Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS National Mentoring Community Conference
Friday–Sunday, October 21–23, 2016; Houston
Session Poster: Poster Session - (4:30 pm - 5:50 pm) |
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Room: UHSC S. Ballroom West |
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Poster.00001: Collapse of Axion Stars Madelyn Leembruggen, Joshua Eby, Peter Suranyi, Rohana Wijewardhana Axion stars, gravitationally bound states of low-energy axion particles, have a maximum mass allowed by gravitational stability. Weakly bound states obtaining this maximum mass have large radii, and as a result, they are dilute and are well described by a leading-order expansion of the axion potential. Heavier states are susceptible to gravitational collapse. Higher-order interactions, present in the full potential, can give qualitatively different results in the analysis of collapsing heavy states, as compared to the leading-order expansion. In this work, we find that collapsing axion stars are stabilized by repulsive interactions present in the full potential, and thus collapsing axion stars do not form black holes. These dense configurations, which are the endpoints of collapse, have extremely high binding energy, and as a result, decay through number changing $3\,a\rightarrow a$ interactions with an extremely short lifetime. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00002: The Effects of Doping to Create PN and PIN CdZnTe Diodes for CdZnTe Gamma Detectors Stephanie Morris, Lars Voss, Tim Graff, Steve Payne, Arnold Burger Bulk leakage and surface leakage current remain as issues for the deployment of CdZnTe gamma detectors. Electronic noise dominates at important low gamma energies, and surface and bulk leakage current limits the performance of the coplanar grid readout. Through the use of PN and PIN diodes, both surface and bulk leakage currents can be reduced. This was observed through the doping of a CdZnTe gamma detector with Aluminum and Phosphorus by means of ion implantation at elevated temperatures. For this project, in particular, other elements were used as dopants for CdZnTe gamma detectors to observe whether such elements serve as better bulk and surface leakage current reduction agents. As a result, initial current voltage measurements of dopant implanted CdZnTe gamma detectors indicated that boron and aluminum are highly effective dopants. Thus, for future testing plans, a boron implanted CdZnTe gamma detector performance measurement is of priority. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00003: Evaluation of Storage Oil Moisture Content for Strontium Iodide and other Hygroscopic Crystals Nadia Francis, Emmanuel Rowe, Pijush Bhattacharya, Brandon Goodwin, Vladimir Buliga, Keivan Stassun, Arnold Burger Many of the existing high performance inorganic scintillators are hygroscopic and are typically stored in oil to avoid interaction with moisture. However, it has been found that over time crystals stored in oil deteriorate due to moisture within the oil. The goal for this research project is to measure the moisture content in light mineral oil, heavy mineral oil, silicone oil, and paraffin oil typically used to store crystals, as well as to analyze the effect of these various types of oil on the optical transmission of strontium iodide crystals. To measure moisture content in the oils, a Water Test Kit from Sandy Brae Labs was used with a modified procedure to insure saturation. A treatment was developed to significantly reduce the innate moisture in oils. Heavy mineral oil was found to have the lowest innate moisture content, but with the use of the developed oil treatment, the moisture content of light mineral was reduced by 86{\%} to a final value of 18 ppm. This study is still in progress and future work includes evaluating the effects of the oil on the crystals. Based on preliminary results, it appears that the treated light mineral oil will cause the least amount of deterioration in the crystal's optical transmission. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00004: Archaeomagnetism for the Middle Neolithic Period in Central China Nicolas Santiago, Shuhui Cai, Lisa Tauxe, Weilin Wang, Liping Yang, Yongxin Pan, Chenlong Deng, Huafeng Qin, Rixiang Zhu The Earth's geomagnetic field is a basic physical field with a history of 3.5 Ga. This is a window to the evolution of life on the Earth, which is important for uses such as shielding part of cosmic radiation. This study is an attempt to create a time sequence in which the geomagnetic field can be recorded through history. With a clear depiction of what the geomagnetic field has done, it is possible to detect the evolution history of the geomagnetic field and its benefit to learning the living environment on the Earth. The materials used contain magnetic particles that can record information from the field when they are subjected to high temperatures, then cool down. This study is part of a larger project, `Archaeomagnetism in China'. The aim is to recover the history of the geomagnetic field over the past 10,000 years in Eastern Asia. The samples come from Yang-guan-zhai, located in China. Through repeating the process in which the samples gained their natural remanent magnetization in the laboratory, we can obtain the intensity of the ancient field. After a detailed archaeointensity study, we can expect to establish a paleointensity variation between 4000-3500 BCE in this area. This will improve the regional model of the geomagnetic field in Eastern Asia. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00005: Student Instrumentation in Atmospheric Profiling Megan Pina This project was twofold to test the feasibility of student made hardware and to teach students more about atmospheric instrumentation by providing students with education and materials, instructing them in design and building of hardware, and testing the hardware against commercial models in terms of weight, cost, and features. The Gaseous Compounds team of the University of Houston Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) selected the parts and the students of the team assembled the payload. The payload launched on a latex balloon in Fairbanks, Alaska. The instrument gathered data on the concentration of certain gases in the atmosphere as well as a meteorological profile of the atmosphere. The instrument collected data on carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone, as well as temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. The data was stored on an SD card. Further modification is currently being done to the instrument to allow it to transmit the data to a ground team. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00006: A New Approach on Sampling Microorganisms from the Lower Stratosphere Kiana Garcia Darlington, Bryan Gunawan, Jamie Lehnen, John Prince, Ciara Lalata The Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) research group at the University of Houston will attempt to provide a cross-sectional analysis of microorganisms in the lower stratosphere by collecting samples using a lightweight, balloon-borne payload. Previous active and passive collection attempts have been made using low-pressure pumps and varying filtration mechanisms to physically capture the organisms. However, the results of these experiments were usually invalidated because of inadequate sterilization and subsequent contamination of the samples. Our research group will circumnavigate these issues by constructing an efficient suctioning device for sample intake and by using a polyphasic sterilization approach to ensure the validity of the samples. Thermal, pressure, and altitude sensors, powered and controlled by an Arduino microprocessor, are included in the design for data storage and for redundancy measure in case of instrumentation failure. Our expectation of the experiment is to recover at least seven microorganisms per cubic meter of air, which will then be analyzed for their radiation resistance and other traits that enable survival in a low-pressure and low temperature environment. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00007: Studying Atmospheric Gravity Waves Through Airglow Anthony Martinez, Itay Porat, Tu Van Nguyen This research is conducted as part of the Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) at the University of Houston. The topic of interest is the detection of gravity waves through visible patterns in atmospheric airglow. Previous research has associated gravity waves with weather and geologic events such as tsunamis, thunderstorms, earthquakes and volcanic activity. As gravity waves propagate through the layers of the atmosphere they alter the light emission intensities of airglow molecules such as the hydroxyl radical and atomic oxygen. The team is working to develop an all-sky imager that would detect such fluctuations in airglow intensity. In the coming months we will integrate the appropriate combination of lenses and filters to our sCMOS camera that will enable the imaging of airglow and detection of gravity waves. Analysis of the wave patterns can help understand how natural phenomena creates gravity waves and potentially predict weather and geologic hazards. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00008: Results from the USIP-UH contribution to the BARREL-4 campaign Christian Behrend, Michael Greer, Edgar Bering, Samar Mathur, Maria Lalata The Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) at the University of Houston sent a team to the Esrange Space Center near Kiruna, Sweden to participate in NASA/Dartmouth's BARREL-4 campaign in August 2016. One of the USIP experiments sent was a Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio receiver for measuring the VLF emissions associated with electron precipitation. The experiment was intended to complement the BARREL team's primary instrument: a MeV X-Ray Scintillation Counter. The VLF receiver consists of a magnetic air-core loop antenna coupled with a transformer with an integrating pre-amp which outputs to the left channel of a standard music recorder. The right channel recorded a time-code signal in the IRIG-B format generated by a separate time-code encoder circuit. The presentation will include a summary of observations. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00009: Total Electron Content and Tomography of the Ionosphere Brett Velasquez, Edgar Bering This research was conducted with the BARREL-4, 2016 campaign in Kiruna, Sweden by TEC/Tomography team within University of Houston's Undergraduate Scientific Instrumentation Project (USIP). Our team launched a balloon payload that monitored electron precipitation and microblasts along the van Allen probes on the radiation belts. The phenomena was measured with a dual frequency GPS receiver in conjunction with satellites within the atmosphere. The data from the receiver consisted of pseudorange measurements, doppler frequency, positional data of the payload, phase measurements, signal strength, and the corresponding satellite numbers for each data set. The .jps file from the receiver was the run through the program jps2RIN, taking the file from its original format to the RINEX data format. The resulting RINEX file was then run through GPS Tool Kit which calculated TEC values in TECU units and ionospheric intercept angles. The findings are presented as a latitude vs. longitude graph showing position of ionospheric interception of the signal between receiver and satellite, as well as the angle of interception the signal made with the ionosphere, where coloring represents density of electrons. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00010: Detector Orientation Star Tracker Michelle Nowling, Luis Victor, Minh Pham, Tri Nguyen Detector orientation has an invaluable role in the analysis of physical phenomena. People have developed numerous devices such as the GPS and star trackers to aid them in their quest for better attitude determination. However, the star tracker has proved so reliable that it is used in current space missions due to its ability to obtain full three-axes attitude, or orientation, with greater accuracy and flexibility in comparison to other attitude determining systems. As part of the Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) at the University of Houston, we aim to build a low-mass and low-cost star tracker. Through image segmentation and morphological image processing, our star tracker will be able to configure star coordinates by comparing and matching real-time data photos with an established star catalog. The star tracker will then determine the attitude of its body frame through quaternionic analysis, in which the angular changes of the initial orientation in 3-D space are found. This poster will present the general knowledge about star trackers including their operation, basic components, and the fundamental star-based attitude determination algorithms. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00011: High Altitude DC Electric Field Measurements Using Balloons Christopher Bias Electric fields can be used to provide explanations for various phenomena such as upper atmospheric lightning and aurora. Latex balloons will be used to fly a Langmuir double probe in Houston, Texas, and possibly in Fairbanks, Alaska. Special attention will be paid to orientation as to measure the correct component of E depending on the flight location and expected observable phenomena. The probes will be coated in an Aquadag mixture and held 6 ft from the central payload by carbon fiber tubes. This will be a continuation of the Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP): Project Ultralight, in which scientific balloons were flown with the expectation of improving old instruments, testing current methods, and producing new technologies while keeping mass costs under 6 kg. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00012: Gas Analysis using Auroral Spectroscopy Michel Medellin, George Thomas, Marc Alozie The Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) at the University of Houston is sending an Auroral Spectroscopy team to Alaska in March 2017. The team has designed a balloon-borne payload that contains a spectroscope connected to a Newtonian telescope to analyze the light gathered from the aurora.The light gathered will be lead through a set of 1 inch lenses towards a 1200 grooves/mm grating. A SONY Alpha A6000 camera is at a specific angle so that the grating will separate the light into its visible component wavelengths. Once the pictures are retrieved from the camera, they will be analyzed through MATLAB. Uisng the Boltzmann factor and the Saha equation, the team will analyze the gathered spectral line data to determine the temperature of excited gasses. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00013: Laguerre-Gaussian Mode Discrimination with a Fabry-Perot Interferometer Ashley Carlson, Eric Hazlett Higher transverse modes may enable the laser trapping of atoms in a variety of different geometries. One such family of modes is the Laguerre-Gaussian modes. To create these modes, we use a Digital Mircomirror Device (DMD) and a computer-generated interference pattern. This interference pattern does not create a pure mode in the laser beam profile. We employ a scanning Fabry-Perot resonator to filter the laser beam profile and clean the mode. In scanning the resonator, we characterize and optimize the laser resonator cavity. With this cavity, we see evidence of the discrimination of higher order modes. The next steps will be to lock the resonator to a specific mode via the Pound-Drever-Hall technique and to look into optimizing the interference patterns to improve the isolation of the appropriate mode. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00014: Capacitive Property of Phosphatic Clay-Diatom Medley Dieff Vital, Dalton Reith, Christopher Coughlin, Ryan Integlia, Sesha Srinivasan, Brian Birky, Gary Albarelli, Paul Defino, Sarah A Spaulding, Melba D. Horton Previous reports have shown that about 10000 acres of land in Florida are covered with phosphatic clay. Most of these are found in Polk County with no apparent agricultural use due to its poor quality. Nonetheless, recent laboratory experimentation has shown clay materials with high capacitance and temperature resistance for potential industrial applications. Diatoms are microscopic algae with transparent cell walls made of amorphous silica. This study aims to investigate the electrical properties of phosphatic clay and how its capacitance is mediated by the addition of diatoms with a view towards sustainable energy utilization. Phosphatic clay obtained from settling areas of Polk County was weighed and mixed with the diatom, \textit{Aulacoseira} in a 90:10 ratio. The mixture was homogenized and oven-dried at 210\textdegree C. Consequently, the dried sample was pelletized and the top and bottom surfaces coated with silver paint. Three pellets were prepared as replicates and the capacitance was measured using a Handheld LCR Meter. Results showed that at 100Hz, the average capacitance of 5g of clay pressed at 8000psi is 27.33nF and 29.33nF the clay is mixed with diatoms. When the weight was cut by half, the average capacitances are respectively 46.67nF and 48.24nF for the same frequency and pressure. Thus, the addition of diatoms appears to enhance the capacitive property of phosphatic clay. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00015: Corona Discharge Contributions to the Tropospheric Ozone Budget Gilbert Rivera, Gary Morris, Paul Walter, Alex Kotsakis In the troposphere, ozone can form via reactions of hydrocarbons and NO$_x$ in the presence of sunlight. Ozone can also be formed from corona discharges, which are caused when hydrometeors (i.e., ice crystals, ice pellets, or hailstones) approach each other. This leads to significant ionization of the air around the hydrometeors and causes charges to separate in the clouds, which may assist in the production of tropospheric ozone. On September 5, 2013, in Houston, balloon measurements showed high levels of ozone during the ascent as a storm was approaching and low levels during the descent less than two hours later. Our hypothesis is that on days similar to September 5, 2013, the high levels of ozone are a result of the corona discharges in the clouds before a storm. We determine the frequency of such events by analyzing a large data set from Huntsville, AL. In addition, we investigate the contributions due to corona discharges on the tropospheric ozone budget. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00016: Signal Phasing System for Dual Antenna Dutch Akana NASA’s Radio JOVE project uses a manual phasing system in dual dipole configuration which the operator will change the length of one of the transmission cables on a dipole to adjust the phase of a signal to be aligned with the same signal received from another antenna. My signal phasing device will be an electronic system which is placed between the transmission lines of the antennae to continually adjust this signal without manually changing the cable lengths. As the object moves across the sky, the system will provide a more accurate path-length difference for tracking, this will increase the accuracy of beam steering and allow students to remotely operate Radio JOVE with increased accuracy. NASA operates and/or funds many antenna arrays’ used in the pursuit of space exploration and knowledge of our universe. Radio JOVE could be useful in supporting the Juno mission as it’s designed to gather Jovani emission centered around 20.1MHz so improving the current design could be beneficial to scientist. In order to complete the project, it requires foundational knowledge in antenna theory and signal processing used by these antenna arrays to be completed. These concepts are use within industries which support NASA’s space goals. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00017: Design and Development of a Photocatalyst and a Photocatalytic Reactor for Azo-dye Remediation in Water Ecieno Carmona, Laura Wemple, Sesha Srinivasan, Scott Wallen This sustainability project focuses on ways to make drinkable water from water contaminated with textile dyes. Textile dyes are not easily filtered out with traditional methods, so we are exploring the use of UV light to break down azo-dyes, a type of highly resistant organic pollutant, in water. We have carried out photocatalytic trials on a series of doped TiO2 to determine which doping agents might increase TiO2's sensitivity to visible light. The Nano-Ag TiO2 catalyst showed the most promise under visible light irradiation when compared to the plain TiO2. The reproducibility checks and analysis on this compound is currently underway. To run these tests, a photocatalytic reactor was created. It uses 4x100W halogen bulbs with a radiator running a continual stream of cool water to combat the heat created by these bulbs. We pump air and use a stirring rod to aid in the oxidation process. Starting from a basic design, we evolved the system to shield the light, to protect others working in the lab while the reactor was running. The design was printed at Florida Polytechnic's 3d printing lab. The design was refined over time, including using a laser cut acrylic top, which better withstood the rising heat from the bulbs. Future refinements include a new setup that uses a smaller sample size for testing and a system that recycles the water used for cooling and can work with constant flowing water so the UV filtering would no longer have to be done in batches. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00018: Binary Stars in Planetary Nebulae and the Origins of Temperature Fluctuations Cristien Arzate, Manuel Bautista, Ehab Elhoussieny Planetary nebulae are aging stars in the process of becoming supergiants surrounded by a sphere of expanding gas plasma. Certain observed planetary nebulae exhibit temperature fluctuations that are unexplained by current models, which assume that the nebulae are in a steady-ionization state by UV radiation from a single central star. We propose that the observed temperature fluctuations are caused by an eclipsing binary star system, such that UV radiation is not constant and the conditions of the plasma are time-dependent. Our model simulates conditions that produce ionization intensities from HII, HeII, NII, OIII, and SIII that vary with time. By comparing the intensities produced by our model to intensities observed astronomically, we expect to resolve the origin of the observed temperature fluctuations. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00019: Study of Kepler Exoplanet Data Stephen Denny, Russell Sexton, Akhtar Mahmood, Muhammad Saleem We have studied the Exoplanet data collected by the Kepler Telescope. The Kepler data contains information on 4696 exoplanet candidates, 2294 of which have been confirmed by Kepler. Kepler used the transit method to detect the exoplanets in and near the habitable zone (HZ) of solar-type (G) stars in the Milky Way galaxy by observing repeated transit of planets- periodic dimming (a slight reduction in the star's apparent magnitude) which is caused by extrasolar planets when they cross in front of their host stars. We have characterized the 2294 confirmed Kepler exoplanets into five categories- Earth-size, Super-Earth size, Neptune-size, Jupiter-size, and Larger than Jupiter-size. We will also present the charts/plots of the confirmed exoplanets in terms of Exoplanet Radii Relative to Earth Radius vs Earth Mass, Orbital Period in Earth Days vs. Earth Mass, Orbital Distance from their Host Stars vs. Earth Mass, Exoplanet Radii Relative to Jupiter Radius vs. Jupiter Mass, Orbital Period in Earth Days vs, Jupiter Mass, Orbital Distance from their Host Stars vs. Jupiter Mass, Size (Radius) Relative to Earth vs. Orbital Period in Days, and the Orbital Distances of the Confirmed Exoplanets (Kepler 1b -- Kepler 1647b) from their Host Stars. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00020: Environmental Monitoring with Wireless Sensor Networks Eric Vickers, Paul Luckey, Ezequiel Garcia, Joseph Prine, Ryan Integlia, Harish Chintakunta In a collaboration project with Skanska Construction, students at Florida Polytechnic University were given an opportunity to create a system that would monitor different conditions at construction sites close to areas actively serving patients. Our research brings together state-of-practice technologies in an efficient way to reduce the cost of environmental monitoring. We monitor differential pressure, vibration, noise, and particulates in the air. Our sensor node consists of a microcontroller that receives the data from the sensors, turns the data into packets, and transmits to a central receiving node with a radio communication device. The central receiving node parses, stores, and processes the data for visualization. We have completed and tested the proof of concept and our current efforts include field testing and calibration of the sensors. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00021: Determination of M and K dwarf Effective Temperature, Radius, Mass and Metallicity Using a Data-driven Spectral Model by the Cannon Brianna Galgano, Keivan Stassun, Barbara Rojas-Ayala, Saurav Dhital M and K dwarfs can host complex molecules (CaH, TiO) in their outer layers that can be used to estimate stellar metallicity, a likely indicator of exoplanets in a stellar system. However, these chemical abundances make their spectra particularly complicated to analyze with their overlapping spectral lines and and lack of a well defined continuum. Synthetic spectral modeling is able to extrapolate characteristics of low dwarfs stars from their spectra. Yet, utilizing synthetic models is limited by the physics knowledge of spectroscopy and is not an efficient method computationally when handling large-scale astronomical surveys. The Cannon is a solution to these difficulties. It is a machine learning program that trains itself to read defined stellar spectra so that it can infer stellar characteristics from unprocessed spectra. We have successfully prepared a set of 183 M and K dwarf stars so that the Cannon would be able to infer the four basic properties ($T_{eff}$, radius, mass, and [Fe/H]) of uncharacterized spectra from low-mass dwarfs. We have found that the Cannon performs the best at when given the largest possible range of wavelengths (0.4 to 2.4 microns for our spectra) and with an automated continuum normalization process conducted with IDL packaging. [Preview Abstract] |
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Poster.00022: Terahertz Pulse Generation from a 200 kHz Femtosecond Laser Steven Solis, Jonathan Nesper, Aitor Sanjuan, John Beetar, Shima Gholam-Mirzaei, Michael Chini Using a LiNbO3 crystal and the pulse front tilt technique, we designed a setup for THz pulse generation at high repetition rate. A Yb:KGW amplifier produces 1030nm, 280 fs pulses with 20 W average power, from which THz radiation is generated at repetition rates ranging from 50-200 kHz. [Preview Abstract] |
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