Mechanical Topological Insulators

 Mechanical Topological Insulators Jacob Moran with Harsh Mathur In this project we will study mechanical topological insulators. Yu and Mathur have found that the elastic modes of bilayer graphene are analogous to the electronic states of topological insulators. Using a continuum elasticity model they find that the elastic waves are...

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Investigating the Durability and Reliability of PERC Solar Cells with Accelerated Weathering

Trey Wager with Roger French Investigating the Durability and Reliability of PERC Solar Cells with Accelerated Weathering Abstract - PERC (passivated emitter rear cell) monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic cells have higher efficiency than Al-BSF (aluminum back surface field) silicon photovoltaic cells, but these new PERC cell designs do not have well established...

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Analyzing the Internal Structure of Bulk Metallic Glasses through X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) Spectroscopy

Hanyu (Alice) Zhang with  Jennifer Carter Analyzing the Internal Structure of Bulk Metallic Glasses through X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) Spectroscopy This project is aimed at using computational tools to see if current theory predicts the changes in XAFS spectra seen in experimental data. The objective of this project is to analyze...

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Characterization of Gas-Liquid Interfaces in Passive Cyclonic Separators

Ru-Ching Chen with Yasuhiro Kamotani (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) Characterization of Gas-Liquid Interfaces in Passive Cyclonic Separators Two-phase flows and their separation is an important research topic as many spacecraft require such functionality to remain operational. These systems are not required on earth due to the existence of buoyancy. Cyclonic...

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