Physics Newsblog

Hawc Captures First Image

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Hawc ImageBBC News has reported on the image captured by the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory or Hawc. This facility now holds the record for the highest-energy light captured. The image shows the shadow cast by the Moon as it blocks light and particles.

Hawc is currently composed of 30 detectors located in a national park near the Mexican city of Puebla.

Assistant professor of physics Petra Huentemeyer, whose background is in astrophysics and elementary particle physics, is involved with the Hawc Observatory.

Read more at BBC News Science & Environment, by Jason Palmer.

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Physics Senior Research Colloquium 2013

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Department of Physics Senior Research Oral Presentations

Michigan Technological University
Thursday, April 18, 2013
3:30 – 5:00pm
Room 139 in Fisher Hall

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Effect of Surface Reflectance on Photovoltaic Performance
Mac Brennan
Advisor: Dr. Joshua M. Pearce, Department of Materials Science & Engineering

Studying Pulsar Wind Nebulae: Geminga and Boomerang
Abigail Dillon
Advisor: Dr. Petra Huentemeyer

Computational Study of Droplet Formation from Micro-Pores
Jeremy Dobbs
Advisor: Dr. Kathleen Feigl, Department of Mathematical Sciences

Synthesis of Hexagonal Graphene Using Natural Graphite Crystals
Clarence King
Advisor: Dr. John Jaszczak

Investigations of the History Force on the Motion of Small Particles
Tyler Plamondon
Advisor: Dr. Raymond Shaw

An Investigation into the Efficiencies of ZnO Nanostructures used in Photovoltaic Cells
Derek Van Damme
Advisor: Dr. Yoke Khin Yap

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Physics Poster Session 2013

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Department of Physics Poster Session

Michigan Technological University
Thursday, April 18, 2013
1:00 to 3:00pm
Aftermath Atrium in Fisher Hall

Graduate Posters

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Paleomagnetism of the Baraga-Marquette Dyke Swarms
Renee Batzloff­
Advisors: Drs. Aleksey Smirnov and Will Cantrell

Observations of Cloud Droplet Size Distributions on Microphysically Relevant Scales
Matthew J. Beals
Advisor: Dr. Raymond Shaw

Morphology of Aerosol Particles at Freeway On-Ramps
Swarup China
Advisor: Claudio Mazzoleni

A Multi-Band, Unidirectional Invisibility Cloak Based on Optical Design
Ran Duan
Advisors: Drs. Ravindra Pandey and Elena Semouchkina

Fast Imaging of Freezing Drops: Studies of Contact Nucleation
Colin Gurganus
Advisor: Dr. Raymond Shaw

Implementation of a Hot-Deformation Process for Making Nd2Fe14B-based Permanent Magnetic Materials
Jie Li
Advisor: Dr. Peter Moran

Experiments in Contact Nucleation:
Joseph Niehaus
Advisor: Dr. Will Cantrell

Integrated Photoacoustic and Nephelometer Instrument
Noopur Sharma
Advisor: Dr. Claudio Mazzoleni

Synthesis, Characterization, and Transferring of Graphene Sheets
Bishnu Tiwari
Advisor: Dr. Yoke Khin Yap

Three Dimensional Shape and Surface Roughness of Mineral Dust using Atomic Force Microscopy
XIN XIN WOODWARD
Advisor: Dr. Will Cantrell

Undergraduate Posters

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Characterization of Correlated Photon-pair in Highly Nonlinear Fiber
Eric Kaphengst
Advisor: Dr. Kim Fook Lee

Hillock Formation on Graphite
Ethan Miltenberger
Advisor: Dr. John Jasczcak

Development of an Optical Trapping Apparatus
Jacob W. Smock
Advisor: Dr. Claudio Mazzoleni

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Proposals in Progress for April 8, 2013

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Associate Professor Will Cantrell (Physics) and student Joseph Niehaus (Physics), “Mineral Dust and Biomass Burning Aerosol as a Source of Contact Ice Nuclei in Arctic Mixed Phase Clouds: Constraints from Laboratory Studies,” NASA.

Assistant Professor Claudio Mazzoleni (Physics) and graduate student Kendra Wright (Physics), “Radiative Properties of Free Tropospheric Aerosols in the North Atlantic at the Pico Mountain Observatory,” NASA.

From Tech Today.

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Kelley-Hoskins Nominated for Thesis Award

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MAGSThe Graduate School is pleased to announce that Evan Anderson is Michigan Tech’s nominee for the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Thesis Award.

Three other graduate students were also nominated for consideration. Jean DeClerck was nominated by her advisors, Ann Brady and Wendy Anderson (HU) and committee member Victoria Bergvall (HU). Nathan Kelley-Hoskins was nominated by his advisor, Petra Hüntemeyer (Physics). Andrew Orthober was nominated by his advisor, Carol MacLennan (SS). All of the nominations were noteworthy for their scholarship, and the evaluation panel had a difficult task in selecting one nominee to represent Michigan Tech.

Read more at Tech Today, by the Graduate School.

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SURF Awards 2013

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SURF will Fund 26 Students

This summer, the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) will fund 26 students from across the University with funds from the Vice President for Research, the Honors Institute, the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, the Earth Planetary and Space Sciences Institute, and the Department of Physics. The total funding for the program this year is $85,800.

From Tech Today.

SURF award recipients in physics include:

Joseph Charnawskas
Advisor: Raymond Shaw
The Effects of the Gravitational Force on Water Particles in a Turbulent Flow

Mick Small
Advisor: Yoke Khin Yap
Photovoltaic Responses of Quantum Dot Sensitized ZnO Nanowires

Angela Small (Honor’s Institute)
Advisor: Jacek Borysow
Analysis of Artificial Breath Samples Using Raman Spectroscopy for Medical Diagnosis

Kevin Rocheleau (Honor’s Institute)
Advisor: Petra Huentemeyer
Analysis and Modeling of Diffuse Gamma-Ray Emission from the Cygnus Region using FERMI and HAWC Data

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