Physics
Physics Department News
Physics Student Talks at TX APS Meetings 2011-2012
Further Measurements of the New Dwarf Nova J2138+26
Jared Rovny, Kyle Mezier, Irina Voloshina, Richard Olenick, and Vladimir Metlov
(University of Dallas)
J2138+26 is a new WZ Sge-type dwarf nova, discovered by Dae-Am Yi et al. on May 7,
2010 (CBET 2273). The object is suggested to be similar to GW Lib, another WZ Sge
star outbursting in 2007, in terms of a low inclination angle and apparent brightness.
J2138+26 is a binary star system with a variable light output caused by precession
of the accretion disk around the white dwarf in the cataclysmic variable system. J2138
enters certain periods of outburst when it is significantly brighter, and its regular
light variations (from precession), called superhumps, have a changing period. Additional
photometric observation of this system provides information about the changing amplitude
and period of its superhumps and outbursts, which in turn helps to determine the system's
history and physical activity, as well as providing insight into cataclysmic variable
systems and their behavior in general. The research in July 2010, done by the named
authors and using a 0.6-m telescope from the Sternberg Astronomical Institute's branch
of the Crimean Observatory in Crimea, was focused on such photometric observation.
Data and analysis of the superhump periods will be presented. The analysis of data
taken by Dr. Voloshina and ourselves will be presented with a focus on the changing
amplitude and period of J2138, and the physical significance of these results discussed.
Presented at the Joint Fall 2010 Meeting of the Texas Sections of the APS, AAPT, Zone
13 of SPS and the National Society of Hispanic Physicists
Bulletin of the APS, Volume 55, Number 11
Photometric Search for Variables in DD9 with STExTS
Eric Bechter, Richard Olenick, Arthur Sweeney, Blaise, DuFrain, and Andrew Bechter
The Small Telescope Extrasolar Transit Searches (STExTS) project is a small aperture,
wide-angle search for planetary transits and variable stars. Observations of the open
cluster Dolidze-Dzimseleshvili 9 were made with an f/2.8 152 mm astrograph for 37
nights in 2011. Lightcurves were obtained for approximately 1900 stars that were extracted
and catalogued from the images. We report on preliminary results and characteristics
of new binary stars discovered.
Presented at the Joint Spring 2012 Meeting of the Texas Sections of the APS and AAPT
and Zone 13 of the SPS
Bulletin of APS, Volume 57, Number 2, ThursdaySaturday, March 2224, 2012; San Angelo,
Texas
Small Telescope Exoplanet Transit Search (STExTS) Transit Candidates in the Open Cluster
Blaise DuFrain, Richard Olenick, Arthur Sweeney, Andrew Bechter, Eric Bechter
The STExTs project searched for transit candidates in the open cluster Dolidze-Dzimselshvili
9 in Hercules for 37 nights using a f/2.8 152 mm astrograph. Approximately 11,000
images were obtained, processed, and analyzed for signatures of transits. We will
present preliminary candidates and orbital periods.
Bulletin of APS, Volume 57, Number 2, ThursdaySaturday, March 2224, 2012; San Angelo,
Texas
Increasing Astronomical Photographic Resolution by Convolution Matrices
Gerard Nickel
(University of Dallas)
In digital astronomical image processing, distortion limits the quality of photometric
data. Often, this precludes accurate and precise analysis of stars or planetary features
imaged close to one another. This is a problem in particular for period analysis of
binary stars and searching for planetary transits, due to the merging of nearby stars
into the area of interest. I proposed a method which utilizes a pair of filters and
pixel math to increase resolution, thereby improving astronomical image features and
enabling more precise analysis thereof. Comparison of processed and unprocessed data
was done by comparing signal to noise ratio and brightness profiles of each. All calculations
were performed and results analyzed using Astronomical Image Processing for Windows
(AIP4WIN) by Richard Berry. In many cases, previously unusable star profiles were
resolved sufficiently to take photometric data from them, while those with low signal
to noise ratios improved by a factor of two to three. These results suggest that the
proposed method could be used to enable photometric analysis of previously un-usable
data.
Bulletin of APS, Volume 57, Number 2, ThursdaySaturday, March 2224, 2012; San Angelo,
Texas
Physics Graduates 2011
Nine physics majors graduate in 2011.
From left to right the graduates are Luke Kersting, Kyle Meziere, Anthony Sigillito,
Christen Racciato, Andrew Miller, Paul Stauduhar, Natalie Weisse, Zofia Kaminski,
and Mary Catalano. Congratulations to all!
Physics Majors in Rome Visit Castel Gandolfo
Vatican Observatory Telescope
Sophomore physics major Jeff Schniederjan reports that , "We got to see one of the
two telescopes on Castel Gandolfo. We also got to see the offices where anyone who works in the Vatican Observatory spends most of their time. Our tour was courtesy of Fr. Brown. Besides working in
the Observatory he is also the librarian there. So he showed us some more familiar
modern day textbooks and some really old ones too. The first book is Copernicus' De
Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium 2nd edition from about 1550. Then Galileo's book
that got him in trouble with the church. Also equally as notable is Newtons Principia Mathematica printed in 1713. We all had a great time getting to tour the castle and visiting
with Fr. Brown."
Outstanding Presentation Award
Senior physics major Anthony Sigillito was awarded the Outstanding Student Presentation Award at the Texas Section of the American Physical Society Fall-2010 meeting in San Antonio,
TX. His oral presentation "The Design and Fabrication of Bismuth Hall Effect Biosensors"
stood out among the 100+ presentations of students who participated in the competition.
Anthony received a $200 prize for his accomplishment. (Award announced 1/3/2011.)
Meziere Family Gift to the Physics Department
The Meziere Family Observatory was built by senior physics major Kyle Meziere and
his father. The 10-foot diameter dome was donated to the UD Physics Department for
student and faculty use. Mr. Meziere and his family (shown in the above figure along with Mr. Arthur Sweeney
on the right) hauled the observatory from San Diego to its temporary location at the
home of adjunct physics professor Mr. Arthur Sweeney over the Thanksgiving holidays.
The department hopes to move the observatory to a dark site outside of the Dallas-Ft.
Worth area as soon as an appropriate site is determined. The physics faculty deeply
appreciate this generous donation and will do their best to make sure many UD students
are able to use the facility for observations and research. See Meziere Observatory for more details.
Students, Faculty, Alumni, and Friends Enjoy the 2010 Physics Department Christmas
Party at the Home of Dr. Olenick
Several students and one instructor were inducted into Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics
honor society. Some of the inductees are shown in the center picture. These are
Mr. Arthur Sweeney, Christen Racciato, Mary Catalano, Zofia Kamiski, Natalie Weisse,
Blaise Dufrain, Paul Stauduhar, Anthony Sigillito, and Kyle Meziere. Students inducted,
but not shown, include Luke Kersting, Eric Bechter, Andrew Bechter, and Jared Rovny.
Students Present Talks at the Fall 2010 Texas APS Meeting:
Nine UD senior (100% of the senior class!) and one UD junior physics majors gave
a talk over their summer research at the Texas Section of the American Physical Society
Fall 2010 meeting at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Seven of the students,
Zofia Kaminski, Kyle Meziere, Mary Catalano, Paul Stauduhar, Natalie Weisse, Jared
Rovny and Luke Kersting are show below along with UD Peter McDonough ('09). Students
who gave talks, but are not shown are Andrew Miller, Anthony Sigillito and Christen
Racciato.
Abstracts and Talk Titles
The Design and Fabrication of Bismuth Hall Effect Biosensors
A. Sigillito*, M. Rudolph+, V. Soghomonian+, J. J. Heremans+
*Department of Physics, University of Dallas, Irving, TX 75062
+Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
Abstract
Because of their high sensitivity, accuracy, and low cost, the use of Hall biosensors
promises to be an effective diagnostic technique that may aid in the early diagnosis
of diseases. In this research, Hall sensors were fabricated from thermally evaporated
bismuth thin films. The bismuth films were deposited under high vacuum onto heated
Si/SiO2 substrates using a two layer deposition technique. The films varied in thickness
from 60 nm to 75 nm and were etched into Hall bar geometries using photolithography
and wet chemical etching. Magnetoresistance and Hall measurements were taken from
4 K to 300 K. The data indicate that the sensors may be characterized by a two conduction
band model with high mobility, low density holes and low mobility, high density electrons.
Results deducted from these measurements regarding charge carrier mobilities and densities
will be presented. Additionally, the sensors were exposed to magnetite nanoparticles
and characterized using atomic force microscopy; these results will also be reported.
This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF Grant DMR-0851662).
Particle Tracking of Fluorescent Microspheres
Z. Kaminski*, J. Mueller+, and S. Berk+
*Department of Physics, University of Dallas, Irving, TX 75062
+Department of Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455
Abstract
In this research, the diffusion coefficients of the fluorescent microspheres and the
relation of those coefficients to particle radius were investigated. An additional
focus was to see how well the measured radius of the microspheres compared to the
radius as reported by the manufacturer and to measure the distribution of radii in
a sample. This study further developed the critical process of ensuring particle
movement within the sample volume and made preliminary sample measurements. The methods
developed for tracking microspheres will later be used to determine the radii of virus
like particles (VLPs), which are a non-infectious model system of the HIV virus.
Results from our measurements will be reported.
This research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation through their
REU program.
The Segmented Universe: Identifying Cosmic Voids with a Multi-scale Geometric Flow
Andrew Miller*, Ali Snedden+, and Lara Arielle Phillips+
*Department of Physics, University of Dallas, Irving, TX 75062
+Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
Abstract
The complex, filamentary nature of large-scale dark matter and density structure in
the universe has been detected by redshift surveys and modeled by large N-body simulations
of cosmic evolution. We present a multi-scale geometric flow algorithm as a quantitative
method for the analysis of such structure. The algorithm, adapted from medical imaging
identification of brain vasculature, segments a volumetric density field according
measures of local structure derived from local curvature, identifying vessel-like,
sheet-like, and clump-like formations. We apply this structure segmentation to a cold
dark matter (CDM) density field prepared from the Virgo Consortium's 2005 Millennium
Simulation (MS) output, focusing on identification of regions of cosmic void to determine
the robustness of this segmentation method through a systematic comparison of its
results with those of previously published void-finding algorithms. The initial results
of our application of this segmentation algorithm and the data pipeline used will
be presented.
IDENTIFYING INERTIAL MODES IN A HIDE-TITMAN FLOW
Mary T. Catalano, University of Dallas, Robert L. Blum, Daniel P. Lathrop, Don Martin, Daniel S. Zimmerman, University of Maryland
Abstract
Inertial modes are internal wave patterns present within a bounded, rotating fluid
being restored by the Coriolis force. Hide and Titmam
[1] found that a cylindrical container filled with homogeneous liquid and having a thin
disk mounted coaxially inside of it will display non-axisymmetric fluid flow when
the differential rotation between the cylinder and the disk exceeds a critical threshold.
Their essential geometry and setup were replicated and the fluid flow produced was
analyzed to ascertain its relationship, if any, to the inertial modes of the cylinder.
Previously, the inertial modes for this geometry had been expressed in analytical
form by Zhang, et al.
[2] Seeking to correlate observed fluid flows with inertial modes contributes to a broader
understanding of rotational fluid behavior.
[1] "Detached Shear Layers in a Rotating Fluid". Journal of Fluid Mechanics 29, pp39-60
(1967).
[2] On Inertial Waves in a Rotating Fluid Sphere. Journal of Fluid Mechanics 437, pp103-119
(2000).
Expression of Trans-Membrane Proteins in vitro Using a Cell Free System
Natalie Weisse*, Vincent Noireaux+, Jerome Chalmeau+
*Department of Physics, University of Dallas, Irving, TX 75062
+Department of Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Abstract
Trans-membrane proteins represent a significant portion of the proteins expressed
by cells. The expression of proteins in vitro, however, remains a challenge. Numerous expression approaches have been developed
with cell free expression (CFE) being one of the most promising. CFE is based on
a transcription-translation system that has been extracted from E. coli bacteria. Adding the desired DNA allows expression of a selected protein, and in
the presence of phospholipids the expression of trans-membrane proteins becomes possible.
In order to express trans-membrane proteins in a closed native environment, the cell
free system (CFS) is encapsulated with a phospholipid bilayer, creating an artificial
cell. To verify protein expression, AquaporinZ (AqpZ), a well-known trans-membrane
protein tagged with a green fluorescent protein (eGFP), was used so the expressed
proteins could be seen under a fluorescent microscope. These artificial cells will
serve as an experimental platform for testing the viability of the expressed trans-membrane
proteins. If the cells can be fused to the surface of the slide using the well known
streptavidin-biotin bond without bursting, the environment surrounding the synthetic
cells can be changed to test the endurance of the synthetic cells and the function
of the AquaporinZ proteins.
Neutron Elastic and Inelastic Scattering Cross Sections on NatFe and 23Na
Luke Kersting1, Collin J. Lueck1, S.F. Hicks1, B.P. Crider2, M.T. McEllistrem2, E.E. Peters2, and J.R. Vanhoy3
(1)Department of Physics, University of Dallas, Irving TX 75019, USA
(2)Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506,
USA
(3)Department of Physics, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis MD 21402, USA
Neutron elastic and inelastic scattering angular distributions from NatFe and 23Na at incident neutron energies of 3.57 and 3.81 MeV have been measured at the University
of Kentucky 7 MV Van de Graaff laboratory using neutron time-of-flight techniques.
The neutron beam was produced using the 3H(p,n)3He reaction. The scattered neutrons were detected at angles between 20 and 150 degrees
in 10 degree intervals with a deuterated benzene detector located approximately 3
m from the scattering samples. Neutron scattering differential cross sections were
deduced. These cross sections and their uncertainties are important for understanding
neutron-induced reactions in fission reactors and are important for fission reactor
criticality calculations.
Kyle Meziere, Su Uma Type Dwarf Nova J1625
Observation and Analysis of J1625 +1203
Lyle Mezier, Richard Olenick, and Jared Rovny, University of Dallas, Irina Voloshina
and Vladimir Metlov, Sternberg Astronomical Institute
Abstract
We observed and classied the object, J1625 +1203, in July 2010, which was discovered
by the Catalina Real Time Sky Survey. Observations of this cataclysmic variable star
were made over a two week period using the 60 cm telescope at the Sternberg Institute
Crimean Observatory in Nauchny, Ukraine. A total of eight nights of professional
grade data was collected, which was then processed and analyzed. The light curves
obtained are characteristic of a Su UMa type dwarf novae undergoing a super hump outbursts.
The super hump and orbital periods were calculated from the data and they further
support the classifcation of J1625 as an SU UMa type dwarf nova. Data and characteristics
of this object will be presented.
Christen Racciato, Crystallization of Germanium for Use in Solar Cells
CHRISTEN RACCIATO2, University of Dallas, PHIL AHRENKIEL3, South Dakota School of
Mines and Technology |
Solar cells with a Germanium substrate can reach 40% eciency on earth with the aid
of solar concentrators; however, Ge is expensive, meaning that these high-eciency
cells are feasible only for extreme applications such as outer-orbit missions. The
purpose of this research is to determine if annealing Ge thin lms may be a possible,
low-cost alternative to slicing large, thick wafers of Ge for solar cells. Samples
of Ge were deposited on transmission electron microscope (TEM) grids through vacuum
evaporation, annealed at various temperatures and lengths of time in a tube furnace,
and then analyzed through the TEM to test the annealed thin films. This tests the
ease of crystallization in Ge, and if the size of the grains is reasonable. It was
found that the Ge crystallized at relatively cost-eective temperatures, specically
temperatures over 400 C with moderate grain sizes reaching 7m. Experiments to evaluate
whether grains of the size obtained can support a photovoltaic layer will be conducted
in later research. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant#:
0852057)2Department of Physics
3Department of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering
Jared Rovny, Further Measurements of the New Dwarf Nova J2138+26
Paul Stauduhar, SCALE 6.1 Validation Testing: Unit Cell Data and Material Input
Update for Summer 2010
Physics Majors Complete Research Projects During the Summer of 2010
Jared Rovny and Kyle Meziere at the Crimean Observatory
100% of our senior physics majors completed research projects during the summer of
2010. REU Students - Mary Catalano (Sen) is at the University of Maryland; Zophia
Kaminski (Sen) and Natalie Weisse (Sen) are at the University of Minnesota; Andrew
Miller (Sen) is at Notre Dame; Laura Downes (Sop) is at Boston college; Anthony Sigillito
(Sen) is at Virginia Tech; and Christen Racciato (Sen) is at the South Dakota School
of Mines; Paul Stauduhar (Sen) is a DOE summer student at Oak Ridge National Lab;
Kyle Meziere (Sen) and Jared Rovny (Jun) are working with Dr. Olenick in the Crimea
completing astronomical observations(shown above) funded by the Cown Physics Endowment;
and Luke Kersting (Sen) and Collin Lueck ('10) completed neutron scattering research
at the University of Kentucky with Dr. Hicks funded by DOE and the Cowan Physics Endowment.
Update for Spring 2010:
Three physics majors graduate on May 16, 2010.
Collin Lueck, Monica Lacy and Peter McDonough
Student Talks at the Texas Section of the APS Meeting, March 18-20, 2010.
Improvements in LabVIEW Control of BiasDACs at ATRAP, Monica Lacy (University of
Dallas)
The primary goal of the ATRAP project at CERN is the formation of antihydrogen atoms;
as part of this process, positrons are cooled, controlled and focused by passage through
a series of electromagnets, and introduced into a nested Penning-Ioffe trap, where
some of them combine with antiprotons to form atoms of antihydrogen. Positron cooling
is controlled by LabVIEW, a graphical programming application that allows interface
with multiple sensors and power supplies that control and monitor the electromagnets.
A major project undertaken at ATRAP this summer was the transfer of voltage control
for ten of the electromagnets to individual biasDACs (digital-to-analog boards), ensuring
that the accumulation process continues independently of LabVIEW and its possible
timing delays. An overview of the LabVIEW-based communication protocol for biasDACs
and the process of biasDAC programming, which is expected to increase positron-antiproton
interactions at ATRAP, will be presented. To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2010.TSS.J4.10.
Modeling energy states of lithium dimers with the Born-Oppenheimer approximation,
Collin Lueck (University of Dallas) To obtain energy eigenstates of a two-atom system, it is necessary to separate the
wavefunction of the system into nuclear and electronic components. In an adiabatic
approximation, the nuclear component is a function of internuclear distance, and the
electronic component is a function of electron-nuclear distance. When this approximation
is used with the Numerov numerical method for plotting wavefunctions and a Distributed
Approximating Function for finding energy eigenstates, it allows for plotting the
energies of uncoupled states. However, more elegant and accurate solutions exist.
Using a diabatic approximation, in which the wavefunctions of the nuclei are functions
of the nuclear separation as well as parametric functions of the electronic motion,
much more accurate energy eigenvalues are obtained. This method, when combined with
a function to prevent crossings of the energy eigenstates using Clebsch-Gorden coefficients,
yields a much more realistic energy plot and a deeper understanding of the two-atom
system. To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2010.TSS.J4.13.
Iridium Satellite Signal Exploitation, Peter McDonough (University of Dallas) The Iridium Satellite constellation is unique to satellite communication networks
in that it allows for transmission of data between satellites instead of relying on
transmission by the bent pipe methodology. As such, this network is far more secure
than other satellite communication networks, and forces interception to occur within
the locale of the transmission from modem to satellite or within the locale of the
downlink from the satellite other modem. The purpose of this project was to demonstrate
the security weaknesses within the Iridium protocol, showing that it was possible
to track one of these satellites with a high gain antenna, resulting in the ability
to anticipate transmission, to acquire the location of that transmission, and to uncover
the content of that transmission. This project was completed as part of the summer
student program at the Southwest Research Institute. The presentation will demonstrate
the thought process used in chronological order, essentially demonstrating how I achieved
the result from my point of view as the summer progressed.To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2010.TSS.F2.5.
Measurements of Extrasolar Planetary Transits, Kyle Meziere, Nicolas Wiseman, Jared Rovny, Elise Dinehart, Blaise Dufrain, Andrew
Bechter, Eric Bechter, Richard Olenick, Arthur Sweeney (University of Dallas) A campaign
to measure properties of extrasolar planets using the transit method was undertaken
at the University of Dallas using a C-14 telescope and SBIG 2000XM CCD camera. We
successfully recorded transits of TrES-1b, Wasp-3, and HatP1. The C-14 exposure and
tracking data (on WASP-3) indicate that we can probably effectively monitor stars
to 13.5 or 14 magnitude with the C-14. We present the transit data, modeling, and
determined planetary characteristics. The equipment used in this research was comparatively
inexpensive and widely available and can be implemented at other small universities.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2010.TSS.J3.4.
The Design and Fabrication of Bismuth Hall Effect Biosensors Capable of Detecting
Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles, Anthony Sigillito (University of Dallas), Martin
Rudolph, J. J. Heremans, Vicki Soghomonian, and Ray Khallaher (Virginia Tech University).
Because of their high sensitivity, accuracy, and low cost, the use of Hall biosensors
promises to be an effective diagnostic technique that may aid in the early diagnosis
of disease. Hall biosensors put out a voltage proportional to the strength of the
magnetic field created by a magnetically labeled biomolecule attached to the surface
of the sensor. These sensors were fabricated using bismuth thin films because bismuth
has a low toxicity, low cost, and large Hall coefficient, making it an ideal material
for medical applications. Hall bars were characterized by taking magnetoresistance
measurements and were found to have good qualities for detecting the superparamagnetic
nanoparticles that can be attached to biomolecules. One sensor was exposed to nanoparticles
as a test of its efficacy with positive results. This research suggests that bismuth
Hall biosensors are a promising alternative to traditional diagnostic techniques. To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2010.TSS.F2.3.
25th Anniversary of the Opening of the Science Building March 15-21
The Science Departments at UD celebrated the 25th anniversary of the opening of the
Science Building. Evening festivities included a public lecture by Ms. Anousheh Ansari, a pioneer in space and entrepreneurship, an alumni panel discussion
on how their science degrees from the University of Dallas had helped them in their
careers, and a concert by Arc Attack. Friday afternoon current science students gave
talks on their research, and the science departments all had open houses for anyone
who wanted to attend.
Update for Fall 2009:
Dr. Olenick Receives Grant from Texas Workforce Commission:
Dr. Barbara Khirallah of the Education Department and Dr. Rich Olenick of the Physics
Department received a $60,000 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission for their
project "UD Sum/Mit/." In partnership with Promise House, a charitable organization
that serves homeless, runaway and at-risk teens, they will conduct a seven-week long
combination of a day and residential summer science camp program for teens 14 to 21
years of age focusing on Technology and Energy to inspire students to pursue STEM-related
(science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. UD undergraduates will
assist in teaching at the camp. Twenty-five students from the 6-week day-camp will
be selected on a merit basis for a final week trip to Colorado where they will continue
to collect data for scientific investigations begun in Dallas and evaluate the impact
of different environmental conditions.
Dr. Hicks Receives Grant from the Department of Energy:
Dr Hicks received a three-year $110,000 Nuclear Energy University Program Research
and Development Award from the Department of Energy for the Advanced Elastic/Inelastic
Nuclear Data Development Project. University of Dallas undergraduate physics majors
will be included in this research.
Update for Summer 2009:
Physics Majors Complete REU Programs During the Summer of 2009
Several physics majors and concentrators are completing research projects in REU programs
around the world during the summer of 2009. Monica Lacy is at CERN as a participant
in the University of Michigan's REU program; Collin Lueck is at the University of
Oklahoma; Sarah Brungardt is at Penn State; and Peter McDonough is completing industrial
research in San Antonio. We look forward to the return of these students to campus
in August!
Texas Regional Collaborative Workshop Held on the UD Campus
More than 30 high school science teachers and science coordinators met on the University
of Dallas campus July 6-10 to complete a workshop on electricity, magnetism and modern
physics. Dr. Karen Jo Matsler led the week long workshop.
UD Students Receive Sigma Pi Sigma Research Award
In May 2009 a group of 12 UD students will travel to Gunnison Colorado to use the
30-in telescope at the Gunnison Valley Observatory along with a dual channel photometer
constructed at UD to search for extrasolar planets using the transit methods. This
research project is supported by the Sigma Pi Sigma Research Award of the American
Institute of Physics, donors, and the University of Dallas.
Two 2008 UD Graduates Receive Prestigious Fellowships
- Will Spearman just completed his year as a Fulbright Scholar at CERN in Switzerland.
Will is about to begin his graduate studies at Harvard University in the fall of 2009.
- David Solis won a 2009 NSF Fellowship for graduate study at Rice University.
Update for Summer 2008:
Department Activities
In May 2008, members of UD's Society of Physics Students (SPS) visited the cyclotron
at Texas A&M University. This was an accelerated tour that SPS President Will Spearman
organized!
Member of UD's Society of Physics Students chapter took a field trip to NASA in Houston
in November 2006. Spearheaded by chapter President Danny Malutich, the group met with
astronaut Sunyi Williams who took the group to various facilities.
