Rachel Benish with Corbin CovaultSTACEE Experiment Data Calibration Based on the STACEE Atmosptheric MonitorCrucial to the STACEE experiment is the ability to distinguish Cherenkov pulses of light from the night sky background. This project will further the work of Joshua Boehm, begun in 2002, to select and calibrate quality...
2004
Zachary Berkowitz with John RuhlDesign, Fabrication and Testing of Suspended Millimeter-wave AbsorbersResearch into the nature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is an ongoing field of study. New designs and new materials for detectors which promise better results are being developed and modeled for use in upcoming experiments. However,...
Nicholas Borchers with Lawrence KraussEfficacy of Ground-based Supernova Searches to Distinguish Between Dark Energy ModelsRecent evidence, obtained from measurements of distant type Ia supernovae, indicates that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. A new component called dark energy is presumed to cause this acceleration, and its origin and...
Stephanie Bush with Chris Mihos (astronomy)Probing the Structure of Galaxies Using Tidal DebrisThe properties of tidal tails in colliding galaxies are sensitive to the structure of the progenitor disk galaxies. We will use simulations of colliding galaxies to study whether or not galactic disks with short truncation radii (as...
Jeremy Cuson with Harsh MathurPrimality Testing with Quantum ComputersTo date there has been only one significant number theoretic algorithm developed for a hypothetical quantum computer, Shor’s algorithm, which allows one to factor large primes. The task of this project would be to ascertain the usefulness of a quantum computer...
Benjamin Davidson with Joel Langer, Mathematics, & Harsh MathurCircle Geometry and Time-Resolved CrystallographyTime-resolved crystallography has the ability to show the structure of reactants, intermediates, and products of a reaction. The images that arise often have patterns of circles in them. It may be possible to establish a link between...
Matt Finnerty with Robert BrownOn New Methods to Improve the Way We Learn and Their Relationship to NeuroscienceOver the past decade, there have been many developments in the methods used to present the subject of physics to students. Some examples of the latest techniques include interactive lecture demonstrations focusing...
Jeremiah Garretson with Philip TaylorFeasibility of DC Transmission of Electricity In today's world, alternating current (AC) is the norm for transmission of electrical power. This has been true since the days of Westinghouse and Edison. However, new discoveries have made the possibility of direct current (DC) transmission of electricity much...
Benjamin Johnson with Cyrus TaylorAdvanced Hydrofoil SystemsIn standard boating design, the hull of the boat is pushed through the water by the propulsion system. The result of this is that most of the energy is used to displace this water. Hydrofoils seek to overcome this drag by lifting the...
Sam Khamis with John RuhlDesign, Fabrication and Testing of a Superconducting Transition Edge BolometerBolometers provide the most accurate measurements of electro-magnetic radiation in the range from 200µm to 3mm. This range is of particular interest to the study of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Superconducting Bolometers provide an enticing...