Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons^™

Crimson Skies And Another Pale Blue Dot: Can Life Begin Again?, Ingrid R. Carrasco, Joseph Mocerino

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

Enceladus is one of the most promising moons in our Solar System for housing an environment necessary for prebiotic synthesis or life itself. This is due to the fact that aqueous plumes ejecting form the subsurface ocean penetrate the ice shell dispersing water and subsequent organics (if present). We hypothesize that as our Sun evolves into a red giant, the increase in stellar flux will result in higher average temperatures leading to increase the potential of habitability for Enceladus.

Analyzing Hst Observations Of Ngc 6251, Ean Deuschle

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

NGC 6251 is a giant elliptical radio galaxy (gEr) ~340 Mly away, hosting an AGN that produces one of the most noteworthy relativistic jets known. Using archival WFPC2 and NICMOS data, obtained from the Hubble Legacy Archive (HLA), we will present an analysis of NGC6251’s structure, dust distribution, and stellar population, to better understand the relationship between the object’s primary morphologies.

Bolide Analysis Using Ground And Jpl Cneos Data, Adrianna Patton, Cassidy Mink

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

Bolides (fireballs) are meteors that explode in the atmosphere upon impact, producing an extremely bright, high-energy event, and sometimes leave recoverable fragments The project aims to develop a new analysis pipeline using JPL CNEOS government sensor data.

Exploring Possible Formation Mechanisms For Nh4sh Clouds On Jupiter, Morgan Rietmann

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

Even after decades of research, much of Jupiter’s atmosphere is poorly understood. Recently, interest in a 2-3 bar cloud deck generated by a new ammonia mapping technique has exposed the very flimsy nature of the assumption that these clouds are made primarily of ammonium hydrosulfide (NH₄SH). While there is evidence to support the existence of NH₄SH at this level, its formation reaction and the interaction between this reaction and its environment has been lacking proper study. With closer inspection, the abundance of NH₃ in the atmosphere lends itself to the possible additional formation of ammonium …

Automation Of Data Analysis Of The Chandra M87 Data, Jack Becker, Kylee Fout

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

Messier 87 (M87) is an elliptical galaxy known for its central black hole, and has been observed frequently over the last 20 years by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Sourcing of the reduced observational data was done through the Chandra Data Archive, a collection of data from the Chandra Telescope. The main goal of this project was to create a data analysis pipeline that identifies spectra to search for supernovae. In addition, we would like to publish the code on GitHub, which may aid future research on transient X-ray events.

Tracing The Milky Way’S Evolution Through Its Star-Planet Systems, Rayna Rampalli

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

From individual planetary systems to the Milky Way's structure, stars are the linchpin connecting astrophysical scales. Through three complementary projects, my thesis leverages these connections and large stellar surveys to offer insight into the Galaxy's dynamical and chemical history and its role in shaping planet formation and evolution. (I) I developed Protify, an automated pipeline to measure stellar rotation periods in TESS light curves, enabling rotation-based ages for thousands of stars. Applying it to overdensities of stars in eccentric Galactic orbits, thought to be post-resonant signatures of spiral arm passages, revealed unexpectedly young rotators in dynamically old populations. Because such …

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.

Variability On M-Dwarf Stars And Its Effect On Exoplanet Detection, Aylin Garcia Soto

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Understanding stellar magnetic activity is crucial for exoplanet research: activity can mask signatures from exoplanet detection and characterization, and impact planetary habitability. This is particularly important for M dwarf stars, which are highly magnetically active, displaying spectroscopic and photometric signatures of flares and rotational variability. In this thesis, I will present two complementary perspectives on M dwarf magnetic activity. First, I will discuss a study of short-term variability. I made new ground-based observations of 77 M dwarfs and tested the connection between chromospheric emission and photometric variability. I find a weak positive correlation between H$\alpha$ luminosity (tracing magnetic heating) and …

Interacting Dark Energy Models And The Cosmic Coincidence Problem, Gunner W. Hodges

ATU Scholars Symposium

Cosmological models are a tool used to understand the mysterious nature of dark energy and dark matter by predicting how these dark sector components have shaped the expansion of the universe. The cosmic coincidence problem stems from the present day densities of dark energy and matter sharing very similar magnitudes when previously we expect a much larger difference in orders of magnitude. The current best-fit model, ΛCDM , assumes dark energy is non-interacting; however, assuming that dark energy instead does interact could serve to alleviate this cosmic tension. We define an interaction where we relate the density of dark energy …

Energy Scaling And Frequency Ratios Of Particles And Constants, Alison Christina Menzmer, Donald Chakeres, Vola Andrianarijaona

Campus Research Month

We are exploring quantum aspects of various physical quantities (including Bohr radius, Rydberg constant, Planck time, and Hubble constant) and mass energies of elementary particles (including electron, neutron, and quarks). We express all physical units in an energy equivalence in Hertz, normalized to 1 Hz. Furthermore, the logarithms of these normalized energies are scaled by the logarithm of a chosen particle, which allows the generation of an Arrhenius plot exhibiting numerical structures. Our results presented in this poster show that the proton is a good candidate for an Arrhenius plot with partial fractions (1 + 1/n) and (1 - 1/n).

Searching Within Galaxies For The Earliest Signs Of Quenching With Spatially Resolved Star Formation Histories In Uvcandels Galaxies At Z < 0.3, Charlotte Olsen, Eric Gawiser, Charlotte Welker, Harry Teplitz, Kartheik Iyer, Xin Wang, Marc Rafelski, Rogier A. Windhorst, Anton Koekemoer, Anahita Alavi, Ben Sunnquist, Norman Grogin, Yicheng Guo, Christopher J. Conselice, L. Y. Aaron Yung, Kalina Nedkova, Bahram Mobasher, Ray A. Lucas, Vihang Mehta, Y. Sophia Dai, Jonathan P. Gardner

Publications and Research

Understanding the complicated processes that regulate star formation and cause a galaxy to become quiescent is key to our comprehension of galaxy evolution. We used eight well-resolved star-forming z < 0.3 galaxies from the UVCANDELS survey, where a total of 10 Hubble Space Telescope bands, including UV follow-up in UVIS/F275W, allow us to reconstruct the star formation histories (SFHs) of regions across each galaxy. This approach provides a powerful tool to explore the spatiotemporal connection between star formation and galaxy evolution. The spatial and temporal profiles of stellar mass and star formation rate (SFR) surface density were obtained from the SFHs of these regions. We measure scaling relations and projected radial profiles of regions within each galaxy at the time of observation and at 1 Gyr lookback time, noting possible trends in the evolution. By comparing the change in star formation over time, we can infer the timing and location of star formation and see early signs of star formation shutting off before quenching occurs. We compared the SFR density–stellar mass density scaling relations for individual galaxies as they evolve from 1 Gyr lookback time. The correlation lines pivot around a log-stellar mass surface density of 7.25 [M⊙ kpc−2], which may be evidence of a self-regulating process on these scales. Radial profiles of the galaxy logarithmic specific SFR (sSFR) show an overall decrease over 1 Gyr, but five galaxies show a greater change in log(sSFR) at the outskirts than the center, indicating a possible early onset of quenching in these galaxies.

Antimicrobial Performance Of Amorphous Vs. Crystalline La1-Xsrxcoo3 Perovskites, S. M. Au Shohag, Fahmida Akhter, Ahmed Touhami, Swati Mohan, Md. Wasikur Rahman, Mohammed Jasim Uddin

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Perovskite materials, with their unique crystal structure and chemical properties, are emerging as promising antimicrobial agents for potential biomedical applications. In this research, different weight percentages of Sr2 + doped amorphous and crystalline Lanthanum Cobaltite (La1-xSrxCoO3 defined as LSCO) (x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.15) perovskite was synthesized by using a simple combination of sol-gel and molten-salt processes and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) ensures the uniform morphology of the materials. During antimicrobial study using the Kirby Bauer method, amorphous LSCO showed much better activity than crystalline LSCO against Escherichia coli, Vibrio …

Construction Of A Deffi Sprayer: Using 3d Printer Methodology And Techniques For Cost-Effective Analysis Using Desi Mass Spectrometry Imaging, Ryan Karst, Savvy Stevens, Luke Amos, Logan Koester, Ethan Newbold, Karson Whitaker

Symposium Projects

Using 3D Printer Methodology and Techniques for Cost-Effective Analysis using DESI Mass Spectrometry Imaging

Searching For Temporal Variations In The Fine-Structure Constant Using Espresso Spectrograph Data, David Hoffman Iv

Senior Theses

The fine-structure constant α is a dimensionless constant, defined as e²/(4πε₀ℏc) ≈ 1/137. On the order of human timescales, its value is very much unchanging, however, in recent years there has been extensive debate over whether or not the value of α has remained constant over cosmological timescales. With the natural corollary to a changing α being that either one or multiple of its constituent physical constants have also changed in value, observing a variation in the fine-structure constant would have vast ramifications for our understanding of the nature of the early universe and how it has evolved. While past …

Measuring The Flux Of Cosmic Ray Muons With A Coincidence Telescope, Carlos C. Sifuentes

Posters - 2026

❖ Cosmic Ray Muons are short-lived fundamental particles formed in the upper atmosphere, and have a half-life of 2.2 microseconds.[3] They travel down to surface level due to relativistic effects.

❖ Cosmic Watch Muon detectors were placed in coincidence. [1]

❖ Varied the angle from zenith using a 3D printed telescope designed in AutoCad.

❖ Varied the distance of the detectors and viewed changes in flux

Step By Step Progress Told On Florence State Building, Florence Times-Florence Astronomy Society

Documents

News article from the Florence Astronomy Society about the progress of the new Planetarium and Observatory for Florence State College.

10 Men Construct, Donate Florence State's Telescope, Florence Picture

Documents

News article focusing on the 10 men who built the telescope for the Florence State College Observatory. These men were a part of the Florence Astronomy Society and built this telescope to donate to the university.

Fsc Will Have A 'Big Eye', Bob Dixon

Documents

News article from The Florence Times about the new 14 1/2-inch reflector telescope built and donated to Florence State College.

Florence State University Planetarium-Observatory Information And Schedule, Florence Herald Offset

Documents

Florence State University Planetarium & Observatory Information and Schedule Brochure for Academic Year 1970-1971

Inferring The Breakdown Scales Of The Chiral Expansions For GA And MN, Andreas Ekström, Daniel R. Phillips, Lucas Platter, Matthias Schindler

Faculty Publications

We apply Bayesian inference to the order-by-order chiral perturbation theory (χPT) expansions for the axial-vector coupling constant g_A and the nucleon mass m_N, and thereby infer the scales at which χPT breaks down for these two observables. Using a pointwise Bayesian analysis, we find that the inferred breakdown scales are notably different for the two observables. For the chiral expansion of g_A, we obtain 251⁺²⁰₋₅₀ MeV and 211⁺²⁰₋₃₀ MeV using two distinct sets of low-energy constants, while for the chiral expansion of m_N we infer a significantly …

Discovery Of A New Cataclysmic Variable, Galex J211240.9–422959, Via The Exoasteroids Citizen Science Project, Mei Lin, Aaron Meisner, Siyi Xu, Arttu Sainio, Liliana E. Rivera Sandoval, Paula Szkody, Christopher Tanner, Laura K. Rogers, Sarah Casewell, Austin Humphreys

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

We report the discovery and spectroscopic classification of a new cataclysmic variable (CV), GALEX J211240.9–422959 (Gaia DR3 source ID 6580244356829724928). This object was initially identified as a source exhibiting strong mid-infrared variability in Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) time-series data by a volunteer participating in the Exoasteroids citizen science project. Prompted by this strong variability at 3–5 μm, we obtained a follow-up optical spectrum using the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph at the Gemini South Observatory. The resulting spectrum displays a blue continuum dominated by strong, broad emission lines of the hydrogen Balmer series and neutral helium, spectral signatures characteristic of …

A Search For Magnetically Active Binary Counterparts To Chandra X-Ray Sources In 47 Tucanae With Hst Imaging, Haldan N. Cohn, Phyllis M. Lugger, Craig O. Heinke, Maureen Van Den Berg, Liliana Rivera Sandoval, Jay Anderson

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging, we searched for candidate magnetically active binary (AB) counterparts to low-luminosity Chandra X-ray sources in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae (NGC 104). We consider the catalog of 300 Chandra sources within the half-light radius of 47 Tuc compiled by C. O. Heinke et al. (2005). The 10-band HST imaging used to identify these sources spans the range from 275–658 nm. We generated a cross-matched catalog of objects detected by photometric reductions. We used this catalog to search for counterparts within Chandra source error circles using color–magnitude diagrams and a color–color plot. We …

The Eye: A Science-Fiction Screenplay Examining Space-Time, Meteorology, And Human Connection, Ella K. Lukowiak

Senior Theses

This thesis explores the nature of time, meteorology, and human interconnection to the universe through the lens of a science-fiction screenplay. The creative project spans a three-act, detailed outline, and a screenplay draft of Act I. It is based upon extensive scientific research regarding hurricane development, the inner workings of organizations such as the National Weather Service, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, and the space-time continuum. I will delve into the various factors that shaped my science-fiction premise, including pivotal films such as Christopher Nolan’s INTERSTELLAR (2014) and Denis Villeneuve’s ARRIVAL (2016). Both of these filmmakers integrated complex science-fiction concepts into …

Information Theory Analysis Of The Solar Wind Magnetic Structures For Space Weather Prediction, Katherine Holland

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Forecasting space weather at Earth is highly complicated, because of the limited measurements of the dynamic processes in the Sun that span multiple temporal, spatial, and energy-scales. The solar wind is a highly structured, multi-scale, evolving plasma and consists of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), stream interaction regions (SIRs), expanding flux tubes (Borovsky, 2008), and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) discontinuities and fluctuations. The aim of this research is to improve our understanding of the evolution and dissipation of different scale-size solar wind magnetic structures as they move from the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 1 (L1) to Earth's bow shock and, ultimately, to …

Non-Hermitian Sl (3, C) Three-Mode Couplers, B. M. Rodríguez-Lara, Hamed Ghaemi-Dizicheh, Shahram Dehdashti, Andreas Hanke, Ahmed Touhami, J. Nötzel

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Photonic systems with exceptional points, where eigenvalues and corresponding eigenstates coalesce, have attracted interest due to their topological features and enhanced sensitivity to external perturbations. Non-Hermitian mode-coupling matrices provide a tractable analytic framework to model gain, loss, and chirality across optical, electronic, and mechanical platforms without the complexity of full open-system dynamics. Exceptional points define their spectral topology, and enable applications in mode control, amplification, and sensing. Yet N -mode couplers, the minimal setting for N th-order exceptional points, are often studied in specific designs that overlook their algebraic structure. We introduce a general sl(N , C) framework for arbitrary …

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 …

A Study Of Transients From Ground-Based Surveys Reveals New Ultra-Compact Accreting White Dwarf Binaries, Jan Kára, Liliana E. Rivera Sandoval, Wendy Mendoza, Thomas J. Maccarone, Manuel Pichardo Marcano, Luis Salazar Manzano, Ryan J. Oelkers, Jan Van Roestel

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

AM CVn stars are ultra-compact semi-detached binaries consisting of a white dwarf primary and a hydrogen-depleted secondary. In this paper, we present spectroscopic and photometric results of 15 transient sources pre-classified as AM CVn candidates. Our analysis confirms 9 systems of the type AM CVn, 3 hydrogen-rich cataclysmic variables (accreting white dwarfs with near-main-sequence stars for donors), and 3 systems that could be evolved cataclysmic variables. Eight of the AM CVn stars are analysed spectroscopically for the first time, which increases the number of spectroscopically confirmed AM CVns by about 10%. TESS data revealed the orbital period of the AM …

First-Order Axial Perturbation Of The Reissner–Nordström Metric Against A Possible Parity-Violating Gravity Background, Abhishek Rout, Brett David Altschul

Faculty Publications

We study axial perturbations of Reissner–Nordström black holes within the general frame-work of parity-violating modified gravity theories. We derive the governing equations for a class of frame-dragging perturbations, focusing on the symmetry structure and radial dependence of the perturbed metric component, describing its behavior across three distinct regions: near the singularity (r → 0), between the inner and outer Reissner–Nordström horizons (r− < r < r+), and in the asymptotic exterior regime (r → ∞). Using a combination of analytical and numerical methods, we analyze the solutions for varying black hole charge-to-mass ratios (Q/M) and angular momentum parameters (l). Key findings include the suppression of perturbations by the electromagnetic field for higher Q/M; the emergence of radial resonance-like behavior for specific l values; and a high degree of symmetry for solutions in the extremal limit (Q/M ∼ 1), attributed to the AdS2 × S 2 near-horizon geometry. The WKB approximation is employed to study the high-l regime, revealing quantized radial resonance modes and singular behavior in the extremal limit. Additionally, we explore the role of boundary conditions and the possibility of a Chern–Simons field Θ as the source of the parity violation, showing that consistency and the behavior of the perturbations under time reversal demand a constant field (and thus no actually observable Chern–Simons effects) at leading order. These results provide a basis for further analysis of the stability and dynamical properties of charged black holes in parity-violating theories, with potential experimental signatures in gravitational wave observations.

Bacillus Subtilis Parb C-Terminal Lysine Residues Are Essential For Dimerization And In Vivo Function, Indicating Their Roles In Dna Sliding, Aleksey Aleshintsev, Lindsey E. Way, Ngoc Khanh Lai, Bianca Guerra, Paloma Dorantes, Lois Akosua Serwaa, Sealtiel Anulao, Miranda Molina, Xindan Wang, Hyeongjun Kim

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

The broadly conserved ParB protein performs crucial functions in bacterial chromosome segregation and replication regulation. The cellular function of ParB requires it to dimerize, recognize parS DNA sequences, clamp on DNA, then slide to adjacent sequences through nonspecific DNA binding. How ParB coordinates nonspecific DNA binding and sliding remains elusive. Here, we combine multiple in vitro biophysical and computational tools and in vivo approaches to address this question. We found that five conserved lysine residues in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of ParB play distinct roles. While the two central rigid lysine residues provide the structural platform for the CTD, the …

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, …