Physics: Research Talks

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    Houghton University’s Phase Shifting Laser Interferometer for the Study of Thin Metal Films
    (Houghton University, 2025-04-14) Yelle, Luke J.; Hoffman, Brandon
    A modified Twyman-Green phase-shifting laser interferometer was built by Houghton University to determine the thickness of thin metal films. A 635 nm beam is split by a cube beam splitter. Lenses expand and culminate the beams to a diameter of ~10 cm. One beam reflects off of the thin film sample. The other reflects off of a 10 cm diameter, 𝜆/10 flat, phase-shifting reference mirror moving via piezoelectric ceramic stacks, controlled by an Arduino. Both are then combined to form an interference pattern on a screen. The intensity of a given point on the interference pattern changes sinusoidally with the change of position of the reference mirror. A set of pictures is taken at different reference positions by an HP high-definition camera and is then processed by a Processing code. Each pixel of the image set is fit to determine its intensity phase shift, which is then used to map the topography of the film surface.
    Houghton University Physics Research Symposium, Houghton, NY, April 14, 2025
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    Can a Radar Emulator be used to Identify Simulated Pre-Tornadic Small-Scale Vorticity?
    (Houghton University, 2025-04-14) Harley, Noah
    Tornadoes are largely unpredictable severe weather events that are chaotic in nature. Much of this unpredictability stems from a lack of specific knowledge regarding the process of tornadogenesis. This presentation describes a proposed investigation of pre-tornadic, surface-based, small-scale vorticity present in the high-resolution Cloud Model 1 numerical convective simulation of the May 24, 2011, El Reno tornadic supercell. The radar emulator RSim will be used to sample the simulated storm using different radar wavelengths, range resolutions, azimuthal resolutions, beamwidths, and other parameters similar to real-world radar sampling strategies. This will potentially allow scanning radar parameters to be optimized, enabling future field campaigns to test for the presence of this pre-tornadic phenomenon. The collaboration would include researchers from the Ohio State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Oklahoma.
    Houghton University Physics Research Symposium, Houghton, NY, April 14, 2025
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    Constructing an X-Ray Diffractometer for the Analysis of Thin Metal Films at Houghton University
    (Houghton University, 2025-04-14) Fall, Owen D.; Hoffman, Brandon
    Houghton University is making an X-ray diffractometer to analyze thin metal films. X-rays are produced in a Norelco diffraction tube and detected by a Vernier Geiger tube. The angular positions of the detector and sample are controlled by stepper motors driving around a semicircular stage and are monitored by two rotary encoders each. The motors rotate at 0.68 m°/step, and there are 22.5 m°/encoder position. The sample is aligned to the axis of rotation with a linear stage. A Teensy 4.1 controls the system via a Processing interface. Motor and encoder tests found that the angular distance between encoder positions is not uniform. An array of the number of steps between each encoder position was made for the sample and detector, which allows their angular position to be precisely known.
    Houghton University Physics Research Symposium, Houghton, NY, April 14, 2025
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    Nuclear Physics using Ultrafast High-Power Laser Ion Acceleration
    (Houghton University, 2024-10-07) Yuly, Mark; Lei, ChunSun; Martin, Andrew; Padalino, Stephen J.; Fletcher, Kurt; Freeman, Charles; Marcus, George; Forrest, Chad J.; Stanley, Ben; Stoeckl, Christian; Mileham, Chad; Schwemmlein, Arnold; Regan, Sean P.
    66th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics, Atlanta, GA, October 7-11, 2024
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    The Effects of Radiation Escape on Accuracy and Precision in Isotopic Composition Determination of Uranium and Plutonium Samples with Decay Energy Spectroscopy
    (2024-04-20) Ockrin, Timothy; Koehler, Katrina
    Decay Energy Spectroscopy (DES) results in high energy resolution (1-5 keV @ 5 MeV) spectra of decay energies where the energy of each decay is measured as a single event as opposed to individual measurements of each decay particle. In order to accomplish this, the measured source is not external to the absorber, but embedded within it. DES can be used for nuclear safeguards, metrology, and medical isotope development, but measurements are affected by incomplete energy capture occurring when decay particles escape the absorber. In order to reduce escape likelihood, absorbers can be capped with a layer of gold. Geant4, a Monte-Carlo simulation software capable of handling energy transport between particles, is used to simulate DES measurements with varying thicknesses of absorber cap. Analysis of these spectra shows that the biggest benefit of capping can be realized by adding 5 μm of gold to all dimensions, reducing the escape of most alpha-decaying uranium and plutonium radionuclides by an order of magnitude.
    XLII Annual Rochester Symposium for Physics Students, University of Rochester, April 20, 2024