Getting a physics degree at Utah State University (USU) is not just about taking courses and passing tests. A USU physics degree is about learning how to do physics and, most importantly, learning how to teach oneself the physics needed to solve problems as well as engaging in research and experiments in order to discover new aspects of the field. All physics majors finish their USU degree by doing just that. Through the capstone course, Research in Physics, each student teams up with a faculty mentor to perform research in a variety of physics topics over one or more semesters. Upon completion of their project, each student prepares a written exposition and gives a public presentation of their work. Many of these projects are documented here.
2024
Non-Destructive Thickness Uniformity Measurement of Photosensitive Gelatin Film, Clayton Halper
2023
Preparation, Characterization and Electron Yield Analysis on Highly Insulating Granular Particles, Heather Allen
Metasurfaces for Holography, Scott Howell
High Frequency Radio Communication, Tyler Larsen
Radon in Utah Homes, Madison Mackay
Effectiveness of Multilayer Graded-Z Forms of Radiation Shielding, Brinley Packer
Engineering Lab Building Telescope Manual, Aidan L. Tueller
The Kp Index and Behavior of Quiet Periods, Collette Walbeck
2022
Characteristics of Mesospheric Temperature and Gravity Waves over Chile in 2020-2021, Damien M. Devitt and Kenneth Zia
Large Earthquakes' Effect on the Ionosphere, Aaron Houston
Seasonal Variations in Global Ionospheric Total Electron Content, Jason Knudsen
Effects of Exposure to Atmospheric Humidity on Breakdown Field Strength Measurements of Polymers, Megan Loveland DeWaal
Improving the Efficiency of the Preconditioning of Iterative Solutions to the Kinetic Equation, D. Caleb Price
2021
Comparisons of Mesospheric Temperatures Between 70 and 110 km: USU Lidar, NASA's TIMED Satellite, and the MSIS2 Empirical Model, David M. Collins
The Effects of Materials and Profiles of Gratings on Diffraction Spectra, Brock Halling
Phase-Space Dynamics of Runaway Electrons in Tokamaks, Gavin Held
Improving Skills in Computer Methods: Introductory Toolkit to Python for Undergraduate Physics Majors, Erin O'Donnell and Melissa Rasmussen
Developing Electron Beam Lithography at Nanoscale Device Laboratory, Din Pašić
2020
Clustering and Classifying Geophysical Rock Properties of the San Andreas Fault, Jared Bryan
Giving Students a Better Understanding of the Concepts Behind the Coriolis Force, Ridge Cole
Traveling-Wave Electrophoresis: 1D Model, Austin Green
Synthesis of Graphene by Liquid Precursors at Lower Temperatures, Clayton Hansen
Determining the Phase of the Diurnal, Solar Thermal Tidal Wave in the Upper Atmosphere Using Nighttime Na Lidar Measurements, Trevor Harshman
Determing the Chaotic Nature of Periodic Orbits, Bo Johnson
Waves Over McMurdo Station, Robert Johnson
Material Outgassing Kinetics: The Development of a Testing Capability, Alex Kirkman
Fabrication of Suspended Microbolometers on SOI Wafers, Isaac Maxfield
National Security and Climate Change, Madison Moran
Understanding Noether’s Theorem by Visualizing the Lagrangian, Seth Moser
Hodographic Analysis of Na Lidar Data to Measure Atmospheric Gravity Wave Parameters, Jeffrey Ormsby
Optical Relaxation of Defects in Kapton Caused by Irradiation, Ashlan Keeler Swainston
2019
Monitoring Ambient Laboratory Conditions with a Raspberry Pi, Joshua Boman
Decomposing the Hamiltonian of Quantum Circuits Using Machine Learning, Jordan Burns, Yih Sung, and Colby Wight
Thermal Oxidation of Silicon in a Home-Made Furnace System, Joshua Koskan
Porting Symbolic Libraries from Maple to Python, James Lewis
Physics 4900, David Maughan
Yang-Mills Sources for Biconformal Gravity, Walter Davis Muhwezi
Relaxation of Radiation Effects in Polymers, Alexandra Hughlett Nelson
The Effects of Beta Radiation on the Electrostatic Discharge of LDPE, Kip Quilter
Thermodynamic Properties of Black Holes, Geoffrey Schulthess
Octonionic Maxwell Equations, Ben Shaw
Mathematica Program to Compute Klein Gordon Equation for Generic Black Holes, Brant Smith
2018
Numerical Methods for Anisotropic Thermal Conduction, Brett Adair
Investigation of an Unusual Thin Layer Descending Through the Upper Stratosphere, Houston D. Bentley
Gravity Waves Over Antarctica, Vanessa Chambers
Phonon Dynamics of Alkali Metals in the HCP Lattice Structure, Jake Christensen
Solar Observatory: Shedding Light on the Surface of the Sun, Zane F. Davis
Calculating Redshift via Astronomical Spectroscopy, Joshua Glatt
The Effects of the Beta Transition on Dielectric Breakdown in LDPE, Tyler Kippen
Electron Yield Comparisons of Low and High-Density Polyethylene, Jordan Lee
D-Region VLF Monitoring System, Jonh Carlos Mojica Decena
Characterization of Programmable Arduino Sensors, Brett Mortenson
Impact of Bubble Baths on Stainless Steel Sphere Water Entry, Wesley Robinson
Mathematica Program to Compute Klein Gordon Equation for Generic Black Holes, Brant Smith
Atmospheric Gravity Wave Events over Antarctica, America Wrobel
Sodium Lidar for Mesopause Temperature and Wind Studies, Xiaoqi Xi
2017
Growing Bores at the South Pole, Mikaela Ashcroft
The Global Positioning System, Brendon Baker
UV Degradation of Polycarbonate, Katie Gamaunt
The Use of Plenoptic Cameras in Astronomy, James R. Hamilton
Explorations in Hybrid Rocket Technology: Arc-Track Ignition in 3D-Printed Rockets, Richard Harvey
Rayleigh-LIDAR Observations of Mid-Latitude Mesospheric Densities, Brandon S. Hustead, Lucas R. Priskos, Jonathan L. Price, and Joshua P. Herron
An Investigation of the Alkali Metals in the fcc Structure Using an Embedded-Atom-Method (EAM) Model, Marcus Jackman
Arduino and Raspberry Pi in a Laboratory Setting, Dustin Johnston
Investigating the Weddell Sea Anomaly using TIE-GCM, DaeSean K. Jones
Measuring and Modeling the Conductivity of Highly Insulating Materials, David King
Analysis of Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Levels in Side-blotched Lizards ( Uta stansburiana ) Fed Varying Diets, Kati Mattinson
Reducing the Contact Time of Bouncing Droplets using Macro-Textured Surfaces, Andrew Merritt
Microcontroller Survivability in Space Conditions, Windy Olsen
Rayleigh-LIDAR Observations of Mesospheric Densities, Lucas R. Priskos, Brandon S. Hustead, Jonathan L. Price, and Joshua P. Herron
Wormholes: Gates to the Stars?, Samuel Shreeve
Tilt Classifications in Perfect Fluid Cosmology, Bryant Ward
2016
Algorithms for the Optical Profiling of the Atmospheric Limb Radiometry Data Analysis for the OPAL CubeSat, Eric D. Ashby
High Altitude Payload for CubeSat Aeroboom Development, Jessica Gardiner
The Consensus Problem, Cellular Automata, and Self-Replicating Structures, David Griffin
Atmospheric Modeling for OPAL Mission, Preston Hooser
Complexity and Art, Jeffrey Jenkins
Importance of Grad-Shafranov Re-Solves Towards Accurately Modeling an ITER Equilibrium in NIMROD, Joseph Jepson
Mineral Physics Modeling of the Effect of Water on Crustal Seismic Velocity Ratios, Eric Lyman
Smartphone Seismology: Data Acquisition Through Consumer Available Devices, Matt Olsen
The Schwarzschild Solution and Timelike Geodesics, Matthew Ross
Mysterious Mesospheric Bores Over the South Pole, Christina Solorio
Predictive Formula for Electron Range over a Large Span of Energy, Anne Starley
The Equivalence Problem: Einstein-Maxwell Solutions, Rebecca Whitney
OPAL CubeSatellite Flight and Line of Sight Integration Modeling, Kenneth Zia
2015
Electrically Induced Plasma, Nate Ashby
Imaging the Brigham City Fault Segment Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography Techniques, Alex Barker
Centrality Measures of Graphs utilizing Continuous Walks in Hilbert Space, Jarod P. Benowitz
Thermal Evidence of Flat-Slab Subduction Perturbations in the Western US, Michael Berry
PT401 Paint Process Development and Infrared Reflectance Measurements, Sariah Cassidy
Statistical Variation of Diverse Light Emission Measurements from Bisphenol/Amine Epoxy Under Energetic Electron Bombardment, Justin Christensen
Suitability of Nickel Chromium Wire Cutters as Deployable Release Mechanisms on CubeSats in Low Earth Orbit, James Gardiner
Analysis of Electrostatic Breakdown Sites, Sam Hansen
Physics Education: Analysis of the Effects of i>clicker Usage in the Gen Ed Classroom on Content Learning, Collin Mortensen
Catching Mesospheric Gravity Waves Over Bear Lake, Utah, Kelly Osborne
Langmuir Probes in a Microwave Generated Plasma, Wesley Rawlins
The Schwarzschild Solution and Timelike Geodesics, Matthew B. Ross
2014
Neutral Density Behavior from 45-90 km Based on Rayleigh Lidar Observations Above USU, David Barton
Creating an Electronic Analog of a Stomatal Network, David Berg