Physics Commons^™

The Implosion Of The Titan Submersible: A Stress–Strain Experiment, Gregory A. Dilisi, Steven J. Eppell, Richard A. Rarick

2025 Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Coding In Webassign, Gary Malek

Sabbatical Projects

Sabbatical presentation from a 2024 Spring Sabbatical

Plasma And Magnetic Coil Optimization, William Lee Austin, Lachlan Dean

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Lachlan Dean Coil Optimization for a High-Beta Stellarator-Tokamak Hybrid Magnetic coil configurations are developed for a tokamak-stellarator hybrid that is stable to both pressure- and current-driven modes for high values of beta. Previous work on this configuration [A. S. Ware, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett, 89, 125003 (2002)] was carried out using a fixed-boundary equilibrium (i.e., with no set of external coils) and prior attempts to develop an initial coil set using the COILOPT code were not successful. In this work, the recently developed SIMSOPT code [M. Landreman, et. al., J. Open Source Software 6, 3525 (2021)] is used to …

Nonlinear Wave Dynamics In Asteroseismology With Application To Delta Scuti Stars, Mohammed Mourabit

Physics Dissertations - Archive

This thesis compiles the collection of works in nonlinear astroseismology and its implication to the δ Sct variable that we carried over the course of five years. With the advent of high-resolution space missions such as the Kepler and TESS telescopes, we were able to see significant progress in the field in recent years. Nonetheless the new technologies also brought an increasing number of observation that are seemingly contradictory to the linear theory of asteroseismology. In particular, we find the δ Sct variable, which eludes our models in terms of how varied we find they spectra for stars with very …

Structural And Physical Properties Of Solid State Materials: Cegage, Cssni3, And Yb2Si2-XGeXAl, Liam J. Scanlon

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

We present studies of three independent solid state materials: CeGaGe, CsSnI₃, and Yb₂Si_2-xGe_xAl.

CeGaGe is a magnetic candidate Weyl semimetal. Magnetic Weyl semimetals have possible technological applications due to their electronically conducting bulk states, magnetic states, and topologically protected surface states. We grew single crystals of CeGaGe using the zone-refinement method and flux-growth method. With single crystal X-ray and neutron diffraction, we found that zone-refined CeGaGe crystallizes with the I4₁md symmetry (space group 109). With single crystal X-ray diffraction, we found that flux-grown samples of CeGaGe have the …

Theoretical Study Of Phase-Ordering Kinetics With An Anisotropic Surface Tension, Arjun Anand, Ben Vollmayr-Lee

Honors Theses

Coarsening describes the phase-separation dynamics that follows after a temperature quench from a stable to unstable region of the phase diagram in binary systems. Whereas binary systems with an isotropic surface tension have been thoroughly examined and modeled, the case of an anisotropic surface tension lacks the same degree of analysis and development. In this thesis, we demonstrate the self-consistency of the scaling hypothesis with an anisotropic surface tension in the dilute limit. We begin by assuming weak anisotropy in the surface tension and working only to first order in perturbation theory. Following a similar approach laid out in the …

Scp 231 Dictionary + Example Problems [General Physics 1], Daniel Capic

Open Educational Resources

Student-written definitions of key physics concepts that appear in SCP 231. There are also student-written word problems with links to instructor-created video solutions.

Time-Marching Quantum Algorithm For Simulation Of Nonlinear Lorenz Dynamics, Efstratios Koukoutsis, George Vahala, Min Soe, Kyriakos Hizanidis, Linda Vahala, Abhay K. Ram

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Simulating nonlinear classical dynamics on a quantum computer is an inherently challenging task due to the linear operator formulation of quantum mechanics. In this work, we provide a systematic approach to alleviate this difficulty by developing an explicit quantum algorithm that implements the time evolution of a second-order time-discretized version of the Lorenz model. The Lorenz model is a celebrated system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations that has been extensively studied in the contexts of climate science, fluid dynamics, and chaos theory. Our algorithm possesses a recursive structure and requires only a linear number of copies of the initial state …

Jack Reacher And The Deployment Of An Airbag, Gregory A. Dilisi, Richard A. Rarick

2025 Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Vaim-Cff: A Variational Autoencoder Inverse Mapper Solution To Compton Form Factor Extraction From Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering, Manal Almaeen, Tareq Alghamdi, Brandon Kriesten, Douglas Adams, Yaohang Li, Huey-Wen Lin, Simonetta Liuti

Computer Science Faculty Publications

We develop a new methodology for extracting Compton form factors (CFFs) from deeply virtual exclusive reactions such as the unpolarized DVCS cross section using a specialized inverse problem solver, a variational autoencoder inverse mapper (VAIM). The VAIM-CFF framework not only allows us access to a fitted solution set possibly containing multiple solutions in the extraction of all 8 CFFs from a single cross section measurement, but also accesses the lost information contained in the forward mapping from CFFs to cross section. We investigate various assumptions and their effects on the predicted CFFs such as cross section organization, number of extracted …

Point Cloud-Based Diffusion Models For The Electron-Ion Collider, Jack Y. Araz, Vinicius Mikuni, Felix Ringer, Nobuo Sato, Fernando Torales Acosta, Richard Whitehill

Physics Faculty Publications

At high-energy collider experiments, generative models can be used for a wide range of tasks, including fast detector simulations, unfolding, searches of physics beyond the Standard Model, and inference tasks. In particular, it has been demonstrated that score-based diffusion models can generate high-fidelity and accurate samples of jets or collider events. This work expands on previous generative models in three distinct ways. First, our model is trained to generate entire collider events, including all particle species with complete kinematic information. We quantify how well the model learns event-wide constraints such as the conservation of momentum and discrete quantum numbers. We …

Detecting Anomalous Srf Cavity Behavior With Unsupervised Learning, Hal Ferguson, Jiang Li, Adam Carpenter, Chris Tennant, Dillon Thomas, Dennis Turner

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We present an unsupervised learning framework for detecting anomalous superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavity behavior at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF), emphasizing its initial performance and effectiveness. Key to the system’s success was the development of data acquisition systems (DAQs) that capture fast-sampled, information-rich signals, essential for detecting transient effects. The approach involves creating daily cavity-specific models using principal component analysis to handle variations in rf signal behavior and mitigate performance degradation from data drift. This unsupervised method eliminates the need for expensive labeling by continuously updating models with recent data. Deployed and operational for 3 months before a …

Backgrounds And Efficiencies For Low-Energy Searches, And Improved Calibration Techniques In The Lux-Zeplin Dark Matter Experiment, Gregory M. Blockinger

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The full understanding of dark matter has eluded physicists for many years. While there is abundant astrophysical evidence across many scales, the exact nature of this matter, which comprises about 25% of the Universe’s energy density, remains unknown. Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are one of the leading theoretical candidates, and numerous ex- periments have searched for their interactions. In recent decades, dual-phase Time Projection Chambers (TPCs) have become the leading technology in this search. The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) detector is one such xenon-based experiment, operating nearly a mile underground in the Black Hills of South Dakota at the Sanford Underground …

Computational Modeling In A Calculus-Based Physics Lab: Students’ Problems And Successes In Physics 2060, Abigail Sophia Flowers

Masters Theses

In the past few decades, computational modeling skills have become essential for students who want to pursue careers in physics or engineering. This issue of how to incorporate these skills into students' learning has become an important one because students in these degrees are already required to take several cognates outside of their chosen major. In 2018, Western Michigan University’s physics department decided to take on this issue by reformatting their introductory calculus-based physics labs to include computational modeling within the labs. The labs were first run in the Fall of 2018 and then were improved in spring 2019. When …

Questioning Reality: The Progressive Development Of Modern Physics, Joshua Lancman

STEM Month

Humanity has a tendency to divide time. The past is distinct from the present which is entirely separate from the future. In supposedly 20-20 vision history is neatly divided into different sections, distinct eras with sharp lines between them. What is present and in the future is always modern. What is past is something else with another name.

Yet time is not divided so neatly. We know this living through it: years and decades blend into one another in a non-uniform progression. To divide human history into separate eras is a necessary simplification, as it helps to ascribe order onto …

Maximizing Legged Accelerations: A Matter Of Force, Time, And Gravity, Lance Brooks

Applied Physiology and Wellness Theses and Dissertations

Sprint running accelerations require runners to apply surface forces that: support body weight by pushing downward, accelerate the body horizontally by pushing backward, and align the direction of the push with the body’s mass center to maintain balance and posture, which imposes an upper limit on the average forward acceleration force equal to the average gravitational force (1.0 G) acting on the runner. This expectation arises from the mechanical constraints imposed by the need to generate sufficient vertical force to support body weight against gravity while simultaneously producing horizontal force to accelerate forward and aligning the push through the center …

Constraints On Solar Axions Using The Profile Likelihood Ratio Method With The Supercdms Experiments, Shilun Liu

Physics Theses and Dissertations

Dark matter plays an essential role in understanding modern physics and particles beyond the Standard Model. Evidence suggests that dark matter accounts for approximately 85% of the universe’s matter, and 26.8% of its mass-energy composition. Key candidates for dark matter include unidentified subatomic particles like Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and axions. The Super Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (SuperCDMS) employs direct detection methods to identify these elusive particles using cryogenic technologies. Su- perCDMS Soudan is the latest completed CDMS experiment in Minnesota, in preparation for the next phase experiments of SuperCDMS SNOLAB in Sudbury, Canada. At SNOLAB, the Cryogenic Underground …

Tuning Electronic Transport And Magnetic Properties Of Layered Magnetic Materials, Md Rafique Un Nabi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two-dimensional magnetic materials (2DMMs) have gained significant interest due to their potential for novel physical phenomena and device applications. Mn_2-xZn_xSb, with its tunable magnetic properties and stable tetragonal layered structure, offers a rich platform for exploring these phenomena. The introduction of Zn into the Mn₂Sb lattice efficiently tunes magnetic and electronic properties, making it a compelling candidate for high-performance spintronic devices.

With this motivation, we synthesized Mn_2-xZn_xSb (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) single crystals using a flux method. Mn2Sb exhibits ferrimagnetic order below 550 K with antiparallel spins aligned along …

The Chemistry Of Heavy Elements: Probing Relativistic Chemical Bonding, Barbara Maria Teixeira Costa Peluzo

Chemistry Theses and Dissertations

The bottommost part of the periodic table has a unique chemistry, where the high velocities of the inner-shell electrons prevent their description by the usual Schrödinger equation. The resulting so-called relativistic effects have numerous chemical implications, on both macro and microscale, ranging from physical properties to reactivity. However, experimental probes on these intriguing atoms are limited by their natural availability and, more importantly, the danger associated with their radioactivity. Quantum chemical calculations, on the other hand, face the challenge of far more complex algebra, which demands substantial computational resources. Relativistic Hamiltonians, which act over all electrons in the system, are …

2024 Spring Term Sls261/Phy206 Syllabus, Gustavo Machado Monteiro

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Representation Theory And Its Applications In Physics, Max Varverakis

Master's Theses

Representation theory, which encodes the elements of a group as linear operators on a vector space, has far-reaching implications in physics. Fundamental results in quantum physics emerge directly from the representations describing physical symmetries. We first examine the connections between specific representations and the principles of quantum mechanics. Then, we shift our focus to the braid group, which describes the algebraic structure of braids. We apply representations of the braid group to physical systems in order to investigate quasiparticles known as anyons. Finally, we obtain governing equations of anyonic systems to highlight the differences between braiding statistics and conventional Bose-Einstein/Fermi-Dirac …

Variability Of High-Degree Modes Over Multiple Solar Cycles Using Local Helioseismic Data From Gong, Nicholas Cebula, Sushanta Tripathy, Kiran Jain, John M. Cannon

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

In this investigation we use the local helioseismic technique of ring diagrams to study the power, energy, and damping rates of high degree solar acoustic modes. Our data covers the period from the maximum phase of solar cycle 23 to the ascending phase of cycle 25. The goal is to examine the variations in the mode parameters with solar activity as well as the differences between different cycles. For this, we use different proxies of solar activity. We use 10.7 cm radio flux measurements and a measure of magnetic flux known as magnetic activity index from magnetograms.

Global Fits In The Supersymmetric Georgi-Machacek Model, Yingnan Xu

Physics Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we study a supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model with Higgs triplets in the scalar sector. We begin with a review of the Standard Model (SM), particularly the electroweak sector and the Higgs mechanism. In the SM, the Higgs mechanism requires the presence of a complex Higgs doublet to break the electroweak symmetry and endow particles with a mass; this process is called Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking (SSB). Although this is the simplest possibility, higher scalar representations may also contribute to the electroweak breaking process (EWSB). The extent to which these higher representations contribute to EWSB is constrained …

Going Down An Incline With Chatgpt, Corey R. Sissons

Student Research Symposium

In our Large Language Model (LLM) research, examining ChatGPT 4, we devised a physics problem involving an object descending an inclined plane. Through variations in terminology such as "rolling," "sliding," "solid sphere," "hollow sphere," "wooden ramp," "no-slip ramp," and more, we sought to evaluate LLM responses for different scenarios. Our analysis aimed to discern whether the LLM’s answers exhibited expertise in the field of physics. This experiment sheds light on LLM’s ability to give accurate and precise physics answers as well as variation in responses to nuanced changes in problem formulation. This provides valuable insights into its proficiency and potential …

Bioactive Glass Bead Characterization: Further Applications In Passive Drug Delivery, Marie O. Sykes

Physics and Astronomy Honors Papers

Bioactive glass beads were discovered for their bone repair properties in 1969. This properties, along with their bactericidalness, high ability to be engineered, bioactiveness and their versatile structures, mark them as excellent candidates for explorations in other biomedical applications in addition to bone repair. One alternative application includes passive drug delivery, especially when the biomaterial is in a porous, microsphere structure. In this work, we first explore various samples of bioactive glass compositions and structures in order to target the best bead for the application of drug delivery. The targeted beads are then thoroughly characterized using optical microscopy, Scanning Electron …

The Search For Photonuclear Interactions Of Muons Utilizing Test Beam Data At The Large Hadron Collider, Miranda M. Williams

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

The ATLAS Detector is one of four different types of detectors within the Large Hadron Collider and is used to study the fundamental theories of the universe. Within the ATLAS experiment, beams of known composition and energies – otherwise known as “test beams” – are one of the many methods used to study specific physical phenomena. In this study, a test beam of muons with an energy of 160 GeV was analyzed to search for evidence of photonuclear interactions. This necessitated analyzing and filtering over 50,000 total events using specific parameters that would indicate such an event had occurred. To …

Time Resolved X-Ray Spectroscopy Of Highly Charged Ar, Nd, And Pr, Timothy Burke

All Dissertations

Highly Charged Ions (HCIs) may be considered ideal mini-laboratory in which one can study the physics of matter and light in an environment of high internal electric field that can not be recreated with standard lab equipment. The remaining electron(s) exist in the extremely large electric field of the nucleus and therefore measurements of electronic transitions in these systems provide stringent tests of our understanding of physics in extreme conditions. Quantum electrodynamics (QED) despite being a powerful theory exhibits large discrepancies for systems under extreme conditions. The work here investigates the atomic properties within non-Maxwellian plasmas. The HCI plasmas studied …

Experimental Analyses Of Emission Lines In The Uv/Vis/Nir Range For Astrophysically-Important Elements: From The Iron Group To R-Process Elements, Brynna Neff

All Dissertations

Analysis of astrophysical phenomena requires an understanding of the electronic

structure and transition probabilities of the elements present in that environment,

yet there are still many charge states of heavy elements whose electronic

structures and spectroscopic properties are not yet well understood. To address this,

we investigated the spectroscopic properties of three different elements through an

analysis of spectra collected from three different experimental apparatuses.

In order to better understand the spectroscopic properties of Ni I and II, we

analyzed spectra collected from the Compact Toroidal Hybrid (CTH) apparatus at

Auburn University. In this experiment, a nickel sample was inserted …

High Powered Rocket Modification, Joshua Gage

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

Rocketry has always been a fun challenge for me. Since not only was I able to learn something new every time I did it, but I was able to do something with my hands as well. One area that has been very challenging for me is how to put a tracker onto a rocket that has no electronics bay. And studying for the L2 Certification tests. And this poster shows my thoughts and process I did to pass my L2 Certification Flight.

Igniting Passion:​ A Detailed Journey Through Rocketry Course Activities, Krish M. Patel, Hannah Caycedo, Joshua Gage, Josi Maness, Kevin Park, Mufeng Shen

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

This course is a semester-long adventure in rocketry, led by Dr. Paul Adams. It covers everything about building and flying rockets, starting from the basics to more advanced rocketry. Students learn how to build rockets and use equipment used I payload systems like and altimeter and a GPS. We also learned about the importance of safety involved with building and launching rockets.