Physics Commons^™

Viscosity Dependence Of Faraday Wave Formation Thresholds, Lisa Michelle Slaughter

Physics

This experiment uses an electromagnetic shaker to produce standing wave patterns on the surface of a vertically oscillating sample of silicon liquid. These surface waves, known as Faraday waves, form shapes such as squares, lines, and hexagons. They are known to be dependent upon the frequency and amplitude of the forcing as well as on the viscosity and depth of the liquid in the dish. At a depth of 4mm and for various silicon liquids having kinematic viscosities of 10, 20, and 38 cSt, we determined the acceleration at which patterns form for frequencies between 10 and 60 Hz. For …

A Sub-Kpc-Scale Binary Active Galactic Nucleus With Double Narrow-Line Regions, Jong-Hak Woo, Hojin Cho, Bernd Husemann, S. Komossa, Daeseong Park, Vardha N. Bennert

Physics

We present the kinematic properties of a type-2 Quasi stellar object (QSO), SDSS J132323.33−015941.9 at z ∼ 0.35, based on the analysis of Very Large Telescope integral field spectroscopy and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging, which suggest that the target is a binary active galactic nucleus (AGN) with double narrow-line regions. The QSO features double-peaked emission lines ([O iii] and Hβ) which can be decomposed into two kinematic components. The flux-weighted centroids of the blue and red components are separated by ∼0.2 arcsec (0.8 kpc in projection) and coincide with the location of the two stellar cores detected …

Investigating Fault Structure Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography, Sara Michelle Monahan

Physics

The resolving power of two-dimensional Direct Current (DC) Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) is investigated in the context of shallow faults. Subsurface electrical resistivity data was collected perpendicular to a secondary fault scarp of the Los Osos Fault Zone with a Syscal KID Switch 24 resistivity meter and processed with Prosys II and Res2DInv software to produce two-dimensional cross sections of resistivity values via a smoothness-constrained least-squares optimization method. Comparison of ERT inversion results to a trench wall map of the same fault scarp suggest the location and dip direction of faults is resolvable, while detailed fault structure, such as dip …

Characterization Of Planar Wave Guides By Angle-Dependent Excitation Of Guided Modes, Edward D. Lunde

Physics

In this project a high resolution rotation stage was used to measure the angle of coupling of light into planar waveguide modes. Control of the stage and acquisition of light intensity data was done using the commercially available programming environment, MATLAB. Reliable, repeatable excitation of modes was done using prism coupling. We also investigated coupling using a surface grating on the waveguide.

Longitudinal Emittance Blowup In The Large Hadron Collider, P. Baudrenghien, T. Mastoridis

Physics

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) relies on Landau damping for longitudinal stability. To avoid decreasing the stability margin at high energy, the longitudinal emittance must be continuously increased during the acceleration ramp. Longitudinal blowup provides the required emittance growth. The method was implemented through the summer of 2010. Band-limited RF phase-noise is injected in the main accelerating cavities during the whole ramp of about 11 min. Synchrotron frequencies change along the energy ramp, but the digitally created noise tracks the frequency change. The position of the noise-band, relative to the nominal synchrotron frequency, and the bandwidth of the spectrum are …

Bayesian Approach For Uncertainty Analysis Of An Urban Storm Water Model And Its Applications To A Heavily Urbanized Watershed, Misgana K. Muleta, Jonathan Mcmillan, Geremew G. Amenu, Steven J. Burian

Physics

The significance of uncertainty analysis (UA) to quantify reliability of model simulations is being recognized. Consequently, literature on parameter and predictive uncertainty assessment of water resources models has been rising. Applications dealing with urban drainage systems are, however, very limited. This study applies formal Bayesian approach for uncertainty analysis of a widely used storm water management model and illustrates the methodology using a highly urbanized watershed in the Los Angeles Basin, California. A flexible likelihood function that accommodates heteroscedasticity, non-normality, and temporal correlation of model residuals has been used for the study along with a Markov-chain Monte Carlo-based sampling scheme. …

Discovery Of An Eo-Meso-Neoarchean Terrane In The East Greenland Caledonides, Scott M. Johnston, Andrew R.C. Kylander-Clark

Physics

tThis study investigates basement gneisses from the Niggli Spids thrust sheet of the East Greenland Caledonides in an attempt to place them into the broader context of the Archean–Paleoproterozoicarchitecture of the Greenland shield. Our combined whole-rock geochemical and U–Pb zircon geochronol-ogy results from Gåseland reveal an Archean terrane defined by TTG magmatic events at 3607 Ma and3070–2980 Ma followed by metamorphism and high-K granite intrusion at 2790–2677 Ma. These results identify a relatively pristine Archean terrane with previously unknown Eoarchean rocks that holds poten-tial for future investigations into the early evolution of continental crust, and adds to a growing body …

Characterization Of Samples For Optimization Of Infrared Stray Light Coatings, Carey L. Baxter, Rebecca Salvemini, Zaheer A. Ali, Patrick Waddell, Greg Perryman, Bob Thompson

STAR Program Research Presentations

NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a converted 747SP that houses a 2.5 m telescope that observes the sky through an opening in the side of the aircraft. Because it flies at altitudes up to 45,000 feet, SOFIA gets 99.99% transmission in the infrared. Multiple science instruments mount one at a time on the telescope to interpret infrared and visible light from target sources. Ball Infrared Black (BIRB) currently coats everything that the optics sees inside the telescope assembly (TA) cavity in order to eliminate noise from the glow of background sky, aircraft exhaust, and other sources. A …

Vertical Beam Size Measurements In The Spear3 Accelerator At Slac, Natalie Ann Larosa, Jeff Corbett

STAR Program Research Presentations

Synchrotron radiation is a powerful tool used in many fields of science ranging from materials characterization to structural biology. Each year thousands of scientists travel to SLAC to use high-resolution x-rays emitted from a relativistic electron beam circulating in the SPEAR3 synchrotron light source. To characterize the beam size in SPEAR3, we constructed a visible-light interferometer capable of measuring the 22um vertical beam size. The interferometer is located 17m away from the source point and consists of two vertically separated slits. Visible light emitted from the synchrotron passes through the two slits and interferes on a CCD camera to produce …

Breaking Peroxy Bonds In H20 Ice Doped With H202 To Create Positive Hole Charge Carriers., Corey C. Stockburger

STAR Program Research Presentations

Using stress-activated electric conductivity in water ice doped with hydrogen peroxide as a model for stress-activated electric conductivity of igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks due to the presence of peroxy defects, which when broken, createpositive-hole charge carriers. Blocks of pure H2O ice and H2O2–doped H2O ices, frozen at –20°C, will be stressed with piezo electric transducers(pzt) at one end to generate stress-activated electric currents flowing down the stress gradient. Pure H2O ice should produce no current or a small insignificant amount during rapid deformation or fracture. Stressing H2O2-doped H2O ices, however, should lead to 100-1000 times higher currents. These stress-activated …

Characterization Of The Drilling Via The Vibration Augmenter Of Rotary-Drills And Sound Signal Processing Of Impacted Pipe As A Potential Water Height Assessment Tool, Nicholas Morris

STAR Program Research Presentations

The focus of the internship has been on two topics: a) Characterize the drilling performance of a novel percussive augmenter – this drill was developed by the JPL’s Advanced Technologies Group and its performance was characterized; and b) Examine the feasibility of striking a pipe as a means of assessing the water height inside the pipe. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the possibility of using a simple method of applying impacts to a pipe wall and determining the water height from the sonic characteristic differences including damping, resonance frequencies, etc. Due to multiple variables that are relevant …

Field Control Of The Surface Electroclinic Effect In Liquid Crystal Displays, Dana Hipolite

Physics

Liquid crystals (LCs) are a fascinating class of materials exhibiting a range of phases intermediate between liquid and crystalline. Smectic LCs consist of elongated molecules arranged in a periodic stack (along z) of liquid like layers. In the smectic-A (Sm-A) phase, the average molecular long axis (director) points along z. In the smectic-C (Sm-C) phase, it is tilted relative to z, thus picking out a special direction within the layers. Typically, the Sm-A* to Sm- C* transition will occur as temperature is decreased. In chiral smectics (Sm-*A or Sm-C*) it is possible to induce director titling (i.e. the Sm-C* phase) …

Feedback Stabilization At Spear3, Daniel Kelley, Jeff Corbett

STAR Program Research Presentations

The SPEAR3 synchrotron lightsource at SLAC relies on a sophisticated radio frequency (RF) timing system to maintain current – electrons – in the storage ring. One problem SPEAR3 operators have dealt with is the thermal expansion of one of the cables supporting this RF timing system. As the cable expands and contracts with the diurnal rise and fall of the sun, the phase of the RF in the cable shifts. This shifting phase affects the timing accuracy of electron injections into the storage ring.

A common feedback control algorithm PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) has countless applications in engineering. PID feedback …

The Standard New Astronomy Cryostat For Sofia: A Design For Cryogen-Free Infrared Astronomy, Carey F. Scott, Jeffrey Van Cleve, Eric Burgh, Earl T. Daley, Ali Kashani, Zaheer Ali

STAR Program Research Presentations

Astronomy at infrared wavelengths requires optical instruments that operate at low temperatures, which is typically done using liquid cryogens such as nitrogen and helium. These cryogens are costly and limit the operational time of the science instrument. The Standard New Astronomy Cryostat for SOFIA (SNACS) will provide a design for a helium cryocooler-cooled cryostat that meets the stringent airworthiness requirements of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and can be used by future instrument builders to reduce the cost and risk of their instrument design and development. The SNACS dewar will provide approximately 3.4 x 10^-1 cubic meters …

Flitecam Data Process Validation, Jesse K. Tsai, Sachindev S. Shenoy, Brent Cedric Nicklas, Zaheer Ali, William T. Reach

STAR Program Research Presentations

FLITECAM Data Processing Validation

Many of the challenges that come from working with astronomical imaging arise from the reduction of raw data into scientifically meaningful data. First Light Infrared Test CAMera (FLITECAM) is an infrared camera operating in the 1.0–5.5 μm waveband on board SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy). Due to the significant noise from the atmosphere and the camera itself, astronomers have developed many methods to reduce the effects of atmospheric and instrumental emission. The FLITECAM Data Reduction Program (FDRP) is a program, developed at SOFIA Science Center, subtracts darks, removes flats, and dithers images.

This project contains …

Designing A Cold Source To Be Integrated With The Existing Telescope Assembly Alignment Simulator, Rebecca L. Salvemini, Carey Baxter, Zaheer Ali, Greg Perryman, Robert Thompson, Daniel Nolan

STAR Program Research Presentations

The stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy (SOFIA), is a modified Boeing 747-SP with a 2.5m telescope mounted inside. SOFIA flies at an altitude of 45,000 feet, above 99% of the water vapor in the atmosphere, allowing transmission of most infrared radiation. SOFIA has seven different science instruments (SI) that can be used to collect astronomical data, enabling scientists to look at many different wavelengths of infrared and visible radiation.

Contributions To The Cuore Collaboration, Samuel Joseph Meijer

Physics

This paper describes work done between 2010 and 2013 to contribute to the CUORE collaboration, a physics collaboration searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay in tellurium. Measurement of this decay would indicate fundamental information about the nature of the neutrino. The implementation of a parylene-coated detector frame is described. Also, a temperature stabilization system for an automated gluing system was constructed. An image recognition algorithm is described for locating spots of glue and evaluating their acceptability.

Hilbert Space Theory And Applications In Basic Quantum Mechanics, Matthew Gagne

Mathematics

We explore the basic mathematical physics of quantum mechanics. Our primary focus will be on Hilbert space theory and applications as well as the theory of linear operators on Hilbert space. We show how Hermitian operators are used to represent quantum observables and investigate the spectrum of various linear operators. We discuss deviation and uncertainty and briefly suggest how symmetry and representations are involved in quantum theory.

Ramjet Combustion Chamber, Paul Cameron Stone

Aerospace Engineering

A ramjet combustion chamber is designed and some initial assembly fabrication and test completed as a component of a ramjet graduate project for California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The combustor design is driven by a theoretical model created by a Cal Poly graduate student, Harrison Sykes. Temperature, pressure, and fuel flow will be measured.

The Lick Agn Monitoring Project 2011: Fe Ii Reverberation From The Outer Broad-Line Region, Aaron J. Barth, Anna Pancoast, Vardha N. Bennert, Brendon J. Brewer, Gabriela Canalizo, Alexei V. Filippenko, Elinor L. Gates, Jenny E. Greene, Weidong Li, Matthew A. Malkan, David J. Sand, Daniel Stern, Tommaso Treu, Jong-Hak Woo, Roberto J. Assef, Hyun-Jin Bae, Tabitha Buehler, S. Bradley Cenko, Kelsey I. Clubb, Michael C. Cooper, Aleksander M. Diamond-Stanic, Sebastian F. Hönig, Michael D. Joner, C. David Laney, Mariana S. Lazarova, A. M. Nierenberg, Jeffrey M. Silverman, Erik J. Tollerud, Jonelle L. Walsh

Physics

The prominent broad Fe ii emission blends in the spectra of active galactic nuclei have been shown to vary in response to continuum variations, but past attempts to measure the reverberation lag time of the optical Fe ii lines have met with only limited success. Here we report the detection of Fe ii reverberation in two Seyfert 1 galaxies, NGC 4593 and Mrk 1511, based on data from a program carried out at Lick Observatory in Spring 2011. Light curves for emission lines including Hβ and Fe ii were measured by applying a fitting routine to decompose the spectra into …

Dynamics Of The Fitzhugh-Nagumo Neuron Model, Zechariah Thurman

Physics

In this paper, the dynamical behavior of the Fitzhugh-Nagumo model is examined. The relationship between neuron input current and the firing frequency of the neuron is characterized. Various coupling schemes are also examined, and their effects on the dynamics of the system is discussed. The phenomenon of stochastic resonance is studied for a single uncoupled Fitzhugh-Nagumo neuron.

Nbconvert Refactor, Jonathan Frederic

Physics

IPython is an interactive Python computing environment. It provides an enhanced interactive Python shell. The IPython Notebook is a browser based interface distributed with IPython. It enables the creation of richly formatted notebooks that contain embedded IPython code. With nbconvert, notebooks can be exported to various formats including, but not limited to, LaTeX, reveal.js, RST, and HTML. This is important for users that want to be able to share their work outside of IPython. This senior project is the addition of a Sphinx LaTeX output format and the refactor of nbconvert.

Tilt Angle And Birefringence Of Smectic Liquid Crystal Materials, Taylor Van Winkle

Physics

No abstract provided.

Organic Polymer Solar Cells: The Effects Of Device Packaging On Cell Lifetime, Spencer Herrick

Physics

As the earth runs out of nonrenewable energy sources and climate change starts to have drastic effects on the environment, the world is becoming increasingly desperate for cost efficient, renewable energy sources. Organic polymer based solar technology is a cutting edge approach to meeting the world’s energy demands. We fabricate single-layer, organic photovoltaics devices that utilize the electrical characteristics of semi-conductive polymers. These solution processable materials are beneficial due to their low material cost, lightweight, and simple fabrication requirements. Our devices utilize multiple photoactive polymers, P3HT and PCPDTBT, to absorb photons over a wide spectral range. We optimized various device …

Measuring The Refractive Index Of Infrared Materials By Dual-Wavelength Fabry-Perot Interferometry, Griffin Taylor

Physics

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of An Unusual Liquid Crystal Phase Transition, Loni Ann Fuller

Physics

Liquid crystals are a unique phase of matter that resemble a state between a solid and liquid. Within these properties, liquid crystal molecules have the ability to align and create layers. From this phenomenon, many electro-optical effects can be investigated, such as measuring the tilt angle between molecules at different temperatures and applied electric fields and also measuring the birefringence, which is a unique property of liquid crystals in which the index of refraction of the sample behaves differently along different axes. In order to better understand these electro- optical effects, we designed a more precise protocol of measuring this …

An Inexpensive Scheffler Reflector For Developing Nations, Mike Kim

Physics

Scheffler reflectors are an appropriate solar technology used to provide heat for cooking surfaces and has been adopted in many developing nations. The first Scheffler was built in North America in 2010 by Jason Rapp et al., taking a group of four students approximately $2000 and 3 months. Thus, our task was to minimize certain aspects of the Scheffler construction process, so that it would be more appropriate for developing countries and industrial applications alike. Additionally, this senior project aims to incorporate the thermal storage unit and tracking system, with the current Scheffler system, to render a workable cooking technology. …

Update On Beam Induced Rf Heating In The Lhc, B. Salvant, O. Aberle, G. Arduini, R. Assmann, B. Baglin, M.J. Barnes, W. Bartmann, P. Baudrenghien, O. Berrig, C. Bracco, E. Bravin, G. Bregliozzi, R. Bruce, A. Bertarelli, F. Carra, G. Cattenoz, F. Caspers, S. Claudet, H. Day, M. Garlasche, L. Gentini, B. Goddard, A. Grudiev, B. Henrist, R. Jones, O. Kononenko, G. Lanza, L. Lari, T. Mastoridis, V. Mertens, E. Métral, N. Mounet, J.E. Muller, A.A. Nosych, J.L. Nougaret, S. Persichelli, A.M. Piguiet, S. Redaelli, F. Roncarolo, G. Rumolo, B. Salvachua, M. Sapinski, R. Schmidt, E. Shaposhnikova, L. Tavian, M. Timmins, J. Uythoven, A. Vidal, J. Wenninger, D. Wollmann, M. Zerlauth, P. Fassnacht, S. Jakobsen, M. Deile

Physics

Since June 2011 the rapid increase of the luminosity performance of the LHC has come at the expense of both increased temperature and pressure of specific, near-beam, LHC equipment. In some cases, this beam induced heating has caused delays while equipment cool-down, beam dumps and even degradation of some devices. This contribution gathers the observations of beam induced heating, attributed to longitudinal beam coupling impedance, their current level of understanding and possible actions planned to be implemented during the 1st LHC Long Shutdown (LS1) in 2013-2014.

Investigations Of The Lhc Emittance Blow-Up During The 2012 Proton Run, M. Kuhn, G. Arduini, P. Baudrenghien, J. Emery, A. Guerrero, W. Hofle, V. Kain, M. Lamont, T. Mastoridis, F. Roncarolo, M. Sapinski, M. Schaumann, R. Steinhagen, G. Trad, D. Valuch

Physics

About 30 % of the potential luminosity performance is lost through the different phases of the LHC cycle, mainly due to transverse emittance blow-up. Measuring the emittance growth is a difficult task with high intensity beams and changing energies. Improvements of the LHC transverse profile instrumentation helped to study various effects. A breakdown of the growth through the different phases of the LHC cycle is given as well as a comparison with the data from the LHC experiments for transverse beam size. In 2012 a number of possible sources and remedies have been studied. Among these are intra beam scattering, …

Search For 14.4 Kev Solar Axions From M1 Transition Of 57fe With Cuore Crystals, F. Alessandria, R Ardito, D. R. Artusa, F.T. Avignone Iii, O. Azzolini, M Balata, T.I. Banks, G. Bari, J. Beeman, F Bellini, A. Bersani, M. Biassoni, T. Bloxham, C Brofferio, C Bucci, X.Z. Cai, L. Canonica, S Capelli, L. Carbone, L. Cardani, M. Carrettoni, N. Casali, N. Chott, M Clemenza, C Cosmelli, O Cremonesi, R.J. Creswick, I Dafinei, A. Dally, V. Datskov, A. De Biasi, M.P. Decowski, M. M. Deninno, S Di Domizio, M.L. Di Vacri, L. Ejzak, R. Faccini, D.Q. Fang, H.A. Farach, E. Ferri, F Ferroni, E Fiorini, M.A. Franceschi, S.J. Freedman, B.K. Fujikawa, A Giachero, L. Gironi, A Giuliani, J. Goett, P Gorla, C. Gotti, E Guardincerri, T. D. Gutierrez, E.E. Haller, K. Han, K.M. Heeger, H.Z. Huang, R. Kadel, G. Keppel, L. Kogler, Yu. G. Kolomensky, D. Lenz, Y.L. Li, C. Ligi, X. Liu, Y.G. Ma, C. Maiano, M. Maino, M. Martinez, R.H. Maruyama, N. Moggi, S Morganti, T. Napolitano, S. Newman, S Nisi, C Nones, E.B. Norman, A Nucciotti, F. Orio, D. Orlandi, J.L. Ouellet, M Pallavicini, E. Palmieri, L. Pattavina, M Pavan, M Pedretti, G Pessina, S Pirro, E Previtali, V. Rampazzo, F. Rimondi, C Rosenfeld, C. Rusconi, S Sangiorgio, N.D. Scielzo, M Sisti, A.R. Smith, L. Taffarello, M. Tenconi, W.D. Tian, C. Tomei, S. Trentalange, G Ventura, M Vignati, B.S. Wang, H.W. Wang, C. A. Whitten Jr., T. Wise, A. Woodcraft, L Zanotti, C. Zarra, B.X. Zhu, S. Zucchelli

Physics

We report the results of a search for axions from the 14.4 keV M1 transition from ⁵⁷Fe in the core of the sun using the axio-electric effect in TeO₂bolometers. The detectors are 5

× 5 × 5 cm³ crystals operated at about 10 mK in a facility used to test bolometers for the CUORE experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy. An analysis of 43.65 kg⋅d of data was made using a newly developed low energy trigger which was optimized to reduce the energy threshold of the detector. An upper limit of 0.58 …