Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
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- Creators: Department of Physics
Description
The influence of mix design on the structural properties of FAU-type (faujasite) zeolite was studied. Samples were synthesized in a forced convection oven using various proportions of coal fly ash, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and sodium chloride (NaCl). Three faujasite varieties, labeled X, P and S, were prepared for each mix design. Samples were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) was used to obtain porosity information on the samples. Mechanical strength testing was performed on solid blocks of the zeolite samples prepared in a mold. It was found that the S variety in mix design (iv) had the most desirable balance of porosity and strength for engineering applications.
ContributorsRuta, Francesco Luigi (Author) / Neithalath, Narayanan (Thesis director) / Ramakrishna, Bindiganavale (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
We develop the mathematical tools necessary to describe the interaction between a resonant pole and a threshold energy. Using these tools, we analyze the properties an opening threshold has on the resonant pole mass (the "cusp effect"), leading to an effect called "pole-dragging." We consider two models for resonances: a molecular, mesonic model, and a color-nonsinglet diquark plus antidiquark model. Then, we compare the pole-dragging effect due to these models on the masses of the f0(980), the X(3872), and the Zb(10610) and compare the effect's magnitude. We find that, while for lower masses, such as the f 0 (980), the pole-dragging effect that arises from the molecular model is more significant, the diquark model's pole-dragging effect becomes dominant at higher masses such as those of the X(3872) and the Z b (10610). This indicates that for lower threshold energies, diquark models may have less significant effects on predicted resonant masses than mesonic models, but for higher threshold energies, it is necessary to include the pole-dragging effect due to a diquark threshold in high-precision QCD calculations.
ContributorsBlitz, Samuel Harris (Author) / Richard, Lebed (Thesis director) / Comfort, Joseph (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Covering subsequences with sets of permutations arises in many applications, including event-sequence testing. Given a set of subsequences to cover, one is often interested in knowing the fewest number of permutations required to cover each subsequence, and in finding an explicit construction of such a set of permutations that has size close to or equal to the minimum possible. The construction of such permutation coverings has proven to be computationally difficult. While many examples for permutations of small length have been found, and strong asymptotic behavior is known, there are few explicit constructions for permutations of intermediate lengths. Most of these are generated from scratch using greedy algorithms. We explore a different approach here. Starting with a set of permutations with the desired coverage properties, we compute local changes to individual permutations that retain the total coverage of the set. By choosing these local changes so as to make one permutation less "essential" in maintaining the coverage of the set, our method attempts to make a permutation completely non-essential, so it can be removed without sacrificing total coverage. We develop a post-optimization method to do this and present results on sequence covering arrays and other types of permutation covering problems demonstrating that it is surprisingly effective.
ContributorsMurray, Patrick Charles (Author) / Colbourn, Charles (Thesis director) / Czygrinow, Andrzej (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
In a pure spin current, electrons of opposite spins flow in opposite directions, thus information is conveyed by spin current without any charge current. This process almost causes no power consumption, which has the potential to realize ultra-low-power-consumption electronics. Recently, thermal effects in magnetic materials have attracted a great deal of attention because of its potential to generate pure spin currents using a thermal gradient (∇T), such as the spin Seebeck effect. However, unlike electric potential, the exact thermal gradient direction is experimentally difficult to control, which has already caused misinterpretation of the thermal effects in Py and Py/Pt films. In this work, we show that a well-defined ∇T can be created by two thermoelectric coolers (TECs) based on Peltier effect. The ∇T as well as its sign can be accurately controlled by the driven voltage on the TECs. Using a square-wave driven potential, thermal effects of a few μV can be measured. Using this technique, we have measured the anomalous Nernst effect in magnetic Co/Py and Py/Pt layers and determined their angular dependence. The angular dependence shows the same symmetry as the anomalous Hall effect in these films.
This work has been carried out under the guidance of the author’s thesis advisor, Professor Tingyong Chen.
This work has been carried out under the guidance of the author’s thesis advisor, Professor Tingyong Chen.
ContributorsSimaie, Salar (Author) / Chen, Tingyon (Thesis director) / Alizadeh, Iman (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Preliminary feasibility studies for two possible experiments with the GlueX detector, installed in Hall D of Jefferson Laboratory, are presented. First, a general study of the feasibility of detecting the ηC at the current hadronic rate is discussed, without regard for detector or reconstruction efficiency. Second, a study of the use of statistical methods in studying exotic meson candidates is outlined, describing methods and providing preliminary data on their efficacy.
ContributorsPrather, Benjamin Scott (Author) / Ritchie, Barry G. (Thesis director) / Dugger, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The OMFIT (One Modeling Framework for Integrated Tasks) modeling environment and the BRAINFUSE module have been deployed on the PPPL (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory) computing cluster with modifications that have rendered the application of artificial neural networks (NNs) to the TRANSP databases for the JET (Joint European Torus), TFTR (Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor), and NSTX (National Spherical Torus Experiment) devices possible through their use. This development has facilitated the investigation of NNs for predicting heat transport profiles in JET, TFTR, and NSTX, and has promoted additional investigations to discover how else NNs may be of use to scientists at PPPL. In applying NNs to the aforementioned devices for predicting heat transport, the primary goal of this endeavor is to reproduce the success shown in Meneghini et al. in using NNs for heat transport prediction in DIII-D. Being able to reproduce the results from is important because this in turn would provide scientists at PPPL with a quick and efficient toolset for reliably predicting heat transport profiles much faster than any existing computational methods allow; the progress towards this goal is outlined in this report, and potential additional applications of the NN framework are presented.
ContributorsLuna, Christopher Joseph (Author) / Tang, Wenbo (Thesis director) / Treacy, Michael (Committee member) / Orso, Meneghini (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Almost commuting matrices, i.e. matrices with a sufficiently small commutator, may be nearly commuting, i.e. there may exist matrices close by which do commute. By referencing current literature, this condition is studied for fixed dimension, unitary, self-adjoint, and orthogonal matrices. These proofs are made more accessible and compared to each other, providing insight to possible future progress in the field.
ContributorsMolloy, Riley Phillip (Author) / Spielberg, Jack (Thesis director) / Quigg, John (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Recently, electric and magnetic field sensing has come of interest to the military for a variety of applications, including imaging circuitry and detecting explosive devices. This thesis describes research at the ASU's Flexible Electronics and Display Center (FEDC) towards the development of a flexible electric and magnetic field imaging blanket. D-dot sensors, which detect changes in electric flux, were chosen for electric field sensing, and a single D-dot sensor in combination with a lock-in amplifier was used to detect individuals passing through an oscillating electric field. This was then developed into a 1 x 16 array of D-dot sensors used to image the field generated by two parallel wires. After the fabrication of a two-dimensional array, it was discovered that commercial field effect transistors did not have a high enough off-resistance to isolate the sensor form the column line. Three alternative solutions were proposed. The first was a one-dimensional array combined with a mechanical stepper to move the array across the E-field pattern. The second was a 1 x 16 strip detector combined with the techniques of computed tomography to reconstruct the image of the field. Such techniques include filtered back projection and algebraic iterative reconstruction (AIR). Lastly, an array of D-dot sensors was fabricated on a flexible substrate, enabled by the high off-resistance of the thin film transistors produced by the FEDC. The research on magnetic field imaging began with a feasibility study of three different types of magnetic field sensors: planar spiral inductors, Hall effect sensors, and giant magnetoresistance (GMR). An experimental array of these sensors was designed and fabricated, and the sensors were used to image the fringe fields of a Helmholtz coil. Furthermore, combining the inductors with the other two types of sensors resulted in three-dimensional sensors. From these measurements, it was determined that planar spiral inductors and Hall effect sensors are best suited for future imaging arrays.
ContributorsLarsen, Brett William (Author) / Allee, David (Thesis director) / Papandreou-Suppappola, Antonia (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / Electrical Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Since the acceptance of Einstein's special theory of relativity by the scientific community, authors of science fiction have used the concept of time dilation to permit seemingly impossible feats. Simple spacecraft acceleration schemes involving time dilation have been considered by scientists and fiction writers alike. Using an original Java program based upon the differential equations for special relativistic kinematics, several scenarios for round trip excursions at relativistic speeds are calculated and compared, with particular attention to energy budget and relativistic time passage in all relevant frames.
ContributorsAlfson, Jonathan William (Author) / Jacob, Richard (Thesis director) / Covatto, Carl (Committee member) / Foy, Joseph (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
In this paper, optimal control routines are applied to an existing problem of electron state transfer to determine if spin information can successfully be moved across a chain of donor atoms in silicon. The additional spin degrees of freedom are introduced into the formulation of the problem as well as the control optimization algorithm. We find a timescale of transfer for spin quantum information across the chain fitting with a t > π/A and t > 2π/A transfer pulse time corresponding with rotation of states on the electron Bloch sphere where A is the electron-nuclear coupling constant. Introduction of a magnetic field weakens transfer
efficiencies at high field strengths and prohibits anti-aligned nuclear states from transferring. We also develop a rudimentary theoretical model based on simulated results and partially validate the characteristic transfer times for spin states. This model also establishes a framework for future work including the introduction of a magnetic field.
efficiencies at high field strengths and prohibits anti-aligned nuclear states from transferring. We also develop a rudimentary theoretical model based on simulated results and partially validate the characteristic transfer times for spin states. This model also establishes a framework for future work including the introduction of a magnetic field.
ContributorsMorgan, Eric Robert (Author) / Treacy, Michael (Thesis director) / Whaley, K. Birgitta (Committee member) / Greenman, Loren (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor)
Created2015-05