Physics, Computer Science and Data Science (Physics)
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The best way to learn physics is by doing physics. To this end, at Houghton we offer a curriculum that, in addition to solid coursework, emphasizes the practical laboratory experience. Our goal is to provide a much broader experience for our students by having them spend several years becoming deeply involved in a “real-world” research problem – a problem that requires them to use all of the skills, tools and knowledge they have accumulated throughout their educational career, from electronic design to quantum mechanics to machine shop. Students present their work at professional scientific meetings, as well as prepare a thesis. Summers are often spent working on research with Houghton faculty as well, most recently on experiments at Ohio University and SUNY Geneseo for the inertial confinement fusion programs at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) and nanotechnology research at the Cornell Center for Materials Research at Cornell University.
Students get the chance to work on a wide variety of problems which require them to integrate the skills they have mastered in their traditional coursework, as well as learn new techniques. They also show posters and give oral presentations at scientific meetings. Finally, at the end of their senior year, they prepare a thesis detailing their work.
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- ItemA Measurement of the Muon Magnetic Moment Using Cosmic Rays(Houghton College, 2001-11-03) Ely, David Richard; Kroening, Daniel Atkinson; Yuly, MarkThe muon magnetic moment is being measured via the decay of polarized cosmic-ray muons in a 44 G magnetic field. One, thick, 102.0 x 20.6 x 5.4 cm plastic scintillator detector was placed between two, 101.5 x 20.6 x 1.6 cm detectors in the uniform magnetic field produced by a solenoid. A veto-scintillator eliminated events from regions of non-uniform magnetic field. The time difference between when the muon stopped in the center detector and the detection of the decay positron was recorded for several thousand events. The decay positron is emitted along the direction of the precessing muon spin axis.Rochester Academy of Science, 28th Annual Paper Session, Nazareth College, Rochester NY. November 3, 2001.
- ItemA Tabletop Apparatus to Measure the Magnetic Moment Of the Muon(Houghton College, 2002-04-20) Ely, David Richard; Kroening, Daniel Atkinson; Yuly, MarkXXI Annual Rochester Symposium for Physics Students, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY).
- ItemA Low-Cost Van de Graaff Accelerator(Houghton College, 2002-04-20) Winey, Brian Andrew; Yuly, MarkXXI Annual Rochester Symposium for Physics Students, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)
- ItemA Low-Cost Van de Graaff Accelerator(Houghton College, 2002-05-08) Winey, Brian AndrewA small, low-cost Van de Graaff electrostatic accelerator capable of accelerating electrons and producing bremsstrahlung x-rays has been constructed using components commonly found in most undergraduate physics laboratories. The electrons originate within the negative high-voltage terminal and are accelerated by a uniform electric field through an evacuated glass tube. Electron currents of up to 6 µA were collected in a Faraday cup. The end-point of the bremsstrahlung x-ray energy spectrum has been measured to be between 300 and 400 keV.
- ItemA Tabletop Apparatus to Measure the Magnetic Moment of the Muon(Houghton College, 2002-05-08) Ely, David RichardAn apparatus was constructed to measure the magnetic moment of cosmic ray muons using their precession in a uniform magnetic field. A 102.0 x 20.6 x 5.4 cm plastic scintillator was sandwiched between two 102.0 x 20.6 x 1.6 cm scintillators inside a uniform, 42 G magnetic field, which was produced by a large solenoid. A small veto scintillator eliminated events occurring in the non-uniform region of the field at the ends of the solenoid. A logic circuit identified muons stopping in the center scintillator and the subsequent decay of these muons. The time difference between the muon stopping and its decay was recorded for about 67,000 events, allowing the decay constant and the magnetic moment to be determined.
- ItemA Measurement of the Muon Magnetic Moment Using Cosmic Rays(Houghton College, 2002-05-08) Kroening, DanielThe muon magnetic moment was measured via the decay of polarized cosmic-ray muons in a constant magnetic field with a three-scintillator detector system. Cosmic-ray muons stop in the central detector, precess in the magnetic field, and then decay by emitting positrons along the muon spin axis. A quantum-mechanical calculation allows the g-factor to be extracted from a measurement of the number of positrons emitted into one direction as a function of decay time. The results are t = 2.28 ± 0.07 µs (mean decay time) and g = 2.74 ± 0.20. Some possible explanations for the large value of g are discussed.
- ItemA Preliminary Design for a Small Permanent Magnet Cyclotron(Houghton College, 2002-11-22) King, BarryHoughton College Interdisciplinary Lunch Seminar.
- ItemA Preliminary Design for a Small Permanent Magnet Cyclotron(Houghton College, 2003-01-20) King, BarryA small cyclotron is being constructed using a 0.5 T permanent magnet and a vacuum chamber containing a single brass RF electrode. In this design the magnetic field strength may be modified by adjusting the separation of two iron pole pieces, which will be sealed to the chamber using vacuum grease. The chamber will be filled with low pressure hydrogen gas which will be ionized by electrons from a cathode at the center of the chamber. The required 3.6 to 11.5 MHz RF power will be supplied by a commercial RF amplifier. A diffusion pump backed by a voluntary forepump and a liquid nitrogen cold trap will be used to evacuate the chamber. Expected energies are 37.5 keV and 87.7 keV for protons and 18.7 keV and 43.8 keV for deuterons.
- ItemA Wind-Driven Power Generating System: Preliminary Modeling and Analysis of Power Curves(Houghton College, 2003-04-12) Marthai, Sonya; Merriam, Donald Jr.; Rohe, RonaldXXII Annual Rochester Symposium for Physics Students, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY).
- ItemUsing the (n, 2p) Reaction to Search for a Preexisting Nuclear D++ Component(Houghton College, 2003-04-12) De Young, Rachel; Yuly, MarkXXII Annual Rochester Symposium for Physics Students, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY).
- ItemA Preliminary Design for a Small Cyclotron(Houghton College, 2003-04-12) Tuminaro, Sharon; King, Barry; Roloson, Jake; Yuly, MarkXXII Annual Rochester Symposium for Physics Students, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY).
- ItemA Wind-Driven Power Generating System: Initial Designs and Construction of Electrical Power Generator(Houghton College, 2003-04-12) Merriam, Donald Jr.; Marthai, Sonya; Rohe, RonaldXXII Annual Rochester Symposium for Physics Students, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY).
- ItemTabletop Transmission (and/or Emission) Computed Tomography Scanner(Houghton College, 2003-04-12) Clifford, Rebekah; Brush, Ursula; Kingsley, Nicholas; Rohe, RonaldXXII Annual Rochester Symposium for Physics Students, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY).
- ItemA Wind Driven Power Generating System: Preliminary Modeling of Power Curves(Houghton College, 2003-05-08) Marthai, SonyaMost power curves for current wind power systems depend on filed measurements. Relationships between the details of the design and power output are therefore often hidden. The overall goal of this project is to design and build a low cost, mechanically efficient wind driven power-generating system in the 1 to 5 kilowatt range and to predict and improve its performance based on equations derived from fundamental principles. A series of theoretical power curves are presented that successively incorporate greater complexity of blade parameters. The aim is to optimize each individual parameter, then design an efficient blade design based on those specifications.
- ItemThe (n,2p) Reaction as a Probe for a Nuclear Δ++ Component(Houghton College, 2003-05-19) De Young, RachelAn experiment to measure the 3He(n,2p)2n and 4He(n,2p)3n cross-sections was conducted at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) as a means to explore the Δ++ contribution to the nuclear wave function. Neutrons incident on gaseous 3He and 4He targets produced outgoing protons which traveled through two magnetic spectrometer arms, each consisting of a thin ΔE plastic scintillator, a permanent bending dipole magnet, two sets of x-y drift chambers, and a final calorimeter of three stacked plastic scintillators. Computer codes are being developed to analyze the delay line readouts from the drift chambers in order to determine particle trajectories through the magnetic field and trace back to the target. This information will be used to identify the outgoing particles and calculate their momenta. Once cross-sections have been determined, comparisons may be made to theoretical predictions that include a Δ component to the nuclear wave function.
- ItemA Tabletop Transmission Computed Tomography Scanner(Houghton College, 2003-11-11) Clifford, RebekahA first generation computed tomography (CT) scanner allows for a cross-sectional slice of an object to be analyzed by x-rays passing through the material. These images are created by recording the x-ray energy spectrum at a specified number of translational and rotational steps. Instead of an x-ray tube, 22Na will be used as the radiation source in conjunction with two sodium-iodide scintillation detectors. The source and detectors will remain co-linear and stationary, while the object to be scanned will rotate and translate. During the last two years, the rotation and translation table have been assembled and progress has been made towards a computer code to control the motors that translate and rotate the table on which the object is placed. Once this program has been completed, the source and detectors will be installed and the scanner will be tested.
- ItemA Preliminary Transmission Computed Tomography Scanner(Houghton College, 2003-11-15) Kingsley, Nicholas; Rohe, Ronald30th Annual Scientific Paper Session of the Rochester Academy of Science (Rochester, NY).
- ItemThe Design of a Small Cyclotron(Houghton College, 2003-12-17) Tuminaro, SharonA small cyclotron capable of producing a 45-170 keV proton beam or a 20-85 keV deuteron beam is being designed and constructed at Houghton College. In this design, low pressure hydrogen gas will be ionized by a filament inside the acceleration chamber, which will contain a single RF accelerating electrode. The chamber will be evacuated by a diffusion pump backed with a rotary forepump and a liquid nitrogen cold trap. The magnetic field produced by a permanent magnet (nominal field strength 0.5 T) may be altered using an adjustable pole separation. The motivation, theory, and overall design will be covered in this thesis, with a special emphasis on the design and construction of the vacuum system.
- ItemA Novel 1st Generation Computed Tomography Scanner(Houghton College, 2003-12-19) Kingsley, NicholasA preliminary design for a first generation tomography scanner is being designed and constructed. The scanner uses Na-22 as the radiation source, with annihilation photons being counted by shielded NaI detectors. The novel design of the scanner allows a very weak radiation source to be used by taking advantage of the back-to-back 511 keV annihilation photons emitted after Na-22 B+ decay to improve the signal to noise ratio. The object being scanned will be translated and rotated systematically by computerized motor control using two motors attached to a standard rotary table.
- ItemA Small 200 keV Electrostatic Accelerator(Houghton College, 2004-04-17) Brady, Peter; Yuly, MarkXXIII Annual Rochester Symposium for Physics Students, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY).