Other Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons^™

Quantifying Dust Structure In An Elliptical Galaxy Via Optical–Near-Infrared Color Mapping: A Detailed Study Of Ngc 6251, Luke Reed

Theses and Dissertations

The giant elliptical galaxy NGC 6251 is a well-studied active radio galaxy that hosts one of the largest known relativistic jet systems, with a projected size of approximately 3 Mpc. In addition to its large-scale radio structure, the galaxy hosts a prominent circumnuclear dust feature surrounding the active nucleus, previously interpreted as a warped dust disk. This thesis focuses on the inner morphology and dust structure of NGC 6251 using archival Hubble Space Telescope observations obtained with the WFPC2 and NICMOS instruments.

The central structure of the galaxy was investigated across multiple wavelengths through image calibration, PSF modeling and subtraction, …

Emergent De Sitter Expansion And Closed Topology From The Cosmic Fabric Model As An Open Thermodynamic System: Resolving The Negative Bulk Modulus Paradox, T G. Tenev, C B. Ward, T F. Tenev, M F. Horstemeyer

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Cosmic Fabric Model establishes a continuum-mechanics isomorphism to General Relativity by representing physical space as an elastic three-dimensional hyperplate embedded in a four-dimensional spatial bulk. Reproducing vacuum kinematics requires a vanishing P-wave modulus, which in turn implies a negative bulk modulus—an apparent thermodynamic instability in a closed system. This paradox is resolved by recasting the framework as an open system: the instability is not pathological but instead drives cosmic expansion. In this interpretation, the observable universe is a lower-energy solid formed through continuous solidification from a higher-dimensional precursor fluid. Using multiplicative kinematics from finite-growth mechanics, the model shows that …

Out Of This World: An Exoplanetary Workshop, Monica Storss, Bart Kuipers

ELO (un)supervised 2026

The workshop investigates how scientific constraints can productively defamiliarize human experience and create new frameworks for creativity and expression. Participants will produce original work while considering broader questions about environment, perception, and cultural formation in speculative contexts, and how the arts, sciences, and technology inform each other in relational multiplicities. This generative workshop explores how astronomical data from confirmed exoplanets can generate new poetic forms and linguistic constraints. Participants will examine how exoplanetary conditions can shape language, metaphor, and narrative structure. We'll develop from writing exercises that respond to non-terrestrial physical parameters: alternative light spectra, gravitational variations, and atmospheric compositions. …

Detection Of C60 Combination Bands In The Near-Ir Spectrum Of Tc 1, Morgan M. Giese, Vincent J. Esposito, Simon Van Schuylenbergh, Jan Cami, Els Peeters, Charmi Bhatt, Dries Van De Putte, A. G. G. M. Tielens, Michael J. Barlow, Jeronimo Bernard-Salas, Alessandra Candian, Bryan Changala, Nick L. J. Cox, Harriet L. Dinerstein, D. A. García-Hernández, Marco A. Gómez-Muñoz, Kay Justtanont, Kathleen E. Kraemer, Eric Lagadec, Arturo Manchado, Ana Monreal Ibero, Raghvendra Sahai, Ameek Sidhu, G. C. Sloan, N. C. Sterling, Jeremy R. Walsh, Roger Wesson, Joshua Cole Whitman, Albert Zijlstra

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

We report the detection of a set of new near-infrared emission features between 3.5 and 5.2 μm in JWST/NIRSpec observations of Tc 1, the planetary nebula known for displaying the cleanest and most prominent mid-infrared cosmic fullerene spectrum. These broad features share the same spatial distribution as the well-known C₆₀ and C₇₀ mid-infrared emission bands, peaking in an asymmetric ring approximately 5″–6″ from the central star. Through comparison with new anharmonic quantum chemical calculations, we demonstrate that these features arise from C₆₀ combination bands, marking their first detection in an astrophysical environment. The total energy radiated …

Phase-Resolved Measurement And Arbitrary Mode Conversion Of Structured Light, Somayeh Ghazanfarpour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a single-shot phase and amplitude retrieval technique based on spatial light modulator (SLM)-based digital holography. The proposed method enables accurate reconstruction of complex optical fields from a single interferogram, reducing sensitivity to environmental fluctuations and improving experimental stability compared to conventional multi-shot approaches. In addition, a programmable arbitrary mode converter is developed using SLM-based wavefront shaping. By introducing controlled astigmatism and engineering the differential Gouy phase between orthogonal components, the system enables flexible transformation between structured light modes, including Hermite–Gaussian and Laguerre–Gaussian beams. Numerical results demonstrate reliable phase recovery and efficient mode conversion, validating the performance of …

Hot Jupiter Atmospheres Through Time, Annabelle E. Niblett

Physics and Astronomy Undergraduate Senior Theses

Transmission spectroscopy of hot Jupiters enables mass and atmospheric composition measurements, providing insight into population dynamics and evolution when other methods are hindered by stellar activity. To effectively plan observations and interpret transmission spectra, we must have a robust understanding of how atmospheres evolve over time. To that end, we present a suite of hot Jupiter transmission spectra models with ages ranging from 3 Myr to 11 Gyr. We incorporate the cooling and contraction of the planet, which impacts the atmospheric profile, and the evolution of the stellar UV spectrum, which moderates photodissociation and photoionization. Using PICASO,  VULCAN, and FastChem …

Electromagnetic Counterparts To Active Galactic Nucleus Disk-Embedded Binary Black Hole Mergers, Emily Mcpike

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The accretion disks of active galactic nuclei (AGN) are promising environments for producing binary black hole (BBH) mergers, which have been detected via gravitational waves (GW) with LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK). BBH mergers embedded in AGN disks are unique among GW formation channels in their generic ability to produce electromagnetic (EM) counterparts, via interactions between the merger remnant and the surrounding disk gas (though these are not always observable). While such mergers represent valuable multi-messenger sources, the lack of predictive statistical models in existing literature currently limits our ability to select possible EM counterparts with GW detections in archival data and in …

Considering Numerical Relativity For Upgrades In Mcfacts Merger Dynamics, Shawn K. Ray

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Binary black hole mergers (BBH), some likely originating from active galactic nuclei (AGN), are observed by ground-based detectors such as LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) and will be detected by future space-based detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and the Laser Interferometer Lunar Antenna (LILA). The dynamics of AGN may be responsible for a significant fraction of BBH mergers soon to be observed by LISA and LILA, yet the dynamics of BBH mergers within AGN disks remains ambiguous despite their appearance in gravitational wave observations. Monte carlo For AGN Channel Testing and Simulation (McFACTS) is an open-source software used to …

1d Crust-Magnetosphere Coupling Model For Magnetars, Kennedy M. Jeter

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Magnetars are the most extremely magnetized objects in the universe. Their strong magnetic fields generate high-energy magnetic flares with instantaneous luminosity that can outshine their host galaxy. Previous works have explored how Hall drift in the crust affects the dynamics of magnetic field lines in the magnetosphere. This work investigates how a change in the magnetosphere, such as a flare or an outburst, can excite Hall evolution in the crust. We investigate how the twisting and untwisting of magnetic field lines in a magnetar’s magnetosphere launches Hall waves through its crust using a one-dimensional numerical model. We use the Dedalus …

Modeling Hot Jupiter Atmospheres For The Classification Of Low Abundance Molecules, Mika Brown

Physics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Transmission spectroscopy is a powerful method for studying exoplanet atmospheres. With the recent launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), several molecules have been successfully detected in hot Jupiter atmospheres at an unprecedented level of precision with transmission spectroscopy. To better understand current detection capabilities and limitations, this project used machine learning techniques to determine which molecules are currently identifiable at the spectral resolution and wavelength range of JWST’s NIRSpec instrument in PRISM mode. A large synthetic dataset of transmission spectra was first generated using the petitRADTRANS radiative transfer Python package. The resulting spectra were then used to train …

Quantifying Noise In Monte Carlo Simulations Of Cosmic Rays In A Shock, Abhro Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

Cosmic rays are a phenomenon known to humankind from the early 1900s, and yet today the details of their physical behavior are not fully settled. While the observed spectral fluxes of cosmic rays follow a power-law trend when plotted against particle energy, the exact mechanisms under which they get to such high energies are still under study. This thesis will undertake a subsection of that task, where the Monte Carlo simulation of particle accelerations is described in Warren (2015), and we aim to identify and quantify the noise inherent in such simulations. This document takes a long path through particle …

What Do Black Holes Teach Us About Wigner’S Friend?, Emily Adlam

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Recently, Hausmann and Renner have pointed out that several famous paradoxes relating to black holes have a similar character to various Extended Wigner’s Friend paradoxes. In this paper I consider what the connection between these things could teach us about the Wigner’s Friend scenarios. I argue that if we take the analogy between these cases seriously, the black hole paradoxes appear to favour a certain class of response to the Wigner’s Friend scenario - specifically, those which posit intrinsic relationality, rather than effective and emergent relationality, and also those which posit some kind of retrocausality.

Domain Wall Gravitational Waves: Constraints Within Extensions Of The Standard Model, Sophia W. Jensen

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This work considers an extra-dimensional framework to explain the gravitational wave background (GWB), massive neutrinos, and baryon asymmetry. Through studying all three, restrictions on certain parameters arise and provide bounds on both theories. It is proposed that the GWB is caused by cosmic domain walls, sheet-like topological defects that were theoretically created in the early universe shortly after the Big Bang. A relationship be- tween the energy density of domain walls and the vacuum expectation value of the broken symmetry was defined. Constraints on the parameters, including the already observed fre- quencies of gravitational waves and the current energy content …

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

Campus Research Month

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

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

Senior Theses

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

Strong Gravitational Lensing Of Balart-Vagenas Regular Black Holes, Akif Pervez, Hassan Moin Ud Din, Handika Satrio Ramdhan

Makara Journal of Science

Gravitational lensing is an integral part of Einstein general theory of relativity. The existence of singularity in standard black holes is a hurdle for understanding the properties of black holes. The introduction of nonlinear electrodynamics (NLED) offers an intriguing possibility of constructing non-singular black hole. Gravitational lensing by the photon sphere probes the physical properties of lens objects such as black holes. This work presents a strong deflection limit analysis in a general asymptotically flat, stationary, spherically symmetric spacetime. We extend the analysis of the light deflection around the photon sphere-complete capture, and set a strong field limit that is …

Coordinates, Time, And The Sky, John R. Thorstensen

Other Faculty Materials

This monograph explains celestial coordinates and their basis in the motion and orientation of the earth.  It was written for use in undergraduate classes in basic astronomy and observational techniques.

Discovery Of Dynamical Structures Mapping Chaotic Transport Pathways In The Earth–Moon Cr3bp, Tyler J. Kapolka, Christina E. Paljug, Robert A. Bettinger, Rachel Oliver, Bruce A. Cox, Jeremiah A. Specht

Faculty Publications

Chaos; Deterministic chaos; Earth–Moon system; Poincaré map; Quasi-chaotic; Surface of section /// For the Circular Restricted 3-Body Problem (CR3BP), the topologies present within a Poincaré map enable the extraction of useful information regarding periodic, quasi-periodic, and chaotic trajectory behavior. Aside from the prominent topologies that follow distinct concentric patterns around fixed points, indicative of the periodic and quasi-periodic motion that is often the central focus of CR3BP research, there are also many “dusty” regions on the Poincaré map that appear random without an apparent structure and are indicative of chaotic motion. This paper, for the first time in literature, identifies …

Constraining The Impact Threat From Small Bodies In Near Earth And Cislunar Space, Skylar G. Butler, Jarrett Dieterle, Henry Sanders, Aiden Kelleher

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Understanding and mitigating the impact threat posed by small bodies in near-Earth and cislunar space is vital for planetary defense, spacecraft safety, and sustainable space operations. This research integrates dynamical evolution modeling, synthetic observations, and reprocessed infrared data to assess the origins and potential hazards of debris from young asteroid families. By modeling the trajectories and orbital evolution of fragments from the Datura, Emilkowalski, 1992 YC2, Lucascavin (Nesvorný & Vokrouhlický, 2006), and Veritas (Nesvorný et al., 2003) families, we constrain how these sources contribute to near-Earth debris populations. Reprocessing Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) data with Fourier-filtering techniques reveals fine-structure variations …

Solar Wind–Magnetosphere Coupling During The September 2025 Cme: Multi-Spacecraft Analysis Using Mms And Omni Data, Skylar G. Butler, Margret Stanley

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

A sequence of two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) impacted Earth in early September 2025, producing consecutive geomagnetic disturbances. The first CME, launched on 31 August 2025 and observed as a halo in SOHO/LASCO imagery, reached Earth on 1 September (~20:45 UTC), generating a clear interplanetary shock. OMNI 1-min solar-wind data show a sudden rise in |B| from ≈ 5 nT to > 25 nT, proton density and velocity increases (≈ 350 → 600 km s⁻¹), and a southward IMF Bz interval that drove enhanced coupling. The Kyoto Dst index recorded a sudden storm commencement followed by a minimum of −75 nT …