Physics
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All materials in the Kalamazoo College Digital Archive are subject to Title 17 of the U.S. Code. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise stated, authors retain the copyright for all content posted to the Kalamazoo College Digital Archive.
Collections in this community
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Physics Department Documents [1]
This collection includes documents from the Kalamazoo College Department of Physics. -
Physics Senior Integrated Projects [329]
This collection includes Senior Integrated Projects (SIP's) completed in the Physics Department. -
Physics Syllabi [0]
This collection contains syllabi from the Physics Department.
Recent Submissions
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Using Point Arrays to Characterize Drug-Bound Hepatitis B Virus and Human Enterovirus 71 Capsid Structures
(2021-11-01)A virus capsid is composed of identical protein subunits which occupy chemically equivalent environments and assemble according to icosahedral symmetry. This protein shell holds critical roles throughout the viral life ... -
Investigation into the causes of degrading radio signals during Geomagnetic Storms
(2022-02-25)The release of solar winds from the sun has drastic effects on the Earth’s geomagnetic field and the Ionosphere. GPS navigation uses radio signals that travel from a satellite to a ground receiver, passing through the ... -
Quantifying the Characteristics of Viruses in the Leviviridae Family Using Icosahedral Point Arrays
(2022-06-01)Point arrays provide a neat method for structural comparison between viruses by highlighting different aspects of the viral capsid. For very structurally similar viruses, using multiple point array fits instead of just the ... -
Point Array Study of Antibody Binding in Viruses
(2022-06-01)To combat viral infections, organisms with adaptive immune systems have developed antibodies that can neutralize or render viruses as non-infectious. This can be done in multiple fashions. The primary way to stop the ... -
Sustainable Irrigation in the Developing World
(2022)This SIP analyzes an application of physical theories to the design of a sustainable irrigation system like the one constructed in the village of Pawaga. Unlike most physics SIPs whose subject matter is supported by organized ... -
Investigations into the tunneling magnetoresistance effects in thin films of (La1−yPry)1−xCaxMnO3
(2022)Thin lms of (La1−yPry)1−xCaxMnO3 (LPCMO) are known to undergo phase separation between a ferromagnetic metallic (FMM) phase and a charged-ordered insulator (COI) phase. When cooled down from room temperature to achieve ... -
Compactness of Icosahedral Viruses Reveals High Mass Packing of Protruding Features
(2021-06-01)A method of studying viral protein design was developed to describe the distribution of mass throughout viral capsid proteins. Protein compactness was measured using an interparticle distance measurement and a capsid ... -
6-D Lattice Phase Transformations in Viral Maturation
(2021-06-01)In this paper we will show how to use the fundamentals of the math of quasi-crystallography to model the maturation of viral capsids. Viruses have had a deep influence on the evolution of life, with traces of this influence ... -
Utilizing Point Arrays to Further Classify Spherical Viruses Exhibiting Icosahedral Symmetry
(2019-07-01)Triangulation number is crucial for understanding the size of viral capsids and total number of proteins, but lacks in its ability to describe the conformational changes that occur throughout the maturation phase of spherical ... -
Exploring TaS2 and YBa2Cu3O7-δ : Exotic Materials of Physics
(2019-09-01)Methods of measurement of TaS2 (Tantrum Disulfide) and YBa2Cu3O7-δ (Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide) samples to reveal their physical properties and introduce the physical models producing their characteristics were explored ... -
Decomposition of Virus Normal Modes into Spherical Harmonics An Exploration of Symmetry Adapted Functions (SAFs)
(2020-02-13)The normal modes for viruses, in which all of its atoms are oscillating at the same frequency, can be thought of as a very complicated system of masses and springs. Each atom has its own mass, and the bonds between atoms ... -
Plasma Wave Observations During Geomagnetic Storms with MMS
(2020-04-01)During magnetic storms, the Earth’s atmosphere loses enhanced amounts of oxygen which escapes to the magnetosphere. In space, governed by the Earth’s magnetic field, these oxygen ions gyrate around magnetic field lines and ... -
Growth and Characterization of Fe-Se-Te Superconducting Materials
(2019-12-01)Iron-based superconductors are a family of high temperature superconductors which are not explained by the standard BCS theory. We have synthesized Fe-Se-Te single crystals via AlCl3 and KCl flux under a temperature gradient. ... -
Introduction to Computational Models of Synaptic Plasticity
(2017)The function of memorizing of a brain is basically due to synaptic plasticity. Ca2+ and dopamine inputs can lead to change in activity of AMPAR, through phosphorylation and dephosphorylation pathways. This process consists ... -
Cavitation of Electron Bubbles In Liquid Helium-4
(2018)Electron bubbles in liquid helium form an interesting quantum mechanical system. The electron bubbles can be cavitated by introducing a critical negative pressure in the form of sound waves. Experiments suggest that there ... -
In Situ Micro-Raman Spectroscopy of Rubrene Single Crystals
(2019)Raman Spectroscopy is the measure of different energy levels of a substance that allows you to see structural information of your substance. Raman Spectroscopy was performed on the organic semiconductor Rubrene ... -
In vivo Optical Measurement of Bone Strength Using Raman Spectroscopy
(2019)Although there are a variety of clinical techniques to measure bone mineralization and structure, bone mineral density alone is not fully indicative of bone strength. Raman spectroscopy is a technique that provides chemical ... -
Characterization of PrIr4Sb8Sn4 Using X – Ray Diffraction
(2019)Crystals of a previously unknown type with the composition PrIr4Sb8Sn4 were grown using methods that are described. An initial attempt to determine the crystal structure was made using small crystals and x-ray diffraction ... -
A Review of the Teaching Methods Applied in the Introductory Physics Class at Kalamazoo College
(2015)The goal of this study is to examine and evaluate the teaching methods used in the introductory physics course at Kalamazoo College. Previously the class was taught as a lecture course which included some peer instruction, ... -
Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Efforts at Kalamazoo College, 2006-2017
(2018)This SIP is intended to offer the reader a general overview on the various sustainability activities that have occurred on campus in recent years, beginning with the recycling program started by Rob Townsend in 1993. Since ...