Anthony J. Nicastro
Department of Physics
127 Merion Hall
West Chester University
West Chester , PA 19382
610.436.2497 ANicastro@wcupa.edu
The Physics Department is extremely active with undergraduate physics research. Below is a glimpse of current research projects as well as openings for new undergraduate research opportunities.
Student Needed
Soft Matter Physics with Dr. Kevin B. Aptowicz
Looking for students to help Sean Gossin (a physics major) and myself with our soft matter physics research. Currently we are exploring the structural changes that occurs during when colloidal systems jams. It would be beneficial if the student researcher could spend part of their summer at the University of Pennsylvania and plans on graduating in May 2011 or later. A summer stipend is available. Please contact Dr. Aptowicz if you are interested.
Miguel Abele
Dark Matter with Dr. Carolyn Sealfon
Dark matter holds together galaxies and influences the evolution of visible matter, yet we do not know what makes up this major component of our universe. Our research focuses on the standard model of dark matter, cold dark matter, and takes a semi-analytical approach to explore implications in the formation of clusters and galaxies. With some simplifying assumptions, we look at the evolution of a dark matter cloud as a 1-dimensional problem. Applying computer code written by Dr. Kavilan Moodley of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, we are running simulations on various parameters which describe the initial conditions of a dark matter cloud. We hope that with the overall results of those simulations we can discover whether a cloud's initial conditions affect its final state.
Sean Gossin
Soft Matter Physics with Dr. Kevin B. Aptowicz
Sean is exploring how disorganized (amorphous) materials respond structurally to local perturbations. He is using a two-dimensional colloidal suspension of micron-sized spheres as his model system. To generate local perturbations, an infrared laser is tightly focused on the sample and heats a small region generating a temperature gradient in the sample. This gradient leads to thermophoretic forces that result in a point expansion of the colloidal suspension.
Jared Campbell
Aerosol Characterization with Dr. Kevin B. Aptowicz
Jared is furthering our understanding of
how aerosol particles scatter light. In particular, he is analyzing scattering patterns generated by shining an frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser (532 nm) onto individual atmospheric aerosol particles. He is trying to decode the angular distribution of the scattered light and determine the morphology (shape, size, composition, structure) of each aerosol particle.
Max Henderson
Aerosol Characterization with Dr. Kevin B. Aptowicz
Max, like Jared above, is characterizing the scattering patterns from aerosol particles. Max is converting each scattering pattern generated from an aerosol particle into a phase function and then performing a cluster analysis of all the phase functions (>10,000). He is hoping that the cluster analysis will provide insight into the distribution of particle morphologies found in our ambient atmosphere.
