Physics Commons^™

Uvarisesquiterpene D: A New Benzopyranyl Sesquiterpene Isolated From Uvaria Lucida Ssp. Lucida, Qa Mgani

Tanzania Journal of Science

Hitherto unreported benzopyranyl sesquiterpene, uvarisesquiterpene D, has been isolated from the stem bark of Uvaria lucida ssp lucida. Its structure had been elucidated by spectroscopic analysis (IR, MS and NMR) and comparison of its spectral data with the known related compounds uvarisesquiterpene B and selin-11(12)-4α-ol. The latter compound was co-isolated with the new natural product as well as caryophyline oxide and lucidine.

Probing The Cob(Ii)Alamin Cond Uctorhhypothesis With Glutamate Mutase From Clostridium Cochlearium, Fe Lyatuu, A Parthasarathy, K Zhou, K Zelenka, Fh Zelder, W Buckel

Tanzania Journal of Science

It had been proposed that during reversible coenzyme B12 dependent rearrangements, cob(II)alamin is not merely present as a spectator but also acts as a conductor by stabilizing the methylene radical intermediates. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested a hydrogen bond between C19-H of the corrin ring and the 3'-OH moiety (O3RL) of the 5'- deoxyadenosyl radical resulting in a decrease of the activation energy by about 30 kJ mol-1. We tested this hypothesis with glutamate mutase and artificial coenzyme B12 derivatives. The assembly of coenzyme B12 (adenosylcobalamin) with recombinant components GlmS and GlmE of glutamate mutase from Clostridium cochlearium reconstitutes …

Testing Diagnostics Of Nuclear Activity And Star Formation In Galaxies At Z > 1, Jonathan R. Trump, Nicholas P. Konidaris, Guillermo Barro, David C. Koo, Dale D. Kocevski, Stéphanie Juneau, Benjamin J. Weiner, S. M. Faber, Ian S. Mclean, Renbin Yan, Pablo G. Pérez-González, Victor Villar

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present some of the first science data with the new Keck/MOSFIRE instrument to test the effectiveness of different AGN/SF diagnostics at z ~ 1.5. MOSFIRE spectra were obtained in three H-band multi-slit masks in the GOODS-S field, resulting in 2 hr exposures of 36 emission-line galaxies. We compare X-ray data with the traditional emission-line ratio diagnostics and the alternative mass-excitation and color-excitation diagrams, combining new MOSFIRE infrared data with previous HST/WFC3 infrared spectra (from the 3D-HST survey) and multiwavelength photometry. We demonstrate that a high [O III]/Hβ ratio is insufficient as an active galactic nucleus (AGN) indicator …

The Central Molecular Gas Structure In Liners With Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei: Evidence For Gradual Disappearance Of The Torus, F. Müller-Sánchez, M. A. Prieto, M. Mezcua, R. I. Davies, M. A. Malkan, Moshe Elitzur

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

We present observations of the molecular gas in the nuclear environment of three prototypical low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs), based on VLT/SINFONI AO-assisted integral-field spectroscopy of H₂ 1-0 S(1) emission at angular resolutions of ~0.''17. On scales of 50-150 pc, the spatial distribution and kinematics of the molecular gas are consistent with a rotating thin disk, where the ratio of rotation (V) to dispersion (σ) exceeds unity. However, in the central 50 pc, the observations reveal a geometrically and optically thick structure of molecular gas (V/σ < 1 and N _H > 10²³ cm^{–2 …}

Transforming Fabry-Pérot Resonances Into A Tamm Mode, Maxim Durach, Anastasia Rusina

Physics & Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We propose an optical structure composed of two metal nanolayers enclosing a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirror. The structure is an open photonic system whose bound modes are coupled to external radiation. We apply the special theoretical treatment based on inversion symmetry of the structure to classify its resonances. We show that the structure supports resonances transitional between Fabry-Pérot modes and Tamm plasmons. When the dielectric contrast of the DBR is removed these modes are a pair of conventional Fabry-Pérot resonances. They spectrally merge into a Tamm mode at high contrast. The optical properties of the structure in the frequency …

Measures Of Centrality Based On The Spectrum Of The Laplacian, Scott D. Pauls, Daniel Remondini

Dartmouth Scholarship

We introduce a family of new centralities, the k-spectral centralities. k-Spectral centrality is a measurement of importance with respect to the deformation of the graph Laplacian associated with the graph. Due to this connection, k-spectral centralities have various interpretations in terms of spectrally determined information.

We explore this centrality in the context of several examples. While for sparse unweighted net- works 1-spectral centrality behaves similarly to other standard centralities, for dense weighted net- works they show different properties. In summary, the k-spectral centralities provide a novel and useful measurement of relevance (for single network elements as well as whole subnetworks) …

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar Signal Processing For Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Operating Shallow Water, Patricia E. Giardina

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the research was to develop best practices for image signal processing method for InSAS systems for bathymetric height determination. Improvements over existing techniques comes from the fusion of Chirp-Scaling a phase preserving beamforming techniques to form a SAS image, an interferometric Vernier method to unwrap the phase; and confirming the direction of arrival with the MUltiple SIgnal Channel (MUSIC) estimation technique. The fusion of Chirp-Scaling, Vernier, and MUSIC lead to the stability in the bathymetric height measurement, and improvements in resolution. This method is computationally faster, and used less memory then existing techniques.

Epr And Endor Studies Of Point Defects In Lithium Tetraborate Crystals, Douglas A. Buchanan

Theses and Dissertations

Lithium tetraborate (Li2B4O7 or LTB) is a promising material for both radiation dosimetry and neutron detection applications. LTB crystals can be grown pure or doped with different impurities including transition-metal and rare-earth ions. Research in this dissertation focuses on undoped LTB crystals and LTB crystals doped with copper and silver. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) are used to characterize point defects in the lithium tetraborate crystals. Thermoluminescence (TL), photoluminescence (PL), photoluminescence excitation (PLE), and optical absorption (OA) are also used. An intrinsic hole trap associated with lithium vacancies is characterized with EPR and ENDOR and its …

Maximizing The Hyperpolarizability Poorly Determines The Potential, J. Lesnefsky, Greg A. Wiggers, Rolfe G. Petschek

Faculty Scholarship

The dimensionless zero-frequency electronic first hyperpolarizability 3−1/4βE7/210m3/2(eℏ)−3 of an electron in one dimension was maximized by adjusting the shape of a piecewise linear potential. Careful maximizations converged quickly to 0.708951 with increasing numbers of parameters. The Hessian shows that β is strongly sensitive to only two parameters in the potential: sensitivity to additional parameters decreases rapidly. With more than two parameters, a wide range of potentials and an apparently narrower range of wavefunctions have nearly optimal hyperpolarizability. Modulations of the potential to which the unique maximum is insensitive were characterized. Prospects for concise description of the two important constraints on …

Investigation Of Low-Stress Silicon Nitride As A Replacement Material For Beryllium X-Ray Windows, David B. Brough

Theses and Dissertations

The material properties of low stress silicon nitride make it a possible replacement material for beryllium in X-ray windows. In this study, X-ray windows made of LPCVD deposited low stress silicon nitride are fabricated and characterized. The Young's modulus of the LPCVD low stress silicon nitride are characterized and found to be 226±23 GPa. The residual stress is characterized using two different methods and is found to be 127±25 MPa and 141±0.28 MPa. Two support structure geometries for the low stress silicon nitride X-ray windows are used. X-ray windows with thicknesses of 100 nm and 200 nm are suspended on …

Ferroelectric Instability Under Screened Coulomb Interactions, Yong Wang, Xiaohui Liu, John D. Burton, Sitaram S. Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

We explore the effect of charge carrier doping on ferroelectricity using density functional calculations and phenomenological modeling. By considering a prototypical ferroelectric material, BaTiO₃, we demonstrate that ferroelectric displacements are sustained up to the critical concentration of 0.11 electron per unit cell volume. This result is consistent with experimental observations and reveals that the ferroelectric phase and conductivity can coexist. Our investigations show that the ferroelectric instability requires only a short-range portion of the Coulomb force with an interaction range of the order of the lattice constant. These results provide a new insight into the origin of ferroelectricity …

Thin Films Of Carbon Nanotubes And Nanotube/Polymer Composites, Anthony D. Willey

Theses and Dissertations

A method is described for ultrasonically spraying thin films of carbon nanotubes that have been suspended in organic solvents. Nanotubes were sonicated in N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone or N-Cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidone and then sprayed onto a heated substrate using an ultrasonic spray nozzle. The solvent quickly evaporated, leaving a thin film of randomly oriented nanotubes. Film thickness was controlled by the spray time and ranged between 200-500 nm, with RMS roughness of about 40 nm. Also described is a method for creating thin (300 nm) conductive freestanding nanotube/polymer composite films by infiltrating sprayed nanotube films with polyimide.

Changes In Thermospheric Temperature Induced By High-Speed Solar Wind Streams, Larry Gardner, Jan Josef Sojka, Robert W. Schunk, Rod Heelis

All Physics Faculty Publications

During high-speed stream (HSS) events the solar wind speed increases, and the cross polar cap potential increases, leading to increased Joule heating at high latitudes. The heat input at high latitudes heats the polar regions, which then conducts to lower latitudes, producing global heating. The heating occurs during the risetime of the cross polar cap potential and throughout the period of high cross polar cap potential as seen in our simulation. These simulations are performed using the Utah State University global thermosphere model driven by Joule heating rates that are consistent with electric fields observed by DMSP-15 observations of HSS …

Comparing Theory And Experiment For Analyte Transport In The First Vacuum Stage Of The Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer, Matthew R. Zachreson

Theses and Dissertations

The Direct Simulation Monte Carlo algorithm as coded in FENIX is used to model the transport of trace ions in the first vacuum stage of the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Haibin Ma of the Farnsworth group at Brigham Young University measured two radial trace density profiles: one 0.7 mm upstream of the sampling cone and the other 10 mm downstream. We compare simulation results from FENIX with the experimental results. We find that gas dynamic convection and diffusion are unable to account for the experimentally-measured profile changes from upstream to downstream. Including discharge quenching and ambipolar electric fields, however, …

Treatment Of A Ring With Periodic Atomic Placement Through Differential Geometry, Gregory Karjala, Lok Lew Yan Voon

Explorations – The Journal of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creativity at Wright State

Most treatments of Bloch’s Theorem have relied on group theory or other mathematical methods for its proof. In this paper we give a derivation of the quantum number first proposed by Y.C Lee and Wei Z. Lee for the Benzene ring through the use of differential geometry. We also develop a Bloch style relationship relation for the benzene ring with an additional quantum number. Through this treatment we show the usefulness of differential geometry in the theorist’s toolkit when it comes to solid-state problems.

Unresolved Question Of The 10he Ground State Resonance, Z. Kohley, J. Snyder, T. Baumann, G. Christian, P.A. Deyoung, J.E. Finck, R.A. Haring-Kaye, M. Jones, E. Lunderberg, B. Luther, S. Mosby, A. Simon, J.K. Smith, A. Spyrou, Sharon L. Stephenson, M. Thoennessen

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The group state of ¹⁰He was populated using a 2p2n-removal from a 59 MeV/u ¹⁴Be beam. The decay energy of the three body system, 8He + n + n, was measured and a resonance was observed at E = 1.60(25) MeV with a 1.8(4) MeV width. This result is in agreement with previous invariant mass spectroscopy measurements, using the ¹¹Li(-p) reaction, but is consistent with recent transfer reaction results. The proposed explanation that the difference, about 500 keV, is due to the effect of the extended halo nature of ¹¹Li in the one-proton knockout reaction is …

Modeling Radial Bernstein Modes In A Finite-Length Axisymmetric Non-Neutral Plasma, Mark Andrew Hutchison

Theses and Dissertations

Axisymmetric radial Bernstein modes are known to exist in non-neutral plasmas and have been studied theoretically and computationally in 1D, but detection of these modes has still proven to be difficult due to self-shielding. To help advance the work on this front we created a 2D particle-in-cell (PIC) code that simulates a non-neutral plasma in a Malmberg-Penning trap. A detailed description of the PIC code itself has been included that highlights the benefits of using an $r^2$--$z$ grid and how it can be tested. The focus of the PIC simulation was to discover how best to drive and detect these …

Advanced Numerical Methods In General Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamics, Michael J. Besselman

Theses and Dissertations

We show our work to refine the process of evolutions in general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics. We investigate several areas in order to improve the overall accuracy of our results. We test several versions of conversion methodologies between different sets of variables. We compare both single equation and two equations solvers to do the conversion. We find no significant improvement for multiple equation conversion solvers when compared to single equation solvers. We also investigate the construction of initial data and the conversion of coordinate systems between initial data code and evolution code. In addition to the conversion work, we have improved some …

Researching Effective Methods For Teaching The Phases Of The Moon, Heather Patti Jones

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effectiveness of commonly used instructional methods for teaching the phases of the Moon to fifth and sixth grade students. The instructional methods investigated were the use of diagrams, animations, and models. The effectiveness of each method was tested by measuring students' understanding of Moon phases with a pre and post-assessment after receiving instruction with a specific method or combination of methods. These methods were then evaluated for their ability to help students learn essential concepts, reinforce relevant vocabulary and discourage misconceptions. Results showed that students had better scores with less prevalence of misconception when they were …

Spectroscopy Of 88Y By The (P,Dγ) Reaction, T. J. Ross, C. W. Beausang, R. O. Hughes, N. D. Scielzo, J. T. Burke, J. M. Allmond, C. Angell, M. S. Basunia, D. L. Bleuel, R. J. Casperson, J. Escher, P. Fallon, R. Hatarik, J. Munson, S. Paschalis, M. Petri, L. Phair, J. J. Ressler

Physics Faculty Publications

Low-spin, high-excitation energy states in ⁸⁸Y have been studied using the ⁸⁹Y(p,dγ) reaction. For this experiment a 25 MeV proton beam was incident upon a monoisotopic ⁸⁹Y target. A silicon telescope array was used to detect deuterons, and coincident γ rays were detected using a germanium clover array. Most of the known low-excitation-energy low-spin states populated strongly via the (p,d) reaction mechanism are confirmed. Two states are seen for the first time and seven new transitions, including one which bypasses the two low-lying isomeric states, are observed.

Weak Values Are Universal In Von Neumann Measurements, Justin Dressel, Andrew N. Jordan

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We refute the widely held belief that the quantum weak value necessarily pertains to weak measurements. To accomplish this, we use the transverse position of a beam as the detector for the conditioned von Neumann measurement of a system observable. For any coupling strength, any initial states, and any choice of conditioning, the averages of the detector position and momentum are completely described by the real parts of three generalized weak values in the joint Hilbert space. Higher-order detector moments also have similar weak value expansions. Using the Wigner distribution of the initial detector state, we find compact expressions for …

Calipso Observations Of Transatlantic Dust: Vertical Stratification And Effect Of Clouds, W. Yang, A. Marshak, T. Varnai, O. V. Kalashnikova, A. Kostinski

Department of Physics Publications

We use CALIOP nighttime measurements of lidar backscatter, color and depolarization ratios, as well as particulate retrievals during the summer of 2007 to study transatlantic dust properties downwind of Saharan sources, and to examine the influence of nearby clouds on dust. Our analysis suggests that (1) under clear skies, while lidar backscatter and color ratio do not change much with altitude and longitude in the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), depolarization ratio increases with altitude and decreases westward in the SAL; (2) the vertical lapse rate of dust depolarization ratio, introduced here, increases within SAL as plumes move westward; (3) nearby …

First Temperature Observations With The Usu Very Large Rayleigh Lidar: An Examination Of Mesopause Temperatures, Leda Sox, Vincent B. Wickwar, Joshua P. Herron, Marcus J. Bingham, Lance W. Petersen, Matthew T. Emerick

Posters

As the impetus for extended observational measurements throughout the middle atmosphere has increased1 , the limits of previous instrumentation need to be pushed. The Rayleigh lidar group at the Atmospheric Lidar Observatory (ALO) at Utah State University has pushed such limits on existing Rayleigh scatter lidar technology and, through major upgrades to the previous lidar system, has been able to gather temperature measurements in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere from approximately 70P109 km. A data campaign with the new system was conducted around the annual temperature minimum, centered on late June 2012, in this region. The temperatures from this …

Multiple Peaks In Saber Mesospheric Oh Emission Altitude Profiles, Jordan Rozum, Gene A. Ware, Doran J. Baker, Martin G. Wlynczak, James M. Russell

Browse All Undergraduate research

No abstract provided.

A Search For Wimp Dark Matter Using An Optimized Chi-Square Technique On The Final Data From The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search Experiment (Cdms Ii)., Manungu Joseph Kiveni

Physics - Dissertations

During the last two decades, cosmology has become a precision observational science thanks (in part) to the incredible number of experiments performed to better understand the composition of the universe. The large amount of data accumulated strongly indicates that the bulk of the universe’s matter is in the form of nonbaryonic matter that does not interact electromagnetically. Combined evidence from the dynamics of galaxies and galaxy clusters confirms that most of the mass in the universe is not composed of any known form of matter. Measurements of the cosmic microwave background, big bang nucleosynthesis and many other experiments indicate that …

Lunar Radiation Environment And Space Weathering From The Cosmic Ray Telescope For The Effects Of Radiation (Crater), Nathan A. Schwadron, T. Baker, B. Blake, A. W. Case, J. F. Cooper, M. Golightly, Andrew P. Jordan, Colin J. Joyce, J. Kasper, K. Kozarev, J. Mislinski, J. Mazur, Harlan E. Spence

Physics & Astronomy

[1] The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) measures linear energy transfer by Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) and Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Mission in a circular, polar lunar orbit. GCR fluxes remain at the highest levels ever observed during the space age. One of the largest SEP events observed by CRaTER during the LRO mission occurred on June 7, 2011. We compare model predictions by the Earth-Moon-Mars Radiation Environment Module (EMMREM) for both dose rates from GCRs and SEPs during this event with results from CRaTER. We find agreement between these …

Microfluidic Experiments Reveal That Antifreeze Proteins Bound To Ice Crystals Suffice To Prevent Their Growth, Yeliz Celik, Ran Drori, Natalya Pertaya-Braun, Aysun Altan, Tyler Barton, Maya Bar-Dolev, Alex Groisman, Peter L. Davies, Ido Braslavsky

Physics Faculty Research

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are a subset of ice-binding proteins that control ice crystal growth. They have potential for the cryopreservation of cells, tissues, and organs, as well as for production and storage of food and protection of crops from frost. However, the detailed mechanism of action of AFPs is still unclear. Specifically, there is controversy regarding reversibility of binding of AFPs to crystal surfaces. The experimentally observed dependence of activity of AFPs on their concentration in solution appears to indicate that the binding is reversible. Here, by a series of experiments in temperature-controlled microfluidic devices, where the medium surrounding ice …

Investigation Of Optical Dipole Traps For Trapping Neutral Atoms For Quantum Computing, Danielle May

Physics

No abstract provided.

High-Order-Harmonic-Generation Spectroscopy With An Elliptically Polarized Laser Field, M. V. Frolov, N. L. Manakov, T. S. Sarantseva, Anthony F. Starace

Anthony F. Starace Publications

Analytic formulas describing high-order-harmonic generation (HHG) by atoms in an intense laser field with small ellipticity are obtained quantum mechanically in the tunneling limit. The results show that factorization of the HHG yield in terms of an electron wave packet and the photorecombination cross section (PRCS) is valid only for s states of a bound atomic electron, whereas the HHG yield for p states involves two different atomic parameters. For the latter case, elliptic HHG spectroscopy enables one to retrieve both the energy and angular dependence of the PRCS of the target atom, as we illustrate for the case of …

Assessment Of Passive Fire Protection On Steel-Girder Bridges, Michael Davidson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Bridges in the US are severely damaged or suffer collapse from fires at significant rates, even when compared to other hazards such as earthquakes. Fire-induced bridge collapses are perpetuated by the general lack of installed fire protection systems. Therefore, new materials and applications are needed to mitigate structural damage that can be caused to civil infrastructure by severe fires. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to further the development of new fire protection applications in transportation structures. Specifically, the investigation centers on the development of new applications in passive fire protection materials, within the context of shielding steel-girder bridges …