Session C1: Poster Session

On PT-Symmetric Periodic Potential, Quark Confinement, and Other Impossible Pursuits

As we know, it has been quite common nowadays for particle physicists to think of six impossible things before breakfast, just like what their cosmology fellows used to do. In the present paper, we discuss a number of those impossible things, including PT-symmetric periodic potential, its link with condensed matter nuclear science, and possible neat link with Quark confinement theory. In recent years, the PT-symmetry and its related periodic potential have gained considerable interests among physicists. We begin with a review of some results from a preceding paper discussing derivation of PT-symmetric periodic potential from biquaternion Klein-Gordon equation and proceed further with the remaining issues. Further observation is of course recommended in order to refute or verify this proposition.   

S-Denying of the Signature Conditions Expands General Relativity's Space

We apply the S-denying procedure to signature conditions in a four-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian space, i.e. we change one (or even all) of the conditions to be partially true and partially false. We obtain five kinds of expanded space-time for General Relativity. Kind I permits the space-time to be in collapse. Kind II permits the space-time to change its own signature. Kind III has peculiarities, linked to the third signature condition. Kind IV permits regions where the metric fully degenerates: there may be non-quantum teleportation, and a home for virtual photons. Kind V is common for kinds I, II, III, and IV.   

A Classical Explanation of the Photoelectric Effect

In 1905, Albert Einstein explained the photoelectric effect by introducing the idea of the photon. His theory explained three key features of experiments. The intensity of the impinging light determines the amount of current generated. The frequency determines whether any current is generated at all. Finally, the electricity flows almost instantaneously. Classical physics was unable to account for all of these experimental results. This failure helped convince physicists of the existence of the photon. After reviewing this history, we will present a purely classical model that accounts for all the prominent features of the photoelectric effect and argue that this experiment does not demonstrate the existence of the photon. The key ingredient will be the use of Walter Ritz's atomic model, which can reproduce numerous atomic spectra. The atom will absorb energies at discrete levels while the electromagnetic waves will remain continuous.   

Positron Spectroscopy Investigation of Normal Brain Section and Brain Section with Glioma Derived from a Rat Glioma Model

The application of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and Doppler broadening spectroscopy (DBS) to the study of animal or human tissue has only recently been reported. We have initiated a study of normal brain section and brain section with glioma derived from a rat glioma model. PALS lifetime runs were made with the samples soaked in formalin, and there was not significant evaporation of formalin during the runs. While early results suggested a small decrease in o-Ps pickoff lifetime between the normal brain section and brain section with glioma, further runs with additional samples have showed no statistically significant difference between the normal and tumor tissue for this type of tumor. DBS was also used to investigate the difference in positronium formation between tumor and normal tissue. Tissue samples are heterogeneous and this needs to be carefully considered if PALS and DBS are to become useful tools in distinguishing tissue samples.   

Neural networks for automated classification of eclipsing binary stars

Advances in observational astronomy have given astronomers the opportunity to conduct sky surveys capable of collecting terabytes of data nightly. Photometric observation of stars has drastically increased the number of known variable stars to a point where traditional object-by-object analysis is not feasible. Using artificial neural networks for data mining, data reduction and analysis is of great interest to astronomers who now have more data readily available than any person or team could analyze in a lifetime. This poster presents initial efforts to build a scheme to automatically classify light curves of eclipsing binary stars using Fourier descriptors and artificial neural networks. The raw data was obtained from available public domain databases. A FORTRAN code was written to compute the Fourier descriptors, which are presented as inputs to the neural network for training and classifying the light curves.   

Monitoring Extra-Solar Planets using Transit Photometry

Presented are the results of monitored transits of extra-solar planets using Tarleton State University's 32 inch remotely controlled telescope, which is equipped for photometry with a wide field CCD camera and UBVRI filters. These results represent the refining of our observing and data analysis techniques for detecting extra-solar planets. Presented is a summary of our ongoing project, examples of measured transits, and details on our data analysis process.   

Studying Amorphous Ternary Materials Using RBS and Channeling

Amorphous ternary materials are leading candidates for use as diffusion barriers and high temperature resistors and sensor in future electronic devices. Tarleton researchers have already successfully applied Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) to reactively sputtered Ta-S-N films to determine stoichiometry and film thickness as part of a collaborative research program in amorphous ternary films with scientists in Switzerland and at the California Institute of Technology and Motorola. In these previous studies, test films were deposited on specially treated carbon substrates rather than on the silicon substrates needed for device fabrication in order to improve sensitivity. This talk will discuss the difficulties in applying RBS to study the diffusion of nitrogen in Ta-Si-N films deposited on Silicon substrates and laser patterned for high temperature resistor applications and our recent efforts to construct a channeling system in order to overcome these difficulties.   

Mechanical Size Separation of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles

In recent years nanocrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) has become an object of intense research due to many attractive properties useful for applications. Currently an important issue is to correlate the size and morphology of the ZnO nanoscale materials with their performance-defining parameters. Thus, size separation of the ZnO nanocrystals is desirable in order to help quantify this correlation. The purpose of our studies was to design and implement a simple and reproducible method of separating ZnO nanoparticles by size from polydisperse nanopowders. Our approach combined nanopore filtration, ultrasonication and vacuum suction. We analyzed our samples using electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. It was demonstrated that after size-separation treatment the obtained distribution of particles became significantly more monodisperse with an average particle size below 10 nm.   

A Hybrid Algebraic/Inverse Radon Transform method for Region of Interest reconstruction of Computed Tomography Images

Computed tomography is an advanced method in medical imaging. The main shortcoming of it is the relatively high dose of radiation used to imaging. Consequently, a large effort has been made to obtain good image reconstructions from fewer projections. Inverse Radon Transform (IRT) lead a very good image reconstruction with large number of projection ($\sim $100), but the method is not accurate when is $<$ 30 projections. Algebraic methods are very efficient for small images; unfortunately, for an 256 x 256 image, the coefficients of the linear system' matrix is about 10$^{9}$. We propose here a novel method, in which fewer projections ($\sim $30) are employed for reconstruction. An intermediate reconstruction of poor quality is obtained via IRT and a Region of Interest (ROI) is selected. The contribution of the ROI to the total projections data is isolated and used for the algebraic reconstruction of the ROI image. This procedure reduce the coefficients from 10$^{9}$ to $\sim $10$^{4}$ elements.   

Orbital Modeling of the Trans-Neptunian Dwarf Planets Using Celestia

The goal of this project was to find a way to visualize the orbital data for the Trans-Neptunian (TN) dwarf planets. To accomplish this, we chose the free open-source space simulation program, Celestia. By default, Celestia does not simulate all of the TN dwarf planets. However, Celestia allows users to add smaller programs (i.e. add-ons) to include additional objects in the simulation. This poster will focus on how we created an add-on that was used to visualize the TN dwarf planets' orbits. Using the add-on, some surprising results stood out. For example, the variations of the orbital inclinations of the TN dwarf planets drastically differ. This is in stark contrast to the larger planets in the solar system which nearly lie in the same plane. Another example is the Pluto-Charon system's peculiar orbit. Pluto and Charon revolve around the center of mass of this system which lies well outside of Pluto. Hence, Pluto does not orbit the Sun directly as is typically assumed by the general public. Instead, it is the center of mass of the Pluto-Charon system that orbits the Sun.   

Quantum Entanglement in Jaynes-Cummings Model

Quantum entanglement is a quantum mechanical phenomenon in which two or more quantum states are linked together so that one state can no longer be adequately described without full mention of its counterpart. Quantum Entanglement is fascinating and its future application is endless. This paper explores the applications of what has been called Einstein's Spookiest Theory. The world of Information Technology is in for a dramatic change with the introduction of Quantum Information, Cryptography, Computation, and Teleportation. We discuss the entanglement in Jaynes-Cummings Model and try to find its applications in different fields of physics. As research progresses, the upcoming years are bound to reveal some astonishing advancements and breakthroughs in quantum entanglement.