing more insight into the classification of Seyfert galaxies. An Active Galactic Nucleus, or AGN, is an accreting black hole at the center of a galaxy. Galaxies containing these AGNs are known as active galaxies. There are several different types of active galaxies, including Seyfert galaxies. These are a common galaxy type, making up around 10% of galaxies. They are classified by having strong emission lines and detectable host …

Using Ngc 2168 To Calibrate Ages For Individual Stars, Skylar G. Butler

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

This research investigates the precision and accuracy of age determination in open star clusters using BASE-9 software. The project is divided into two parts, with the first being the determination of the age of the entire cluster and the second being the age determination of the individual stars within the NGC 2168 cluster. Part one involves analyzing the collective properties of the cluster to derive its age. Part two involves assessing the age of individual stars within the selected star clusters using BASE-9 software. We will evaluate the reliability and validity of the age determinations obtained by analyzing individual stars …

The Odds Don’T Lie: Mathematical Reasoning And Societal Ignorance In Don’T Look Up, Nysa Vedwan, Shane Carey

LASER Journal

In Adam McKay’s 2021 satirical sci-fi movie Don’t Look Up, two astronomers discover a comet heading directly toward Earth. Despite overwhelming evidence and near-certainty of global extinction, their warnings are ignored and ridiculed. This paper discusses the mathematical and scientific foundations of the movie’s social and political reception, and specifically focuses on orbital prediction and probabilistic modeling as they relate to public understanding of risk. This paper shows how data is often undermined by political and social dynamics, by connecting the fictional events of the movie with real-world crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate emergency. In Don’t Look …

Scientific Authority In The Public Sphere: The Heroic Legacies Of Carl Sagan And Philip Zimbardo, Scott T. Allison

Heroism Science

This article examines the parallel trajectories of Carl Sagan and Philip Zimbardo as scientists who assumed the role of public intellectuals. Their careers highlighted the tensions and opportunities inherent in bridging scholarly research and public engagement. Sagan, an astronomer, popularized the cosmic perspective to promote planetary stewardship, while Zimbardo, a social psychologist, used compelling methodologies to explore the psychological underpinnings of cruelty and heroism. Both were, in their own ways, heroic in their commitment to making science accessible, employing storytelling and mass media to render complex concepts understandable and relevant, thereby expanding the societal relevance of their disciplines. However, their …

Life Goes On, But Better, Editorial Board

The International Journal of Ecopsychology (IJE)

" … During a solar flare* An exchange between two telegraph operators during the Carrington Event, the most intense solar flare recorded to date (September 2, 1859. Boston Evening Traveler)."

The Core-Collapse Supernovae Particle Physics Interactions, Skylar G. Butler

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

This study investigates the role of specific particle physics interactions in simulations of core collapse supernovae, with a focus on understanding how varying levels of inclusion impact the accuracy of gravitational wave predictions and results of simulations. Different research groups often approach these simulations with varying degrees of complexity, cutting corners by omitting certain reactions or simplifying others. This project systematically evaluates the implications of these choices, comparing the particle physics interactions included, the dimensionality of the simulations, and the governing equations used. Our goal is to identify how these factors influence the precision of numerical simulations. By providing a …

Orbital Evolution Of The Datura Asteroid Family, Skylar G. Butler

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

To research the Datura Family of asteroids, we used an orbital evolution code to track the orbital decay of asteroid fragments released in an asteroid disruption. Different particle sizes of 10, 100, 500, 750, and 100 micrometers were tracked including the semi-major axis, eccentricity, and inclination in order to observe how certain particle sizes’ orbital elements evolve. Using a young asteroid family like the Datura family gives more insight into the parent asteroid structure and formation because the time is closer to before the asteroid’s breakup. We use these models to constrain the parameters of the dust by comparing the …

Table Of Contents

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Using Moment Maps To Observe Hydrogen Gas In Markarian 54, Amaya Terry

Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal

Hydrogen gas is useful when trying to understand galaxies because it helps make stars. In space, hydrogen gas is in many cases in a form called neutral hydrogen (HI). This gas emits a faint type of light called the 21 cm line, which is a type of radio wave. This light is useful because it can go through dust in space, unlike optical light. This means we can use it to look inside galaxies and study the gas even if there is dust that is in front of stars in the galaxy.

In my research I was given data from …

Survey Of Possible Magnetic Field Sources Around The Intragroup Medium Of Ngc 2563, Edward A. Wallace, Anna Williams

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

The origin and evolution of magnetic fields in space is an ongoing mystery in astronomy. Previous work has concluded the existence of magnetic fields in galaxy clusters, and to build an evolutionary model, the motivation behind this project is to determine how these magnetic fields form. In order to answer this question, we want to search for magnetic fields in galaxy group NGC 2563. To do this, our project determines the contribution to observed rotation measures of the galaxy group that come from the Milky Way and from the sources themselves.

Modelling Of The Overcontact Eclipsing Binary V826 Aur, Kalev T. Murray-Rouse, John M. Cannon, Anna Williams, Wes Tobin

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

We present a model of the eclipsing binary system V826 Aur using differential photometric data from the Robert L. Mutel Telescope (RLMT) at the Winer Observatory in Sonoita, Arizona. The calculated time of superconjunction was found to be 60648.7658534 and the period was 0.361701 d. These values were used to generate a best-fit model of the eclipsing binary with the PHOEBE program. The best-fit modelled parameters were found to be: mass ratio (𝑞) is equal to 2.769, the inclination (𝑖) is equal to 80.45◦, the fillout factor (𝑓) equals 0.0961, and the temperature ratio (𝑇2∕𝑇1) is 0.9740. Although not statistically …

Finding High Mass X-Ray Binaries In Ngc 3109, Caeden Miller, John (Jay) Gallagher Iii

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

High Mass X-Ray Binary systems can be difficult to find in the Milky Way due to high metallicity contributing to mass loss due to stellar wind, so we turn our attention to the galaxy NGC 3109 in order to find these systems. Using archival data from the Hubble Space Telescope using the Wide Field Camera 3, we do photometry in both the F475W and F814W filters for the two fields of view that cover the galaxy. We then plot these magnitudes on a color-magnitude diagram and use isochrones of 5 and 10 million years to gather minimum mass estimates of …

Making And Breaking Chaos: Analog Computer Implementation Of The Lorenz Model, Reed Lefevre, James Doyle

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

Hybrid analogue-digital computers have been shown to have certain advantages over traditional digital computers when solving nonlinear partial differential equations. Motivated by this fact, we implement the Lorenz equations on an analogue electronic computer and vary the parameters to analyze the bifurcations. With the working circuit, we compared experimental results to various digital simulations to assess the effectiveness of our circuit. We find clear qualitative agreement between the physical circuit and digital simulations; however, we observe a noticeable quantitative difference in behavior. The circuit depicts a picturesque Lorenz Butterfly plot and bifurcates into fixed points and chaos; however, these bifurcations …

Non-Destructive Compositional Analysis Of Lead Halide Perovskite Films Using Thz Spectroscopy And A Three-Oscillator Dielectric Model, Isaac J.C Kisker

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

Terahertz (THz) Spectroscopy offers a novel approach to probing low-energy phonon excitation in complex crystalline materials like methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) perovskite films. In this research, we use time-resolved Terahertz Spectroscopy in tandem with a three-oscillator model to non-destructively ascertain the relative volumetric composition of MAPI and residual lead iodide (PbI₂) in spin-coated films. The dielectric function is modeled as a product over longitudinal and transverse optical phonon modes. This model is then fitted to the measured THz spectra, allowing us to extract the contributions from both MAPI and PbI₂.

Examining Mulit-Wavelength Variability And Magnetic Interactions In The Polar St Lmi, Cain Rinkoski

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

Cataclysmic variable (CV) stars are interacting binary systems that exhibit exotic, multi-wavelength behavior driven by mass transfer from a donor star onto a white dwarf. As rich laboratories for accretion physics, binary dynamics, and the origins of Type Ia supernovae, CVs have been well studied in the X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, and infrared—but remain comparatively underexplored in the radio regime. This paper presents simultaneous, time-resolved optical and radio observations of the magnetic CV ST LMi, aimed at constraining its emission mechanisms and orbital modulation.
The optical light curves display brightness variations of approximately 1.31 ± 0.02 magnitudes on a period of …

A Thermal Control System For The Atlas Hgtd Module Construction Process, Keelin B. Murphy

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

In the aim of simplifying the production process of 2000 HGTD (High Granularity Timing Detector) modules at IJClab for the high luminosity phase of the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider, I designed, coded, and constructed an automatic temperature control system for module assembly and testing. To this end, I examined the module’s thermal response to changes in air temperature using a climate chamber and to various currents fed through a Peltier device situated under the module. I adapted the Peltier setup into a fully independent control system driven by an Arduino microcontroller running a PID feedback loop.

Measuring Cosmic Rays With Muon Detectors (Quarknet), Aiden Burton, Jack W. Maseberg

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

We report measurement of atmospheric muon particles originating from cosmic rays. Using four QuarkNet project scintillators in an unstacked geometry, we are counting muons in coincidence with each other. We are currently refurbishing a second detector apparatus and will soon be capable of measuring coincidence events for larger shower surface areas using a total of eight scintillators.

Stars, Statutes, And Sharing: Designing Global Ip Frameworks For Space-Based Discoveries, Ed Koellner

Marquette Intellectual Property & Innovation Law Review

As humanity stretches farther into space physically, commercially, and intellectually, contemporary legal frameworks are beginning to creak under the pressure. Intellectual property laws seem to be playing catch-up. Those laws were written for a world bound by borders and gravity, not for orbital labs, the Earth’s Moon, or AI-generated inventions drifting above the Earth.

This article takes a closer look at the increasingly complex intersection of space law, intellectual property, and artificial intelligence. This domain is no longer reserved for state-led missions or high-level treaties. Now and in the near future, a university lab or a private startup might be …

Pave Outer Space And Put Up A Parking Lot: Lagrange Points Should Be The Common Heritage Of Mankind, David A. Koplow

Michigan Journal of International Law

Outer space offers a vast array of opportunities, with different locations or regions available for exploitation by diverse users for a growing variety of satellite functions. But not all sectors of space are equally valuable for all applications, and the most desirable venues can become crowded, affording a premium for those who gain access first and impeding the development of a fair and efficient all-inclusive international legal regime.

This article focuses on Lagrange points, a finite series of special locations in space where the gravitational forces from a pair of large celestial bodies interact in unusual ways. These points afford …

Heroic Virtues In Space Exploration: Everydayness And Supererogation On Earth And Beyond, John N. Nielsen

Heroism Science

The space environment poses significant dangers and difficulties for human explorers—difficulties so great that it has been argued that space exploration should be exclusively conducted by automated spacecraft. The possibility of space science conducted by human astronauts in spite of these dangers presents the opportunity for individuals to exhibit traditional heroic virtues—presumably, supererogatory forms of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice—in the pursuit of science. In particular, the difficulties of pursuing science in the hostile conditions of extraterrestrial environments will call for physical courage in the face of personal danger, patience with the painstaking procedures of technically difficult scientific experiments performed …

An Analysis Of Active Galactic Nuclei In Diverse Galactic Environments, Divya A. Patel, Clayton Robertson, Dr. Benne Holwerda

The Cardinal Edge

This study examines the active galactic nuclei (AGNs), where the active supermassive black holes reside. Using the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey data, the main goal is to search three regions of space—filament, tendril, and void space—for AGNs. Active black holes are notorious for their violent activities through space, as they intensely spew out amounts of matter. Such behavior can be observed using the Baldwin-Philips-Terlevich (BPT) diagrams, which use ratios of emission lines to understand the astrophysical characteristics of various objects. To enhance the precision of the BPT diagrams, there was a focus on the red part of the …

Exploring Black Hole Entropy, Spacetime Perturbations, And Their Applications In Astrophysics, Ashley Meglino

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Abstract

Tidal deformations and quasinormal frequencies result when a black hole experiences a perturbation to its geometry, such as by a small mass or a field. These effects can be measured experimentally from gravitational wave data or calculated mathematically using various methods. This paper details various studies that were done to develop meaningful and accurate calculations of tidal Love numbers and quasinormal frequencies, as well as the motivations for such efforts. In addition, various attempts to formulate a more sound interpretation of black hole entropy are discussed, including the shortcomings of some and the significance of these efforts in other …

Striatal Beat Frequency Interval Timing Model With Microgravity Stressor, Jason Michael Fitzgerald, Sorinel Oprisan

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The Striatal Beat Frequency (SBF) model of interval timing uses frontal cortex (FC) neural oscillations to record the state of the brain at the reinforcement time Tc during fixed interval (FI) procedures in the long-term memory (LMEM). The state of the FC oscillators at any given time is stored in a short-term memory (SMEM) buffer. The SBF model uses the spiny neurons of the basal ganglia (BG) as coincidence detectors to produce beats between the content of the SMEM and LMEM. Across multiple species that can perform interval timing, there are two invariant properties: (a) the timing is precise, and …

Probing Charge Recombination In Organic Solar Cells, Ally C. Hurd, Awwad Alotaibi, Acacia Patterson, Obaid Alqahtani, James Doyle, Brian Akira Collins

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

Printable and flexible organic solar panels are promising sources of inexpensive, large-scale renewable energy, where panels can be manufactured by printing from polymer inks. There are some limitations to these types of solar cells, however. First, toxic halogenated solvents have historically been necessary to dissolve polymers to make the ink. In addition, organic solar cells typically have high rates of recombination, which limits their efficiency. Here, we use a transient photovoltage (TPV) technique to measure charge lifetimes in cells made from two different organic solvents. The first solvent is toxic, halogenated dichlorobenzene (DCB) which is typically used to make organic …

Investigation Of Tantalum Sodium Lead Borate Glass Using Laser Ionization Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (Litof-Ms), Siri Erickson-Green

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

Laser ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (LITOF-MS) is a spectrometry method which can measure, with exceptional accuracy, the composition of ions within a glass system. Additionally, unlike other spectroscopy and spectrometry methods, this technique allows insight into the abundance of each kind of ion within a given glass system. This specific project tackled the topic of tantalum-doped sodium and lead borate glasses, as sodium and lead borate glasses doped with a transition metal is a topic which has not been thoroughly explored. Our group synthesized such a glass and was able to use LITOF-MS to gain insights into how …