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DescriptionUtilizing non-western mythology, narratives, and stories as the inspiration for a four part illustration series. Documenting the research of various myths surrounding certain stars and constellations as well as the technical process of creating the digital paintings which comprised the final output of the project.
ContributorsBoccieri, Alexa Eliana (Author) / Swanner, Leandra (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / School of Arts, Media and Engineering (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2014-05
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Description
An automated test system was developed to characterize detectors for the Kilopixel Array Pathfinder Project (KAPPa). KAPPa is an astronomy instrument that detects light at terahertz wavelengths using a 16-pixel heterodyne focal plane array. Although primarily designed for the KAPPa receiver, the test system can be used with other instruments

An automated test system was developed to characterize detectors for the Kilopixel Array Pathfinder Project (KAPPa). KAPPa is an astronomy instrument that detects light at terahertz wavelengths using a 16-pixel heterodyne focal plane array. Although primarily designed for the KAPPa receiver, the test system can be used with other instruments to automate tests that might be tedious and time-consuming by hand. Mechanical components of the test setup include an adjustable structure of aluminum t-slot framing that supports a rotating chopper. Driven by a stepper motor, the chopper alternates between blackbodies at room temperature and 77 K. The cold load consists of absorbing material submerged in liquid nitrogen in an open Styrofoam cooler. Scripts written in Matlab and Python control the mechanical system, interface with receiver components, and process data. To calculate the equivalent noise temperature of a receiver, the y-factor method is used. Test system operation was verified by sweeping the local oscillator frequency and power level for two room temperature Schottky diode receivers from Virginia Diodes, Inc. The test system was then integrated with the KAPPa receiver, providing a low cost, simple, adaptable means to measure noise with minimal user intervention.
ContributorsKuenzi, Linda Christine (Author) / Groppi, Christopher (Thesis director) / Mauskopf, Philip (Committee member) / Kulesa, Craig (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
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Description
Using data from the Arizona Radio Observatory Submillimeter Telescope, we have studied the active, star-forming region of the R Coronae Australis molecular cloud in 12CO (2-1), 13CO (2-1), and HCO+ (3-2). We baselined and mapped the data using CLASS. It was then used to create integrated intensity, outflow, and centroid

Using data from the Arizona Radio Observatory Submillimeter Telescope, we have studied the active, star-forming region of the R Coronae Australis molecular cloud in 12CO (2-1), 13CO (2-1), and HCO+ (3-2). We baselined and mapped the data using CLASS. It was then used to create integrated intensity, outflow, and centroid velocity maps in IDL. These clearly showed the main large outflow, and then we identified a few other possible outflows.
ContributorsBlumm, Margaret Elizabeth (Author) / Groppi, Christopher (Thesis director) / Bowman, Judd (Committee member) / Mauskopf, Philip (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor)
Created2014-05
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Description
We designed and constructed a cryostat setup for MKID detectors. The goal for the cryostat is to have four stages: 40K, 4K, 1K and 250mK. Prior to the start of my thesis, the cryostat was reaching 70K and 9K on the first and second stages respectively. During the first semester

We designed and constructed a cryostat setup for MKID detectors. The goal for the cryostat is to have four stages: 40K, 4K, 1K and 250mK. Prior to the start of my thesis, the cryostat was reaching 70K and 9K on the first and second stages respectively. During the first semester of my thesis I worked on getting the second stage to reach below 4K such that it would be cold enough to add a sorption fridge to reach 250mK. Various parts were machined for the cryostat and some tweaks were made to existing pieces. The largest changes were we thinned our stainless steel supports from 2mm to 10mil and we added roughly 6-10 layers of multi-layer insulation to the first and second stages. Our result was that we now reach temperatures of 36K and 2.6K on the first and second stages respectively. Next we added the sorption fridge to the 4K stage by having the 4K stage remachined to allow the sorption fridge to be mounted to the stage. Then I designed a final, two stage, setup for the 1K and 250mK stages that has maximum capabilities of housing a six inch wafer for testing. The design was sent to a machinist, but the parts were unfinished by the end of my thesis, so the parts and stage were not tested. Once the cryostat was fully tested and proven to reach the necessary temperatures, preliminary testing was done on a Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector (MKID) provided by Stanford. Data was collected on the resonance and quality factor as they shifted with final stage temperature (5K to 285mK) and with input power (60dB to 15dB). The data was analyzed and the results agreed within expectations, as the resonant frequency and quality factor shifted down with increased temperature on the MKID. Finally, a noise characterization setup was designed to test the noise of devices, but was not fully implemented.
ContributorsAbers, Paul (Author) / Mauskopf, Phil (Thesis director) / Groppi, Chris (Committee member) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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Description
Abstract Located in southeastern Arizona, the Large Binocular Telescope is a great local resource for ASU astronomy/cosmology researchers. As a ground-based observatory, the Large Binocular Telescope can effectively provide deep, complementary observations of science fields in the wavelength range of 3,500 to 10,000 Angstroms. This gives scientists a lot of

Abstract Located in southeastern Arizona, the Large Binocular Telescope is a great local resource for ASU astronomy/cosmology researchers. As a ground-based observatory, the Large Binocular Telescope can effectively provide deep, complementary observations of science fields in the wavelength range of 3,500 to 10,000 Angstroms. This gives scientists a lot of opportunity for various science projects, which can lead to massive amounts of observations being taken by research schools with ties to the LBT. Such is the case with ASU, which has obtained over 30 hours of data in just the SDT Uspec filter on board the Large Binocular Camera (Blue) and much more time in other filters observing longer wavelengths. Because of this, there is a huge need for establishing a system that will allow the reduction of raw astronomical images from the LBT to be quickly, but accurately. This manuscript serves as a presentation of the work done over the 2015-2016 school year to establish a pipeline for reducing LBT raw science images as well as a guide for future undergraduates and graduates to reduce data on their own.
ContributorsVehonsky, Jacob Ryan (Author) / Windhorst, Rogier (Thesis director) / Jansen, Rolf (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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Description
Balloon-borne telescopes are an economic alternative to scientists seeking to study light compared to other ground- and space-based alternatives, such as the Keck Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope. One such balloon-borne telescope is the Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope, or simply BLAST. Arizona State University was tasked with assembling

Balloon-borne telescopes are an economic alternative to scientists seeking to study light compared to other ground- and space-based alternatives, such as the Keck Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope. One such balloon-borne telescope is the Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope, or simply BLAST. Arizona State University was tasked with assembling one of the primary optics plates for the telescope's next mission. This plate, detailed in the following paragraphs, is designed to detect and capture submillimeter wavelength light. This will help scientists understand the formation and early life of stars. Due to its highly sensitive nature detecting light, the optics plate had to be carefully assembled following a strict assembly and testing procedure. Initially, error tolerances for the mirrors and plate were developed using a computer model, later to be compared to measured values. The engineering decisions made throughout the process pertained to every aspect of the plate, from ensuring the compliance of the engineering drawings to the polishing of the mirrors for testing. The assembly procedure itself was verified at the conclusion using a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) to analyze whether or not the plate was within defined error tolerances mentioned above. This data was further visualized within the document to show that the assembly procedure of the BLAST optics plate was successful. The largest error margins seen were approximately one order of magnitude lower than their tolerated limits, reflecting good engineering judgement and care applied to the manufacturing process. The plate has since been shipped offsite to continue testing and the assembly team is confident it will perform well within expected parameters.
ContributorsDombrowski, Shane Matthew (Author) / Groppi, Christopher (Thesis director) / Mauskopf, Philip (Committee member) / Underhill, Matthew (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
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Description

The Star Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) will be a 6U CubeSat devoted to photometric monitoring of M dwarfs in the far-ultraviolet (FUV) and near-ultraviolet (NUV) (160 and 280 nm respectively), measuring the time-dependent spectral slope, intensity and evolution of M dwarf stellar UV radiation. The delta-doped detectors baselined for

The Star Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) will be a 6U CubeSat devoted to photometric monitoring of M dwarfs in the far-ultraviolet (FUV) and near-ultraviolet (NUV) (160 and 280 nm respectively), measuring the time-dependent spectral slope, intensity and evolution of M dwarf stellar UV radiation. The delta-doped detectors baselined for SPARCS have demonstrated more than five times the in-band quantum efficiency of the detectors of GALEX. Given that red:UV photon emission from cool, low-mass stars can be million:one, UV observation of thes stars are susceptible to red light contamination. In addition to the high efficiency delta-doped detectors, SPARCS will include red-rejection filters to help minimize red leak. Even so, careful red-rejection and photometric calibration is needed. As was done for GALEX, white dwarfs are used for photometric calibration in the UV. We find that the use of white dwarfs to calibrate the observations of red stars leads to significant errors in the reported flux, due to the differences in white dwarf and red dwarf spectra. Here we discuss the planned SPARCS calibration model and the color correction, and demonstrate the importance of this correction when recording UV measurements of M stars taken by SPARCS.

ContributorsOsby, Ella (Author) / Shkolnik, Evgenya (Thesis director) / Ardila, David (Committee member) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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Description

Debris disks are a collection of dust grains and planetesimals around a star and are thought to contain the remnants of planet formation. Directly imaging debris disks and studying their morphologies is valuable for studying the planet formation process. In some stellar systems that have a directly imaged debris disk,

Debris disks are a collection of dust grains and planetesimals around a star and are thought to contain the remnants of planet formation. Directly imaging debris disks and studying their morphologies is valuable for studying the planet formation process. In some stellar systems that have a directly imaged debris disk, there are also directly imaged planets. Debris disk structures like gaps and asymmetries can show the gravitational e↵ects of planets that are below the brightness threshold for being detected via direct imaging. We investigate a sample of debris disks in Scorpius-Centaurus (Sco-Cen) that were imaged with the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), which is an adaptive optics system with a coronagraph to block starlight. We look at two GPI data sets, the GPIES campaign Sco-Cen targets, and a follow-up observing program for Sco-Cen targets. We resolve 5 debris disks in the follow-up program and 13 from the GPIES campaign. By calculating contrast curves, we determine the planet detection limit in each of the GPI images. We find that we could have detected 5 Jupiter mass planets at angular separations greater than about 0.6 arcseconds in our GPIES campaign images. In three of our images we could have detected 2 Jupiter mass planets in wide orbits, but 2 Jupiter masses below the detection limit in our other images. We identify one point source around HD 108904 as a sub-stellar companion candidate. To further check for evidence of planets that are below the detection limit, we measure the surface brightness profile of the disks to check for asymmetries in brightness. We find that one of the edge-on disks has an asymmetric surface brightness profile, HD 106906, and three other edge-on disks have symmetric surface brightness profiles. We also find that two disks, HD 106906 and HD 111520, are asymmetric in radial extent, which is possibly evidence for gravitational interactions with planets.

ContributorsWorthen, Kadin Douglas (Author) / Patience, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Hom, Justin (Committee member) / Department of Physics (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
ContributorsJoiner, Jae (Author) / Kim, Sujin (Thesis director) / Lawson, Shawn (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor)
Created2023-05
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Description
I present a multi-spectral analysis of the faint, uJy, radio source population in the James Webb Space Telescope North Ecliptic Pole Time Domain Field. Very Long Baseline Array pointings at the 127 brightest of ~2500 radio galaxies identified with the Very Large Array indicate active galactic nucleus contamination of approximately

I present a multi-spectral analysis of the faint, uJy, radio source population in the James Webb Space Telescope North Ecliptic Pole Time Domain Field. Very Long Baseline Array pointings at the 127 brightest of ~2500 radio galaxies identified with the Very Large Array indicate active galactic nucleus contamination of approximately 9.45%. My estimates of 4.8 GHz brightness of this radio source population indicate an upper bound on this contamination of 10.6%. This is well within acceptable limits, in population studies, for the use of the radio-FIR relation in the JWST NEP TDF. This improves the utility of the field to the community by reducing the need for expensive FIR observations. I have also developed an extensive catalog of magnitudes and other data in visible bands of this population. My analysis in these bands does not give any conclusive criteria for distinguishing between AGN and SFGs. The strongest trends I do identify appear to be due to reddening by interstellar dust. Future follow-up will focus on characterizing individual sources in further depth.
ContributorsNolan, Liam (Author) / Jansen, Rolf (Thesis director) / Windhorst, Rogier (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Department of Physics (Contributor)
Created2022-05