Physical Sciences
Photophysical and Photochemical Investigation of Dipyrrinone Bilin Subunits
Author(s): Cauy Williams, Danielle Newbold
Stratigraphic Insights into the Tectonic Evolution of the Rio Grande Rift
Author(s): Levi Hawks
Uncovering Mixture Interactions through Excess Heat Capacity
Author(s): Calvin Crawford
The Stability of Isolated Bovine Milk Derived Extracellular Vesicles
Author(s): Elley Colledge, McCoy Smith, Ian Cutler
Creating a New Distance Ladder with Surface Brightness Fluctuations
Author(s): Mikaela Cowles
Seven potential double star systems in the stellar association WSD 05205+3654
Author(s): Stryder Wiese
Optical Scattering for Rapid UTI Detection
Author(s): Feng Guo, Elise Bauer, Kimball Henstrom, Caroline Torgersen, Hannah Thrupp, Isaac Zabriskie, Alex Martinez, Keaton Fuller, Clint Flinders
Strain-Driven Metal-to-Insulator Transition and Ferroelectricity in WTe₂
Author(s): Ross Richins
Encapsulation of Chemotherapeutic Temozolomide in Bovine-Milk Derived Extracellular Vesicles
Author(s): Charlee Cannon, Torrance Johnson, Caleb Weaver
Modifying the Light-Harvesting Capabilities of Phycocyanin using Rhodamine-B
Author(s): Brecken Shakespeare, Colton Koch
The study of urea on protein biomarker detection by quantum dots
Author(s): Daniel Jensen, Caitlin West
Optimization of Cannabinoid Permeation Agents for Transdermal Delivery Applications
Author(s): Madison Bulloch, Alexia Casillas
Testing of an Acousto-Optic Modulator for Implementation as a Laser Q-Switch
Author(s): Micah Laing, Benjamin Holt
Increased Efficiency in Nonlinear Wireless Power Transfer
Author(s): Zachary Butler, Kendall Rosenkrantz, Yoonji Yo
Fluoride Speciation Analysis of the Great Salt Lake Utah
Author(s): Danielle Kemmer, Dillon Reynolds, Alyssa Brown, Benjamin Judd, Dean V. Smith, Tyler Jenkins, Asha Ahmed, Amber Thornton Miller, Dylan Jenkins, Nashly Cruz-Guzman
Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Pterostilbene Derivatives for Potential use as Therapeutics
Author(s): Austin Lamoreaux
Synthesis of Chiral ɑ-Amino Boronates via a 3-Component Coupling Reaction
Author(s): Anna Page
Quantitation of Trace Oxygen in Anoxic Water Implementing a Microfluidic Device
Author(s): Corban Kerr, Kason Stinson
Tectonic History of the Rio Grande Rift Through a Study of Sediment Provenance
Author(s): Brian Angell
A Pilot Study Investigating Virtual Reality for Chemical Education
Author(s): Kaden Jensen
Insights into hydrogen storage utilizing cyclic amino-borane complexes
Author(s): Jordan Colmenero
Student's perceptions on the use of Virtual Reality in organic and inorganic chemistry
Author(s): Isabelle Smith, Alexandra Routsis, Laryssa Larson, Josie Wright, Kaden Jensen
Optimizing Continuous-wave Nd:YVO4 Laser Performance for Longwave Infrared Generation
Author(s): Benjamin Holt, Alex Gibb, MicahLaing
Lensless High-Resolution Imaging with Laser Interference
Author(s): Ulises Thornock, Brian Weaver, Jackson Phippen
Exploring Urban Wildlife Management Plans: A Case Study in Cedar City
Author(s): Jhen Allison Seguiwan
Synthesis and Characterization of [(Ir(dmpmpy)2)2(dpm)]Cl2
Author(s): Joseph Clinger, Ethan Nielsen
From Ancient Cyanobacteria to Future Tech: The Chemistry of Dipyrroles
Author(s): Jaren Meikle, Samuel Archer
The Power of Wind on Rock: Yardang Formation in Argentina
Sevy, Jonathon; Radebaugh, Jani; McDougall, Dylan; Kerber, Laura; Rabinovitch, Jason (Brigham Young University)
Faculty Advisor: Radebaugh, Jani (Brigham Young University, Geology)
Yardangs are wind-carved linear ridges that are found selectively on Earth and extensively on Mars. The history of the morphologic development of yardangs is not well known. In the Puna high plateau of Argentina there are ignimbrite deposits, many of which have been eroded into yardang fields, commonly called fleets. Yarding fleets are evenly spaced forms, facing into the wind, that resemble a fleet of boats sailing. A prominent fleet, known as Campo de las Piedras Pomez (CCP) was studied to more fully understand their formation and morphology, including field research in December 2018 and 2019. Some physical characteristics looked at in the field included: dedos direction and lengths; heights and lengths of yardangs; structural features; wind and gravel ripple direction. In addition, relationships between yardang organization and structural control have been analyzed. The dedos on the fronts of yardangs averaged 4.0cm in length, while the reverse dedos were 3.3cm. From this it was determined that: Two wind directions, with one dominant, are present; Structural features can shape morphology of yardangs.
Faculty Advisor: Radebaugh, Jani (Brigham Young University, Geology)
Yardangs are wind-carved linear ridges that are found selectively on Earth and extensively on Mars. The history of the morphologic development of yardangs is not well known. In the Puna high plateau of Argentina there are ignimbrite deposits, many of which have been eroded into yardang fields, commonly called fleets. Yarding fleets are evenly spaced forms, facing into the wind, that resemble a fleet of boats sailing. A prominent fleet, known as Campo de las Piedras Pomez (CCP) was studied to more fully understand their formation and morphology, including field research in December 2018 and 2019. Some physical characteristics looked at in the field included: dedos direction and lengths; heights and lengths of yardangs; structural features; wind and gravel ripple direction. In addition, relationships between yardang organization and structural control have been analyzed. The dedos on the fronts of yardangs averaged 4.0cm in length, while the reverse dedos were 3.3cm. From this it was determined that: Two wind directions, with one dominant, are present; Structural features can shape morphology of yardangs.
Shocked Electrons: Determination of the Heating Mechanism in Abell 665
Wik, Daniel (University of Utah)
Faculty Advisor: Wik, Daniel (Science, Physics and Astronomy)
Mergers between galaxy clusters are some of the most energetic events in the universe, driving shock fronts in the intracluster medium (ICM), an X-ray hot plasma permeating the cluster. Shock fronts heat thermal electrons, causing an increase in their temperature. The mechanism by which this occurs is undetermined, with two models being proposed to explain the phenomenon. The first proposes direct shock-heating and the second suggests indirect adiabatic compression, with the electrons subsequently equilibrating with ions heated by the shock. We utilize NuSTAR observations, advantaging its effective area at higher energies, of a shock in the merging cluster Abell 665 in order to discriminate between the models. To do so, a temperature profile was constructed across the shock, utilizing spectral fitting, and compared against the models' predictions. In addition, temperature maps across the cluster were generated to better understand the merger event as a whole. We find that the temperature profile is suggestive of the shock model but is not yet statistically significant, due to NuSTAR's comparatively worse spatial resolution. As a result, we apply a novel joint fitting technique to NuSTAR data and Chandra observations in order to statistically distinguish between the models for the first time, accounting for the scattering of photons due to the PSF. Understanding these processes increases our understanding of the magnetic field of the ICM, allowing for mass determination, permitting galaxy clusters to be used to constrain cosmological studies.
Faculty Advisor: Wik, Daniel (Science, Physics and Astronomy)
Mergers between galaxy clusters are some of the most energetic events in the universe, driving shock fronts in the intracluster medium (ICM), an X-ray hot plasma permeating the cluster. Shock fronts heat thermal electrons, causing an increase in their temperature. The mechanism by which this occurs is undetermined, with two models being proposed to explain the phenomenon. The first proposes direct shock-heating and the second suggests indirect adiabatic compression, with the electrons subsequently equilibrating with ions heated by the shock. We utilize NuSTAR observations, advantaging its effective area at higher energies, of a shock in the merging cluster Abell 665 in order to discriminate between the models. To do so, a temperature profile was constructed across the shock, utilizing spectral fitting, and compared against the models' predictions. In addition, temperature maps across the cluster were generated to better understand the merger event as a whole. We find that the temperature profile is suggestive of the shock model but is not yet statistically significant, due to NuSTAR's comparatively worse spatial resolution. As a result, we apply a novel joint fitting technique to NuSTAR data and Chandra observations in order to statistically distinguish between the models for the first time, accounting for the scattering of photons due to the PSF. Understanding these processes increases our understanding of the magnetic field of the ICM, allowing for mass determination, permitting galaxy clusters to be used to constrain cosmological studies.
Use of a Portable Handheld X-Ray Fluorescence Unit (pXRF) to Measure Alteration in Exhumed Fault Zones: Implications for Hydrologic Rock Properties and Injection Induced Seismicity
Paulding, Anna (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Bradbury, Kelly (College of Science, Geosciences Department)
A dramatic increase in seismicity has occurred in the midcontinent region since 2009 (Rubinstein and Mahani, 2015), causing public concern for the stability of infrastructure and buildings. Several studies have directly linked this seismicity to the reactivation of buried fault systems near the Paleozoic sedimentary bedrock-Precambrian crystalline basement contact as a result of high volumes of injection of wastewater produced by the oil and gas industry (Ellsworth, 2013; Keranen et al., 2013).
The reactivation of fault zones due to fluid injection is not only influenced by injection rates but also by the ability of fluids to migrate along or across the contact, which is controlled by the rock properties and geologic setting. To better understand the rock property variations that may occur along the nonconformity interface, we use an outcrop analog site of an exhumed fault near Gunnison, Colorado. My undergraduate research focuses on using a portable handheld X-Ray Fluorescence Unit (pXRF) as a tool to measure compositional variations in outcrop. To directly compare data, a calibration using 16 USGS Concentration Standards as well as 12 analog samples will be used to create a calibration optimized for this specific suite of rocks which informs the accuracy of in-situ field data measurements against laboratory measurements of powdered samples, influencing how future pXRF measurements can be analyzed. Micro-scale variations of major and trace element concentrations reflect alteration and related fluid-rock interactions and may serve as a proxy for fluid migration along or across faulted sections of a nonconformity interface. I propose that calibrated pXRF data and whole rock XRF data is a useful tool for understanding the nature and degree of rock alteration in fault zones and across analog sites nonconformity interface. These data can aid in a more broad understanding of how pXRF data can be used in the field to characterize the nonconformity interface and fault zones.
Faculty Advisor: Bradbury, Kelly (College of Science, Geosciences Department)
A dramatic increase in seismicity has occurred in the midcontinent region since 2009 (Rubinstein and Mahani, 2015), causing public concern for the stability of infrastructure and buildings. Several studies have directly linked this seismicity to the reactivation of buried fault systems near the Paleozoic sedimentary bedrock-Precambrian crystalline basement contact as a result of high volumes of injection of wastewater produced by the oil and gas industry (Ellsworth, 2013; Keranen et al., 2013).
The reactivation of fault zones due to fluid injection is not only influenced by injection rates but also by the ability of fluids to migrate along or across the contact, which is controlled by the rock properties and geologic setting. To better understand the rock property variations that may occur along the nonconformity interface, we use an outcrop analog site of an exhumed fault near Gunnison, Colorado. My undergraduate research focuses on using a portable handheld X-Ray Fluorescence Unit (pXRF) as a tool to measure compositional variations in outcrop. To directly compare data, a calibration using 16 USGS Concentration Standards as well as 12 analog samples will be used to create a calibration optimized for this specific suite of rocks which informs the accuracy of in-situ field data measurements against laboratory measurements of powdered samples, influencing how future pXRF measurements can be analyzed. Micro-scale variations of major and trace element concentrations reflect alteration and related fluid-rock interactions and may serve as a proxy for fluid migration along or across faulted sections of a nonconformity interface. I propose that calibrated pXRF data and whole rock XRF data is a useful tool for understanding the nature and degree of rock alteration in fault zones and across analog sites nonconformity interface. These data can aid in a more broad understanding of how pXRF data can be used in the field to characterize the nonconformity interface and fault zones.
Heavy metals analysis of particulate matter removed by trees
Dustin, Malia; Holden, Maliea; Peterson, Rob; Chilom, Gabriela (Dixie State University)
Faculty Advisor: Chilon, Gabriela (Dixie State University, Chemistry)
Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets suspended in air. Particles vary in terms of origin, chemical composition and size. Particles with diameter of 10 µm and smaller carry an increased risk for human health as they can penetrate deeper into the lungs, even to the alveolar regions. Recent studies suggest that trees can remove particles from the atmosphere through their leaves and their removal capacity depends on the chemistry and morphology of the leaves.
The goal of this project is to analyze the composition of PM for three species of trees commonly grown in St George, Utah: Pyrus Calleryana Bradford, Prunus x Cistena, and Chilopsis Linearis. The amount of PM accumulated on the surface of leaves was determined gravimetrically for two size fractions (2.5-10µm and 10-100µm). Both fractions were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP MS) after acid digestion of filters that collected PM. The average concentrations of the following metals: Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ti, V, Cr, As, Zr, Mo, Se, Cd, Sn, Sb, Pt, and Pb is reported.
The accumulation of heavy metals on leaf surfaces can prevent the metals from being airborne, therefore reducing the exposure of residents to PM pollution.
Faculty Advisor: Chilon, Gabriela (Dixie State University, Chemistry)
Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets suspended in air. Particles vary in terms of origin, chemical composition and size. Particles with diameter of 10 µm and smaller carry an increased risk for human health as they can penetrate deeper into the lungs, even to the alveolar regions. Recent studies suggest that trees can remove particles from the atmosphere through their leaves and their removal capacity depends on the chemistry and morphology of the leaves.
The goal of this project is to analyze the composition of PM for three species of trees commonly grown in St George, Utah: Pyrus Calleryana Bradford, Prunus x Cistena, and Chilopsis Linearis. The amount of PM accumulated on the surface of leaves was determined gravimetrically for two size fractions (2.5-10µm and 10-100µm). Both fractions were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP MS) after acid digestion of filters that collected PM. The average concentrations of the following metals: Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ti, V, Cr, As, Zr, Mo, Se, Cd, Sn, Sb, Pt, and Pb is reported.
The accumulation of heavy metals on leaf surfaces can prevent the metals from being airborne, therefore reducing the exposure of residents to PM pollution.
How to create very dark surfaces for applications
Lange, Christian; Shen, T.-C. (Utah State University)
Faculty Advisor: Shen, T.-C. (College of Science, Physics Department)
An ideal black surface should have low reflectance uniformly across the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. Black paints are not ideal because they have specific reflection peaks and bands. Vertically aligned nanopillars of proper shapes and physical properties are good candidates, but the fabrication and oxidation in air are challenging. Carbon nanotube (CNT) forests could be a cheap alternative but the optical properties are sensitive to the density, length, and alignment of the CNTs in a forest. A model to understand the correlation between the morphology and optical reflectance of CNT forests and strategies to achieve extremely low reflectance in the infrared region will be presented.
Faculty Advisor: Shen, T.-C. (College of Science, Physics Department)
An ideal black surface should have low reflectance uniformly across the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. Black paints are not ideal because they have specific reflection peaks and bands. Vertically aligned nanopillars of proper shapes and physical properties are good candidates, but the fabrication and oxidation in air are challenging. Carbon nanotube (CNT) forests could be a cheap alternative but the optical properties are sensitive to the density, length, and alignment of the CNTs in a forest. A model to understand the correlation between the morphology and optical reflectance of CNT forests and strategies to achieve extremely low reflectance in the infrared region will be presented.
Isotope Paleothermometry of Belemnites from the Jurassic Sundance Sea of Western North America
Perdue, Perdue; Burke, Joshua; Bylund, Kevin; Stephen, Daniel (Utah Valley University)
Faculty Advisor: Stephen, Daniel (Utah Valley University, Earth Science)
The Sundance Sea covered much of western North America during the Middle to Late Jurassic Period. Deposits from this vast epeiric sea are now widely exposed across the region, including the Stump Formation in northeastern Utah, which consists of sandstones and shales reflecting shallow marine deposition. Well-preserved belemnites (Pachyteuthis densus, Oxfordian Stage, ~156 Ma) collected from this unit preserve stable isotope data (_18O and _13C ) that can be used to better understand the paleoceanography and paleoclimatology of the area, as well as possibly some paleobiologic characteristics such as migration patterns through the life cycle and age at sexual maturity and death. Incremental growth of belemnites created growth bands that record isotopic values through various life stages, thus potentially providing information about the life history traits of these organisms, in addition to seasonal temperature variations. Preliminary results suggest our material is consistent with previous reports from other locations in the region, with paleotemperatures in the 17 to 20° C range. In addition, there is some indication of seasonal variations. However, analyses of more samples and further evaluation of potential diagenetic alteration is necessary before more robust conclusions can be drawn.
Faculty Advisor: Stephen, Daniel (Utah Valley University, Earth Science)
The Sundance Sea covered much of western North America during the Middle to Late Jurassic Period. Deposits from this vast epeiric sea are now widely exposed across the region, including the Stump Formation in northeastern Utah, which consists of sandstones and shales reflecting shallow marine deposition. Well-preserved belemnites (Pachyteuthis densus, Oxfordian Stage, ~156 Ma) collected from this unit preserve stable isotope data (_18O and _13C ) that can be used to better understand the paleoceanography and paleoclimatology of the area, as well as possibly some paleobiologic characteristics such as migration patterns through the life cycle and age at sexual maturity and death. Incremental growth of belemnites created growth bands that record isotopic values through various life stages, thus potentially providing information about the life history traits of these organisms, in addition to seasonal temperature variations. Preliminary results suggest our material is consistent with previous reports from other locations in the region, with paleotemperatures in the 17 to 20° C range. In addition, there is some indication of seasonal variations. However, analyses of more samples and further evaluation of potential diagenetic alteration is necessary before more robust conclusions can be drawn.