Session D21: Welcome Reception and Poster Session I (17:30-19:30)

Not Participating

In binary star systems including at least one white dwarf, the companion star may accrete mass onto the white dwarf until electron degeneracy pressure can no longer support the additional mass. A threshold is surpassed at high accretion rates, causing a stellar explosion categorized as a type Ia supernova. The system undergoes nucleosynthesis throughout the mass transfer and supernova process, producing heavier elements. Uncertainties in the $^{20}$Ne($\alpha$,p)$^{23}$Na reaction rate have been shown to significantly affect the final abundances of a number of nuclei produced in type Ia supernovae. Although previous inverse kinematic measurements have been conducted to model this reaction rate, the explored beam energies were not of astrophysical significance. Utilizing the 5U vertical pelletron accelerator and the Rhinoceros extended gas target at the University of Notre Dame, new direct kinematic cross section measurements were conducted using beam energies as low as 3.5 MeV. Theory, experimental methods, preliminary results, and future analysis plans will be discussed.   

The nonconventional yeast

The nonconventional yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica has garnered much interest in the field of biotechnology primarily for its ability to synthesize, modify, and store intracellular lipids at a high capacity. A number of established gene-editing tools have been applied for both gene disruption and regulation. However, for rapid strain development, a practice common in large-scale industrial manufacturing, we require an efficient genome-wide tool that can simultaneously disrupt and regulate gene expression. We investigate the use of a novel CRISPR-Cpf1 system that meets both functions. It can mature its own crRNA array and doesn't require a transactivating CRISPR RNA (tracrRNA), making it highly desirable for multiplexed genome editing. It was previously shown that by reducing the length of the sgRNA, catalytically active Cas9 could bind to the genomic target without effecting a double-stranded break and gene regulation was achieved when fused to a transcriptional regulator. By applying this in tandem with a previous genome-wide mutational screen in Y. lipolytica \quad we can regulate gene expression. Thus, enabling investigation of the relationships between genetic architecture and phenotype to identify industrially relevant phenotypes in a more accurate and feasible manner.   

Differential Architecture for Dark Count Reduction of Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors (SNSPDs)

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors are the fastest single photon detectors with high detection efficiency, record time-resolution, and ultra-low dark count rate. However, for applications in dark matter search and quantum information, the dark count rate of SNSPDs must be further improved. In order to push these limits, we implemented a cryogenic differential bias-tee circuit, which filters high frequency noise from the current source and reduces electromagnetic noise coupling into the circuit thanks to a balanced architecture. We demonstrate that this differential architecture exhibits lower dark count rates compared to a single-ended device referenced to ground. We show, using a gaussian noise model, that the difference in dark counts for these two configurations can be attributed to electromagnetic noise.   

Photothermal laser treatment of gold nanoparticle infused HCC 1395 cell line

Our research focuses on exposing the HCC 1395 cell line, derived from breast cancer cells, with gold nanoparticles that undergo photothermal treatment near the peak surface plasmon resonance (SPR) at 532nm. For this treatment we synthesize monodispersed, fluorescent gold nanoparticles with gallic acid based ligand shells at an average size of 1- 2nm at two different concentrations. We confirm the SPR peak with UV-Vis, and nanoparticle size and monodispersity via dynamic light scattering. Photothermal treatments are run with a MGL III 532-300mW laser. Measurements are taken to observe when temperature equilibrium has reached in a drop of solution. During photothermal treatment of cells, the laser excites the gold nanoparticles at the SPR, resulting in a locally raised temperature. After treatment, cells are incubated and analyzed for cell viability with crystal violet staining. We present results on how infusion with gold nanoparticles and photothermal treatment affect the cell viability.   

Continuation of the Analysis and Comparison of Light Intensity Spectra Using Fourier and Wavelet Analysis.

poster demonstrates our research on analyzing the light intensity spectra of stars with data provided by the Kepler Space Telescope. We analyzed the stellar light curves using Fourier Analysis and Wavelet Analysis. Continuous data of the light spectra intensities are used for the analysis of astronomical phenomena such as discovering the orbit of previously unseen planets. We compared the time series of light intensities recorded from a ground and space telescope. The time series data from a ground space telescope is sometimes missing data, we are working towards a way to fill in the missing data points by using data from land-based telescopes. This poster presents the comparison of data collected and analyzed with Fourier Analysis and Wavelet analysis.   

Calculating Pull for Non-singlet QCD Jets

The pull vector is a jet observable sensitive to the distribution of soft radiation controlled by the color flow in a collider event. We present calculations to leading order in the soft and collinear limits for the pull vector measured between pairs of jets that do not form a color-singlet dipole. Our calculations are presented within the context of $e^+e^-\to$ three jets events, on which pull is measured between the two subleading jets. A subset of these calculations can be re-interpreted as a bottom--anti-bottom quark jet pair in a color octet configuration, which can be a background to Higgs production at large boost. We also present a universal expression for the pull distribution in the high-boost and small jet radius limit. This distribution is controlled by color SU(3) quadratic Casimirs that arise from product representations of pairs of QCD jets.   

The formation and evolution of Milky way size galaxy in illustrisTNG

The formation and evolution of galaxies is a very important field to help us understand the structure of galaxies and predict the future of the universe. In this poster, we use the IllustrisTNG Simulations to check the evolution of Milky-Way-size (MKW) galaxies. We trace the morphology parameters of the MKW galaxies at z$=$0 and compare these parameters with other properties. The results show that the diversity of the MKW galaxies today have a strong correlation with the accretion history and spin parameters of their progenitors.   

Documentation for a CMS open data workshop

In recent years, a handful of theorists have published new results using publicly available data from CMS on the CERN Open Data Portal. This has motivated the collaboration to organize a workshop in Summer 2020 for theorists where participants will be led through hands-on activities and tutorials. The documentation needs are different for this type of exercise than a standard CMS collaborator and so there is an effort underway to both organize and fill in the gaps of the existing documentation so that it is more optimal for non-CMS experimentalists. We discuss the current status of the documentation, the challenges we faced, and details of the upcoming workshop.   

Electronic Cofinement in SiGe Quantum Dot Arrays

Quantum QDs (QDs) are nanoscale semiconducting heterostructures that are highly tunable through changes in their size, shape, strain, and material composition. This makes QDs more efficient and more applicable than most other bulk semiconductors. The use of QDs in photovoltaic cell technology is especially promising since the adoption of renewable resources is vital to curbing the effects of climate change in the near future. Past research has generally only considered a system of a single dot resting on top of a substrate. However, the practical application of QDs requires a greater understanding of the interactions between multiple QDs. The goal of this research was to investigate the degree with which the dimensional, geometric, and spatial characteristics of individual QDs affect the overall confinement potential of an array of QDs. The finite element method was used to compute solutions to the time-independent Schrödinger equation for arrays of varying sizes and shapes. We found that the distance between QDs in an array does not significantly affect the overall confinement potential. However, increasing the number of QDs in an array as well as increasing the size of the individual QDs increases the overall confinement potential of an array.   

Search for BNV process $ J/\psi\to\Lambda^+_c\mu^-+c.c. $

The simultaneous baryon and lepton number violation process is a good indication for beyond-standard-model (BSM) physics. By analyzing a large number of events accumulated in $ e^+e^- $ collisions at BESIII detector of BEPCII collider, a search for $ J/\psi\to\Lambda^+_c\mu^-+c.c. $ process will be performed to calculate the branching ratio ($ \mathcal{B} $), or its upper limit if no event is found. This research is about the analysis of MC simulation and data from BESIII and BESIII's offline software system. Different limits and cuts applied on detected particles and tracks will give the count of the focused decay mode, also they will wipe out background influence, with which the branching ratio of the decay mode can be calculated. Then, fitting to the signal shape gives the fraction and energy region that is supposed to be the same as that of $J/\psi$'s. Besides, the calculation of systematic uncertainty is also taken into consideration and is part of the final result.   

Exploring Atmospheric Aerosols as A Possible Explanation for DAMA/LIBRA Signal

DAMA/LIBRA is an ongoing dark matter detection experiment conducted in Gran Sasso, Italy. Over 20 years, scientists have collected data that corresponds with an annual modulation one would expect from the motion of the Earth and the Sun through a galactic halo of dark matter. Because there has not been confirmation from similar experiments, the broader community has suggested that there is an alternative, non-dark matter explanation for the DAMA modulation. Our hypothesis is that seasonal fluctuations in the amount of potassium-40, a naturally occurring radioactive isotope, in aerosols which then finds its way into the experiment, is the cause of the DAMA signal. To collect the aerosols, we used a cascade impactor, a standard tool in the atmospheric aerosol community, and we also built an aerosol collector out of PVC pipe and 3D printed parts for comparison. To analyze the elemental composition of our samples we have explored the use of an X-Ray Fluorescence machine, and we utilized the PIXE accelerator at Union College. The current status of this work will be presented.   

Analytical bound-state solutions for a confining potential with an asymptotically free region

The time-independent Schr\"{o}dinger equation is solved analytically to obtain the ground-state energy and eigenfuction for a confining potential that includes a linear and a short-range asymptotically free part. The solution that involves Airy functions of the first and second kind is obtained in closed form in the limit of low binding energies. Such solutions apply to the case of charmonium or bottomonium states in which the constituent quarks are massive enough to justify a non-relativistic treatment. The results are in agreement with numerical calculations that solve the Schr\"{o}dinger equation with the same confining potential by means of imaginary-time propagation.   

Information entropy exchange during a measurement for free and interacting particles

The quantum mechanical transition amplitude for a free particle is calculated using the path integral formalism. This amplitude is the kernel of the Schr\"{o}dinger equation. A Wick rotation of the time increment transforms the kernel into a partition function that depends on the space and time intervals of the transition, with the temperature being proportional to the inverse of the time increment. The information entropy exchange between the system and the observer during the transition is calculated from the partition function. The requirement that this be real-valued leads to uncertainty-type relations. Furthermore, the transition exhibits positive information entropy exchange for small time intervals and negative entropy for large ones. The related statistical weight is inversely proportional to the square root of the time interval. The calculation is extended to particles in a harmonic-oscillator potential. Implications for the collapse of the system to an eigenstate are investigated.   

Optical System Development for Balloon-Borne Sodium Lidar

The mesosphere and lower thermosphere region is a relatively understudied section of the Earth’s atmosphere, and could provide beneficial data for tracking atmospheric dynamics and weather. To that end, a balloon-borne sodium lidar system is proposed, using a 589-nm frequency doubled Raman laser. This laser must be Q-switched at a frequency of around 10 kHz, but this frequency presents ambiguity problems: with such a high pulse frequency, it is impossible to distinguish fluorescence from a sodium atom that is far away but excited earlier, from that of a sodium atom that was excited later, but is situated closer to the detector. In order to counteract this issue, an apparatus is proposed using a quickly rotating mirror to create seven beams from one laser, arranged in a hexagonal configuration and each pulsing at 1.428 kHz, a low enough frequency to negate ambiguity. Although further testing is needed, preliminary results suggest this to be a feasible solution.   

Search for New Scalar Particles: Selection Efficiency

Finding the existence of new scalar particles can explain the incompleteness of the Standard Model and give rise to New Physics. The theoretical spin-0 particles \textbf{X} and \textbf{S} at a proton-proton collision of 13 TeV center of mass energy can indicate about gravitons if discovered. The \textbf{X} particle decays into a Higgs boson and an \textbf{S} particle, both of which further decay into other hadrons. Monte Carlo simulations were utilized for the invariant mass calculations. Different boosted signature parameters were tested with the simulations to check selection viability and efficiency. Using the simulations, we found that at lower mass \textbf{S} particles, for 2 TeV \textbf{X} particle, the fully boosted parameter is the most efficient signature, while at higher mass \textbf{S} particles, the combination of all boosted signatures provides the most efficient result. Similar results can be seen when we specifically inspected the Higgs boson decaying into bottom quarks channel.   

Kinetic Theory and Electron Transport

Progress toward the study of electron transport properties in exotic materials, such as graphene, is discussed. Kinetic theory provides a theoretical framework to study non-equilibrium dynamics. Numerical solutions to the relativistic Boltzmann equation are found by stochastically estimating collisions rates within spatially discretized cells. As a first step the case of a massless gas in a static box is considered. Both the development and testing of the algorithm will be discussed.   

Time-dependence of the survival probability of the Charmonium in Nuclear and Quark-Gluon-Plasma media

The time-dependent Schr\”{o}dinger equation is used to study the formation of charmonium in heavy ion collisions and its propagation in Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) and nuclear matter. The initial bound (ground) state is computed using imaginary-time propagation in a confining potential with an asymptotically-free region in 3 dimensions. The QGP is simulated with a time-dependent potential of an extended asymptotic-freedom region. The initial quark-antiquark system propagates in real time but the charmonium bound state may become fully developed before or after the QGP formation. The formation and QGP-hadronization time scales determine the kind of potential in which the system propagates. The survival probability is calculated versus time for various potential parameters and relative momenta of the charmonium by projecting the interacting wavefunction onto its freely-propagating counterpart. The staggered-leap frog method is used with special attention paid to the issue of stability. The calculation is done in 3 dimensions using the center of momentum of the quark-antiquark pair as the frame of reference. The decay is non-exponential. Connection with experiments is done by means of cross-section ratios. Suppression and enhancement are both possible depending on the time scales.   

Magneto-Ionization Spacecraft Shield for Interplanetary Travel: Computational

Manned interplanetary travel requires prolonged exposure to high intensity radiation. The purpose of this work is to determine a viable shielding solution using a combination of magnetic-fields, ionization chambers and passive absorbers by developing the computational methods required to properly simulate the propagation of high-energy particles through such systems. We develop a code to simulate a magnetic field around the proposed spacecraft employing the matrix relaxation method. We utilize the output from this code in a separate propagation code to calculate the trajectory of charged particles through various gaseous and solid media and the given magnetic field. We account for relativistic effects and utilize the popular SRIM code to calculate the energy loss of such particles as they travel through the shield. The aim of this work is to produce highly accurate results that illustrate the motion of charged particles around the proposed spacecraft. Initially a deterministic code is used but a Monte-Carlo method to compute averages and standard deviations for particle attenuation is also being developed.   

Magneto-Ionization Spacecraft Shield for Interplanetary Travel: Experimental

Extreme radiation levels pose a significant danger to any astronauts that venture outside of the Earth's protective magnetic field and atmosphere. Our general solution to the radiation problem includes both active and passive shielding. The active shield consists of a large electro-magnet that generates a strong magnetic field capable of deflecting charged particles or funneling the particles to a pole of the spacecraft. At either pole of the spacecraft, there will be large gas-filled bubbles that absorb energy from particles not deflected by the magnetic field. A strong yet flexible material is needed to contain the gas. An important feature of our group's work is experiments conducted on the ability of various materials to absorb radiation. We tested materials called Demron and Vectran. These materials will act as a passive shield to both radiation and debris in space. Our current experiments examine mechanical properties (i.e. tensile strength, melting point) to understand how these materials will interact in collisions with small debris in space.   

A Search for High-energy Gamma-ray Emission from Superluminous Supernovae

Superluminous Supernovae (SLSNe) are a rare class of supernova with luminosity 100-1000 times greater than standard supernovae. It is still unknown exactly what powers SLSNe, though different models have been proposed for both Type I (hydrogen poor) and Type II (hydrogen rich) SLSNe, such as powering by a central engine or interactions with circumstellar material. Studying emission from these objects can help constrain the models and provide a better understanding of what makes these supernovae so optically bright. This project studied high-energy gamma-ray emission (600 MeV to above 300 GeV) from two SLSNe by performing binned likelihood analyses of data from the Fermi-LAT, in support of a study of the same sources using data from VERITAS in the 200 GeV to 10 TeV energy range. Both SN2015bn and SN2017egm are Type I SLSNe, which are predicted to be powered by a central compact object. No gamma-ray emission was detected from either source in this energy range, but upper limits on flux and luminosity were derived.     

$h_{c}\to \gamma \chi_{cJ}$ Rare Decay Mode Searching

$h_{c}$ is a charmonium firstly observed by CLEO collaboration. since then, a pile of investigations have been applied to examine its decay modes. However, $h_{c}\to \gamma \chi_{cJ}$ decay mode has not been observed yet, which should be a possible radiative decay mode. Thus, in this work, a program selecting $h_{c}\to \gamma \chi_{cJ}$ decay mode from both Monte Karlo simulation and real data collected on BESIII experiment has been established, and proved to be effective. But the expected process has not been observed yet.   

Searching for $D^0\bar{D^0}$ mixing

Based on the world's largest near threshold data taken with the BESIII detector at the center of mass energy 3.773 GeV, We implement a method on searching for the $D^0\bar{D^0}$ mixing using quantum coherence between pair-produced $D^0\bar{D^0}$ in $\Psi(3770)$ decays. In this method, the doubly tagged $D^0\bar{D^0}$ events, where the $D^0\bar{D^0}$ mesons has the Quantum Coherence, are used to reconstruct the signals, which makes the biggest background in the experiment, Doubly Cabibbo Suppressed Decay process, cancel out.   

Neutron Energy Distribution of an AmBe Source at the MGH Proton Center

Bubble detectors are useful tools for determining neutron radiation of both an AmBe source and a 15 MV medical linear accelerator (LINAC). Neutron bubble detectors are used to demonstrate the 1/r$^{\mathrm{2}}$ distribution as well as highlight the neutron fluence in the region of 250 keV to 15 MeV. To determine the energy distribution of the sources, a more sophisticated system of bubble detectors, which have different energy thresholds for bubble production, must be used. These energy dependent detectors require an external compression system, unlike the screw system used on the broad-spectrum detectors. A system of a multiple energy dependent detectors and the recompression system will allow reuse of the detectors and a variety of experiments for energy determination of the neutron spectrum. Our goal is to determine the effectiveness of polyethylene shields, in terms of the mass attenuation coefficient for different neutron energies.   

Particle Detector for Low Energy Heavy Ions

The purpose of this research is to build, calibrate and test a parallel-plate avalanche counter (PPAC) detector, which can be used to detect low energy heavy ion particles. The expected outcomes are that the detector can separate particles with equal magnetic rigidities, but different mass/charge ratios. It should be able to measure the time of flight for particles as they move from one end of the detector to the other. It should also be able to locate, with sufficient precision, the coordinates of the particle inside the detector so that the actual path which a particle takes can be found. Using this data, it will be possible to find the $\alpha$-ANC of the $^{20}$Ne ground state, which will be used to find the $\alpha$-ANC of the $^{16}$O. This quantity can then be used to determine the rate of $^{12}$C($\alpha$, $\gamma$)$^{16}$O reaction, which is one of the fundamental reactions in nuclear astrophysics.   

Absorption Spectra of Silicate Cosmic Analog Dusts Obtained with a Custom-Made Spectrometer

A significant fraction of cosmic dust is expected to be in the form of amorphous, metal-containing silicates that are submicron-sized. We have used sol-gel techniques to synthesize analogs of these dusts in the lab. We have built a custom instrument to measure the absorption spectra of these dusts in the frequency range 150-2400 GHz. We can also vary the dust temperature within the astronomically relevant temperatures 5-50 K. The dust grains are embedded in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) pellets. Absorption spectra are obtained by passing light from a calibrated blackbody source through a homemade Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) and then through the cold dust pellets into a 4-Kelvin bolometer. Our data on Fe- and Mg-silicate dusts indicate that the mass absorption coefficient (MAC) of these dusts follows a power law trend within the frequency range 150-1500 GHz and that this trend varies with dust temperature.   

Design and Testing of a Cosmic Ray Muon Detector

The Society of Physics Students at Kennesaw State University is working on designing portable cosmic ray muon detectors. The detectors consist of a series of small parallel-plate capacitors which operate at low voltage to detect ionization currents in ambient air, in order to be robust enough for a variety of outdoor muography applications. The detectors have been tested in the laboratory and are able to observe the direct ionization currents from 0.9 microcurie alpha and beta sources without any additional amplification. In addition to laboratory testing the detectors have been simulated in GEANT4 to ensure a better understanding of the signal and help increase the sensitivity. Amplification and noise reduction are also being added to the detector to increase its sensitivity to be able to observe cosmic ray muons. This presentation will highlight the design, testing and results of the development of the detector.   

Characterization of LArPix: low-power 3D pixelated charge readout for liquid argon time projection chambers

Liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs) have been proposed as a method for high-resolution 3D imaging of neutrino interactions for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). The LArPix system was developed and tested as a novel 3D pixelated readout system for use in the DUNE Near Detector LArTPC system. Detailed characterization measurements were made in order to refine the design for full-scale production. Electronic gain of the system was measured and analyzed both at room temperature and in liquid nitrogen to mimic the cryogenic conditions of the near detector site, and methods of calculating gain were compared for consistency. Package shielding methods were investigated for characterization and mitigation of digital-to-analog crosstalk on the LArPix v.\ 1 chip packaging, and suggestions for further shielding were made. Additionally, a novel 16 cm x 16 cm x 10 cm LArTPC was designed, fabricated, and constructed to provide a setup for testing current and future LArPix designs by imaging cosmic rays, simulating neutrino detection in DUNE.   

Astrophysical applications of the gravito-electromagnetic approximation within general relativity.

Einstein's field equations of general relativity reduce in the weak-field, low-velocity limit to a set of four differential equations that are almost identical to Maxwell's equations for the electromagnetic field. These equations govern the behavior of gravito-electric and gravito-magnetic fields sourced by mass and mass currents. We explore some of the implications in a general way, focusing on dimensional arguments and order-of-magnitude estimates to assess the extent to which astrophysical phenomena in extreme environments (such as jets and accretion disks) can be understood, at least in part, as gravitational analogs of the familiar laws of Ampere, Biot-Savart, Faraday and Lenz, and even as real-world examples of ``gravitational transformers'' in action.   

Sensitivity of future-generation cosmic~microwave background experiments to detecting~dark matter-baryon interactions

In this work we investigate dark matter (DM) scattering with protons in the early Universe. We focus on velocity-dependent elastic scattering of DM particles with masses down to 100 MeV with protons. We forecast sensitivity of the next-generation cosmic microwave (CMB) background experiments to detecting DM-proton interactions using measurements of temperature, polarization, and lensing anisotropy. We find that they could deliver up to a factor of $\sim $ 23 improvement in constraining the DM-proton scattering cross-sections which scale quadratically with the relative particle velocity, up to a factor of $\sim $ 17 improvement for the cross-sections which~have quartic dependence on the relative velocity, and up to a factor of $\sim $ 53 improvement for the cross-sections of certain velocity-independent interactions.   

Modeling non-linear galaxy bias in preparation for the LSST

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will collect photometric data for billions of galaxies, allowing scientists to probe the structure of the universe at levels hitherto inaccessible. One goal of such efforts is to study the relationship between matter and galaxy distributions using power spectra: measures of scale dependent density field correlations in Fourier space. Various models exist to relate the galaxy and matter power spectra; however, at high wave numbers, modeling the non-linear power spectrum becomes difficult. The purpose of this project is to quantify the relationship between matter and galaxy distributions with a variety of models using the Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC) data challenge 2 (DC2) data set. Preliminary results using a single parameter bias term model indicate agreement between theory and observation up to $k_\perp \approx 0.1$ Mpc$^{-1}$. By applying more sophisticated models with multiple bias parameters we are able to effectively predict the galaxy auto and galaxy/matter cross power spectra up to $k_\perp\approx 0.5$ Mpc$^{-1}$. By constraining the maximum wave number at which we can accurately reconstruct the power spectrum from simulated data, we can better interpret the reliability of future power spectrum measurements   

Constraining the Properties of Milky Way Dwarf Spheroidals with Surface Brightness and Velocity Dispersion Data

Using a combination of surface brightness and velocity dispersion data, we simultaneously constrain the velocity anisotropy and dark matter mass profiles of Milky Way dwarf spheroidals (dSphs). Our findings indicate strong correlations between the distributions of visible and dark matter within the dSphs and provide further insights into the cusp vs. core debate.   

Application of Directed Relational Graphs to Air Plasma Chemistry During Plasma Relaxation

Air plasma chemistry is important to many physical processes such as atmospheric re-entry vehicle generated plasma and electrical discharges. Models of air plasmas often include both hydrodynamic processes and chemical reactions. Large chemical reaction sets can provide necessary details, at the expense of complexity and leading to increased computational costs in multi-dimensional simulations. We adapted a method to create a reduced set of chemical species and reactions to explore hydrodynamics and chemistry of air plasma, while preserving the relevant physics, using a directed relational graph. The method was applied to two test cases: plasma created at high altitudes by re-entry vehicles and air plasma generated by a short pulse laser. In the re-entry vehicle test case, the full set of 54 species and 1010 reactions for air was reduced to only 11 species and 90 reactions, while achieving less than 1\% error in electron densities. For laser-generated plasma at atmospheric pressure, a set containing 20 species and 422 reactions was sufficient. The test cases demonstrate that the directed relational graph method can reduce the chemical species and reactions, thus streamlining computations in multiple dimensions.   

A Theoretical Study of Dynamics and Chemistry of the ``Gould Belt''

The ``Gould Belt'', now titled the ``Radcliffe Wave", was long considered to be an expanding ring of young stars, gas and dust, tilted about 20 degrees to the Galactic plane. It stretches out in crests that are 500 light-years, both above and below the middle of our galaxy's disk. The long structure extends for 9,000 light-years, and measures 400 light-years wide: the largest such structure in our galaxy. Moreover, the physical relation between local gas clouds has remained unknown, because the uncertainty in the distance measurement to clouds is of the same order as their sizes. With the deployment of photometric surveys, and the astrometric survey, we have a lot more data to aid our theoretical analysis. Our calculations are based on molecular dynamics (MD) techniques combined with Self-Consistent Field (SCF) criteria. Our results allow us to present a tentative-three dimensional (3-D) picture of these local cloud complexes.   

Classifying X-ray Binaries Using Machine Learning

Consisting of a compact object that accretes material from an orbiting secondary star, X-ray binaries (XRBs) have been observed for more than half a century. However, there is still no straightforward means to determine the nature of the compact object: a neutron star or a black hole. We compare three classification machine learning methods (Bayesian Gaussian Processes, K-Nearest Neighbors, and Support vector Machines) to develop tools for classifying the compact objects in XRBs. Enhancing XRB population statistics is instrumental in understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies. High-mass XRBs have been shown to trace regions of star formation, while low-mass XRBs correlate to stellar mass distribution in galaxies (Sunyaev, Tinsley and Meier 1978). In this way, classifying populations of XRBs can indicate different evolutionary stages of galaxies. In our classification methods, each machine learning algorithm uses spatial patterns which exist between systems of the same type in 3D Color-Color-Intensity diagrams. Overall, all three methods have a high predictive accuracy, indicating a feasible method to classify XRBs into black holes, non-pulsing neutron stars, or pulsars.   

Equation of State for QCD with a Critical Point: Imposing Thermodynamic Stability Using Neural Networks

A few microseconds after the Big Bang, a state of matter known as the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) filled the universe. Currently, droplets of QGP can be created in heavy-ion collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculations and experimental results indicate that the transition from nuclear matter to the QGP is a crossover if the system has a net baryon density of zero. If QCD exhibits a first-order phase transition at large baryon densities, a critical point (CP) would mark the end of the crossover and the beginning of the first order line. In order to study the implications of the presence of a CP, we constructed a family of equations of state based on Lattice QCD results but also containing a CP from the 3D Ising model universality class. The mapping of the Ising CP onto the QCD phase diagram gives rise to free parameters, which need to be optimized to reflect consistent thermodynamic behavior. In this work, we use a Feed-Forward Neural Network to identify choices of free parameters that result in inconsistent thermodynamics. In future studies, this approach will be used to rule out pathological parameter choices at a low computational cost, eliminating possible locations of the QCDCP and guiding experimental searches at RHIC.   

Importance of Faculty Research in higher Education

We discuss the importance of faculty research in higher education. Students at all levels are attracted towards the higher education, if faculty can share some research facts which are not available in textbooks or on popular websites. Researchers, as presenters, have the ability to present their research to the high school students in an understandable way and answer all questions with more confidence, especially if they are publishing in the field themselves. Research involvement plays a crucial role both at undergraduate and graduate level institutes to involve students in research. Students are usually attracted to regularly publishing faculty, especially if their research interests overlap with faculty or choose the area of research of their favorite faculty. We share some interesting facts to support our arguments as well.   

Hybrid Astrophysics Course and Critical Thinking

Physics students need to become more proficient in critical thinking. We developed a lab course which will enhance students' proficiency in critical thinking. Our Astrophysics course which will be implemented at Stockton University and makes use of Stockton University's observatory as a tool in the lab assignments. The hybrid course provides students with a self-paced learning experience. The aim of the labs and course is to advance students' proficiency in critical thinking skills, literacy in the scientific method, and provide first-hand experience making astronomical observations.   

An exploration of the relationship between physics ``fluency'' and physics ``competency'' in higher education through the lens of intercultural competence

In the field of intercultural education, linguistic fluency is considered a prerequisite to intercultural competency. Similarly, is physics fluency a prerequisite for physics competency? To explore the relationship between fluency and competency in physics higher education, a fluency survey was developed and issued to 300 Marquette University students following the 2019 spring semester of introductory physics. In addition to biographical questions, this survey asked students to define a series of lexically ambiguous terms that are critical to physics understanding (i.e. words with meanings in physics different to daily parlance, e.g. ``field'' and ``charge''). Rubrics to assess the responses to each word were developed and validated. Physics competency was evaluated using the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment (BEMA). The relationships between fluency and competency have been explored both in aggregate and for each word individually. Analyses also explore fluency and competency relationships between student cultural subgroups. Results of this study and future plans will be presented.   

Use Of Multiple Physics Education Methods And Learning Activities to Maximize Student Processing Time During Lecture

Combinations of physics education methods have been used effectively to improve learning outcomes in undergraduate courses in a wide range of classroom size. Some mixtures of methods have been shown to be more effective than others. Educators in the Engineering Technologies and Engineering Science Department (authors 1, 2, 3 and 4) at the County College of Morris have been investigating new approaches with a mixture of teaching pedagogies to maximize processing and active learning time in the classroom. Recently (author 1) has found some success in a fifteen-week general astronomy course which had the goal of maximizing learning potential with the use of pre-lecture data-gathering, peer-on-peer in-class activities, discussion-image-based lectures, key-point board work, long-form info review slides, chapter quizzes and detailed chapter study-guides. In addition, a ten-week flipped problem-focussed Summer term mechanics course had promising hands-on student processing success.   

Using the Kepler Light Curves to Teach the Use of Fourier and Wavelet Analysis

This poster describes the use of Kepler light curve data to teach undergraduate students the use of Fourier and wavelet analysis. The techniques used in Fourier and wavelet analysis are introduced. The differences and similarities of both techniques are discussed. Examples are provided.   

Evaluating the MIT Cosmic Watch detector as an educational resource

Siena College is a small liberal-arts college in upstate-NY with about 3200 students and 90 Physics majors, and no graduate program. This enforces some limits on the types of hardware projects students can get involved in, given both the material resources and availability of instructors. We have spent the last year evaluating the MIT Cosmic Watch 100 muon detector as a potential educational resource for both budding particle physicists and applied physicists looking for a more sophisticated electronics project. We have also explored how it can be used not just for hardware education but to also teach more about particle physics and special relativity. To this end we have attempted to observe the effects of time dilation on a visit to the same Mt. Washington observatory that was part of a historic cosmic ray experiment. Our experiences and findings will be discussed in this poster.   

Steam power as a teaching tool in introductory physics.

I describe how we have overhauled and revitalized two courses at Towson University by implementing field trips based on steam power. The two courses are Physical Science 101 (an introductory course for science education majors) and Physics 352 (an upper-level course in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics for physics majors). With the help of small internal grants, we brought these classes to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum and the Wilmington and Western Steam Train in Delaware. The physics majors spent an entire day learning how to apply their theoretical training about Carnot cycles, efficiency, etc., to the practical problem of mass transportation. In the process of learning how physics once changed the world by ushering in the Industrial Revolution, they were also challenged to imagine how it might change the world again today. This year we plan to repeat the exercise by spending a day in the engine room of the S.S. John W. Brown, one of only two steam piston-powered World War II Liberty Ships still in operation, during a dock trial in Baltimore.   

How the Learning Assistant Experience Impacts Learning Assistants as Students

Learning Assistants (LAs) are undergraduate STEM students who participate in a pedagogy course and facilitate active learning among their peers in a variety of courses. Much of the existing research on LA programs focuses on the impact on the students taking courses with LAs, or on course transformation. In addition to this, we look at the impact on the LAs themselves, as students. We asked LAs in physics, other sciences, and math to reflect on how their LA experience has affected them, through interviews with fellow LAs and free-response surveys. We analyze these qualitative data to identify emerging themes. LAs found that their LA experiences had impacts on their conceptual understanding, metacognition, time management, confidence about public speaking and working with fellow students, and relationships with professors.   

A Quantum Mechanics Board Game

Quantum mechanics is a difficult subject for many students to grasp, both for those who study physics and the general public. We want these ideas and concepts to be accessible to anyone interested in learning more and so we have explored the use of gamification: using games to both entertain and educate. We have developed a prototype board game in which the players encounter important historical quantum mechanical experiments in a stimulating and fun manner. The game focuses on concepts such as the quantization of spin and photon energies, ``predicatable'' randomness, and blackbody radiation, and uses printed models, written explanations, and traditional board game elements to engage and educate players. The current status of the game and player responses will be presented.   

Scaling up a Peltier-powered cloud chamber

Nuclear and particle physics attracts the interest of many students, both at the K-12 and college level. While students can learn much from books and videos, there are few devices that let them interact with radiation or particle accelerators in real life, for obvious safety reasons. One such device is the cloud chamber, which creates a temperature gradient to produce a supersaturated alcohol vapor that condenses around trails left by charged particles from radioactive sources or secondary cosmic rays. Cloud chambers are usually made in the classroom using dry ice, but the Siena group has worked for 5+ years to improve the design of Peltier thermoelectric-powered coolers that allow the user to simply plug in the chamber and so avoid the dry ice. In this poster, we describe our efforts to scale up this design, which used a Petri dish as the viewing area, to create a larger active volume by incorporating of three times the number of Peltiers and a water-cooling system. The current status of this project will be presented.   

Essential Role of Low-Energy Electrons in the Biological Effectiveness of Advanced Radiation Treatment Modalities

Advances in radiotherapy are to improve the therapeutic ratio by delivering a higher radiation dose to tumor versus normal tissues. This can be achieved by either high-LET beam or highly modulated delivery techniques of low-LET beam. Biological impact of the radiations initiates from the formation of various cellular DNA lesions by energy deposition into DNA (direct effect) and its surrounding molecular environment (indirect effect). Increase in LET and dose reduces the contribution of indirect effect due to the recombination of reactive species, hence DNA lesions are mainly induced by the direct effect. Low-energy electrons (LEEs, \textless 20eV) are the most numerous species responsible for the induction of DNA damage from the direct effect. LEEs have high RBE due to two physical characteristics: they have very short range in biomatter and high inelastic interaction cross-section with biomolecules. These cause the formation of multiple lesions confined within a range of a few biomolecules (clustered lesions), which are difficult to be repaired by cellular repair processes. With these unique properties, LEEs can achieve modulation of RBE and improvement of therapeutic radio, if their distribution can be controlled at the molecular level.   

Physics of the Brain. Treatment of Neurological Diseases via the Excitation-Suppression of the Brain Waves, Using the Multi-photon Pulsed-operated Fiber Lasers in the Ultraviolet Range of Frequencies with Modulated Repetition Frequency

The novel study of the brain waves (BW)\footnote{ Tae Kim et. al. Cortically projecting basal forebrain parvalbumin neurons regulate cortical gamma band oscillations, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 112 no. 11, 3535--3540, (2015).} in connection to neurological diseases is proposed. It is based on the pulsed-operated (amplitude modulation) multi-photon (frequency modulation) fiber-laser interaction with the brain neuro-topion (the neurological disease area)\footnote{ Stefan, APS-March 2020, {\#} M71.00361;Stefan et al.,Bull. APS 32, No.9,1713, (1987): APS-March-2015,{\#}P1.00099; APS-March-2016, {\#}M1.00310; APS-March-2017,{\#} M1.00291; V. Alexander Stefan, Neurophysics\textit{, Stem Cell Physics, and Genomic Physics: Beat-Wave-Driven-Free Electron Laser Beam Interactions with the Living Matter}, (S-U-Press, La Jolla, CA, 2012); V.Stefan, B.I.Cohen, C.Joshi, \textit{Science}, 243, 4890, (1989)}. The modulated repetition frequency, $\Omega $, (5-100 pulses per second) enables a fine-tuning with the brain waves, $\Omega_{\mathrm{BW\thinspace }}$. The tunable fiber laser frequencies are in the ultraviolet frequency range, thus enabling monitoring of the electrical charge dynamics in the neuro-topion of a particular neuro-disease within the 10s of milliseconds.   

Discontinuity in injury potential as a function of insult angle

Vehicle collisions with low severity ($\Delta $v\textless 5 m/s, say) are associated with low injury (AIS$\le $1)[1] as a rule; however, even a slight change in pdof (principal direction of force) can have a dramatic change in injury outcome. In one particular case, the insult pdof was primarily along positive x (forward, arising from a rear impact) with a small component along positive z (downward, arising from the striking vehicle being higher than the struck). The somewhat unusual nature of the latter was responsible for a mechanism of injury to the lower extremities that would not otherwise have occurred. This research employs the well-established methodology[2-4], where physics is foremost over medicine and engineering. Patient symptoms were identified solely from this emphasis on higher science, which gives a rigorous analysis that cannot be achieved with the secondary fields on their own[e.g. 5-8]. Only then can serious consequences, including 15 h in a trauma bay (AIS$\gg $1), be explained with specificity. [1] aaam.org/abbreviated-injury-scale-ais/; [2] Announcer, 26 (4), 42 (1996); [3] BAPS, 42, 2289 (1997); [4] Announcer, 27 (4), 100 (1997); [5] *.2005.MAR.U21.6; [6] *.2006.MAR.Y26.12; [7] *.2006.MAR.C1.102; [8] *.2007.MAR.K1.2 (* meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS)   

Mathematical Models for Living Forms in Medical Physics

This part of the project continues the talk and poster presentation from the APS March Meeting 2019 Conference and the APS April Meeting 2019 Conference. The second part of the project focuses on the mathematical model of information entering the body system through the outer tooth layer (the Enamel), traveling through the Enamel layer (modeled as seismic wave) to the liquid filled tubules of the Dentin layer. At the final part of the tubules the information (modeled as water wave) is translated into electrical information by the odontoblasts and then directly transmitted to the tooth nerve.   

Improvement of Characteristics of Artificial Graphite Blocks for Electrical Discharge Machining According to Molding Pressure Variation

In this study, artificial graphite blocks were fabricated under different molding pressure conditions (90, 120, 150 MPa) to improve the electrical conductivity and flexural strength of the artificial graphite blocks for electric discharge machining. Manufactured artificial graphite blocks are electrical resistivity test (KS L 3409: 2010) for measuring electrical conductivity, three-point bending test method (KS L 3409) using a universal testing machine (QUASAR 100 of GALDABINI) for measuring the bending strength, density Archimedes method (KS L ISO18754: 2012 (ISO 18754: 2003)) was carried out for the measurement. As the forming pressure increased from 90 to 150 MPa, the electrical conductivity and flexural strength increased. Compared to the molding pressure of 90 MPa, the electrical conductivity was 2.64{\%}, the bending strength was 22.38{\%}, and the density was 0.85{\%} at 150 MPa. In manufacturing the graphite block, the increase in the molding pressure may affect the electrical conductivity and the flexural strength of the artificial graphite block for electric discharge machining.   

Improvement of Electrical Properties of PAFC Separator Material by Carbon Black Addition

This study was improved electrical conductivity and mechanical properties by adding carbon black to the matrix for polymer base conductive composite. The produced composites were characterized using electrical non-resistance tests, Raman Spectrometers, scanning electron microscope (SEM), optical microscope (OM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), three-point bending tests, and specific gravity test. When the additive ratio of carbon black increased from 0 wt.{\%} to 3.0 wt.{\%}, densities and electrical non-resistance were reduced, and the amount of carbon black particles exposed to the surface of the grain in fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP) increased. Also, there was about 30{\%} improvement in bending strength when carbon black was added 2.0 wt.{\%} compared to 0 wt.{\%}. Overall, the method of adding carbon black to the matrix of conductive composite material can be a simple method of improving mechanical properties while improving electrical conductivity.   

Novel patterning method of flexible transparent electrode for energy harvesting devices

Flexible transparent electrodes are essentially used in many optoelectronics. Although Indium tin oxide (ITO) is the commonly used as transparent electrode, AgNW(silver nanowire)-based transparent electrodes are considered as the most suitable alternative electrode due to good electrical, optical properties and flexibility. But, when we apply AgNW-based transparent electrode to electronic devices, a patterning process is necessary. Generally, AgNW-based transparent electrodes are patterned by photolithographic technique or laser patterning method. However, these patterning processes are required complicated processing. Therefore, research of novel patterning process is essential. In this study, we treat hydrophilic treatment like UV-Ozone treatment on substrate to control adhesion between substrate and AgNW. When we treat UV-Ozone on substrate, the adhesion between the substrate and AgNWs is strong. So, AgNWs remains on the substrate when the photocurable polymer is coated and peeled off. On the other hand, when we don`t treat UV-Ozone on substrate, the adhesion is weak, so AgNWs remain the substrate. In this way, we fabricate patterned AgNW-based transparent electrode by adhesion patterning method. And we apply patterned AgNW-based transparent electrode to organic solar cells.   

Climate Change, Uranium from Seawater and Fukushima as Powerful Arguments for Nuclear Energy.

With the severe threats and deadly outcomes from global warming, the need for sustainable carbon neutral (or negative) energy supplies is dire. Now that actinide fuel for nuclear reactors can be extracted from seawater generated in the natural erosion from the continents in river water, the current world electricity could be generated 4 times over from this renewable energy source. The dosimetric consequences from all the radioactivity released from Fukushima has for many years now been well known and communicated from the expert panels, committees and societies to not have measurable medical outcomes. The only deaths which can be attributed to Fukushima radioactivity have been shown to be caused in the panicked evacuation so that the public literally risked (and lost) their lives to avoid a negligible dose in this sense. This radiophobia has also been demonstrated to have measurable medical effects due to various stress induced psychosomatic outcomes. Radiogenic doses to the public will also be reviewed in relation to known health consequences and typical exposure levels from various contributors.   

Nanostructuring of WS$_{\mathrm{\mathbf{2}}}$\textbf{, and MoS}$_{\mathrm{\mathbf{2}}}$\textbf{ by Salt-Assisted Milling in NaCl and KCl}

This project will measure bond length, electronic structure, and particle sizes for the nanostructured transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) catalysts MoS$_{\mathrm{2}}$, and WS$_{\mathrm{2}}$.~ The process to nanostructure the TMDs is expected to deliver particles in high yield (20 mg/mL dispersed in solvent).~ The particles should have lateral dimensions of 4 nm to 5 nm and thicknesses of 1nm (indicating one or two exfoliated layers are formed).~ Key to the process is the use of salts (e.g. NaCl and KCl) to penetrate the TMD layers whilst the material is being pulverized during a ball milling process.~ Published literature gives a mechanism for the effectiveness of salt-assisted milling based on mechanical interactions with no data reported on Na/K-M, Na/K-S (where M $=$ Mo, or W) chemical interactions.~ Results gained will yield new insights to the literature. If M-S bond lengthening is observed, it could explain the hierarchy of catalytic efficiency among the TMDs.   

Nuclear energy as a true climate savior in terms of risk (Fukushima), waste, sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions.

Research has shown that all radiation doses from Fukushima were too low to generate any statistically significant medical effects. The evacuation did kill almost 2000 people and radiophobia has since been creating serious stress related medical outcomes (e.g., hypertension, weight gain). Shielding and transportation of radioactive sources such as high level waste has been well understood and implemented for many decades. With the overwhelming scientific evidence for the safe geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel being blocked only by politics, the lack of greenhouse gas emissions from this baseload providing and dispatchable nuclear energy source is extremely compelling. With new research showing that ocean extraction of naturally dissolved primordial actinides supplied by river water is being replenished (via erosion and plate technonic renewal) at around 10x the current US energy usage annual rate now makes nuclear energy renewable. Recycling technology can burn all long lived fission products and utilize depleted uranium from prior fuel manufacture allowing fuel cycles which are truly sustainable. All of this begs the question as to whether nuclear energy is truly the climate savior we are seeking.   

Optimization of Pt/C Catalyst Nanofibers Electrospun on Nafion 117 Membranes in Polyelectrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

While electrospinning the Pt/C catalyst in Polyelectrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells as a part of an electrode composite has previously been used to increase proton conductivity, finely tuning the deposition and composition of the nanofiber structures has hitherto not been explored in great detail. Optical Microscopy, Laser Microscopy, 3D Laser Microscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed that flow rate and Pt/C weight percentage are positively correlated with platinum agglomeration and nanofiber diameter. The relative peak power density achieved by the 32.5\% wt. Pt/C nanofibers indicated an optimal fiber diameter of approximately 1.25 micrometers. At all Pt/C weight percentages, the 0.5 mL/hr nanofiber-coated membranes performed better than or equal to the 1.0 mL/hr nanofiber-coated membranes in terms of power density, supporting the agglomeration reduction theory derived from SEM images. Since the power density tests were on the order of 1\% of results achieved in other labs, there is no convincing evidence that the power density increase of 62.5\% will exactly match the observed increase in other labs. Thus, the main feature of this research lies in the optimization of the electrospun Pt/C nanofiber structure characteristics.   

Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation of Surface-modified TiO$_{\mathrm{2}}$.

Black TiO$_{\mathrm{2}}$ has gained considerable attention in terms of being a photocatalyst for hydrogen generation, due to its substantially extended solar absorption and abundant defects, which can enhance electron density and improve charge transportation. However, defects can also act as the recombination center of photoinduced carriers, jeopardizing the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Here, we have fabricated black TiO$_{\mathrm{2}}$ by a facile but highly controllable method-atomic layer deposition, through which the thickness and absorption region of black TiO$_{\mathrm{2}}$ can be carefully designed. Then, we use black TiO$_{\mathrm{2}}$ to modify the surface of anatase TiO$_{\mathrm{2}}$ and the material was characterized. The fabricated material has promoted the separation and transportation of photoinduced holes and electrons. Subsequent Au nanoparticles decoration on anatase TiO$_{\mathrm{2}}$/black TiO$_{\mathrm{2}}$ has leveled up the photocatalytic hydrogen generation rate through surface plasmonic effects by increasing more photoinduced holes and electrons and the results were discussed.   

Properties of Fluorine-doped tin Oxide Thin Films grown at different Nozzle to Substrate Distance.

Nanostructured FTO thin films were grown using the Streaming Process for Electrodeless Electrochemical Deposition (SPEED) method. The distance from nozzle to substrate (NSD) of the machine was maintained at 25cm, 27cm, 30cm and 35cm. The solution was nebulized into droplets and sprayed into aluminum oxide passivated glass substrate. The flow rate and other deposition conditions were kept constant during deposition. XRD analysis shows a polycrystalline structure which varies with increasing NSD while the SEM result reveals that the grain size of the films increases with NSD. The film grown at NSD of 30cm was homogeneous and more uniform than other thin films. FTO thin films grown in this research is suitable for application in dye-sensitized solar cells.   

Physics-guided, empirically-constrained machine learning for designing Fe-9Cr alloys

Materials data analytics can be used to significantly shorten development time of specialized alloys needed for next generation energy applications. The focus of this study was on developing iron-based alloys that can withstand higher temperature and higher mechanical stress to facilitate accelerated improvement in efficiency and reliability of the power plants. Incorporation of the domain knowledge into deep learning graph structure, initialization and optimization processes, and informed cross-validation presents a viable approach to developing accurate data-driven models and reliable alloy design tools, with limited datasets. The key idea is to digitize empirical domain knowledge, build the graph based on causality relationships, and use machine learning (ML) methodology to identify promising alloy compositions, rank factors affecting their performance, and optimize the processing parameters for specific applications. It was demonstrated that imposition of the domain knowledge and empirical constraints prevents overfitting and allows building more accurate and reliable ML models with improved transparency of the output interpretation.   

Failure to Accept the Diversity of Time's Relationship with Space using Quaternions

Newton, Gauss, Hamilton, Maxwell, Einstein, and Dirac all carefully considered time's relationship to space. Newton denied there was a relationship between absolute time and space even while exploiting velocity and acceleration. Gauss determined the algebra for quaternions but only published work on differential geometry and metrics. The day after Hamilton discovered the algebra for multiplying quaternions, he set the real number scalar to zero (called a pure quaternion). He was the first to write down a Lorentz invariant interval 10 years before Lorentz was born but didn't appreciate the result. Despite conspiracy theories to the contrary, Maxwell's first edition of his treatise use only pure quaternions. When Einstein asked his math buddy Marcel Grossmann to generalize an interval, Grossman reluctantly introduced Einstein to the complexity of Riemann geometry instead of squaring a quaternion. The work of Josiah Gibbs to separate quaternion products into component parts was so successful that Dirac reinvented a variant on quaternion algebra. In 2019, there was a blog that said quaternion quantum mechanics was a complete dumpster fire. Please stop by and share your perspective on space, time, energy, momentum, and the mysteries of modern physics left by the masters.   

The African Light Source: Towards a Brighter Future

The African Light Source Foundation works toward positioning a synchrotron light source on the continent of Africa - the only habitable continent without this high impact infrastructure. The work has included convening of three international conferences, the first at ESRF in Grenoble, France (2015) and the second at the University of Ghana - Legon (2019). The third will convene in Kigali, Rwanda (November 2020). In 2015, a steering committee was elected and a set of resolutions and roadmap were developed. Since then, actions to advance the roadmap have included developing: the Pan African and African governmental profile, the user base, human capacity and local feeder infrastructure, regional and African consortia programs, and linkages to stakeholders; initiating the Conceptual Design Report and acquiring funding. One important human capacity building program is led by the LAAAMP project (sponsored by IUPAP and the IUCr). A recent publication in \textit{Biophysical Reviews} highlights the socioeconomic case for an advanced light source in Africa. Read more at http://www.africanlightsource.org/ and https://laamp.iucr.org/.   

Overview of the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) project and its physics potential

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) is a proposed TeV-scale high-luminosity electron-positron collider. For an optimal exploitation of its physics potential, CLIC is foreseen to be built and operated in three stages, with centre-of-mass energies ranging from 380 GeV up to 3 TeV. Electron beam polarisation is provided at all energies. The initial energy stage will focus on precision measurements of Higgs-boson and top-quark properties. The subsequent energy stages enhance the reach of many direct and indirect searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model and give access to the Higgs self-coupling. The CLIC accelerator design is based on a two-beam acceleration scheme with normal-conducting acceleration structures reaching 100 MV/m. Following many years of beam simulations, component tests, large-scale system tests and design optimisation, CLIC recently produced a comprehensive overview of its physics case, the accelerator design and the detector to the European strategy process. The talk will provide an overview of the CLIC project and its physics potential.   

Equivalency of mass and energy in bound three-nucleon systems

The mass defect of a nucleus reflects the equivalence of mass and energy of bound nuclear systems. The bound three-nucleon systems, $^3$H and $^3$He, have been studying within the isospin formalism, taking into account the identity of neutron and proton ($AAA$ model). The averaged nucleon mass is used in corresponding three-body calculations that lead to the deviation of the mass of the nucleus ($^3$H or $^3$He) on $\pm$0.6 MeV from the experimental value, according to the mass defect formula. The relative error is reasonably small. However, using the average mass will have an impact on the accuracy of the rigorous 3N calculations [1], and for that reason, calculations should be done taking into account corresponding masses for neutrons and protons. To achieve that, we consider an "isospinless" $AAB$ model based on the Faddeev equations in configuration space. To show another evidence of the equivalence of mass and energy, we present the realistic calculations for $^3$H nucleus with AV14 $NN$ potential within the $AAA$ model. The attractive contribution of a three-nucleon potential, needed to reach the experimental value for the binding energy, can be effectively simulated by a renormalization of the nucleon mass to a larger value. [1] Navarro Perez R et al. 2014 PRC 90, 047001   

Probing for high momentum protons in 4He

Helium-4 is the lightest nucleus that has the characteristics of heavier nuclei and also allows us to study the proton momentum distributions . The E08009 experiment in hall A at Jefferson lab aims to study proton momentum distributions inside this nucleus. This is possible through the extraction of the cross section and the study of the missing energy spectrum versus missing momentum of the 4He(e,e'p)X reaction. My work was on data analysis and the extraction of the missing energy spectra after background subtraction. The cleaning of the spectra was done by the study the Physics acceptance that takes into account the geometrical phase-pace and target length reconstruction as well as spectrometer momentum resolution. In addition, coincidence events were validated by selecting a time window of 20 ns for the difference of the arrival time of electrons and protons. Cross section results were then compared to relativistic calculations and showed that some of the strength in the cross section is not accounted for. Replace this text with your abstract body.   

Measurement of the $t$-dependence for the Beam Asymmetry of Photoproduced $\eta$ Mesons at GlueX

We report on the photoproduction of $\eta$ mesons studied at the GlueX experiment at Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory in Newport News, VA. These particles are produced by a linearly polarized photon beam at energies between 8.2 and 8.8 GeV incident on a liquid hydrogen target. Azimuthal ($\phi$) angular distributions with respect to the direction of the polarized photon facilitate the extraction of the beam asymmetry $\Sigma$ for the reaction $\vec\gamma p \rightarrow \eta p$. $\Sigma$ is derived as a function of four-momentum transfer $-t$. Compared with previous GlueX results [1,2], the 2018 run period produced approximately 3-4 times more statistics, thereby allowing to extend these measurements to values beyond the previous limitation of $-t \leq$ 1.1 (GeV/$c$)$^2$. Preliminary results will be shown for events reconstructed from the decay of $\eta \rightarrow \pi^{+} \pi^{-} \pi^{0}$. [1] S. Adhikari {\it et al}. [GlueX Collaboration], Phys. Rev. C {\bf 100}, no. 5, 052201 (2019). [2] P.~Collins {\it et al.} [CLAS Collaboration], Phys.\ Lett.\ B {\bf 771}, 213 (2017).   

Beam Asymmetry t-dependence for photoproduced $\eta\prime$ at GlueX

The GlueX experiment is a photoproduction experiment which is based at Thomas Jefferson National Lab in Newport News, Virginia. We report on measurements of the beam asymmetry($\Sigma$) in the reaction $\gamma p\rightarrow \eta\prime p$, using a tagged, linearly polarized 9 GeV photon beam incident on a liquid hydrogen target. A previous measurement, which was limited to momentum transfer up to $-t=0.9 $ (GeV/c)$^2$, indicated that the reaction mechanism is dominated by $\rho$ and $\omega$ meson exchanges[1]. Newly collected data with 3-4 times larger statistics will allow us to study whether this holds true at larger momentum transfer. We will present the preliminary results of azimuthal angular distributions and extracted beam asymmetries as a function of -t for different $\eta\prime$ decay modes. [1] S.~Adhikari { et al.} [GlueX Collaboration], Phys. Rev. C {100}, no. 5, 052201 (2019)   

Measurement of the branching fraction for D0->Ks0Ks0pi+pi- and search for CP violation via T-odd triple product asymmetry

We measure the branching fraction for $D^{0} \rightarrow K_{s}^{0} K_{s}^{0} \pi^{+} \pi^{-}$ decays and also search for $CP$ violation by measuring a $T$-odd triple-product asymmetry. We use a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 932 fb$^{-1}$. The data were collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB $e^{+}e^{-}$ collider running at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ and $\Upsilon(5S)$ resonances. In the Standard Model (SM), $CP$ violation is expected to be very small in charm decays; thus an observed signal could indicate physics beyond the SM. The $T$-odd observable measured is $C^{}_{T} = \vv{P}_{K_{s}^{0}} \cdot (\vv{P}_{\pi^{+}} \times \vv{P}_{\pi^{-}})$. The difference in this observable between $D^{0}$ and $\overline{D}{}^0$ decays provides a measure of $CP$ violation free from strong interaction effects.   

Analysis of the reaction $\gamma p \rightarrow \eta^{'} \pi^{0}p$ in GlueX in search of photoproduced exotic mesons

The GlueX experiment in Hall-D at Jefferson lab is dedicated to measure the light meson spectrum and search for hybrid and exotic mesons. The discovery of hybrid mesons will be important to our understanding of the gluonic field responsible for the binding of quarks in hadrons. The experiment uses a tagged linearly polarized photon beam created by coherent Bremsstrahlung and a polarization peaking at around 9 GeV which is incident on a 30 cm long liquid hydrogen target. The detector with an almost 4$\pi$ acceptance and good efficiency for both charged particles as well as photons allows for final states with high particle multiplicities . This analysis focuses on the study of the $\eta^{'}\pi^{0}$ system with the decays $\eta^{'} \rightarrow \pi^{+}\pi^{-}\eta (\eta \rightarrow \gamma\gamma)$ and $ \pi^{0} \rightarrow \gamma\gamma$. We will present initial analysis results of the GlueX Phase-I dataset focusing on the selection of $\eta^{'}$ events and the background studies.   

Aspects of Quark Orbital Angular Momentum

The difference between the quark orbital angular momentum (OAM) defined in light-cone gauge (Jaffe-Manohar) compared to defined using a local manifestly gauge invariant operator (Ji) is interpreted in terms of the change in quark OAM as the quark leaves the target in a DIS experiment. We also discuss the possibility to measure quark OAM directly using twist 3 GPDs, and to calculate quark OAM in lattice QCD.   

The Photoelectric Effect applies to Protons and Proton Beams

The photoelectric effect is well known and since its inception has been found to include many more wavelengths of Electromagnetic Energy. It has also been found to apply to particles, such as electrons. In electrons, the antiparticle is the positron, and the quasi particle is the hole. Does the Proton have a quasi particle? Positrons don't appear in abundance, and one can surmise that they decay, and this author believes that they decay (at least in one decay path, which may not be the most likely path) into "holes" (electron holes). Electrons don't decay, in any normal time. The same is claimed for the Proton. But how about the Anti-Proton? This author believes that the Anti-Proton decays quickly, just like the Positron into a "hole". As an electron beam travels through a vacuum, in a vacuum tube, a current of holes travels in the reverse direction. Unlike the Positron that it came from the electron hole does not interact with the electron as a particle. Likewise in a Proton beam, a beam of Proton holes travels in the reverse direction. Although the Proton holes can't collide, they can establish a current in a semiconductor detector.   

Symmetric electron vortices of hydrogen ionized by orthogonal elliptical fields.

we designed a novel exciting-pulse combination involving a pair of time delayed orthogonally elliptically polarized intense pulses. This pulse combination, beneficial for studying the elliptical polarized pulse, can be regarded as a general form of bi-circular field leading to an orthogonally symmetric vortex shaped momentum pattern. We employed the strong field approximation (SFA) theory in our numerical simulation, and investigated the vortex shaped momentum patterns with varying time delays, ellipticities as well as pulse energies and so on. Being different from the results of Starace group that focus on circularly polarized pulses, we aim at exploring the characteristics of ionization by elliptically polarized field. It is found that the width of vortex arm is sensitive to the time delay for a fixed ellipticity, and the bending degree and number of vortex arms depend on the value of the ellipticity under some certain conditions. Moreover, we predicted some novel structures of the momentum pattern. These observations can serve as an alternative sensitive tool for characterizing the elliptically or more complexly polarized pulse, and deeply exploring the ionization features of atom or molecule..   

Fundamental physics and physics beyond the standard model with ultracold molecules: prospects for aluminum monofluoride (AlF).

Molecular spectra contain detailed information on the interaction between nuclei and electrons in a molecule. Therefore, accurate spectra of molecules can be used to test the standard model and to constrain the available parameter space for physics beyond the standard model. At very low temperatures, $T\lesssim$ 1mK, i.e. in the realm of ultracold molecules, the translational and internal degrees of freedom of the molecule are effectively controlled. Ultracold molecules are thus ideally suited for performing high-precision spectroscopy. In particular, by measuring the energy shift between two almost degenerate vibrational states that belong to different electronic states, it is possible to extract the tightest constraint on the time variation of the electron-to-proton mass ratio, $\mu$ . Moreover, the same measurement is possible to put constraints on the existence of extra dimensions based on the Arkani-Hamed, Dimopoulos and Dvali (ADD) model. Here, we focus on aluminum monofluoride (AlF), a molecule that we are currently working on in our laboratory. Aluminum monofluoride has a high dissociation energy and a particular electronic structure, that based on our predictions, will lead to tighter constraints on $\mu$ and on the existence of extra dimensions through the ADD model.   

The Correct Structure for Quantum Measurement (Inc. Null Measurement): Complementarity of W. James, Psychologist, Not Bohr

Limitations in Einstein's and Bohr's approaches to quantum measurement are discussed. Einstein's solely independent physical reality (sipr) does not work because in that case quantum mechanics (qm) is incomplete as EPR showed. Nothing that is part of a sipr has been shown to complete qm. In fact, the opposite occurred. Bohr's complementarity that relies on an unavoidable physical interaction (upi) between a measuring apparatus (ma) and the particle measured (pm) involving an uncontrollable aspect limiting the precision in knowing one of two canonically conjugate quantities does not work since it too relies on physical interactions. That is the reason Bohr can only write of an ``influence'' in response to EPR without specifying the nature of this influence. James' view from psychology can work because it does not rely on an upi between a ma and the pm: ``In certain persons, at least, the total possible consciousness may be split into parts which coexist but mutually ignore each other, and share the objects of knowledge between them\textellipsis .They are complementary. Give an object to one of the consciousnesses, and by that fact you remove it from the other or others.''   

Wheeler's Delayed Choice Experiment Plus Entanglement: An Apparent Non-Local Effect on the Future with Control

Wheeler's delayed choice (dc) experiment with an interferometer involving 1 photon is extended to 2 interferometers involving 2 orthogonally entangled photons, 1 photon traveling through each interferometer. Each interferometer has a polarizing beamsplitter (pbs) as the input beamsplitter (bs) and a 1/2 silvered mirror output bs. There is an apparent non-local effect on the future regarding the signal photon due to the dc for the idler photon distant from the signal photon. The dc concerns whether the output bs for the idler photon is: 1) left in place or 2) moved out of place before the idler photon reaches its output bs. The signal photon does not reach its input pbs until: 1) after the dc is made at the site of the output bs in the interferometer through which the idler photon travels and 2) the idler photon reaches the site of its output bs. A dc where there is interference for the idler photons results in interference in the distribution of the signal photons when the idler photon passes through its interferometer and is detected. A dc where there is which way (ww) information for the idler photons results in ww information in the distribution of the signal photons.   

Dueling Realities of a Photon Due to Its Particle -- Wave Duality Nature.

When a photon exists in a ``superposition'' of two possible states, it displays both polarizations - the axis on which it spins (either vertical or horizontal)-at once, as dictated by the laws of quantum mechanics. It seems that the consequences of these two different polarizations are different realities with respect to the observer. On the other hand, before the photon is measured, it displays both polarization at once. Here, it seems that; there is the relation between these two polarizations and the particle-wave duality nature --~``wavy-like'' motion of the photon may depend on the time's nature and ``jerky-like'' motion of the photon may depend on the space's nature~[\textit{Gholibeigian}, APS March Meeting 2015, abstract {\#}V1.023]~--~of the photon. If yes, we may define a relation between superposition, dueling realities, polarizations, particle-wave duality nature of the photon and their interaction with~each other and space-time.~ In other word, it seems that the polarizations help the photon to show off a particle -- wave duality face in motion by itself in interaction with each other and space-time. Consequently, Alice and Bob can observe two deduced versions of a reality, or two different realities at once in a superposition of two possible states of the photon.   

The CHSH Inequality of Quaternion Series Quantum Mechanics

It is accepted that experiments have proven Bell's inequality for complex-valued quantum mechanics showing the non-local nature of quantum mechanics. A quaternion has complex numbers as a subgroup. Any and all results in math or physics done with complex numbers can also be redone using quaternions of the form (a, b, 0, 0). A quaternion series is n (possibly infinite) quaternions which is a semi-group with inverses. An inner product can be defined for a quaternion series which has the properties required of a Hilbert space. A Jupyter notebook has been written that does the CHSH proof using quaternions of the form (a, b, 0, 0) along standard lines. The demand that the final two terms be zero is then relaxed. This requires a change in a normalization factor. The quaternion 3-vector must point in precisely the same direction in space for this to work. The fixed 3-vector is consistent with the level of precision experimentalist use to point their data collectors. This is the same as saying physicists have chosen to point in the spatial direction (1, 0, 0) since the birth of quantum mechanics. Instead of a complex number being a necessary abstraction, quaternion could be physical events in space-time. This shift in math will not be seen at the lab bench.   

Effects of Time-dependent Heat Sources on Neutron Star Crust Cooling

The cooling of neutron star$^{\mathrm{\thinspace }}$crusts can give insights to the interior thermal mechanics of the neutron star. Using dStar$^{\mathrm{1}}$ and the neutron star cooling simulation code NSCool, a variable mass is accreted onto different hypothetical neutron stars. Previous accretion simulations have accreted a constant mass over a long epoch, while in this research we investigate the effects of different accreting mass distributions and focus in on a periodic gaussian distribution, with a finer time epoch. The simulations produce plots of mass distributions as well as effective temperature and luminosity as viewed by a distant observer over time. The effects on the quiescent cooling curves due to the time-dependent distribution shapes of accreted mass are presented and comparisons are made with some observational data. $^{\mathrm{1}}$Brown, E. F. 2015, Astrophysics Source Code Library, ascl:1505.034   

Particle Physics Research within UMD's First-Year Innovation {\&} Research Experience Program

The University of Maryland's First-Year Innovation {\&} Research Experience (FIRE) is a 3-semester general education program with a first-semester enrollment of more than 600 undergraduates. FIRE provides students with faculty-mentored research experience and career-readiness with more than 15 diverse research streams available to its students in their second and third semesters. In 2019, I launched a new FIRE stream called ``Simulating Particle Detection'', to introduce undergraduate students to the field of experimental high energy particle physics. The research concentrates on computing and data analysis using simulations of novel detectors, specifically, the upgrade calorimeters of the CMS experiment at CERN. While high energy physics experiments are at the forefront of large collaborative research, large-size, university-wide course-based research experiences are not as common. There are many challenges to be addressed to serve about thirty undergraduates every year, such as adaptation of a high-level research topic into a course curriculum, physical and digital research setting logistics, and mentoring of students from different disciplines. I will share my experiences from the first-year running of my group, highlighting not only research but also pedagogical methods and outcomes concerning the above challenges.   

Performance Assessment of Ultra-High Resolution CT in Texture-based Metrics of Bone Health

Recently, a new generation of ultra-high-resolution CT (UHR CT) scanners has been introduced. UHR MDCT enables visualization of about 150 um details, offering substantial improvement over conventional MDCT. We study the effect of UHR imaging and reconstruction kernel on metrics of image texture (Gray-Level Co-occurrence and Run Length features). The texture features provide promising biomarkers in applications ranging from oncology to orthopedics, but might not be reproducible across imaging protocols. Human bone samples were scanned inside cylinder and thorax phantoms in the UHR mode at 375mAs - 5mAs and in the Normal Resolution (NR) mode at 50mAs. The data was reconstructed with the following kernels: FC30 (sharp reference images), FC30 with iterative denoising, FC50, and FC81. Mean texture values of regions of interest distributed through the bone were used to assess reproducibility in terms of correlation and concordance with the reference image. The results indicate that the bone texture features obtained from CT exhibit sensitivity to imaging dose and spatial resolution. Texture-based bone biomarkers established in NR CT may not be directly transferable to UHR CT; similarly, texture biomarkers identified in normal/high-dose data may not be reproducible in low-dose scans.   

Scatter Radiation Production in First Optical Enclosure of 6-BM Beamline at National Synchrotron Light Source-II

The National Synchrotron Light Source-II (NSLS-II) at Brookhaven National Laboratory produces synchrotron radiation of ultra-high brightness for high spatial and energy resolution x-ray diffraction experiments. Two major types of radiation studied at NSLS-II are synchrotron radiation (SR) and gas bremsstrahlung (GB). X-ray diffraction experiments are carried out with SR, while GB inside the storage ring is due to beam gas interactions. Only calculations of the scatter dose rate have been performed with FLUKA for beamlines at NSLS-II to ensure personnel safety on the experimental floor. The purpose of this study was to measure the scatter radiation produced inside the first optical enclosure (FOE) of the 6-BM beamline near viewports of the double crystal monochromator (DCM) for the first time. The DCM viewports in 6-BM were observed to yield the highest scatter dose rates within the FOE. Measurements of the scatter radiation were performed with the FH 40 G dose rate meter and Mirion InSpector$^{\mathrm{TM}}$ 1000 gamma spectrometer. Preliminary results showed that the gamma dose rate varied inversely with DCM crystal angle from 3.7 mSv/h ($\theta =$ 24$^{\mathrm{0}})$ to 5.3 mSv/h ($\theta =$ 5.5$^{\mathrm{0}})$. Dose rates measured near the upper DCM viewport were an order of magnitude larger than those recorded near the lower DCM viewport. Spectral analysis also revealed low energy peaks near these viewports. FLUKA results will be validated against these data.   

Electrostatics and Riemann Surfaces

We explain some basic connections between standard techniques in electrostatics and the theory of Riemann surfaces. These results are well-understood in algebraic geometry, but are not well-known by physicists in general. We illustrate this by using simple, complex-analytic techniques to find electric fields on the sphere and torus, which gives an illuminating way to visualize elliptic functions when the argument is complex. This illustrates the deep and far-reaching connection between geometry and physics at an easily understood, elementary level.   

Unlocking the molecular mechanisms of E. coli MutS

The DNA mismatch repair pathway is a system of proteins that corrects mistakes that occur during DNA replication. In \textit{E. coli}, MutS initiates DNA mismatch repair via binding to DNA mismatches. Once bound, MutS uses ATPase activities to signal for other repair proteins to excise and correct the mismatch. MutS has been shown to have a higher binding affinity to G-T, A-C, G-G, and A-A mismatches when compared to other mismatches, C-T, A-G, T-T, and C-C, which bind at a lower affinity. Spectrophotometric ATPase assays were used to measure the ATPase activity of MutS in the presence of all DNA mismatches. From spectrophotometric ATPase assay data, a \textit{Kcat}value can be found that describes ATP reactions with MutS. Fluorescence anisotropy was used to test the binding activity of MutS by the discovery of a \textit{Kd} value, which is the measure of the protein's binding affinity. Details like ATPase activity and binding affinity are important to understanding DNA mismatch recognition on a molecular level. Because the DNA mismatch repair system is conserved throughout nature, the DNA mismatch repair pathway of \textit{E. coli} serves as a prototype for understanding DNA mismatch repair in humans.   

Design and Implementation of 3D Printable Optomechanical Components

Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing is a process by which three-dimensional objects are created by depositing layers of a material onto a hard, flat surface by a robot. It is often referred to as an `additive manufacturing' technique because material is added in successive layers to create an object. Because many scientific applications require parts that are expensive to purchase or manufacture, 3D printing custom parts for scientific instrumentation can save (shipping and/or manufacturing) time and money, and it requires only one compact, computer-controlled robot. Thus, 3D printable scientific parts and equipment can drive down the costs of scientific research and can advance the pace of research progress. Here, we present a library of 3D printable optomechanical components that are compatible with commercial optomechanical parts. These components were tested for their optical stability and durability in home-built optical systems constructed entirely from 3D printed optomechanical components, and we demonstrate that optical systems built using 3D printable optomechanical components are comparable to their more expensive, commercially available counterparts. Thus, we expect our library of 27 3D printable optomechanical components to find utility in scientific research and teaching laboratories.   

Open Source Diode Array Absorption Spectrophotometer

3D printing technology is a powerful tool in the creation of optics equipment, both for research and educational purposes, allowing for components that can be designed to meet a large array of specific needs. Compared to their commercial counterparts, the open source nature of many of the already available 3D printable optomechanical components allows for researchers and educators to customize the parts for their needs. Here, we present the design of a 3D printable diode-array visible absorption spectrophotometer. Optomechanical parts were designed using CAD software and can be constructed using 3D printed plastic components and parts available at a hardware store. Absorption is measured with the use of a charge coupled device (CCD) and an Arduino. Because the parts can be constructed by anyone with access to a 3D printer, the spectrophotometer is accessible to a broader audience by a significantly reduced cost and allowing access to more remote areas by bypassing the need for shipment of parts and instead printing and assembling parts in the span of hours. The increased availability and decreased cost of an open source diode array absorption spectrophotometer will allow more classrooms and educational labs to engage students with spectrometers.   

Fabrication of Gate Defined Quantum Dots in Tellurium Nanowires

The purpose of this experiment was to create tellurium quantum dots using gate-based fabrication in order to study the quantum properties of tellurium. The effectiveness of the native oxide, TeO$_{\mathrm{2}}$, \begin{figure}[htbp] \centerline{\includegraphics[width=0.30in,height=0.17in]{310120201.eps}} \label{fig1} \end{figure} was tested as an insulator for the development of the devices compared to synthesized insulator Al$_{\mathrm{2}}$O$_{\mathrm{3}}$. The native oxide on the tellurium wires seemed to raise more problems than solutions during the fabrication process. The amount of~TeO$_{\mathrm{2}}$ \begin{figure}[htbp] \centerline{\includegraphics[width=0.30in,height=0.17in]{310120202.eps}} \label{fig2} \end{figure} growth could be greater than expected, leading to the complications faced during device fabrication. Transmission electron microscopy was used on a tellurium growth that was suspected to have only nanowires, but other structures such as nanotubes and rolled planes were found. Due to this discovery, thorough investigation of tellurium growths will be needed before device fabrication in order to verify the compatibility of a nanostructure. Useful fabrication procedures regarding tellurium nanowires were discovered that could aid future work, such as the fragile nature of the nanowires, procedures that were altered for the material, and the discovery of a varying nanostructures from grown samples.   

Feasibility of Implementing Machine Learning into the CMS Trigger System for Improved Studies of the Higgs Boson

Machine Learning is a rapidly expanding field, with growth not only in industry settings, but in High Energy Physics applications as well. Machine learning techniques have already proven useful at the LHC in some settings. Moreover, recent advancements in software tools make it possible to synthesize neural nets into field programmable gate array (FPGA) firmware and improvements in hardware capabilities have allowed for a renewed effort to integrate machine learning into a wider swath of the LHC. To this end, we proceeded to investigate if the inclusion of a machine learning algorithm would improve the performance of the hardware trigger menu for Vector Boson Fusion (VBF) signal topologies. Our research has shown that a deep neural network (DNN) structure can already achieve a significant performance increase over the standard `cut based' trigger designs. In this poster, we will present the details of our results, the training design, and our current efforts to both improve performance and expand our DNN to trigger on more VBF Higgs topologies.   

Effects of the Pion Program on Undergraduate Students

The Pion Program is an intervention designed to help prepare undergraduate physics majors that are members of Sigma Pi Sigma, the national physics honors society, to choose and pursue their post-baccalaureate plans. This intervention can address the issue of students being unprepared to choose their post-baccalaureate plans and provide them with the resources to confidently be able to do so. The Pion Program has three modules: professional development, peer mentorship, and faculty mentorship. An expected result of this intervention is undergraduate physics students being able to identify and pursue their post-baccalaureate plans. These students typically have two options---enter graduate school or the workforce upon the completion of their undergraduate degree. The future implications of this intervention would be for comparable programs to be applied to other STEM majors in order help those students develop the skills needed to pursue their post-baccalaureate plans. Further details of the program including methods of obtaining student feedback, changes made, and challenges that need to be overcome will be shared.   

Solvent-treated PEDOT:PSS hole transport layer to improve the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is one of the most actively used hole transport materials in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, charge transport ability in PEDOT:PSS is inefficient due to low conductivity with the presence of weak ionic conductor PSS. In addition, optoelectronics properties of perovskite absorber is also regulated by the underlying PPEDOT:PSS layer. In this work, a facile solvent-treated method (using ethylene glycol and methanol) is applied to achieve a non-wetting conductive hole transport layer by removing the predominant PSS from the surface of PEDOT:PSS. Non-wetting conducting surface of PEDOT:PSS helps to grow larger perovskite crystalline domains, which in combination with higher conductive hole transport layer result in improved charge carrier lifetime, transport time and transfer impedance in the solvent-treated PEDOT:PSS-based PSCs. This facile solvent treatment improves the stability and the efficiency of the MAPbI$_{\mathrm{3}}$ PSCs to 18.46{\%}, which is more than 39{\%} improvement compared to that of devices with untreated PEDOT:PSS.   

Femtosecond optical frequency combs and applications to quantum control of three-level atomic systems

Mode-locked frequency combs provide a powerful way to assemble a spectrum of finely spaced frequency peaks over the duration of the pulse train. Altering pulse parameters and introducing pulse modulation can be used to develop control protocols to drive atomic systems to targeted states. We investigate models of frequency combs with Gaussian envelopes and various phase modulation functions and their mathematical descriptions in the frequency domain. Considering three-level atomic systems, we study how a single train of ultrafast mode-locked pulses can be used to gradually develop coherences and populations. Numerical simulations as well as control protocols, in the case of picosecond pulses, were used to study the effect of changing laser parameters on system state evolution.   

A model of electromagnetically induced transparency and high energy charged particles in atomic media

We investigate the interaction of charged HEPs with 3-level lambda systems under the EIT regime. HEP particles emit Cherenkov radiation with a phase and group cone that strongly depend on coherence between the ground and excited states. We use the Lindblad master equation to determine a set of analytic equations that model the coherence terms and show the dependence of electric susceptibility on field and system parameters. The effects of smaller FWHM in the coherence term will translate to a lower group velocity of Cherenkov radiation near the resonant frequency which can be used to provide an effective control scheme for detecting HEPs.   

Lorentz invariance violations in the interplay of quantum gravity with matter

We explore the interplay of matter with quantum gravity with a preferred frame to highlight that the matter sector cannot be protected from the symmetry-breaking effects in the gravitational sector. Focusing on Abelian gauge fields, we show that quantum gravitational radiative corrections induce Lorentz-invariance-violating couplings for the Abelian gauge field. In particular, we discuss how such a mechanism could result in the possibility to translate observational constraints on Lorentz violation in the matter sector into strong constraints on the Lorentz-violating gravitational couplings.   

Local $AdS_2\times S^2$Topology, Perfect Fluids and Conformal Weyl Gravity

We study the solution space of Conformal Weyl Gravity with local $AdS_2\times S^2$ topology. We find a vacuum solution exhibiting a Petrov Type $O$ (conformally flat) and Segre Type $\{(111),1\}$ (perfect fluid) classification. We compute the perfect fluid energy momentum tensor within the Einstein Gravity frame work and also compute the conformal diffeomorphism, mapping the solution to flat spacetime modulo a conformal factor. We comment on future work concerning the quantum gravity of this solution within the Conformal Weyl Gravity paradigm and the $AdS/CFT$ correspondence.