“ Bremsstrahlung Effect in Hyperbolic
Encounters of Primordial Black Holes in Dark Matter Spikes ”
Nathan Bailey- Bowdoin College
Mentor: Dr. Kuver Sinha
Primordial black holes are a theoretical solution to the long-standing problem in astrophysics of dark matter. In
the past decades, the range of masses in which primordial black holes could make up all of dark matter has been
constrained greatly, but through recent work, the asteroid/sublunar range is still open. This range is outside of
our detection capabilities, but Godolo and Silk proposed that there may be a “dark matter spike” near supermassive
black holes at the center of galaxies. This provides an opportunity to study the potential interactions of
primordial black holes due to the theoretically high concentration. We are looking at the gravitational wave
bremsstrahlung effect from the hyperbolic interactions of primordial black holes at about asteroid mass in these
dark matter spikes, and what signal we could detect. The individual signals from these events are too low to
detect, so we are looking at the stochastic background from the many interactions that would have occurred between
these primordial black holes in the dark matter spike. With the launch of LISA in the 2030s, this signal will
hopefully be detectable and will either provide evidence for the existence of primordial black holes or further
constrain their potential to make up dark matter.
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“ White Dwarfs In The Blue: Exploring The UV Side of a Double
Degenerate System ”
Isabela Gonzalez - Oklahoma Baptist University
Mentor: Dr. Mukremin Kilic
J2322+0509 is a double degenerate binary composed of two He-core white dwarfs (WDs). We are using UV HST STIS data to
characterize the parameters of this system. WDs can be observed using both light and gravitational waves (GWs) and the low
inclination angle of this system makes it a strong source of GWs. J2322+0509 will be the first He-core WD verification
binary for LISA.
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“ Laser Cooling and Trapping of Sodium ”
Deedee Jansen - Austin College
Mentor: Dr. Arne Schwettmann
Laser Cooling of sodium gas to make Bose-Einstein Condensates allows for controllable collisions and reduced measurement errors. The laser cooling is done in this lab is done with two
steps. The first is using a magneto-optical trap that utilizes doppler cooling and a magnetic field of the sodium atoms. The second step is an Optical diploe trap that uses forced
evaporation to cool the sodium to Bose-Einstein Condensates. In addition, the water cooling of anti-helmholtz coils, the optical alignment, and the laser locking systems rebuilding and
improvement are important aspects of this summer’s project.
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“ Optimization
of the Cut Based analysisin the H to WW* channel of the
Gluon Gluon Fusion ”
Noel Marichalar - Angelo State University
Mentor: Dr. Mike Strauss
This 5-minute talk will be traversing the undertakings of my research this
summer. Starting with a brief introduction to particle physics and the
standard model. Then it will conclude with a summary of my research goals
and the methods I will be using to optimize the cut-based analysis done on
Gluon Gluon Fusion.
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“ Active Galactic Nuclei ”
Sarah Sasinowska - William and Mary
Mentor: Dr. Xinyu Dai
This summer, I will research what makes a galactic nuclei active or inactive based off of the variability of their lights curves. My 5-minute presentation will cover the overview of
what I am studying (active galactic nuclei), what I have done so far (database crossmatching for parallax), and a brief look into what I hope to accomplish further into the summer
(data analysis of the parallaxes, calculation of distances based on parallax, analysis of light curve, and more).
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“ Millimeter Properties of Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies ”
Alice Heranval - Georgia Institute of Techology
Mentor: Dr. Emilia Jaervelae
This summer will be devoted to research into six unique Narrow-Line
Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies. This will be a 5-minute introduction of the
research, including a brief overview of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN),
followed by a look at Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies and the
particular sources of interest.
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“ Topological Materials and Flat Bands: Perspectives
from Math and Physics ”
Kevin Wen - Univerity of Texas at Austin
Mentor: Dr. Bruno Uchoa
Topological materials are an exciting class of materials which promise applications in quantum computing,
photonics, and electronic devices. As an introduction to this field, I will answer the question "what makes these
materials topological?". This requires some machinery from topology and quantum mechanics, which I will briefly
cover. Finally, I will introduce flat bands, which are an experimentally viable way to produce topological phases.
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“ Quantum Field
Theory and the Higgs Mechanism ”
Ishan Varma - Pomona College
Mentor: Dr. Chung Kao
I’ll be giving a brief overview of how the Higgs mechanism can give mass
to particles, specifically the W and Z bosons. If we attempt to create a
Lagrangian density for the weak interaction using the generic Lagrangian
density for a Dirac particle, we encounter a problem: the weak interaction
is not invariant under SU(2) transformations. If we remove the mass terms
in the Lagrangian density, the problem is solved, but removing those mass
terms means finding a new explanation for how particles gain mass. That
explanation is the Higgs mechanism: once the symmetry of the sombrero
potential is broken, a rotation in the complex plane represents a change
in the field’s state, a change that can be described through the Goldstone
boson. The terms involving the Goldstone boson in the Lagrangian density
can be absorbed by other terms associated with the more familiar gauge
bosons. Thus the Higgs boson couples to these gauge bosons by virtue of
being coupled to the Goldstone boson, and we get new terms in the
Lagrangian density that represent the masses for the W and Z bosons.
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“ BAL Quasars ”
Jorge Escalera - University of Oklahoma
Mentor: Dr. Karen Leighly
Quasars have been a major topic of discussion within the astrophysics community for approximately half a century. Being some of the
oldest and brightest objects in the observable universe, quasars are believed to be a vital step in galactic evolution. In seeking to
understand the properties and evolution of quasars, the SimBAL group was formed. SimBAL brings together students and professors from
across the continent to study a specific group of quasars known as broad absorption line quasars (BALQs). To aid in the analysis of BALQ
spectra, I have been enlisted by SimBAL to generate, fit, and analyze models for approximately 2,600 BALQ spectra in order to classify
them into four clusters. Through this analysis and classification, trends in quasar cluster type can be gleaned and may help further the
understanding of BALQs and quasars in general.
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“ Search for Charming Top ”
Andy Isaacs - University of Oklahoma
Mentor: Dr. Brad Abbott
The production of a top + charm quark events from proton-proton collisions has not been previously observed. The Standard Model provides a theorized cross-section that can be experimentally
measured with data from the ATLAS detector. Agreement with this cross section will strengthen the Standard Model, while disagreement could point to new, beyond the Standard Model (BSM) physics.
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“ Linear Dichroism Characterization of Solution Cast Organic Semiconductor Thin Films ”
Hilbi Akbar - University of Oklahoma
Mentor: Dr. Madalina Furis
The project that I have chosen for the Summer 2023 REU program is “Linear Dichroism Characterization of Solution Cast Organic Semiconductor Thin Films”. In simple words, I will be
looking into the thin films of organic Semiconductors, especially Phthalocyanines dissolved in Toluene, and see how changing the Pen-Writing speeds, the concentrations, and the
temperatures affect the optical properties of these semiconductors. I will be using the Pen-Writing technique instead of the Spin-Coating technique to make the films and I will mainly
be looking at the Absorption and Linear Dichroism spectrum and comparing what parameters give the best thin films. I will also use focused and defocused light for the absorption and
Linear Dichroism measurements and do the Photoluminescence measurements if time allows. Furthermore, the extension of this project can also be looking at these thin films under X-rays
and observing the changes in their spectrums. This kind of research is significant because it helps us with finding the structures of biological molecules such as DNA and
non-biological substances such as the exciton orientation in a substance. It can also be used in Photovoltaics to make flexible and transparent solar cells. Furthermore, it can be used
to make LCDs that can be bent unlike our current LCDs which are flat in shape
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“ Solar Cells ”
Theeva Jayanthi - University of Oklahoma
Mentor: Dr. Ian Sellers
Exploring the types of materials Solar cells are made from and illustrating their uses and superiority over other
energy sources. The talk will also briefly explain the key principle required for a Solar cell to work and share a
glance of the experiments carried out and their purposes.
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“ Atomic Force Microscopy in Condensed Matter Research ”
Gabriel Schulmann-Yang - University of Oklahoma
Mentor: Dr. Lloyd Bumm
Atomic force microscopes can take images that greatly exceed the
theoretical limits for optical microscopes as well as taking electrical
measurements. With this tool we image various samples to learn about their
topology and electrical conductivity. With this research we hope to find a
material that could potentially replace modern semiconductor chips.
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“ Quantum Synchronization of Rydberg Atoms in Optical Tweezers ”
Xylo Molenda - University of Oklahoma
Mentor: Dr. Doerte Blume
I discuss the classical synchronization which motivates research in quantum synchronization. I take this a step further, introducing a family of classical oscillators and their optical
tweezer aided quantum counterparts. Quantum synchronization can be seen by acting on these systems with an external drive. We can extend this definition to atomic spin systems (Rydberg
atoms). Finally, I discuss the short-term and long-term goals of this research.
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“ Solar Cells ”
Maribel Lira - Norman
Mentor: Dr. Ian Sellers
Understanding the deeper aspects of how solars cells are made and figuring out how they function. Along with that
I will also be going over our experiments and how much we’ve accomplished in the past few weeks.
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