Beyond Phase Transitions: an Algorithmic Approach to Flocking Behavior

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Garett Brown and Dr. Manuel Berrondo, Department of Physics and Astronomy Introduction The complexity and pattern found in animal aggregations, such as starling murmurations, reveals emergent phenomena which arise from the simple, individual interactions of its members. Whether the animal aggregation is the result of a group of birds, a group of fish, or a […]

Extending the Reliable Bandwidth of an Acoustic Beamforming Array

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Caleb Goates. Dr. Kent Gee and Dr. Tracianne Neilsen, Department of Physics and Astronomy Introduction Where is that sound coming from? Acoustic beamforming is a method to determine just that, by recording sound simultaneously with several microphones and finding the delay between the signals. But beamforming can do more than point in the direction sound […]

Mercury Contamination in Four Indonesian Watersheds Affected by Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining

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Natalie Barkdull and Dr. Gregory Carling, Geology Department Introduction Artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM) accounts for almost half of anthropogenic mercury (Hg) emissions worldwide and causes widespread water pollution. Gold extraction by Hg amalgamation releases Hg-laden sediment and water into local watersheds where anaerobic organisms can convert inorganic Hg into organic methylmercury (MeHg), […]

Analyzing and Mutating Structural Patterns To Create New Music in the Style of Other Music

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Drew Jex and Dr. Dan Ventura, Computer Science Department Introduction A common element in music is the concept of repeating patterns. It is the careful organization and combination of notes and rhythms that forms these patterns, and indeed the very essence of music itself. Because music is definitive and pattern-based, we as humans recognize it […]

Detecting Cognitive Distortions Using Machine Learning and Text Analytics

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Taetem Simms and Dr. Christophe Giraud-Carrier, Department of Computer Science Introduction Due to the rise of social media data, health scientists have become more engaged in using computational modeling to better understand health and health behavior. Pentland et al. have noted that daily use of technology “leave digital breadcrumbs – tiny records of our daily […]

Parameter Reduction of the Hodgkin-Huxley Model of a Spiking Neuron

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Tyler Bahr and Dr. Mark Transtrum, Department of Physics and Astronomy Introduction The foundational model of voltage spiking in neurons, formulated by Hodgkin and Huxley in 1952, is composed of 4 dynamical variables and 25 parameters. The sheer complexity of the basic neuron model is a key issue which makes neural simulations computationally expensive. We […]

PbSe and PbTe Quantum Dots inside the Ferritin Protein

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Kameron Hansen and Dr. John Colton, Department of Physics and Astronomy Ferritin (FTN) is a spherical protein shell used nearly ubiquitously across life to store and transport iron in a non-toxic form. Ferritin’s natural occurring ferrihydrite mineral (Fe(O)OH) can be removed, leaving behind a hollow interior that conveniently serves as a template for researchers to […]

Robotic System for Cepheid/ δ-Scuti Photometry

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Adam Bugg and Dr. Eric Hintz, Department of Physics and Astronomy Cepheids and δ-Scuti stars are two kinds of pulsating variable stars. Variable stars are so called because their brightness in the sky changes with time, following a regular period. In astronomy, variable star research is often done using a method called photometry, in which […]

Periodic Variability of Mrk 501 in Optical Light

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Joe Rivest, McKay Osborne, and Dr. Joseph Moody, Department of Physics and Astronomy Introduction We’ve studied the light curve of the blazar object, Markarian 501 (Mrk 501). This project is important because it helps refine the still developing standard model of a galactic nucleus and could aid the search for binary black holes. Blazars are […]

Time evolution study of viscous conservation laws

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David Todd and Dr. Blake Barker, Department of Mathematics Introduction The goal of this project was to create code for a generic numerical solver utilizing a finite difference scheme. Prior to the creation of this code, those wishing to study the evolution of traveling waves in STABLAB, a MATLAB based program specifically designed for studying […]