Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2011
Volume 56, Number 4
Saturday–Tuesday, April 30–May 3 2011; Anaheim, California
Session B13: Undergraduate Research including SPS (all topics) |
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Sponsoring Units: SPS Chair: Gary White, Society of Physics Students (AIP) Room: Royal EF |
Saturday, April 30, 2011 10:45AM - 10:57AM |
B13.00001: Science Policy: Behind the Scenes Travis Barnett I served nine weeks as an intern in the House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology. For the majority of the summer I served in the Research and Science Education Subcommittee, researching, among other things, cyber-enabled learning, cybersecurity, and alternate energy costs. I learned a great deal about the workings of the American government and how to contribute to a professional office environment. During these nine weeks, my personal communication skills were greatly improved. My internship was created and funded by the John and Jane Mather Foundation for the Arts and Sciences, and as the only merit-based science committee intern, I felt a great responsibility to prove my worth in the Committee. It is important to have scientists involved in the policy of our government in order to keep our nation on a progressive track, and to preserve current scientific discoveries for posterity. Immersed in government and science policy, I feel very learned and prepared to participate in these fields. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 30, 2011 10:57AM - 11:09AM |
B13.00002: Optimization of a small scale reluctance linear solenoid accelerator Thor Barrera, Robby Beard Small scale accelerator technologies provide opportunities in innovative and efficient transportation systems. Accelerator technologies are ever decreasing in size and complexity. The goal of the research was to develop more efficient small scale accelerators by optimizing high current flow through the accelerating solenoid. To do this; low temperature liquid nitrogen cooling systems and Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier power supply systems were examined closely to maximize the magnetic field inside the solenoid. Additionally,ferromagnetic fluids were examined in conjunction with these technologies to investigate the possibility of controlled braking of an accelerated object. The experimentation provides a high quality laboratory experiment for undergraduates interested in accelerator physics. Additionally, it provides a useful demonstration apparatus for undergraduate students studying lower division electricity and magnetism courses. A demonstration of the current development on these technologies will be offered at the time of the lecture. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 30, 2011 11:09AM - 11:21AM |
B13.00003: Lithium atomic beam spectroscopy and phase sensitive detection using a diode laser Jack Houlton, Brandon Peplinski, Lauren Otto, Daniel Klemme, Tom Greenlee, Chad Hoyt We describe spectroscopy of a collimated lithium atomic beam using a home-built external cavity diode laser (ECDL) at 671 nm. The atomic beam is formed from an effusive oven containing Li at T$\approx$450$^{\circ}$C and a series of apertures. The ECDL light is split into two beams that counter-propagate at right angles to the atomic beam. Fluorescence spectra from the unresolved 2S$_{1/2}$ F=2 $\rightarrow$ 2P$_{3/2}$ D2 line of $^7$Li were recorded over a large range of saturation parameters (0.1 $s_0$ - 50 $s_0$, where $s_0$ is the ratio of laser intensity to the saturation intensity). We modeled the effects of transverse atomic velocities (residual Doppler broadening), power broadening, and the saturation feature at high $s_0$. We calibrated the spectra by modulating the laser current at $\sim$110 MHz and observing the sideband spectra. We locked the frequency of the ECDL to the transition at low and high values of $s_0$ by phase sensitive detection in the fluorescence. The laser beam was electro-optically modulated at 100 kHz and the fluorescence signal was demodulated with a lock-in amplifier. The locked ECDL will be used for laser cooling and trapping experiments. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 30, 2011 11:21AM - 11:33AM |
B13.00004: Construction and testing of the Large multi-Institutional Scintillator Array (LISA) - a model of collaborative undergraduate research Warren Rogers The Large-area multi-Institutional Scintillator Array (LISA) will detect high-energy neutrons in experiments with fast rare isotopes at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University, allowing for the study of unbound nuclei as well and many unknown higher-lying unbound states in light neutron-rich nuclei ($Z<$9). Nine primarily undergraduate institutions designed and proposed the array, and several undergraduate students constructed the 144 plastic scintillator detectors that make up the highly efficient large-area array. LISA is designed to be used in conjunction with the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) (also constructed by undergraduate students), and the two are planned for use in the future Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) at MSU. The construction process and characteristics of the detectors will be presented, as well as results from several measurements made by the undergraduate students before shipping the detectors to NSCL for assembly into the array, including cosmic muon measurements, light attenuation measurements, and 2-dimensional gamma ray angular distribution mapping, among others. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 30, 2011 11:33AM - 11:45AM |
B13.00005: Production of Short-Lived $^{37}$K Heather Stephens, Dan Melconian, Praveen Shidling The purpose of our work during the summer months of 2010 was to produce a beam of $^{37}$K with $\ge $ 99{\%} purity and characterize in detail the remaining contaminants. A projectile beam of $^{38}$Ar at 25 and 29 MeV/nucleon from the K500 cyclotron generated the $^{37}$K by reacting with an H$_{2}$ gas target. The \textit{MARS} spectrometer was then used to separate the reaction products of interest from the primary beam and other unwanted reaction products. From analysis of our production experiment, we were able to successfully produce 807 counts/nC of $^{37}$K with 99.19{\%} purity at 25MeV/u and 1756 counts/nC with 98.93{\%} purity at 29MeV/u. The purity of this beam and rate of production is more than adequate for use in determining the half-life of $^{37}$K, the next step to be done by the team in August 2010. This measurement will be accomplished by implanting the activity into a Mylar tape, placing it between two high-efficiency gas counters and counting the amount of beta decays as a function of time. It is expected the half-life will be measured using the $^{37}$K produced from $^{38}$Ar at 29MeV/u. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 30, 2011 11:45AM - 11:57AM |
B13.00006: N-16 Capture to Differentiate Between Neutrinos and Antineutrinos in Super-Kamiokande Ashley Jones Super-Kamiokande is a large water Cherenkov neutrino detector in Japan. Without a magnetic field, the difference between neutrinos and antineutrinos is not apparent. The difference can be observed, however, through the decay of nitrogen-16. Negative muons capture on oxygen nuclei, and oxygen-16 becomes nitrogen-16, which beta decays. Looking for the decay after low energy events within detector samples can signify neutrino events as opposed to prevalent antineutrino events. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 30, 2011 11:57AM - 12:09PM |
B13.00007: Very High Momentum Particle Identification Detector (VHMPID) for ALICE Karen Cossyleon, Edmudno Garcia We propose the construction of a new detector to extend the capabilities of the ALICE heavy ion experiment at the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) in the high transverse momentum ($p_T$) region. The proposed VHMPID detector performs charged hadron identification on a track-by-track basis in the $10$ GeV/c $ < p < 25$ GeV/c momentum range and provides ALICE with new opportunities to study parton-medium interactions at LHC energies. This capability will be unique to all LHC experiments and it builds on the already existing particle identification capabilities of the ALICE detector in the lower momentum range. It provides the opportunity to measure triggered and tagged particle jets, allowing for the first time identified charged hadron measurements in the parton fragmentation region. In this talk, we will describe the project, some results from preliminary beam tests of a new prototype and the physics possibilities that it will bring to ALICE. [Preview Abstract] |
Saturday, April 30, 2011 12:09PM - 12:21PM |
B13.00008: Monitoring Mirror Misalignment in a Ring Image Cherenkov Detector for ALICE Angela Moore, Austin Harton, Edmundo Garcia We propose a laser system to monitor mirror misalignment in a Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) Detector to be used in the Very High Momentum Particle Identification Detector (VHMPID) of ALICE. ~The VHMPID detector identifies charged hadrons in the 10 GeV/c to 25 GeV/c momentum range. ~The RICH detector determines a particle's velocity through a medium by focusing the Cherenkov emission onto a photon detector using a 12 segment spherical mirror and calculating from that image the Cherenkov angle. A major issue in the RICH detector is that changes in temperature, humidity and other environmental conditions can cause movements in mirror position leading to errors when determining the Cherenkov angle. To detect this mirror misalignment, we are developing a system to individually monitor each mirror segment by illuminating it with a single laser beam and tracking the reflection using a photo detector array. In this presentation, we will discuss methods of quantifying mirror misalignment, techniques for distributing laser radiation to mirror segments and approaches to monitoring the misalignment. [Preview Abstract] |
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