Evaluating the Stability of Electroweak Stars

Benjamin Elder with Glenn StarkmanEvaluating the Stability of Electroweak StarsIt is believed that at extremely high temperatures a process called electroweak burning can occur wherein 9 quarks become 3 leptons.  Experimental evidence of this process is desired, yet even the most powerful particle accelerators are unable to create the...

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Optogenetic Muscle Fiber Recruitment

David Dashevsky with Dominique Durand (Biomedical Engineering)Optogenetic Muscle Fiber RecruitmentModern neural implants and stimulation devices that restore function to disabled patients utilize controlled currents that interact with voltage-gated ion channels lining a cell membrane. The recently-created field of optogenetics studies a new and alternative form of interacting with excitable...

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Modeling of Semiconducting Cylindrical Nanowires

Thomas Birkel with Walther LambrechtModeling of Semiconducting Cylindrical NanowiresRecently, advances have been made to create nanowires that are also ferromagnetic, creating the potential to apply these nanowires to spintronic technology.  The crystalline structure grown this way is cylindrical in shape, thereby requiring a cylindrical model to accurately determine the...

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Surface Memory Effect for Liquid Crystals

Frederick Davey with Charles Rosenblatt Surface Memory Effect for Liquid Crystals Samples of liquid crystals are prepared by sandwiching two pieces of glass coated with a polymer, and inserting the liquid crystals in between. The polymers act to orient the liquid crystal molecules relative to the glass surface, however not all...

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Role of Cellular Mg2+ in Modulating Collagen Deposition and Interleukin Release in Ito and Kupffer Cells

Steven Ewart with Andrea Romani (SOM, Dept. of Physiology & Biophysics) Role of Cellular Mg2+ in Modulating Collagen Deposition and Interleukin Release in Ito and Kupffer Cells Introduction: Magnesium ion (Mg2+) is the second most abundant cation after potassium within mammalian cells, including liver cells. At the cellular level, Mg2+ has...

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Design and Construction of Optical Concentrators

Matthew Hakes with Corbin Covault Design and Construction of Optical Concentrators When ultra high energy particles strike the upper atmosphere, they emit Cherenkov radiation.  By studying the radiation, we hope to determine the direction of their travel and ultimately where they come from which is currently unknown.  Optical concentrators are used...

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