Bulletin of the American Physical Society
Joint Fall 2012 Meeting of the Texas Sections of the APS, AAPT, and Zone 13 of the SPS
Volume 57, Number 10
Thursday–Saturday, October 25–27, 2012; Lubbock, Texas
Session E9: Posters II: Outreach, PER, Atomic & Molecular Physics, General Physics (3:30pm - 5:45pm) |
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Chair: Charles W. Myles, Texas Tech University Room: Holiday Inn Towers Atrium |
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E9.00001: The Effect of Problems Format on Student's Answer Ganesh Chapagain, Beth Thacker We have analyzed the effect of problem format on students' answers to quiz questions. Students were given the same question in three different formats: calculate ranking and multiple choice ranking. We compared the correctness of the students' answers and the types of incorrect answers in each of the different formats. We also compared to a similar, previous study done with a different quiz question written in different formats: multiple choice, explain your reasoning and ranking. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00002: Effect of Humidity and Hydrophobicity on the Tribological Properties of Self-Assembled Monolayers Yen-Chih Liao, William Hargrove, Brandon Weeks In this study, the tribological properties of two distinctive alkanethiol SAMs, 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHA) and 1-octadecanethiol (ODT) on gold substrates in various humidity conditions were examined by lateral force microscopy (LFM). The results suggest that hydrophobic ODT SAM is insensitive to humidity. The difference of lateral force signal is within $\pm$10{\%} regardless of humidity. The lateral force signal of hydrophilic MHA SAMs has a significant decrease in signal in humid environments. The influence of bulk water was also investigated by LFM. By imaging under water, the capillary force is eliminated on ODT SAMs, which leads to a lower lateral force. However, the lateral force image was reversed on MHA SAMs, which suggested that hydrophobic forces dominated in water. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00003: Peer Pressure at Angelo State University Jeremy Johnson, Hardin Dunham, Toni Sauncy Since 2005 a select group of students from the Society of Physics Students at Angelo State University have joined together to form the basis of the organization's outreach program. This group is known as the Peer Pressure Team. Over the years this organization has performed at numerous outreach events, reaching tens-of-thousands of elementary, junior high, and high school students across the country. Each year for the last 7 years the Peer Pressure Team has traveled for a week to various schools performing for thousands of students. We present here the structure of the group, demonstrations, and methods for involving the groups presented to. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00004: A Study of Long Term Peer Engagement - The ALPHAS Program Ashley Wilson, Hardin Dunham We present the format, the engagement methods, and the assessment scheme for a year-long SPS outreach program at a local elementary school. The ALPHAS (Alta Loma Peers Helping the Advancement of Science) Program's primary goal is to identify deficiencies in science objectives and provide enrichment activities through the participation of the SPS Peer Pressure Team in order to help correct the identified deficiencies. For this thirty-week long program we present initial data and identify projected outcomes. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00005: The Physics After School Special (PASS) Program James Anderson, Hardin Dunham, Toni Sauncy The Physics After School Special program, or PASS program, funded by the Marsh White award, was a collaborative enrichment program between Angelo State University's SPS chapter and the local YMCA. The overall goal of this program was to educate young children in physical concepts, educate through hands on activities, to build a mentor-mentee relationship between the children and our SPS volunteers, and to encourage interest in scientific fields. Originally planned to for second to fifth grade students the program was implemented with kindergarten to fourth grade students. This proved to challenge the curriculum but adjustments were made to become more suitable to the age group. We present the program specifics and share results of this outreach program. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00006: ABSTRACT MOVED TO L1.00009 |
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E9.00007: Crystallographic analysis using electron transmission by graphite Bryan Neal, Nick Lanning, Cristian Bahrim The transmission of electrons through graphite crystals reveals quantum details about the interaction between projectile electrons and the atoms in the crystal. The projectile electrons are Fourier transformed into wave packets by the K-shell and L-shell electrons of Carbon atoms in the ground state. The formation of a wave packet in crystals can be explained using Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. The quick passage of projectile electrons through the crystal is due to the Pauli Exclusion Principle which forbids the projectile electrons from occupying quantum states in the ground state electronic configuration of Carbon. The analysis of the electron diffraction pattern indicates the effective electronic charge density responsible for spreading the initially well-collimated electron beam into a broad diffraction maximum with a Lorentzian shape in the center. This Lorentzian profile allows us to extract the characteristic time of the projectile electron -- atom interaction. Furthermore, the analysis of the interference maxima allows us to calculate the length of the C-C bond, the crystal lattice, and the spacing between the graphene layers of a hexagonal graphite crystal. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00008: Controlling the Goos-H\"anchen and Imbert-Fedorov shifts via pump and driving field Saeed Asiri, Jingping Xu, M. Al-Amri, M. Suhail Zubairy We consider a three-level atomic medium and discuss how to control the Goos-H\"anchen and Imbert-Fedorov shifts for a circular polarized Gaussian beam via pump and coherent driving field applied to the atomic medium. The susceptibility of the atomic medium can be adjusted by changing the driving field and pump. Consequently, for a fixed driving field, by turning on and off the pump the amplitude and the direction of the lateral and transverse shifts of such beam can be changed. We adopt stationary phase and beam simulation methods to derive our results. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00009: Exploring the Quantum Limit for Surface Plasmon Polaritons Daniel Dominguez, Luis Grave de Peralta This work explores the quantum limit of Surface Plasmon Polariton (SPP) generation based on Bohr's Correspondence Principle, i.e. that the quantum description of a phenomenon must converge to its classical counterpart in the limit of large numbers. Specifically, this work addresses the excitation and detection of single-photon SPPs. This is accomplished by first exploring whether SPPs can be excited using an extremely low intensity pump beam; and then by using Spontaneous Paramedic Down-Conversion (SPDC) as a source of single photons for SPP excitation. The granular effect of light is demonstrated by integrating the Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiment into the SPP detection scheme and measuring the degree of second order coherence of both the SPP excitation beam and the SPP leakage radiation. The results demonstrate that by using a beam of single photons as a source of excitation, one can indeed generate single-photon SPP's whose leakage radiation remains temporally spaced. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00010: Pump Wavelength Dependent Time Correlated Photoluminescence Spectroscopy of Giant Quantum Dots Aalap Verma, Siddharth Sampat, Anton Malko, Jennifer Hollingsworth, Yagnaseni Ghosh, Han Htoon Quantum dots have gained significance as high quantum yield photon sources in many applications. A new breed of ``giant'' quantum dots (gQDs) developed at Los Alamos National Labs consisting of a CdSe core coated with several mono-layers of CdS have shown suppressed blinking [1]. gQDs have been shown to exhibit two types of blinking -- Type A, associated with short off-state lifetime and Type B, characterized by long off-state lifetime [2]. However, the appearance of A or B type blinking is unpredictable and intermittent. We conduct pump wavelength dependent time correlated PL spectroscopy on gQDs to narrow down the causes of appearance of these blinking types. Our results suggest that there is a faster PL decay when excitons are pumped in the shell as compared to when only the core is pumped. This suggests that pumping the core opens up various non radiative decay channels, some of which may lead to type B blinking. Studies on dependence of blinking rates on pump wavelength are currently undergoing. \\[4pt] [1] Malko et al; Pump Intensity and Shell Thickness Dependent Evolution of Photoluminescence Blinking in Individual Core/Shell CdSe/CdS Nanocrystals; nl2025272 \\[0pt] [2] Galland \textit{et al}; Two types of luminescence blinking revealed by spectroelectrochemistry of single quantum dots; nature10569 [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00011: Exact quantum dynamics calculations using a symmetrized Gaussian basis Thomas Halverson, Bill Poirier In a series of earlier articles, a new method was introduced for performing exact quantum dynamics calculations. The method uses a ``weylet'' basis set (orthogonalized Weyl-Heisenberg wavelets), combined with phase space truncation, to defeat the exponential scaling of CPU effort with system dimensionality that has long plagued such calculations. Here, we present results obtained using a basis of momentum-symmetrized Gaussians. Despite being non-orthogonal, symmetrized Gaussians do exhibit collectively locality, allowing for effective phase space truncation. Application to both isotropic uncoupled harmonic oscillators and coupled anharmonic oscillators are discussed. Results for uncoupled systems up to 15 dimensions are compared with previous weylet calculations and found to be essentially just as efficient. A ``universal'' code has been written, which is dimensionally independent, and which also exploits massively parallel algorithms. Using the new codes, calculations up to 27 dimensions have been achieved. Lastly, symmetrized Gaussian calculations for coupled anharmonic oscillators are analyzed, and compared to first order degenerate perturbation theory. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00012: Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy of cotton sheets Yanhan Zhu, Mark Holtz, Ayrton Bernussi The transmission of cotton is measured using time-domain spectroscopy in the terahertz (THz) frequency range, from 0.1 to 1.5 THz. An effective medium approximation is used to model the combined cotton and air comprising the samples, and the refractive index of cotton fibers determined. The imaginary part of the refractive index varies across this frequency range with corresponding attenuation coefficient increasing from $\sim $ 2 to $\sim $ 12 cm$^{-1}$, while the real part remains constant at n $\sim $ 1.144. The effect of moisture content is systematically examined and absorption of the samples determined. Concealed material detection was tested by measuring the 1.44-THz absorption band of representative substance D-Glucose embedded in cotton sheets. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00013: How to detect photons passing through interference minima Luis Grave de Peralta, Daniel Dominguez Surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitations traveling in opposite directions were used to produce SPP standing waves. We show that SPP tomography in a quantum eraser arrangement has the remarkable capability of permitting the observation of light passing through the dark fringes of a standing wave interference pattern. Classical and phenomenological quantum descriptions of the experiments are presented. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00014: Graphene in a Thermoelectric Battery Keith Peck This work looks at a thermoelectric battery that uses graphene and possible changes to the graphene to effect a change in the battery that will increase the voltage output. The differences in electrode coating processes, graphene substrates, and chemical solution, are investigated for their effects on the voltage output of the battery. We also look into possible effects of graphene orientation in the solution on voltage output as well as the variation of the voltage with temperature. This work is based on the paper ``Self-Charged Graphene Battery Harvests Electricity from Thermal Energy of the Environment.'' [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00015: A Summer Research Experience in Particle Physics Using Skype Curran Johnston, Steven Alexander, A.K. Mahmood This last summer I did research in particle physics as part of a ``remote REU.'' This poster will describe that experience and the results of my project which was to experimentally verify the mass ranges of the Z' boson. Data from the LHC's Atlas detector was filtered by computers to select for likely Z boson decays; my work was in noting all instances of Z or Z' boson decays in one thousand events and their masses, separating the Z from Z' bosons, and generating histograms of the masses. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00016: Measurement of the Top Quark Pair Production Cross Section using Muon+jets Data at CDF David To, Rachel Bernick, Wesley Ketchum, Young-Kee Kim We have measured a cross section of the top quark pair production from the data at CDF collected of many years. The cross section was determined by using a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 6.6 $\pm$ .396 fb$^{-1}$. We try to reconstruct top pair events by analyzing decays of$~$leptons+jets in particular we look for $\mu \upsilon $+jets. The sample had 7975 total events; we were able to provide the right cuts to give us 25 $\pm$ 5 top pair production events with a background of 6.19 $\pm$ 3.039 We were able to find the cross section for top pair production to be $\sigma$ = 7.748 $\pm$ 2.07 pb using an acceptance of A=0.003677. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00017: Optical Foucault Pendulum: photons and the Coriolis effect Charles Rogers, Richard Selvaggi Consider the motion of photons within a rotating photon clock. Will light behave as a particle as it reflects back and forth between two parallel mirrors rotating in a manner similar to the motion of a Foucault pendulum? An experiment to measure the trajectory of light in a rotating cavity is presented. Implementation details for this experiment and initial data collected are also reported. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00018: Multivariate Calibration and Maintenance Using Principle Component Selection Trevor O'Loughlin, John Kalivas, Parviz Shahbazikah Calibration maintenance confronts the problem of updating a model developed in primary condition to accurately predict the calibrated analyte in samples measured in new secondary conditions. Previously, the L$_{2}$ norm (TR2) variant of Tikhonov regularization (TR) have been used with spectroscopic data where a few samples measured in the secondary conditions are augmented to the primary calibration data to update the model. In this poster, the augmented data is solved by principle component regression (PCR) to determine whether selection of principle components may improve prediction errors. The measures are evaluated with a benchmark near infrared spectroscopic pharmaceutical tablet data set. It is found that principle component selection does not offer any improvements over TR. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00019: An in situ Scattering Independent Absorption and Fluorescence Meter Jessica Casas Absorption and fluorescent spectroscopy has been a useful tool for the identification of various constituents in natural waters. We extend the design of an integrated cavity absorption meter proposed by Ed Fry at TAMU, to include a fluorometer. The meter is designed to operate in situ, continuously monitoring the absorption and fluorescence of natural waters independently of scattering. This instrument could greatly extend the potential data that could be made available to oceanographers. For instance, turbid environments including post hurricane conditions or hydrocarbon plumes, such as that associated with the Deepwater Horizon event, become accessible. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00020: An Aerial ``Sniffer Dog'' for Methane Brian Nathan, Dave Schaefer, Mark Zondlo, Amir Khan, David Lary The Earth's surface and its atmosphere maintain a ``Radiation Balance.'' Any factor which influences this balance is labeled as a mechanism of ``Radiative Forcing'' (RF). Greenhouse Gas (GHG) concentrations are among the most important forcing mechanisms. Methane, the second-most-abundant noncondensing greenhouse gas, is over 25 times more effective per molecule at radiating heat than the most abundant, Carbon Dioxide. Methane is also the principal component of Natural Gas, and gas leaks can cause explosions. Additionally, massive quantities of methane reside (in the form of natural gas) in underground shale basins. Recent technological advancements--specifically the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing--have allowed drillers access to portions of these ``plays'' which were previously unreachable, leading to an exponential growth in the shale gas industry. Presently, very little is known about the amount of methane which escapes into the global atmosphere from the extraction process. By using remote-controlled robotic helicopters equipped with specially developed trace gas laser sensors, we can get a 3-D profile of where and how methane is being released into the global atmosphere. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00021: Simulations of Experiments on Electron Magnetohydrodynamic Reconnection in a Field Reversed Configuration Cynthia Correa, Wendel Horton Theory and simulations are developed to interpret laboratory electron magnetohydrodynamic reconnection experiments involving nonlinear whistlers by Stenzel {\it et.al.} [R.L. Stenzel, M.C. Griskey, J. M. Urrutia, and K.D. Strohmaier, Phys. Plasma {\bf 10}, 2780 (2003)]. In that experiment, two current-carrying 30 cm antennas form a Helmholtz coil configuration and produce an elongated dipole field that opposes the uniform ambient field. The current is increased until a field-reversed-configuration with two 3D null points and a 2D null line has been established, and then the current is switched off. The EMHD dynamics are simulated with a 3D three-field nonlinear MHD code. The analytical model includes Poisson bracket nonlinearities that can give rise to vortices and couple energy to higher modes, as well as hyperviscosity to balance the energy exchange. Simulation field topology and dynamics are compared to the laboratory experiment as verification of the simulation code. The experimental setup and other variations are simulated and examined for occurrences of driven and undriven electron magnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) reconnection. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00022: Using Model Helicopters for Meteorological Observations in Support of Tornado Forecasting William Harrison, Bryan Roscoe, David Schafer, Howard Bluestein, David Lary In order to gain a better understanding of the physical factors involved in tornadogenesis, a complete 3-D profile of winds, temperature, and humidity in the forward-flank and rear-flank gust front regions in supercells is required. Conventional methods of making comparative measurements in and around storms are very limited. Measurements that comprehensively profile the boundary layer winds and thermodynamics are valuable but rare. A better understanding of the physical properties in these boundary layers will improve forecasts and increase warning times in affected areas. Remote-controlled model helicopters are a uniquely qualified platform for this application, allowing us to fully profile these boundary layers. Our system will consist of a swarm of autonomous acrobatic helicopters, each outfitted with temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed sensors. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00023: Coarsening of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) films as observed by absorbance spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy: a kinetic study Walid Hikal, Jeffrey Paden, Marauo Davis, Brandon Weeks Many theoretical studies have been proposed in order to understand the mechanism of PETN coarsening process. Up to date, experimental observations of surface diffusion have not been made. We present the first experimental evidence of surface diffusion of PETN as indicated by absorbance spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) in continuous PETN nanofilms. The method is based on monitoring the change in absorbance at the center of the film as a result of the temperature gradient between the center of the film and its edges. Non-isothermal heating of the films results in an initial increased absorbance at ambient temperatures (\textless 60$^{\mathrm{o}}$C) as an indication of thickness increase due to surface diffusion, followed by absorbance decease due to film sublimation at relatively higher temperatures (\textgreater 70$^{\mathrm{o}}$C). Isothermal heating of the PETN films at ambient temperatures (\textless 60$^{\mathrm{o}}$C) reveals a thickness increase at all temperatures indicating a prominent surface diffusion-controlled coarsening process. Contact AFM images of the heated films show the early instantaneous appearance of PETN nanocrystals that linearly aligned to form one dimensional tetragonal PETN microcrystals at later times. Both isothermal and non-isothermal data are used to determine the coarsening kinetics of PETN. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00024: Resonant Circuit Simulation and Development for LIGO Lasers Joseph Coleman The modulation of a laser, as part of a feedback mechanism, in order to control optic components for stabilization, requires the use of the electro-optic effect. To create the electric field needed for the electro-optic effect a large voltage is obtained through a Pockels cell as part of a resonant circuit. The resonant circuit functions as the voltage gain mechanism. A mathematical model of the circuit was constructed as a tool for helping to build a specifically tuned modulating circuit. Subtle features of the pi-network circuit design currently being used at LIGO were found. Additional criteria involving impedance matching is discussed. Alternative circuit designs are presented that could potentially offer better resonance conditions for the electro-optic modulator. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00025: Test of the Hill Stability Criterion against Chaos Indicators Suman Satyal, Billy Quarles, Tobias Hinse The efficacy of Hill Stability (HS) criterion is tested against other known chaos indicators such as Maximum Lyapunov Exponents (MLE) and Mean Exponential Growth of Nearby Orbits (MEGNO) maps. First, orbits of four observationally verified binary star systems: $\gamma $ Cephei, Gliese-86, HD41004, and HD196885 are integrated using standard integration packages (MERCURY, SWIFTER, NBI, C/C++). The HS which measures orbital perturbation of a planet around the primary star due to the secondary star is calculated for each system. The LEs spectra are generated to measure the divergence/convergence rate of stable manifolds and the MEGNO maps are generated by using the variational equations of the system during the integration process. These maps allow to accurately differentiate between stable and unstable dynamical systems. Then the results obtained from the analysis of HS, MLE, and MEGNO maps are checked for their dynamical variations and resemblance. The HS of most of the planets seems to be stable, quasi-periodic for at least ten million years. The MLE and the MEGNO maps also indicate the local quasi-periodicity and global stability in relatively short integration period. The HS criterion is found to be a comparably efficient tool to measure the stability of planetary orbits. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00026: A Computer Program to Search for Gravity Waves Ryan Staten The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) project uses large scale laser interferometers in an attempt to detect gravitational waves predicted by the general theory of relativity. When a gravitational wave is incident on an arm of the interferometer, the electromagnetic waves corresponding to the laser light in the arm and the arm itself are either stretched or compressed based on the nature of the gravitational wave. This changes the wavelength of the light in the arm compared to that of the light continuing to enter the arm from the laser source, which correspondingly changes the arrival time of the returning photons (or wave fronts). I have designed a program that analyzes this, showing the expanding and contracting electromagnetic waves in an interferometer arm, and calculating the round trip travel time of the wave fronts. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00027: Electronic structure and charge transfer excited states of a Sc$_{3}$N@C$_{80}$-tetraphenyl porphyrin molecular conjugate Fatemeh Amerikheirabadi, Tunna Baruah, Rajendra Zope Organic donor-acceptor molecular conjugates are often used as the basic component in organic solar cells. The photoexcited donor molecule donates one electron to the acceptor molecule creating a charge-transfer state. Currently a large number of different molecular complexes are being tested for their efficiency in photovoltaic devices. Such molecular conjugates are often large to describe using accurate quantum chemical methods. We have used our recently developed density functional theory based method to study the charge transfer excited states of a novel Sc$_{3}$N@C$_{80}$-tetraphenyl porphyrin complex. In this complex, the porphyrin is the donor and the endohedral Sc$_{3}$N@C$_{80}$ is the acceptor molecule. This endohedral fullerene is the third most abundant fullerene. There are few studies on such molecular complexes with endohedral fullerenes as compared to the C$_{60}$ molecule. We study the role of Sc$_{3}$N@C$_{80}$ as acceptor compared to the widely used C$_{60}$ molecule. Our results on the electronic structure of the complex, the Sc$_{3}$N@C$_{80}$ molecule in both isolation and in the complex, and the lowest charge separated states will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00028: Photometric measurements of a Transit of Exoplanet TrES 3b Dwight Russell, Lydia Shannon, Richard Campbell, Willie Strickland Using the 0.6 m Ritchey-Chretien telescope at the Paul and Jane Meyer Observatory (PJMO), light curves from a transit of exoplanet TReS 3b were produced from images made with a Roper 1300B camera. Light curves from both V and R bands will be presented. Analysis using AstroImageJ software will be discussed. Planet properties determined using the Czech Astronomical Society's transit fitting routines will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00029: Comparison of Neutron Star Models Using Various EOS Michael Naizer, William Newton, Carlos Bertulani In this work we discuss the solutions of the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkov equation for different inputs of Equation Of State (EOS). These solutions represent static models of Neutron Stars (NS). Modern EOS are used for this purpose, based on recent research on nuclear matter. The resulting NS models are compared to recent observations. [Preview Abstract] |
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E9.00030: The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Robert Hayes The waste isolation pilot plant (WIPP) is the worlds first licensed and operating geological repository for transuranic waste. The WIPP operation and related activities will be reviewed along with many science and development projects going on including an underground dark matter telescope and double beta decay detection experiments. [Preview Abstract] |
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