Physics Commons^™

Improving The Electrochemical Properties Of Mno2 By Doping With Fe For Water Splitting And Supercapacitor Application, Joseph Okwe

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

An Abstract of the Thesis by

Joseph Okwe

These days when the issue of energy is talked about, it is usually more than just the usefulness of different types of energy. This topic now encompasses ways of generating and storing energy in the most efficient and sustainable way. For this reason, various research has shown that materials that are fabricated for the purpose of energy storage and conversion also find applications in other areas such as water splitting and supercapacitors. And so certain materials, when synthesized, can serve more than one purpose in either generating or storing energy. This project …

Nuclear Transparency Of Photoproduced Rho-0 Mesons., Bhesha Raj Devkota

Theses and Dissertations

Photonuclear reactions using a real photon beam offer a unique opportunity to explore fundamental aspects of QCD within the nuclear medium. The experiment E12-19-003, conducted at Jefferson Lab’s Hall D in 2021, aimed to look for the transition from hadronic to partonic degrees of freedom and to explore the predicted QCD phenomenon known as color transparency in photons, mesons, and baryons. A key objective was to examine the transition of the photons from a resolved (hadronic fluctuation) configuration to a point-like electromagnetic probe. The experiment utilized liquid deuterium, helium, and carbon foils as target nuclei, which were probed by photon …

Long-Term Calibration And Validation Of Stability Of The Auger Engineering Radio Array Using The Diffuse Galactic Radio Emission, A. Abdul Halim, P. Abreu, M. Aglietta, I. Allekotte, K. Almeida Cheminant, R. Aloisio, B. Fick, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) measures radio emission from high-energy extensive air showers. Consisting of 153 autonomous radio-detector stations spread over 17 km^2, it detects radio waves in the frequency range of 30 to 80 MHz. Accurate characterization of the detector response is crucial for proper interpretation of the collected data. Previously, this was achieved through laboratory measurements of the analog chain and simulations and measurements of the antenna's directional response. In this paper, we perform an absolute calibration using the continuously monitored sidereal modulation of the diffuse Galactic radio emission. Calibration is done by comparing the average frequency …

Measurements Of Water-Film Thickness On Cave Walls And Speleothems, Alexandre Honiat, Salaheddine Skali-Lami, François Bourges, Bruno Lartiges

International Journal of Speleology

The water-film that coats cave walls and speleothems is a key player for the regulation of cave microclimate and the control of speleothem growth. In this paper, we demonstrate the capability of a confocal optical sensor to quantitatively measure on-site the rapid variations of water-film thickness when dripping, active condensation, or dryness occur on walls of various caves. Results obtained from a sample of four prehistoric caves and one stalagmite cave from Southwest France, indicate that the measurable thickness of water-films is generally in the 25-70 µm range for cave walls and reaches 200-300 µm on the horizontal plane of …

High-Resolution Lidar Observations Of Sedimentation-Induced Size Sorting Of Droplets Near A Laboratory Cloud Top, Fan Yang, Yong Meng Sua, Zipei Zheng, Jesse Anderson, Hamed F. Sadi, Jae Min Yeom, Suryadev Pratap Singh, Pei Hou, Will Cantrell, Ernie Lewis, Alex Kostinski, Raymond Shaw

Michigan Tech Publications

No abstract provided.

Degeneracies In A Weighted Sum Of Two Squares, Ishan V. Ramesh

Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal

This work is an attempt to classify and quantify instances when a weighted sum of two squares of positive integers, 3n2 1 +n2 2, can be realized in more than one way. Our project was inspired by a particular study of two-dimensional quantum billiards [S. G. Jackson, H. Perrin, G. E. Astrakharchik, and M. Olshanii, SciPost Phys. Core 7, 062 (2024)] where the weighted sums of interest represents an energy level with the two integers being the billiard’s quantum numbers; there, the 3-fold degeneracies seem to dominate the energy spectrum. Interestingly, contrary to the conventional paradigm, these degeneracies are not …

Tidal Interactions In Strong Field Gravity, Maria Jose Rodriguez

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Exceptional Holography, Oscar Varela

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Early Warning Detection Of Gravitational Waves With Sgnl, Megan Norris

Honors Theses

Gravitational waves (GWs) provide a whole new spectrum with which to observe astrophysical events. Multi-messenger observations including GWs are of particular interest, and these are best facilitated by early warning searches of GWs, which are typically aimed at detecting binary neutron star (BNS) mergers. This work provides an introductory overview of gravitational waves and summarizes the origins and basic physical properties of neutron stars and black holes in binary systems, focusing on BNS mergers and the detection of gravitational waves with LIGO using a modeled search. We assess the performance of a new GW search pipeline called SGNL to evaluate …

Establishing Convergence Thresholds For Pre-Trajectory Sampling With Batched Execution Across Random Quantum Circuits, Taylor L. Eskew, Jerome F. Gonthier, Taylor L. Patti, Andrew N. Jordan

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

A crucial aspect of validating quantum protocols is understanding the noise produced by quantum computing devices. Using simulations that can replicate this noise allows for a lower-cost alternative to hardware experiments. Stochastic, so-called "trajectory" methods are often used as a quadratically reduced approximation to density matrix simulations, but traditional implementations have limited sampling capacity and provide no error-based metadata. The Pre-Trajectory Sampling with Batched Execution (PTSBE) [Patti et al., 2025] algorithm provides a solution by combining fine-tuned, well-documented noise sampling with computational intermediate caching.

While the original work is effective on quantum error correction circuits, its performance on general circuits …

The Study Of Hybrid Nanostructures For Optoelectronics, Alex Davis, Khaoula Dehhou

Publications and Research

Hybrid nanostructures that combine zero-dimensional (0D) quantum dots (QDs) with two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are promising building blocks for next-generation optoelectronic devices, such as highly sensitive photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, and tunable light sources. These hybrid systems take advantage of the strong, size-dependent emission of colloidal QDs and the high carrier mobility and tunable band structure of 2D materials. In this research, we investigate hybrid structures composed of colloidal CdSe/ZnS, CuInS/ZnS, and PbS QDs integrated with indium selenide (InSe), a TMD known for its exceptional electron mobility and robust photoluminescence in few-layer form. The goal is to understand how interfacial …

Unsaturated Fatty Acid Oil-Based Microdroplets: A Promising Novel Class Of Microdroplets, Ramiz S. Alejilat

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Droplet-based microfluidics has rapidly advanced numerous fields, including chemistry, biology, materials science, medicine, food science, and cosmetics. In these systems, fluorocarbon oil combined with fluorinated surfactants is the preferred medium for fluid encapsulation, offering exceptional stability and biocompatibility essential for sensitive biological and chemical processes. However, growing concerns about the environmental and biological risks associated with fluorinated chemicals have prompted a search for alternatives.

This study is the first to explore the use of unsaturated fatty acids derived from emu oil for microdroplet formation. We characterized droplet formation based on flow rates and the presence non-fluorinated surfactant at a certain …

Lead Sources Detected In Manila's Air After The Phase-Out Of Leaded Gasoline, Grace Betito, Paola Angela Bañaga, Maria Obiminda L. Cambaliza, Melliza Templonuevo Cruz, James Bernard Simpas, Mengli Chen, Jariya Kayee, Armin Sorooshian, Rachel A. Braun, Alexander B. Macdonald

Ateneo Atmospheric Physics Laboratory

Abstract

The global phase-out of leaded gasoline marked a major milestone in pollution control, yet modern uses of lead (Pb) continue to pose significant health risks, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In the Philippines, significant data gaps still exist despite increasing exposure. This study presents to the best of our knowledge, the first Pb isotopic fingerprinting of atmospheric aerosols in Metro Manila, Philippines, covering fine (0.56–1 μm) and coarse (5.6–10 μm) fractions, collected in 2018–2019. Results show that local sources, mainly industrial activities (45–62 %) and fossil fuel combustion (30–45 %), are now the dominant contributors to airborne Pb, …

Tuning A Magnetic Energy Scale With Pressure And Field In Ute2, Hyunsoo Kim, I. Lin Liu, Wen Chen Lin, Yun Suk Eo, Sheng Ran, Nicholas P. Butch, Johnpierre Paglione

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

When a fragile ordered state is suppressed to zero temperature, a quantum phase transition occurs, which is often marked by the appearance of unconventional superconductivity. While the quantum critical point can be hidden, the influence of the quantum criticality extends to fairly high temperatures, manifesting non-Fermi liquid behavior in a wide range of the field-temperature-pressure phase space. Here, we report the tuning of a magnetic energy scale in the heavy-fermion superconductor UTe₂, previously identified with a peak in the c-axis electrical transport temperature dependence, using applied hydrostatic pressures and a-axis-oriented magnetic fields as complementary (and opposing) tuning parameters: …

Applications Of Machine Learning In Gravitational-Wave Research With Current Interferometric Detectors, Elena Cuoco, Marco Cavaglià, Ik Siong Heng, David Keitel, Christopher Messenger

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

This article provides an overview of the current state of machine learning in gravitational-wave research with interferometric detectors. Such applications are often still in their early days but have reached sufficient popularity to warrant an assessment of their impact across various domains, including detector studies, noise and signal simulations, and the detection and interpretation of astrophysical signals. In detector studies, machine learning could be useful to optimize instruments like LIGO, Virgo, KAGRA, and future detectors. Algorithms could predict and help in mitigating environmental disturbances in real time, ensuring detectors operate at peak performance. Furthermore, machine-learning tools for characterizing and cleaning …

Time-Resolved 3d Momentum Spectroscopy In Continuous Wave Atomic Photoionization Experiments, K. L. Romans, B. P. Acharya, A. H.N.C.De Silva, K. Foster, O. Russ, Daniel Fischer

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

An experimental continuous-wave (cw) pump-probe scheme is demonstrated by investigating the population and photoionization dynamics of an atomic system. In particular, 6Li atoms are initially prepared in optically pumped 22S1/2 and 22P3/2 states before being excited via multi-photon absorption from a tunable femtosecond laser. The subsequent cascade back to the ground state is analyzed by ionizing the atoms in the field of a cw optical dipole trap laser. Conventional spectroscopic methods, such as standard cold-target recoil ion momentum spectroscopy or velocity map imaging, cannot provide simultaneous momentum and time-resolved information on an event-by-event basis for the system investigated here. The …

From Inside The Recording Studio, Mckayla J. Adkison

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This project documents the historical, technical, and creative significance of recording studios through both industry examples and the design and construction of a personal backyard studio. By examining iconic studios such as Abbey Road and Capitol Records, the paper highlights how technological innovation, acoustic engineering, and architectural design have shaped the evolution of recorded music. These concepts are then applied to the planning and construction of a custom-built recording studio, emphasizing room dimensions, sound isolation techniques, acoustic treatment, lighting, and sustainable design choices. In addition, the project addresses the importance of aesthetics and emotional comfort in creating a space that …

Coupled Machine Learning Models: Combining Observations And Numerical Analysis In A Physics-Regularized Approach, Austin B. Schmidt

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates surrogate modeling for fixed-location environmental forecasting using novel data-combination techniques. The work surveys the landscape of observational measurements and numerically generated data, identifying similar research and gaps in current methodologies. The ratio-coupled training framework is introduced to combine two data sources per predicted feature through a tunable parameter that weights training signal strength. An optimization scheme is developed to simultaneously tune surrogate weights and the coupled signal ratio, allowing relative influence between signals to act as an explicit regularizer. Three case studies demonstrate the methodology and approach in a variety of contexts. The first study is based …

Optical, Mechanical, And Transport Characterization Of Two-Dimensional Magnetic Materials., Hiruni Weerahennedige

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates the structural, magnetic, thermoelectric, and optoelectronic behavior of layered two-dimensional (2D) materials, with emphasis on Fe₃GeTe₂, Ni-substituted Fe₃GeTe₂ alloys, and GeSe. The study aims to clarify how dimensionality, alloying, and external perturbations influence charge transport, magnetic ordering, and light-matter interactions in van der Waals crystals. Single crystals of Fe₃GeTe₂ and (Ni_xFe_1-x)₃GeTe₂ (x = 0-1) were synthesized by chemical vapor transport and characterized using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Angle-resolved polarized Raman spectroscopy resolved symmetry-dependent phonon modes and …

Content And Consequences: Impact Of Representation In Stem Higher Education Instructional Content On Marginalized Students, Nichole Ventura

Doctorate in Education

This qualitative study examined representation of historically marginalized students in STEM instructional content at the higher education level and its impact on their learning experiences. Despite growing diversity initiatives in STEM enrollment, curricular materials often fail to reflect the identities of underrepresented students. Using critical theory and interpretivist approaches, this research investigated how representation—or its absence—shapes students' sense of belonging, academic identity formation, and persistence. Through semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students from historically marginalized backgrounds, and purposeful sampling, this study captured the lived experiences of students engaging with STEM instructional materials. Interview protocols explored how students perceive their representation in …

Investigating Molecular Rotation And Vibration With Ultrafast Electron Diffraction, Haoran Zhao

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) has emerged since the late 20th century as a powerful technique for resolving molecular dynamics. With its high spatial and temporal resolution, UED can now measure rotational motion induced by linearly polarized, nonresonant, nonadiabatic laser pulses—one of the fundamental molecular degrees of freedom with broad applications. By combining laser-induced alignment with UED, new capabilities such as three-dimensional structural retrieval and isotope detection have been demonstrated, as discussed in Chapter 2.

In Chapter 3, three symmetry relations in the coefficients of rotational wave packets are identified and derived, reducing the computational cost of simulating asymmetric-top molecular alignment …

Electrical And Magnetic Properties Of Ferroic Oxide Thin Films And Free-Standing Membranes, Qiuchen Wu

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation presents a comprehensive study of the electrical, magnetic, and transport properties of epitaxial ferroic oxide thin films and free-standing membranes, including ferroelectric PbZr_0.2Ti_0.8O₃ (PZT) and ferrimagnetic NiCo₂O₄ (NCO).

We evaluate the effects of electrostatic and mechanical boundary conditions on the ferroelectric properties of free-standing PZT membranes by transferring them on three types of base layers: the metallic Au, strongly correlated oxide La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ (LSMO), and 2D semiconductor MoS₂. The coercive field and domain wall roughness depend sensitively on the metallicity and surface roughness of …

Development Of Oxide And Oxynitride Thin Films For Advanced Optical Applications, Nathan Christopher Episcopo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To develop Ga2O3 and TiOₓNᵧ thin films for optical applications, the process–structure–properties relationship was investigated using a comprehensive set of characterization techniques to establish the atomic structure and composition of the films in relation to the deposition conditions. The results provide critical insights into how deposition parameters influence the atomic structure and composition during magnetron sputtering. Furthermore, the correlation between atomic structure and composition with the optical and electrical properties of the films was examined to determine how variations in these factors affect functional performance. Collectively, these findings offer the necessary information to target desirable optical properties for Ga2O3 and …

Lorentz Invariance And Quantum Coordination: A Neo-Aristotelian Framework For Entanglement And Relativity, Angel Rafael Sosa Muniz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The phenomenon of quantum entanglement has been at the center of heated debates among physicists and philosophers since the dawn of the quantum era. The early discussions initiated by Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen—regarding potential violations of the Principle of Relativity by entangled particles, expressed in the so-called “EPR Paradox”—ultimately culminated in the demonstration of Bell’s theorem and its violations. Since then, philosophers of science and physicists have developed multiple proposals attempting to account for the ontological status of quantum formalism and its possible tension with relativistic principles. This thesis contributes to these efforts by advancing a Neo-Aristotelian ontological framework inspired …

On The Scalability Of Anisotropic Mesh Adaptation On Distributed And Shared Memory Architectures For Numerical Approximations, Kevin Mark Garner Jr.

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

Mesh generation is a critical component in numerical approximations of Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). One such example includes Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), as CFD simulations in turn are crucial for applications in many industries, such as personalized healthcare and the design of aerospace vehicles. Generating high quality meshes for large-scale CFD problems presents a significant bottleneck in the CFD workflow. This dissertation proposes “fast,” parallel 3D mesh generation methodologies that are designed to leverage the concurrency offered by emerging High-Performance Computing (HPC) architectures. First, a distributed memory method is presented that integrates a sequential state-of-the-art isotropic, advancing front local reconnection-based …

Investigation Of Laser Based Flow Diagnostics With Metastable Argon, Sterling S. Gordon

Physics Theses & Dissertations

The overarching motivation of this work is the development of seedless, non-intrusive, laser-based diagnostics for supersonic airflow in wind tunnels. To advance this goal, this dissertation fo-cuses on three-photon excitation in a research-grade argon beam within a tabletop vacuum system, which offers a controlled environment for testing and refining the approach. The chosen excitation scheme drives argon atoms to the 3d[5/2]₃ state using a pulsed Ti:Sapphire laser system, enabling time-of-flight (ToF) measurements on atoms that subsequently undergo a multi-step decay to the metastable 4s[3/2]₂ state. Although full realization of this excitation scheme was hindered by technical …

Relativistic Three Particle Scattering, Md Habib E Islam

Physics Theses & Dissertations

In this dissertation, we develop and apply a relativistic framework for studying three-body scattering amplitudes, their analytic structure, and the emergence of universal phenomena such as the Efimov effect. The work integrates three complementary components.

First, we introduce a systematically improvable numerical method for solving relativistic three-body integral equations in momentum space. By discretizing the continuum problem into finite matrix equations and extrapolating to the continuum limit, we obtain stable partial-wave amplitudes in the presence of a two-body bound state. Two complementary treatments of the pole contribution are implemented and shown to reproduce previous finite volume results, with controlled estimates …

Evaluation Of Ocean Lidar Enhancement Through Miniaturization And Gated Pmt-Based Range Extension, Chandler Austin Slater

OES Theses and Dissertations

Oceanographic lidar systems remotely characterize the vertical structure of the upper ocean by recording the light backscattered from a laser pulse as it propagates through the water column. Historically these systems have been constrained by limited detection ranges, often capturing only a portion of the illuminated water column, typically fading to noise around the 10% isolume. A primary constraint has been the limited dynamic range of digitizers, which inhibits the ability to resolve both intense near-field and faint far-field backscatter signals within a single acquisition. To address this, we developed a novel optical lidar system incorporating gated photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) …

Design And Evaluation Of Gamified Kahoot Modules For Improving Engagement And Conceptual Understanding Of Introductory Physics Students, Yaritza Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the effectiveness of gamified learning modules in enhancing the engagement and conceptual understanding of introductory physics students. The first phase of this study focused on the design and development of gamified learning modules for selected topics in introductory physics. The modules were developed by integrating principles of Backward Design, following an escape-room theme with interactive scenarios, and incorporating classic game elements (e.g., points and leaderboards).

The second phase examined the effectiveness of the gamified Kahoot modules using a pretest-posttest control-group design. Sixty-eight (68) students were equally randomly assigned to the control and experimental groups. The experimental group …

Adsorption-Photodegradation Performance Of Silver Titanate For Methylene Blue Removal: Kinetics, Thermodynamics And Isotherm Studies, Nawrin Rahman Shefa, Most. Afroza Khatun, Ahmed Hasnain Jalal, M. Jasim Uddin, Md. Wasikur Rahman

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Silver titanate (AgTO) was synthesized via an ion-exchange reaction between sodium titanate and silver nitrate. This study investigates the efficiency of AgTO in the combined adsorption-photodegradation process for removing Methylene Blue (MB). The synthesized material was characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM, and EDX techniques. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to assess the effects of AgTO dosage (0.1–1.0 g/L), initial MB concentration (5–20 mg/L), pH (3–11), and temperature (313–333 K). The highest MB removal efficiency (90 %) was achieved at 313 K, pH 3, and an initial MB concentration of 5 mg/L. The photocatalytic performance of AgTO was further evaluated under …