Revealing Hidden Histories: A Multi-Sensor Aerial Survey For Detecting Unmarked Burials At Sinking Spring Cemetery, Abingdon, Va, Noah Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Sinking Spring Cemetery, established in 1773 in Abingdon, Virginia, spans 11 acres and is divided by a road. The 9-acre southern section was reserved for white church members. Enslaved individuals and free people of color were buried in the smaller northern section, where few headstones remain today. This study aimed to map the unmarked graves using thermal, multispectral, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors deployed on unmanned aerial systems. Graves were characterized by subtle topographic depressions mapped by LiDAR and cooler radiant temperature anomalies in thermal imagery. Thermal data collected at different times of the day and year …

An Analysis On The Time Effectiveness Of Speeding While Driving A Vehicle, Joy Skaggs

ATU Scholars Symposium

Speeding is responsible for roughly a third of all crashes, often coming at a deadly cost. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports many negative consequences, such as a greater likelihood of loss of vehicle control, reduced protection equipment effectiveness, increased stopping distance, crash severity, and fuel consumption (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, n.d.). Yet despite these costs, drivers continue to speed. In fact, in our fast paced world, speeding is so normalized that it’s uncommon to encounter a driver following the speed limit. Hawaiian psychology professor Leon James explains it best: people have twisted their definitions of speeding to …

Charging And Discharging Capacitors: Brightspace Package Of An Arithmetic Quiz, Vasiliy Znamenskiy

Open Educational Resources

Description:

This material is a quiz in the Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS). The quiz includes 10 physics problems on the topic of charging and discharging capacitors through a resistor.

The quiz assesses student understanding of key concepts, including voltage and charge of a capacitor, exponential functions, time constants, and dynamic changes in voltage and current.

Quiz problems are called in Brightspace LMS as arithmetic questions. The Problems give students random initial values to provide many quiz variants.

The quiz is appropriate for high school AP Physics or introductory college-level physics courses.

Key Features:

10-question quiz in Brightspace importable format …

Understanding Flow: An Experimental Analysis Of A Magnetohydrodynamic Fluid Pump, Quintin Yates, Emily Hawkins

Honors Thesis

When a magnetic field and electrical current are perpendicular to each other, an ionized fluid will experience a force called the Lorentz force. This force can be applied to create a pump. These pumps have potential applications in desalination and fluid systems in space. The technology is new, and still not well understood but are a potential alternative to typical mechanical pumps. This thesis develops a comprehensive experimental understanding of the fluid flow through a 3D-printed magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pump. Lagrangian particle tracking (LPT) uses neutrally buoyant particles and a camera system to collect quantitative velocity information of a system. Particle …

Heavy Metals In Healthy Water Samples Used By Newborn In Al-Najaf Governorate, Iraq, Ban Hussein Ali, Ali Abid Abojassim

Al-Bahir

Water is essential for life, so monitoring water quality is important. This research focuses on measuring heavy metals (Lead, Pb; Cadmium, Cd; Chromium, Cr (in 14 healthy water samples of two types; bottled water and filtered water used by newborn children in Al-Najaf governorate, Iraq. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AA-7000, Japan) was used to conduct the experimental analysis. Also, health risks parameters (non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic) due to Pd, Cd, and Cr concentrations were calculated. The results of Pb, Cd, and Cr concentrations in mg/L for bottled water samples were ranged 0.03-0.83, 0.01-0.69, and 0.01-0.76, respectively, while the range values for filter …

Preparation Of Nanoparticles And Study Of The Effect Of Some Of Their Physical Properties On Epoxy Polymer, Aya N. Abdullah, Niran F. Abeduljabbar

Al-Bahir

Nanoparticles were prepared by the laboratory thermal method from copper, magnesium, and zinc oxides. Different nanoparticles were added to epoxy at weight fractions of (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) wt. %. The structural results from X-ray diffraction showed the appearance of epoxy in a random system, and when reinforced with nanopowders at higher addition ratios, we find the appearance of nanoparticles in a clear crystalline form, while the SEM results showed an increase in consistency and homogeneity with each increase in the proportions of nanoparticles, which appeared clearly during the EDX examination. The hardness of Shore type D was …

Microcanonical Analysis Of Semiflexible Homopolymers With Variable Bending Potential Width, Michael Gray

Scholars Week

I have developed an algorithm for finding phase transition in microcanonical data of simulations of homopolymers. These simulations model the behavior of homopolymers in an array of different conditions. This algorithm is generalized and can be applied to a variety of different systems. It works by taking repeated derivatives of the microcanonical entropy of the system and applying several filters, whose parameters are tuned algorithmically as well. Identification of phase transitions allows for the construction of a phase diagram.

Computational Modeling Of Astrophysical Systems, Leleya Iris Stallard

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

This research project focuses on the computational modeling of astrophysical systems using Femap with NX Nastran. The goal was to simulate and analyze the vibrational behavior and structural deformation of celestial bodies under different material compositions and collision conditions. Materials such as iron, granite, titanium, and models for white dwarf stars were used to investigate how varying physical properties affect the systems' dynamic responses. Both isotropic and anisotropic models were created to represent realistic astrophysical materials. Through static and modal analyses, the study explored how internal structure and material stiffness influence the reaction of celestial objects to applied forces and …

High-Latitude Ionospheric Irregularities Characterized Through Machine Learning Methods, Anna-Marie Bals

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This study uses Machine Learning and data-driven techniques to understand plasma irregularities in high-latitude regions better. By combining observations and recent findings from modeling, the goal is to identify and classify scintillation signatures caused by different types of irregularities in the ionosphere. The focus is on irregularities from electron precipitation in the auroral oval and ExB drifts in the polar cap. Using Machine Learning tools, the study aims to distinguish between different scintillation signatures and link them to their sources, improving our ability to detect and characterize these events. Using multiple instruments and advanced filtering, the aim is to enhance …

Effect Of Niobium Dopant On Zno Thin Films Prepared Via The Sol–Gel Spin Coating Method, Kevin Alvin Eswar, Nur Fairuz Rostan, Maryam Mohamad, Rabiatuladawiyah Md Akhir, Rosfayanti Rasmidi, Muliyadi Guliling, Najwa Ezira Azhar, Irmaizatussyehdany Buniyamin, Mohd Firdaus Malek, Mohamad Rusop Mahmood, Husairi Fadzilah Suhaimi, Saifollah Abdullah

Makara Journal of Science

Thin films of zinc oxide (ZnO) and niobium (Nb)-doped ZnO were deposited on a glass substrate using the sol–gel spin coating method. Diethanolamine, isopropyl alcohol, and zinc acetate served as the stabilizers, solvent, and starting ma-terial, respectively. Niobium pentachloride was employed as the dopant source. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis con-firmed Nb incorporation. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and ultravio-let–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis) analyses characterized the morphology, structure, and optics of the films, respective-ly. Both films, comprising nanoparticles, were visible in FESEM. Nb doping reduced the particle size from 44.2 nm to 35.8 nm. The XRD peaks at 31.23°, …

Gravity Tunnel Dynamics At Non-Zero Tunnel Diameters, Shafat Mubin, Walker T. Hayes

Georgia Journal of Science

A standard exercise in undergraduate mechanics derives the trajectory of a particle that has been dropped through a gravity tunnel passing through the center of the Earth as simple harmonic oscillation, assuming uniform earth density and negligible tunnel radius. We show that when the more accurate Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM) density profile and non-negligible tunnel radii are taken into consideration, significant deviations from harmonic oscillation are observed along with increasing or decreasing average particle speeds. Furthermore, we report that a particle traveling along a diameter perpendicular to the axis of the gravity tunnel is unable to reach the center …

Developing Real-Time, Online Beam Control Of Uhdr Irradiators To Facilitate Flash Translational Investigations, Austin M. Sloop

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The field of radiation oncology seeks novel techniques to increase the therapeutic ratio to treat malignancies while minimizing damage and toxicities in healthy tissues. While it was observed that delivering therapeutic doses at high dose rate could elicit lower biological effects over a half-century ago, the field of ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) radiation therapy (colloquially known as FLASH RT) has seen a resurgence in recent years due to an alignment of accelerator capability, dosimetric advances, and improved biotechnological techniques. This has opened the door to studying potential underlying mechanisms such that we may leverage the effects of FLASH tissue sparing …

The Presence Of Outer Giant Planets And Their Role In Inner Planet Formation With And Without Their Influence, Mateo E. Guerra Toro

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

We performed dynamical simulations of the giant impact phase of planet formation to investigate the formation of inner terrestrial planets under the influence of 4 solar system-like outer giant planets. We developed a new code using the N-body simulation suite REBOUND and REBOUNDx (Rein et al. (2019) and Tamayo et al. (2019)) to simulate 2 stages of planetary formation: a residual gaseous protoplanetary disk phase and subsequent dynamical evolution after the disk photoevaporates. The initial conditions for the inner planetary embryos were taken by Morrison et al. (2020) based on a range of solid surface densities that produced Super-Earth terrestrial …

Exploring Physics Teacher Identity: Pathways Toward Equitable Instruction Among Teachers, Clausell Mathis, Jomo Mutegi, Turhan Carroll, Maya Patel, Andrea Wooley

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Physics teacher identity encompasses teachers' beliefs and views toward being a physics teacher. Physics teacher identity is influenced by teachers' perspectives on physics teaching and learning. Previous studies on teacher identity in general suggest that the construct is complex and malleable. Studies further suggest that it influences instructional methods, student engagement, and classroom environment. However, within physics education, there has yet to be an examination of how physics teacher identity influences "equitable" teaching approaches. This qualitative study sought to identify various dimensions of physics teacher identity and its implications for physics education research. We interviewed secondary and postsecondary physics teachers …

Reasoning Through Change: Exploring Covariational Thinking In Student Exponential Graph Interpretation, Samantha Lynn Pearson

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study explores how life science students reason about exponential functions in the context of an introductory physics course. While exponential functions are essential in both physics and biology—appearing in scenarios like population growth and temperature cooling—students often encounter challenges in interpreting them. Using a resources framework, we examined the cognitive resources these students bring to exponential reasoning, focusing on what ideas and strategies they already possess. Our methodology involved conducting think-aloud interviews with nine students from PHYS 402. Interviews were coded using a framework informed by prior research on covariational reasoning and exponential understanding. Results show that students generally …

Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (Ace) Winds, Matthew Wyatt, Peter F. Bernath, Chris Boone, Léo Lavy, Ryan Johnson

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) uses limb geometry to measure transmittance spectra of Earth's atmosphere by solar occultation. Line-of-sight wind speeds can be derived via Doppler shifts of molecular lines in infrared spectra. The wind look direction angles relative to geodetic North are derived from geometry. We validate the new ACE version 5.3 (v.5.3) line-of-sight winds with MIGHTI and meteor radar vector wind observations and find a ±15 m/s sunrise/sunset shift above 80 km. We also compare line-of-sight winds from ACE-FTS v.5.2 and v.5.3 with vector winds from the MERRA-2, HWM14, and WACCM-X models. A ±15 m/s …

Physicists As Environmental Experts, Rachel Rothschild

Articles

The question of which scientists are qualified to provide expert guidance in legal controversies is a perennial debate among scholars, judges, and lawyers. Scientists who participate in legal disputes can achieve enormous power and influence, not only over the case at hand but over long-term developments in legal doctrine. While these issues arise in many areas of the law, environmental litigation has been a particularly active site of contestations over epistemic authority. Courts have frequently relied on scientists to understand whether the government is justified in regulating pollution and who may be liable for environmental and public health harms.

This …

Scalable Parallel-In-Time Integration For Equations Of Motion, Nathan W. Chapman

All Master's Theses

Physical simulations always need to balance accuracy and run-time. This work implements the Parareal Algorithm using graphics processing units across a distributed system to accurately simulate time-dependent physics while attempting to minimize runtime. Data-transfer latency is identified as the primary bottleneck, for which mitigation methods are provided. Benchmarks comparing single-GPU and distributed implementations on a spectrum of coarse and fine discretizations are analyzed.

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.

Personalized Physics Learning Through Ai: Insights From Problem Generation, Chatbot Dialogues, And Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Atharva Dange

Physics Dissertations - Archive

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to transform science education, yet questions remain on how best to integrate these technologies into teaching and learning. This dissertation investigates the use of AI-driven tools in university physics courses through three complementary studies. In the first study, a generative language model (ChatGPT) was used to create novel physics homework problems aligned with course objectives. Analysis showed that, after expert vetting, AI-generated questions can foster higher-order problem-solving and reduce student reliance on solution memorization, though careful instructor oversight is required to ensure accuracy. The second study embedded an AI chatbot as a learning aid in …