Superparamagnetic Behavior of Magnetite Nanoparticles: Preparation and Characterization

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Matea Trevino and Dr. Karine Chesnel, Department of Physics and Astronomy Introduction Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles have the unique ability of being superparamagnetic. When no field is applied to the nanoparticles, the nanoparticles’ assembly has a net magnetization of zero, meaning that the nanoparticles’ magnetic moments align in random positions leading to a net magnetization of […]

Femtosecond Frequency Comb Lock

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Daniel Thrasher and Dr. Scott Bergeson, Physics Department Introduction Laser frequency control is imperative for cold atom experimentation. In our lab we use finely tuned lasers to optically cool and trap calcium atoms. Our ability to successfully trap atoms is highly dependent on the stability of the lasers we use to cool them. After trapping […]

Development of a Surface Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect Magnetometer

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Susan Stoffer Sorensen and Dr. Karine Chesnel, Physics Department The Kerr effect is a phenomenon in which as polarized visible light reflects off of a magnetized surface it experiences a small rotation in polarization. This is known as the Kerr rotation, denoted Δθ. This rotation is proportional to the magnetization of the sample, to a […]

Modeling Supernovae Light Curves: A Vital Step Toward Photometric Classification

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Brittany Spencer and Dr. Shane Reese, Statistics Department Introduction Type Ia supernovae play a critical role in understanding the nature of the evolving universe. The Dark Energy Survey is currently investigating the expansion rate of the universe, with the intent to gain insight into the nature of dark energy. One of their primary measures of […]

A Bayesian Nonparametric Approach to Hyperspectral Data Analysis

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Jessica Seeger and Dr. Candace Berrett, BYU Department of Statistics Introduction Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a technology that provides a dense set of previously un- available data{o ering the opportunity for use in a variety of applications such as food safety, ecology, and non-proliferation research. HSI stores measurements across three dimen- sions (two-dimensional space and […]

Asset Returns from a Distance-Based Random Partition Model

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Richard D. Payne, David B. Dahl, and Brian M. Hartman Introduction When pricing an insurance product, many factors a ect market returns. Policyholder behavior (lapses, mortality, morbidity, etc.), policy riders (guarantees, look-backs, ratchets, etc.), industry and government forces (competition and regulation), among others can all depend on the asset returns and a ect the total […]

Calculating Groundwater Recharge: The Navajo Sandstone of Southern Utah

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Matthew Olson and Dr. Greg Carling, Department of Geological Sciences Southern Utah is world renowned for its beautiful canyons and red rock features. The Navajo Sandstone, an Early Jurassic formation created by 2000 feet of petrified sand dunes, is one of the primary features of this unique landscape. Groundwater in the Navajo Sandstone is important […]

Phase-Correlation and Propagation Analysis of Near-Field Military Jet Noise

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Jazz Myres and Dr. Kent Gee, Department of Physics and Astronomy Introduction According to the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the United States Department of Veteran Affairs spent over $1 billion dollars on military hearing loss compensation in 2010 alone1. A major cause of hearing loss is exposure to high Sound Pressure Levels, which are […]

Development of a Data Reduction Pipeline for the ROVOR Observatory

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Thayne McCombs and Dr. Joseph Ward Moody, Physics and Astronomy Introduction The ROVOR observatory is a robotic, remotely controlled telescope in Delta, Utah. Since it is remotely controlled and semi-automated, it produces a very large amount of raw data. Unfortunately it took much longer to process and analyze the data than to acquire it, and, […]

The Use of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (AAT) in the Downregulation of Nuclear Factor Kappa-Light-Chain-Enhancer of Activated B Cells (NF-κB) as a Treatment for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

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Aaron McBride and Dr. Gregory F. Burton, Chemistry and Biochemistry Current Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) treatment is greatly hindered due to viral reservoirs throughout the body prolonging and perpetuating infection.i Large stores of HIV exist in the follicular dendritic cell (FDC) microenvironment, located primarily in the lymph nodes and spleen. Free-floating virus has a half-life […]