Physics Commons^™

The Effect Of Project-Based Learning Model On Entrepreneurship (Pjbl-E) With A Deep Learning Approach On Students' Problem-Solving And Cognitive Skills, Ricce Oktasari, Irwandi Irwandi, Siti Darwa Suryani

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

This study aims to examine the effect of the Entrepreneurship-based Project Based Learning (PjBL-E) model integrated with a pedagogical Deep Learning approach on students’ problem-solving skills and cognitive learning outcomes in biology learning. The novelty of this study lies in the integration of entrepreneurship values and pedagogical deep learning principles into Project Based Learning to create contextual and meaningful learning experiences. Entrepreneurship integration encourages students to develop innovative products, identify real-world problems, and apply biological concepts in practical and socio-economic contexts. Meanwhile, the pedagogical Deep Learning approach promotes reflective thinking, conceptual understanding, critical analysis, and the ability to connect theory …

Student Worksheets Based On The Local Wisdom Of Besilek Serawai For Sixth-Grade Elementary Science Learning, Mice Agustin, Tomi Hidayat, Irwandi Irwandi

Jurnal Pendidikan Sains

This study aims to develop a Student Worksheet (Lembar Kerja Peserta Didik [LKPD]) based on the local wisdom of Besilek Serawai for sixth-grade elementary science education and to evaluate its validity. The study employed the ADDIE development model, consisting of five stages: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate. The developed LKPD integrates Besilek Serawai, a traditional martial art of the Seluma community, with the concept of the human locomotor system in science instruction. The worksheet was validated by two subject-matter experts and two media experts. Material validation yielded an average score of 4.26, equivalent to a validity percentage of 85.2%, …

Direct Minimization Of Hartree-Fock-Roothaan Energy Functionals Using Derivative-Free Optimization Algorithms: A Case Study On The Use Of Noninteger Slater-Type Orbitals, Ali̇ Bağci

Turkish Journal of Physics

This study presents an evaluation of derivative-free optimization algorithms for the direct minimization of Hartree−Fock−Roothaan energy functionals involving nonlinear orbital parameters and noninteger-order quantum numbers. The analysis focuses on atomic calculations employing noninteger Slater-type orbitals. Analytic derivatives of the energy functional are not readily available for these orbitals. Four methods are investigated under identical numerical conditions: Powell’s conjugate−direction method, the Nelder−Mead simplex algorithm, coordinate-based pattern search, and a model-based algorithm utilizing radial basis functions for surrogate-model construction. Performance analysis is first carried out using the Powell singular function, a well-established test case exhibiting challenging properties, including Hessian singularity at the …

Robust Real-Time Uav Target Tracking With Onboard Vision-Based Yaw Control, Rylan Malarchick, Jose Castelblanco, Enrique Amaya, Carmen Dimario, Graysen Brinkman, Chirag Kumar, Kiwon Yoon, Sajid Berhane

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

Autonomous tracking of agile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) presents significant challenges for real-time perception and control systems. This work presents AIRHOUND (Autonomous Intelligent Rotorcraft for Hostile Object Unified Navigation and Detection), a UAV platform implementing vision-based yaw tracking through a modular ROS2 software architecture. The system employs YOLOv8 object detection optimized with NVIDIA TensorRT for embedded deployment on an NVIDIA Jetson Orin companion computer. Detected targets are processed through a geometric tracking module that converts pixel coordinates to angular yaw errors using pinhole camera intrinsics, with a proportional controller generating rate-limited yaw commands. These commands are streamed to a PX4 …

Engineering Nanoelectrocatalytic Systems For Co2 And Nitrate Conversion Into Value-Added Chemicals, Abdelrahman Mohamed Abdelmohsen

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis addresses two major related environmental crises: nitrate pollution of water systems and the ever-increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Both challenges are closely linked to anthropogenic disturbance of nitrogen and carbon cycles and require sustainable, energy efficient mitigation techniques. In this study, we investigate electrochemical conversion routes as a unified approach to convert these pollutants into value-added compounds: ammonia (NH3) via nitrate reduction (NO3-RR) and ethylene (C2H4) via carbon dioxide reduction (CO2RR). The first half of this work deals with the design and engineering of Cu-Zn alloy electrocatalysts for efficient NO3-RR. Tuning the alloy composition and surface nanostructure …

Rapid-Prototyping Nanofabrication: Lcd-Based Projection Lithography And Physical Vapor Deposition, Sabeel Saleem Mohammmed

University Honors Theses

The semiconductor industry's continued growth, driven in large part by demand for artificial intelligence hardware, has highlighted the need for greater workforce development in regions adjacent to major fabrication centers like Oregon's Silicon Forest. This capstone project lays the groundwork for a small scale and student led semiconductor fabrication lab at Portland State University by demonstrating two of the core steps in chip manufacturing: photolithography and thin film deposition. Rather than relying on conventional fixed reticles, this work explores a unique, low cost approach to patterning that uses an ultraviolet-compatible liquid crystal display (LCD) as a programmable reticle, allowing arbitrary …

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 …

Structure Functions For The Inclusive Semileptonic B-Quark Decay At Nnlo: A Semi-Analytic Calculation, A. Broggio, B. Capdevila, A. Ferroglia, P. Gambino

Publications and Research

We present a study of the inclusive charmless semileptonic b decay, b → X_uℓv at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in perturbative QCD, with the primary aim of extracting the hadronic structure functions Wi at NNLO. The analysis is based on a numerical calculation of the relevant kinematic distributions using a phase-space slicing method to handle infrared-sensitive contributions from real gluon emissions. We use known results from Heavy Quark Effective Theory and Soft-Collinear Effective Theory to extract the singular terms and construct a model for the regular contributions to the structure functions at NNLO, then perform a fit to the …

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 …

Investigating Broadband Plasma Waves As A Driver Of Radiation Belt Energetic Electron Loss To Earth's Atmosphere, Lauren Zanarini

Physics and Astronomy Undergraduate Senior Theses

Wave-particle interactions play a central role in transferring energy between different particle populations in space plasmas. In the radiation belts, these interactions govern the acceleration, scattering, and loss of energetic particles to Earth’s atmosphere. Understanding the drivers of these energetic particle losses is essential, as these particles can collide with satellites and contribute to ozone depletion as they enter the atmosphere. Developing a clearer picture of these processes will improve our ability to predict radiation belt variability and quantify the impacts, ultimately allowing us to mitigate the adverse effects.

Previous research has identified wave modes important for scattering electrons into …

Pedersen By Proxy: Neutral Wind Drivers Of The Magnetosphere, Shreya Gandhi

Physics and Astronomy Undergraduate Senior Theses

Measurements of Saturn’s radio and magnetic periodicities suggest that atmospheric forcing influences the magnetosphere-coupled current systems on the planet (Gurnett et al., 2007). A proposed mechanism for this phenomenon is that thermospheric heating drives strong neutral winds which drag ionospheric plasma and generate currents that close along magnetic field lines (Smith, 2011). However, the local current-closure physics of these processes is di!cult to isolate in global Saturn models even if they suggest neutral wind forcing is a plausible driver for these changes (Jia et al., 2012). This thesis uses the Earth-based auroral GEMINI (Geospace Environment Model of Ion-Neutral Interactions) model …

Tracing The Seam: Machine Learning Models Of The Open–Closed Boundary From Upstream Solar Wind Drivers, Arnav Singh

Physics and Astronomy Undergraduate Senior Theses

The open–closed magnetic field line boundary (OCB) demarcates closed terrestrial field lines from those threaded into the interplanetary medium, and its latitude encodes the instantaneous balance between dayside and nightside reconnection that governs much of the high-latitude space-weather hazard. No single instrument resolves it globally in real time. In this thesis I close that gap empirically. Pairing nearly three decades (1983–2012) of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program particle-precipitation boundaries with the 5-minute OMNI solar-wind and geomagnetic-index record yields ∼9.1×10⁵ causally matched crossings, partitioned into six hemispheric/MLT sectors after a |MLat| ≥ 40° physics cut.

On this corpus I train three …

The Method Of Periodic Averaging Applied To Reduced Coupled Mode Theory Models For Fiber Laser Amplifiers, Rebecca Nicole Bryant

Dissertations and Theses

Fiber laser amplifier (FLA) models are often implemented without rigorous mathematical justification or thorough numerical validation. Without a proper theoretical basis for assumptions and approximations, or a technical analysis of model performance, there is significant uncertainty about the limitations of any given reduced model and its suitability for an application. This research aims to address the lack of comprehensive assessment of FLA models by directly comparing distinct models and recommending a mathematical alternative to replace heuristic model-reduction techniques. The work in this dissertation is divided into two projects: a comparative study that uses existing FLA models to assess the validity …

Flagellar Coordination In A Swimming Multicellular Bacterium, Erandi Sachinthanie Imiya Mudiyanselage, Melina Mati, Alexander P. Petroff

Physics

Microbial locomotion is well understood when cells use either a small number of flagella or a high density of cilia. However many microbes live in an intermediate regime where coordination strategies such as flagellar bundles and metachronal waves are not possible. The mechanisms by which such organisms coordinate the motion of their swimming appendages are not well understood. Here, we study the only known obligatory multicellular bacterium, which are of the genus Magnetoglobus. Cells of this genus live exclusively in spherical communities called consortia, which are composed of a monolayer of tens of cells. Approximately a thousand of flagella project …

Detectability Of Polarized Γ-Ray Emission From Blazar Flares With Cosi, Garrett A. Latiolais, Jorge Otero-Santos, Michela Negro, Lea Marcotulli, Mohammad Ali Boroumand, Savitri Gallego, Tiffany Lewis, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

We investigate the detectability of polarized γ-ray emission from blazar flares with the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI). Using 17 yr of Fermi Large Area Telescope observations, we analyze light curves for 1413 blazars and identify a maximum of 787 sources with flaring episodes through Bayesian block analysis. For each flare, we estimate the minimum detectable polarization (MDP99%) in the COSI energy band (0.2–5 MeV) using instrument response functions under a range of spectral assumptions and background conditions. Under baseline background levels (1 count s⁻¹) and assuming that blazar flare statistics in the MeV band are comparable to …

Course Portfolio: Elements Of Physics Phys 151, Evan A. Rich

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio documents the instructional design, teaching methods, and ongoing assessment efforts for PHYS 151: Elements of Physics, an algebra-based introductory physics course at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The course serves a broad undergraduate population, including architecture, construction management, and life science majors. The portfolio describes the teaching framework that integrates pre-lecture video preparation, active in-class engagement through iClicker questions, and collaborative weekly recitation sections, all unified around a structured six-step problem-solving approach. A central concern of the course is building students’ self-efficacy in physics, particularly among those with math anxiety or limited preparation. Two assessments are reported: a …

Matching Two Long Interferometric Pathlengths Using Low Temporal Coherence Light For Finding Hong–Ou–Mandel Dip, Keith A. Wyman, Noah S. Everett, Anil K. Patnaik

Faculty Publications

Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) dip from a biphoton source in a two-photon interferometer provides a myriad of quantum tools for quantum communication and sensing. But the stringent requirements for spatial coherence between the photon pair makes it prohibitively difficult to observe high-fidelity HOM dip in long-distance free-space implementations, e.g., for the photon pairs involved in quantum communication need to match the two path lengths within a few 10 s of micron because of the short coherence width of the two-photon wave-packet. While many techniques for the pathlength balancing of two interferometric arms have been studied and applied extensively, such balancing is further …

Ab-Initio Investigation Of 2d Materials For Voc-Based Cancer Biomarker Detection And Hydrogen Storage Application, Ibrahim J.M. Alghoul

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This dissertation is motivated by two driving forces:
(i) the need for biosensors for early cancer diagnosis, and
(ii) the need for hydrogen storage materials to support a future energy hydrogen-based economy.
Throughout this thesis, both challenges were addressed using computational methods based upon density functional theory (DFT), as implemented in the Vienna Ab-initio Simulation Package (VASP), ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD), and thermodynamic analysis.

On the side of cancer biomarker detection, exhaled breath containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been shown to offer the analysis of a promising non-invasive diagnostic strategy. This thesis explored the functionalization of two distinct 2D …

Fabrication Of Two-Dimensional Optoelectrical Devices, Holly Walworth

Honors Projects

Optoelectrical devices enable the exploration of interesting quantum states observed in two-dimensional (2D) condensed material systems. 2D materials, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, exhibit unique electronic properties, including the Fractional Quantum Anomalous Hall effect (FQAHE). The realization of the FQAHE offers a pathway toward topological quantum computing via non-Abelian anyons. Still, fabricating high-quality 2D optoelectrical devices remains a significant experimental challenge. Using mechanical exfoliation and stacking techniques within an inert argon environment, we attempted to fabricate optoelectrical devices using twisted molybdenum ditelluride (tMoTe2) and gallium telluride (GaTe). Three devices were successfully assembled; however, structural defects including hexagonal boron …

Winddensity-Mbir: Model-Based Iterative Reconstruction For Wind Tunnel 3d Density Estimation, Karl J. Weisenburger, Gregery T. Buzzard, Charles A. Bouman, Matthew R. Kemnetz

Faculty Publications

Experimentalists often use wind tunnels to study aerodynamic turbulence, but most wind tunnel imaging techniques are limited in their ability to take non-invasive three-dimensional (3D) density measurements of turbulence. Wavefront tomography is a technique that uses multiple wavefront measurements from various viewing angles to non-invasively measure the 3D density field of a turbulent medium. Existing methods make strong assumptions, such as a spline basis representation, to address the ill-conditioned nature of this problem. We formulate this problem as a Bayesian, sparse-view tomographic reconstruction problem and develop a model-based iterative reconstruction algorithm for measuring the volumetric 3D density field inside a …